Growing up, all I ever wanted was the “biceps vein!” I wanted it even more than huge biceps. Of course, big biceps help to push that vein out and being lean is important as well – too much body fat will hide your vascularity.

Bodybuilders use several tricks to bring out their vascularity during competition. Drugs aside, taking glycerol helps as does wine believe it or not. Next time you have wine with dinner, take a quick peek at your arms and see if you notice the difference.

Some bodybuilders will also use nitric oxide foods and supplements for this purpose. Using them occasionally before a workout or competition is no big deal, but taking them on a daily basis can actually lower testosterone levels as Dr. Mauro DiPasquale points out:

There’s also the counterproductive effects of supplements and foods that increase nitric oxide. It’s been shown that excessive nitric oxide production decreases testosterone production and many bodybuilders and other athletes use supplements that dramatically increase nitric oxide and thus the use of these supplements likely have an additive effect with phytoestrogens and environmental estrogens on suppressing the HPTA and decreasing endogenous testosterone production.

Anyhow, eventually I got that north-south biceps vein and a few east-west ones as well!

What was the secret to my success?

In one word: CONSISTENCY

Of course, falling in love with chin-ups and Zottman curls didn’t hurt, but it was being consistent week after week, month after month, and year after year with a sound nutrition, exercise, and sleep regimen. Quite frankly, that’s the key to success to pretty much any goal that you wish to achieve with your training.

Go ahead and hire a personal trainer for proper guidance and motivation, but once you have that plan in place, be consistent!