How not to look vasular?

[brent]

I've been reading the vascular thread, and I've been wondering the opposite lately. So I thought I'd start a thread about it.

When we see really huge muscle dudes, I ask my husband Rob what he thinks about me getting that big. He always is like, fine just not so veiny. I'm not so keen on big veins either. Thankfully, veins run deep in my family, and it's very hard to find one on me is it is. If I always keep a little layer of fat, could I get huge without the roadmap?

[glammaman2000]

your limbs are usually a bit leaner than your torso,so you may get some veins on your arms.i've often thought that heavy veins on the upper chest&shoulders is the result of poor workout habits(holding your breath&clenching your neck on heavy lifts)

[buffdoc]

Lifting can certainly exaggerate vascular appearance with venous hypertrophy due to repeated muscle pumps. That being said it is really trivial compared to contribution of body fat. The higher body fat percentage the less vascular you will appear. On the extreme, catechetic people (especially speed abusers) have veins everywhere because they have no fat (or muscle). Your intravascular volume is also contributory; salt restriction tends to bring out veins as it reduces bloat. Certain anabolic steroids like Equipose also boost hemoglobin production disproportionally and make veins especially visible. Luckily, most of us will never have to worry about becoming excessively vascular--it really is a problem limited to dudes on huge doses of steroids and growth hormone.

[brent]

So if I keep some fat, enjoy some salty food, don't use steroids, and don't hold my breath while lifting I shouldn't have much to worry about? Right?

[Mdlftr]

So as an old-time professional example of this, I'm thinking Clint Beyerle. He had major veins in his upper chest and shoulders!

Also, most magazine pictures of guys who've just finished pumping up are pretty veiny.

Is it true that large veins are more likely to become varicose? I'm thinking about those people who end up having to have "vein stripping" later in life because of their varicose veins. {Ouch!} So, can a bodybuilder who's into pumping up be setting himself up for problems with varicose veins later in life?


Mdlftr

[glammaman2000]

exercise tends to prevent varicose veins in the legs.(i was able to reverse one in my left calf!)i remember Clint Beyerle!those ropey,snakey veins in the upper chest are quite rare(Paul Dillett has them,too)i've already stated my suspicion about what causes this;but it's just a guess.

[brent]

That's a relief, I'll just keep pumping up in the gym. Thanks everyone for all the great posts.

Brent.