When you think of a lean and ripped physique, what are the first images that spring to mind? Of course, you’ll think of a six pack, but is there anything else? More often than not when it comes to getting lean and ripped, we think of slender, vascular bodies. For some people, the thought of veins popping out of their shoulders and biceps is enough to send a shudder down their spines. For others however, the more vascular they can get, the better. There’s just something about vascularity that just seems to make even the most aesthetic physique look that little bit more defined. But why is it that some guys seem to have veins resembling hosepipes under their skin, yet others at the same bodyfat percentages, barely have any visible veins at all? Genetics does play a part in vascularity there’s no getting around it, but there are things we can do to become more vascular. If vascularity is your goal, check out these handy tips.
Get as lean as you can – First and foremost, when it comes to vascularity, and muscle definition in general, you simply cannot get away from the fact that you need to get lean. When we say lean, we really mean lean. To have visible abs you need to be at around 12% body fat, but for your veins to become visible, you need to be in single digit bodyfat percentages. You can perhaps get away with slightly higher bodyfat percentages if you’re looking for that elusive biceps vein, but for everywhere else, you need to really start shedding the pounds, while making sure to maintain as much lean muscle as you can.
Train for a good pump – Bodybuilders know all too well how awesome a good pump is. The problem is that pumps do not tend to last very long. For times when you’re trying to really bring out your veins, train to give yourself the best pump possible. A muscle pump is basically where oxygenated blood is flooding your muscles, and consequently, flooding the cells in your muscles, causing them to swell and expand. Not only that, but the more blood being pumped around your body, the more swollen and full your veins will look giving you a very vascular appearance.
Supplement with Nitric Oxide – Nitric Oxide supplements like NITROCUT are very popular among bodybuilders, and there’s a very good reason for this. You see, in the body, Nitric Oxide functions as a vasodilator. This means that it causes the blood vessels and veins to dilate and expand, allowing them to carry more blood, oxygen, and nutrients around the body. This boosts athletic performance because it means that your cells can absorb more oxygen, but it also boosts vascularity. This is because as the blood vessels dilate and expand, they carry more blood, and the more blood they can carry the fuller they look.
Increase your muscle mass – Finally, for those of you looking for hosepipe veins, the last thing you should do is focus on building muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the greater the demand for blood, it’s that black and white. Because your muscles require more blood, your body will act accordingly and will boost its blood vessel network to accommodate these requirements. The thing to remember is that, in order for your veins to become visible, you need to have very low levels of body fat, so try to gradually build lean muscle mass, or simply alternate between bulking and cutting phases.