Find out why bodybuilders take Pentoxifylline, what are the rules and dosages for taking the drug, and whether beginners should use such dangerous drugs. Do not forget about the possibility of enhancing the work of other drugs, as the blood flow increases dramatically. Depending on the manufacturer, the packaging of the drug costs from 100 to 350 rubles.
Instructions for the use of Pentoxifylline in bodybuilding
Let's find out how to take Pentoxifylline in bodybuilding and get the best results possible. We recommend that you first carefully study the instructions for any contraindications:
- Acute gastritis and peptic ulcer of the digestive system.
- Myocardial infarction and arrhythmia.
- Various ailments of the heart muscle.
- Low blood pressure.
- After surgery.
- Lactation and pregnancy period.
- Persons under the age of 18.
We recommend that you start using the drug at a minimum dosage of 0.2 grams twice a day. To increase the effectiveness of pentoxifylline, it is necessary to take the tablets after the completion of the meal and drink them abundantly with water. If the body has accepted the medication well, then the dosage can be increased to 0.3–0.4 grams. The maximum allowable dose, in turn, is 1.2 grams.
The drug should be used before the start of the lesson and after its completion. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the most important thing here is the pre-workout technique, which should be carried out half an hour before class. On non-workout days, pentoxifylline should be taken in the morning and afternoon, but not too late. The cycle lasts from three to four weeks, after which an extended pause of several months is required.
It is important to remember that the dosage of any drug should be determined on an individual basis. On the course, monitor the state of the body and, if necessary, reduce the amount of medication used. Intravenous administration is allowed if the athlete has problems with the functioning of the digestive system. To increase the effectiveness of the cycle, athletes often use additional drugs. We can recommend that you use fish oil, riboxin (3 or 4 times a day for a daily dose of 2.5 grams), micronutrient complexes and potassium orotate (a daily dose of 1.5 to 2 grams for 3-4 doses).
What side effects does Pentoxifylline have?
Although we said that this is a safe drug, we cannot say that there are no side effects at all. They can appear in case of an overdose or due to the individual intolerance of the active ingredient by the body. Among the side effects, we note dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite.
In addition, the occurrence of allergic reactions, internal bleeding, hypotension and arrhythmias should not be ruled out. If you experience side effects, then you should immediately stop using pentoxifylline. According to numerous reviews of the drug, the strongest pumping effect is observed during training. At the same time, about a third of athletes talk about the appearance of headaches.
Pharmacological properties of Pentoxifylline
The active ingredient of the drug is derived from purine. This fact determines the presence of the following pharmacological properties of Pentoxifylline:
- The processes of microcirculation are improved, as well as the rheological properties of blood.
- The work of PDE is inhibited.
- The concentration of cATP in platelets increases, as well as ATP in erythrocytes.
- The indicator of the total peripheral resistance of blood vessels decreases.
- The stroke volume of blood increases.
- The level of ATP in the cellular structures of the brain increases.
- The viscosity index of the blood decreases.
What is the pumping effect used for in bodybuilding?
In the classical sense, pumping is a special type of training in which the athlete performs exercises in a multi-repetitive mode. In this case, the pauses between sets should be short. As a result, the muscles are pumped with blood and increase in size. Once, having experienced this feeling, you will never forget it. Before going on stage, professional builders must perform light power movements with a lot of repetitions. Fitness models do the same before filming. This is quite logical, because after pumping the muscles look more pathetic in comparison with the cold ones.
Experts distinguish three types of pumping:
- Pharmacological - used before going on stage or filming.
- Cosmetic - achieved during a training session.
- Productive - involves the use of pharmacological drugs and above we have already described how Pentoxifylline is taken in bodybuilding.
Novice athletes are often interested in the benefits or harms of pumping. You probably know that muscle tissue is composed of two types of fibers: fast and slow. The first of them begin to work with a small number of repetitions, and the second have great endurance and are activated by the body in a multi-repetitive training mode.
Fibers of any type are susceptible to hypertrophy. If you want to achieve maximum results, then you need to alternate workouts for fast and slow fibers. Thus, classical strength training is used to develop fast muscle fibers, and pumping is used for slow ones. We recommend that you use both techniques.
Also, due to the acceleration of blood flow, nutrients are quickly delivered to the muscles and other tissues of the body. You can use a pump during recovery sessions. As any experienced athlete will tell you, changing your training style periodically is essential. In the course of scientific research, it has been found that pumping training promotes a powerful release of anabolic hormones.
However, not all athletes and specialists take this type of training positively. You can study this topic on your own, because it is quite actively discussed. There are often opinions that such training is ineffective, with which we cannot agree. However, it should be remembered that you cannot do without strength training in any case. Pumping should only be used as an adjunct to this training style.
Also, a negative attitude towards pumping is often influenced by a misunderstanding of the principles of organizing such classes. Some builders believe that pumping can only be achieved when working with light weights. However, in practice this is not the case. Try to reduce your working weight and train in a multi-rep mode. It will take at least an hour for the muscles to pump up with blood. This is the main mistake of many novice athletes.
From all of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- Pumping should only complement strength training.
- Work to fill the muscles with blood should be with a large weight of weights, while performing from 10 to 15 repetitions. The pause between sets should be 60 seconds maximum.
If you are just starting to exercise, then pumping can be very useful for you. To start gaining weight, you must go through two phases. At the first stage, the body adapts to a new mode of life, and only after that it will activate the processes of muscle hypertrophy (second phase). Surely each of you has heard more than once that at the first stage it is necessary to master the technical nuances of all power movements and not rush to increase the working weights. This is where you can actively use pumping.
Recall that the first stage of training is only necessary to prepare the body for future progress. To enhance the pumping effect, you can use various techniques - drop sets, cheating, partial repetitions, supersets, pre-fatigue, peak contraction. All of them are actively used by professional athletes and will definitely be useful to you.
According to many athletes, drop sets are a very effective technique. The essence of this technique comes down to performing sets with a decrease in working weight. Moreover, in each approach, it is necessary to work until muscle failure. Since the pause between sets is minimal and you only rest while you are losing weight, the pumping effect is achieved very quickly.
Supersets are also hugely popular. Reception consists in performing two movements without a pause between them. Most often, these exercises are aimed at working out the antagonist muscles (muscles located nearby, but performing directly opposite functions). Examples of antagonist muscles are biceps / triceps or back / chest. We recommend that you try all the methods of increasing the intensity of classes that we have remembered. After that, choose one or more that bring you the best results.
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