“How to Get More Vascular”: Body Fat Reduction, Muscle Growth, and a bit less sodium

A couple years ago when I was getting a seasonal flu shot, the young woman who administered the vaccine was somewhat amused by the array of highly visible forearm veins she had at her disposal to which she could aim her needle. Glancing at the protruding highway of vessels before her, she laughed and sarcastically asked her colleague:

“Hey Lori, do you think I’ll have trouble finding a vein to stick on this guy?”

“Ha ha”, answered Lori. “You can just take your pick with that one.”

Funny, until that moment, I hadn’t really realized how vascular I had gotten. I’d occasionally been solicited by friends or guys at the gym with questions like this:

“How do I get some veins poppin’ out like that?”

“Gaining vascularity” – when that’s what’s desired – should start with the basics; maximizing muscle mass while minimizing body fat

My answer to “how to get more vascular” was always pretty standard; lose the body fat – get it down to eight percent or lower – and the veins will be a-poppin’”

But is this really all there is to it? Anyone with common sense can probably figure out that cutaneous layers of fat and water will keep the cardiovascular plumbing hidden like treasure in uncharted waters. And while shedding fat might be sufficient for revealing muscular veins in some who want them more visible, it clearly isn’t enough for others.

Interestingly, an often overlooked ingredient in the ‘how to get more vascular’ equation is simply building enough muscle size to require increased blood vessel size and quantity. As we gain muscle through bodybuilding, we typically gain bigger and vaster networks of blood vessels to support those muscles. Over the years, I’ve seen my genetic predisposition for veins in my arms get augmented as the muscles have become bigger and harder. I’ve also seen a lot of veins that weren’t previously visible suddenly pop to the surface and begin showing.

Yet some bodybuilding enthusiasts who are seeking vascularity tend to jump the gun and expect it before obtaining appreciable muscular development. As the muscles grow bigger and stronger, getting more vascular by shedding body fat becomes more efficacious.

In addition to cutting body fat as an ingredient in one's ‘how to get more vascular’ repertoire, I’d recommend cutting sodium intake as well. If there’s anything that can hide surface veins as much as body fat, it’s water retention.

As an example: I happen to love turkey sandwiches. A certain brand of deli turkey that I like is high in sodium (as most of them are). Whenever I eat a lot of that turkey, the veins that normally pop out of my arms kind of go into hiding. I can see and feel the ensuing water retention after eating one of those sandwiches. The same thing happens if I eat a few slices of salt-laden pizza.

So, my advice if you’re looking for the ‘secret’ of “how to get more vascular” without resorting to exotic (and questionable) drugs or thinking that ‘nitric oxide’ products will work some kind of miracle on you: Honestly assess your muscular development, leanness, and sodium intake. If those have been optimize (unlikely; we can always develop more muscle), then any shortcoming in desired results might be legitimately written off as ‘genetics’ in the context of ‘thick skin’ or ‘deep/small blood vessels.’

Until next time: Train smart – not just “hard” or “heavy.”

Comments

[Donald]

Maybe I missed it when reading this article, but you covered everything except for one important step. You must put sodium and carbs back into your diet. If you lower your sodium and carb intake and lose the water weight you will get "flat". Yes you will lose weight, water weight and yes you will see more vascularity (flat vascularity), but they will come and go. So how do you consistently see them? You lower your sodium intake, increase your water intake and then after "x" amount of days, weeks, months, etc, you put sodium and carbs back into your diet to make muscle and vascularity "pop out". This should be done on a rotation, low sodium, high protein, medium carbs, lots of water for "x" amount of time and then fill back out with sodium, high protein, carbs (ie chicken/spinach pizzza, my personal favorite).
Think of vascularity as a empty balloon (low sodium/high water). You add water to it (sodium carbs) and the balloon stretches. You take the water out and now the balloon has more room to "pop out". You put water back in the balloon again and it will be bigger then it was before. I'm not a nutritionist, but I am a professional natural bodybuilder for ten years at 6'2, 260 in the off-season. Good article, take care. I apologize if I wrote a whole article here, but I just wanted to comment.

[breast implants]

i am not a fan of this big and bulky muscles among men. they look scary and it would be easy for them to knock you down. better not to cross them. lol

[scott]

Hey No Nonsense,

Based on the questions you ask and your link, my guess is that you're an affilitate marketer who's attempting to sell a bodybuilding course rather than being a bodybuilder with legitimate questions. I was about to delete your phony questions when I decided to keep them for the edification of my REAL readers.

Switching to high repetitions for "leaning out" is complete nonsense (surprising from a guy calling himself "no nonsense"). You get lean by tightening up your eating habits and adding/increasing cardio (aerobic) activity until you're in a caloric deficit. Keep your bodybuilding repetitions down in the mass building range.

Did you even read Vince Delmonte's course before deciding to sell it? I'd guess he would have mentioned that.

Scott

[No Nonsense Muscle Building Review]

Whats up Guys,

I've done weight training for the better part of my life (32 yo) but never really took it too seriously until now. I want to realize the true potential my body has to offer. I'm 5ft. 8in, 185 lbs. i am curently on a a cycle of DMZ extreme Stack with a the Mass Builder and have gotten good results already halfway through my cycle. before you get ready to Crush me with comments of how I should have reached my plateau before using prohormones and get my diet right etc...I hear ya. I'll be the first to admit I did not start out on the best note. But it is what it is. I'm coming off of the DMZ in about 1 1/2 weeks for my PCT. I know I'll love some of the results I've gained. My question is, I want to get super lean this summer and show whatever I end up keeping. I would really like to get that veiny vascular look even if its just a taste. How can I get that naturally? Are there foods or legit supplements that I can take? the 2nd part to my question is...what is the maximum nuber of reps I should top out at while trying to lean out and still keep a muscular frame. i realize this is a very general question. I have a buddy that is doing around 20 to 30 reps a set sometimes and I'm wondering if that is a waste of energy?

[tacfit]

Want to get vascular

im pretty big 5'11 22 yrs old 230lbs 14% body fat, but im lookin to get a little more vascular any ideas? maybe some gear or some over the counter product and anyone kno of a really strong fat burner or how to drop about 2-3% more body fat within the next couple of months cuz i heard cardio sometimes eats away at muscle tissue if you dont eat enough.

[scott]

Hey Somanabolic,

Great point! A big factor in vascularity is genetics. My point was simply that the best way to maximize one's own genetic potential for vascularity is to create a reason for a greater number of bigger blood vessels. That reason would be more muscle mass.

Scott

[somanabolic]

Certain people are more vascular than others, I see, and it doesn't matter on muscle size. For example, I've seen this kid, that was about 5'10" and weighed like 100lbs and had huge veins.

How do they do it? Is it genetics or?

[jason]

I found your blog is great and i'd appreciate that you can kindly exchange the link with me.You're welcome to mine!

[Jordan seakers]

Your ideas about something is so cool and different,many I knew and many I haven’t known,so I am learning them,thanks.and stay them.

[Plastic surgery Beverly Hills]

This is a perfect advise on getting this veins showing. It looks attractive though a bit scary.