Want road map vascularity with that paper thin skin look?
To many, including myself – a combination of lean muscle mass and vascularity form a noteworthy physique.
Biceps, deltoids and abdominals with prominent veins is a sign of a lean muscle mass, low body fat and minimal stored water… a combination of three hard feats that very few are able to pull off.
Here’s the thing – you don’t need to take copious amounts of steroids or buy endless amounts of supplements to get the vascularity you’re after.
Performing cardio is an effective method to increase your vascularity, if you’re a bodybuilder or powerlifter you’re probably not too impressed with me telling you to do cardio, but hear me out…
3 Ways In Which Cardio Can Increase Your Vascularity
Increased Blood Flow & Blood Velocity
It’s no secret that cardio increases your heart rate. As your heart rate rises, blood pressure also increases. Through a combination of your heart rate and blood pressure rising this increases capillarization (or the dilation and proliferation of capillaries).
The dilation of your arteries, capillaries and veins not only increases your vascularity, but also the health of your lungs and heart.
Reduces Water Retention
Even with low body fat, if you’re holding a significant amount of water your definition and vascularity will remain skewed.
While cardio pumps your blood throughout your body it also moves your fluids, including retained water.
As this retained water is pumped around your body your kidneys can excrete it, and your sweat glands can sweat it out.
To put this into perspective, a bodybuilder on stage retaining too much water can make the difference between 1st and 5th place as a small layer (almost like a film) of water can give the illusion of increased body fat.
Burns Fat (Including Subcutaneous Fat!)
Cardio burns calories, resulting in fat loss (provided you’re in a caloric deficit).
Burning fat, including subcutaneous fat will result in an increase in muscle definition and vascularity.
3 Cardio Workouts To Get You Started!
Deadmills
Jump Rope Circuit
Plyometric Circuit
5 Other Actionable Methods To Increase Vascularity
- Drop down to single digit body fat
- Continue to build lean muscle mass
- Decrease water retention
- Increase your body temperature
- Supplement with diuretics/nitric oxide
Read more about these techniques and how you can implement them in my complete ‘how to increase vascularity’ article here.