You can force your veins to protrude a little from the skin quite easily, partially limiting blood circulation. However, if you want them to be constantly highlighted, then the question becomes a little more complex. Whether you want to surprise your friends or get ready for a bodybuilder photo shoot, here are some tips.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Achieve a Bodybuilder Look
Step 1. Reduce the percentage of body fat mass
In order for the veins to protrude just like in the body of bodybuilders, you need to reduce body fat. The less "the padding" of adipose tissue between the skin and the veins, the more evident they will be. Follow a weight loss diet by losing fat mass.
- In men, a percentage of fat mass of less than 10% results in greater visibility of the main veins. The lower the amount of fat present in the body, the more the veins will protrude, especially in those areas where it is difficult to notice them, for example on the abdominals. For women, the critical percentage is 15%.
- To get these results, you need to be very careful with your diet. This results in lots of fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and a complete ban on consuming junk food, soft drinks and sweets.
Step 2. Decrease your sodium intake
Salt generates water retention. When the body holds water, the skin swells, hiding the veins.
- Don't eat industrially processed foods and anything you haven't cooked yourself. Virtually anything that hasn't been prepared in your kitchen could be overly high in sodium.
- Currently the recommended maximum limit of daily salt consumption is 2300 mg. This means a teaspoon of salt. The Institute of Medicine and the American Heart Association suggest not exceeding 1500 mg of sodium per day. To comply with these guidelines, buy fresh herbs and spices to make the dishes tastier.
Step 3. Build Muscle Mass
To be able to have the muscles needed to make your veins stand out, you need to focus on rigorous training. You will not develop your muscles by sticking to a three set of ten repetition routines, as most people suggest. To achieve certain goals you need to lift "serious" weights 3-5 times.
Start with six sets of five reps, but increase the weights you are lifting by 25%. Muscles have to struggle to grow
Step 4. Increase cardio exercise
Cardiovascular training allows you to burn fat and lose weight; that at high intensity intervals is great for this purpose. A routine of this kind lasts 20-30 minutes and involves very intense phases of cardio exercises interspersed with periods of recovery.
An example of interval cardio training consists of very intense cycling shots and rest phases, or ten hundred-meter sprints with 60 seconds of rest between one and the other
Step 5. Drink water
Taking in a sufficient amount of water keeps the body hydrated and, of course, also the muscles; it also helps you fight water retention. Drinking more water than necessary purifies the body and reduces water retention. Maintaining a healthy level of potassium in the body contributes to the expulsion of water and avoids retention (unlike sodium).
Many bodybuilders voluntarily dehydrate themselves before a competition. Reducing the intake of water makes the veins stand out more. However, this method is not recommended, as it is very dangerous. If you are going to do this, be really cautious
Step 6. Eat fewer carbohydrates
This type of food increases the amount of fluids retained in the body. A low-carbohydrate diet reduces subcutaneous water retention and promotes fat loss.
Step 7. With great care, you can evaluate diuretics
These cause the body to expel fluids, making it easier to see the veins. You can purchase these medications or rely on products that are naturally diuretic, such as espresso. Remember that these are drugs, and as such they can be very dangerous. If you have decided to hire them, always do so in respect of your safety.
Step 8. Take supplements
Agmatine is a supplement produced by the decarboxylation of the amino acid arginine; it prevents nitrogen monoxide from being processed in the body by promoting an increase in blood flow which, in turn, also increases the size of the vessels. A nitric oxide supplement helps to have more prominent veins. Creatinine also appears to be able to increase vascularity.
Method 2 of 2: Temporarily Make Veins More Noticeable
Step 1. Tie something around your arm
The use of a tourniquet increases the pressure in the veins and forces them to fill up, making them more evident. Tie something around your arm or leg where you want your veins to stand out.
- Alternatively, place your right hand around your left wrist (or vice versa) and tighten your grip.
- This is the same technique that is used by doctors and nurses to take a blood sample: the attendant wraps a band around the patient's arm to highlight the vein and understand where to insert the needle.
Step 2. Clench your hand into a fist
After tightening a lace around your arm, close your fist several times. This way you trap the blood in the veins which will swell.
Step 3. Continue like this until you feel some pressure in your arm
This will take 10-15 seconds. Just like when you hold your breath, you also notice when the limb starts to need oxygen. At this point the veins should show.
Open your hand and remove the tourniquet when the limb requires oxygen. The veins will slowly return to normal after releasing the pressure
Step 4. Try to hold your breath
This interrupts the supply of oxygen to the body, increasing blood pressure. Close your mouth and nose and press hard. Bodybuilders sometimes use this trick to make their veins stand out.
Know that this technique is dangerous. By swelling your veins you can also risk breaking them. If it were to happen in a delicate spot, like the eye, or a dangerous one, like the brain, then you would be in real trouble. Remember to start breathing again after about 30 seconds
Step 5. Train
During physical activity, the subcutaneous veins are pushed towards the surface of the skin and become more visible. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the points of the body where the percentage of fat is reduced. Weight lifting increases the visibility of the veins in the muscles under stress; also, after a workout the veins are more noticeable because you are dehydrated.
Step 6. Raise your body temperature
When the body heats up, blood is pumped to the surface of the skin, increasing the visibility of the veins. Bodybuilders use hair dryers to achieve this effect just before a competition. Another safe way to raise the body temperature is by consuming certain foods. Try cayenne pepper or chillies. Some supplements provide the same benefits as these foods.
