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

Bodybuilders use several tricks to bring out vascularity during competition. Drugs aside, glycerol helps… and believe it or not, so does wine. Next time you have a glass with dinner, take a peek at your arms—you may notice a difference.

Some bodybuilders also turn to nitric oxide–boosting foods and supplements for this purpose. Using them occasionally before a workout or competition is no big deal, but taking them daily could backfire. 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.

Eventually, I did get that north-south biceps vein—and a few east-west ones too!

What was the secret to my success?

In one word: consistency.

Sure, falling in love with chin-ups and Zottman curls didn’t hurt. But it was the consistency—week after week, month after month, year after year—with a solid nutrition, training, and sleep regimen that made the difference. Quite frankly, that’s the key to just about any goal you want to achieve in your training.

Hire a personal trainer for proper guidance and motivation if needed—but once you have the plan in place, stick with it!