Achieving the pinnacle of fitness and physique with a vascular aesthetic is not an easy task. It requires dedicated training and hours of hard work to sculpt the ideal look. However, it is not as simple as simply training and lifting. Vascularity is achieved primarily through the strength of our diet, hydration, and supplementation. Nailing these aspects of your training program are vital to success and achieving the vascular, cut look we all aspire to. In this article we’ll breakdown the diet, hydration, and supplementation strategies to put together ultimate aesthetic look!
Diet:
An optimum diet for peak vascularity will be one that eliminates unnecessary calories and keeps fat levels at a minimum while still suppling the necessary nutrients needed for performance. This means high levels of protein, low levels of carbohydrates and lots of healthy fats. Protein sources should primarily come from lean protein sources such as chicken, lean beef, fish, peanut butter, eggs, and so on. We’ll need to take out any simple carbs such as pasta, rice, potatoes, white bread and so on and replace it with either complex carb options such as sweet potatoes and brown rice, or with lentils and beans which can account for some of the missing calories and provide a great deal of fiber as well. Vegetables need to be a major part of the diet as well, generally the more vibrant colors the better. They can be a very low glycemic index option for calories thus improving our energy intake without adding on to the overall carb total. Finally, healthy fats are a key as they can provide a great deal of the missing energy from low carbs and help us to burn actual fat more efficiently, thus complementing our vascular ideal. Good examples of healthy fats include avocado’s, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and various seafood products like anchovies or sardines.
Hydration:
Hydration is another crucial element to promoting healthy blood flow and vascularity. There is a fine line to straddle between dehydration and not enough water which hurts our recovery process and too much water which leaves us bloated and certainly not with the look we’re after. We also should consider the water retention factor, depending on our diet if our water retention is low it will take more water more consistently to maintain a proper level of hydration. One of the best ways to determine your exact range of proper hydration is to monitor how much water you take in each day for a week and at the same time maintain a journal of how you’re looking and feeling. This will help you correlate the two diaries and figure out if your current level of hydration is adequate or needs changing. This process can be repeated as needed until you’ve found a great range that leaves you looking cut while also well-hydrated for performance. Finally, in order to keep your water retention level high, you’ll want to invest in foods that can deliver sodium while still being healthy, options like pickles are great for this cause.
Supplementation:
Supplements are the game changer that helps our diet and hydration plan get us where we need to be. There are quite a few supplements available and it can be overwhelming at times, however there are 4 key supplements that can be implemented that will provide great results. First, whey protein is the classic supplement that helps to build muscle growth and size when used in accordance with proper training. It is best consumed within thirty minutes after finishing a workout as that maximizes its effectiveness. There are many protein types available, however the best one for vascularity and specifically achieving that look would be the whey protein that can be found at Vascular Nutrition which offers premium bang for your buck protein.
Secondly, one of the keys to maximizing your training is having the energy needed to have a great training session every time. The ideal aesthetic will not wait for your off-days and fatigue, performance never stops. On days where you’re having trouble finding the energy to get started or if you just want to have an awesome workout at any time, then you’ll want to invest in a pre-workout supplement such as this one which offers multiple flavors and helps to stimulate the nervous system for improved performance and cognition. During workouts it is also important to maintain a high energy level and get immediate fuel to muscles that are fatigued but have more work to do. Branched Chain Amino Acids can provide the body with an intra-workout boost and help to support additional fat loss which will help to boost the metabolism and get even better results from your workout!
Finally, throughout the day you’ll want to keep the metabolism running high and supplements along the lines of Fat Burners will utilize green tea extract and other key natural ingredients to keep the fat burning process going all day. These can also assist with suppressing appetite so that we don’t over-gorge ourselves after a hard training day and we’re feeling the need to replace the energy.
Get it Right, Get it Tight!
To put it all together, a vascular look requires incredible training and work ethic, but that alone will not get the job done. The proper diet, hydration and supplementation strategy is critical to escalating blood flow and creating that ideal aesthetic we all aspire to. Use the strategies outlined in this article and upgrade your supplement game to get your body where it needs to be!