Venousness in bodybuilding. Ways to achieve vascularity in bodybuilding How to increase veins on muscles

In the world of professional bodybuilding, an important role is occupied by such a phenomenon as venousness - an indicator that characterizes the fullness of veins, capillaries and arteries with blood. In bodybuilding, vascularity is used to judge the level of training of an athlete and the definition of his muscles. If the venous network is formed proportionally, then it will emphasize the advantages of the athlete’s figure and visually improve the appearance of his muscles. To have the desired level of vascularity, a bodybuilder needs to increase the diameter of his vessels.
There are many different methods for improving vascularity in bodybuilding. The thickening of blood vessels and the development of the capillary network occurs due to the regular filling of the muscles with blood; this can be achieved using special techniques and exercises, certain pharmacological drugs and sports supplements. One of the ways to improve the filling of muscles with blood is to achieve a pumping effect; you can learn more about this process.
What does venousness depend on?
Some athletes easily get veins in bodybuilding, while others find it difficult, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the athlete’s body. For example, some people may have very thick skin, while others may have blood vessels located too deeply, and if these 2 obstacles are combined at once, it will be impossible to achieve venous appearance without getting rid of a large amount of subcutaneous fat, so drying in this matter is mandatory.
How to get veins in bodybuilding
Often, to achieve vascularity, athletes use certain pharmacological drugs that increase blood pressure. It is worth saying that this method negatively affects health, since with an increase in blood pressure, the likelihood of a heart attack and stroke increases. In the field of bodybuilding, there are even athletes who drink alcohol before competitions to dilate blood vessels; fortunately, there are only a few such people.
Today, vascularity and bodybuilding are very closely related, and with the development of bodybuilding, some general principles for improving the capillary network have emerged. The surest method of improving vascularity is the loss of subcutaneous fat and getting rid of the water that is under the skin; this can be achieved through regular training and diets. The second method is to increase the number of red blood cells in the blood, because of this the blood volume increases; it is often used for such purposes.
Venousness in bodybuilding has both its advantages and disadvantages. Of course, the obvious advantages are the visual improvement of the athlete’s shape, which is very important in bodybuilding. Also, dilation of veins helps prevent congestion in the capillaries, which is often the cause of various heart diseases.
Sometimes venousness can provoke a disease such as varicose veins, and the chance of getting this disease is even greater in females. To summarize, we can say that only professional athletes make sense to monitor their venousness; it is also better to use harmless ways to improve the capillary network, such as drying, getting rid of excess fluid, and pumping training.
Video - how to increase vascularity in the arms

Protruding veins are a sign of a well-developed body. Bodybuilders, professional wrestlers and other athletes often have arms with prominent veins. The easiest way to achieve this effect is on your forearms - it will work even if you don't have that much muscle. To make your veins more visible, you should also get rid of excess subcutaneous fat.

Steps

How to make veins protrude above the skin

Try doing twenty push-ups. If you've noticed that sometimes the veins start to protrude on your arms and sometimes you don't see them, try doing twenty push-ups. This is the easiest way to make veins become visible. The exercise increases blood flow to the muscles of the forearms, and the effect is enhanced by the force of gravity.
- If you've never seen prominent veins on your arms and push-ups aren't helping, you should first reduce your body fat percentage. Continue to the next section of this article.
Tighten your forearm muscles. If you don't want to do push-ups or you can't do it, pump the blood in your hands by clenching and unclenching your fists. Place your hands, palms up, on a flat surface. Start clenching your palms into fists and unclenching them. Keep doing the exercise - it will increase blood flow.
- This exercise will force blood to flow to the muscles of the forearms. This phenomenon is called vasolidation, which is the dilation of blood vessels, because the muscles begin to need more oxygen, causing blood to flow to the area and the veins to widen and protrude above the skin.
- You can also squeeze stress balls or a wrist exercise machine.
Dangle your arms down. If you have thin arms and large veins, you can try simply lowering your arms down so that as much blood as possible can flow to the muscles. It's simple!
- Try hanging your arms over the back of a sofa or kitchen table, or any other surface where you can rest your armpits and dangle your arms.
- If too much blood begins to flow into your hands, you may experience tingling and numbness in your fingers. Return your hands to your normal position if this happens.
Wear a shirt with tight sleeves. There are special T-shirts that allow you to increase blood flow to the muscles and veins, as a result of which they become larger and more noticeable. Of course, wearing tight clothes is bad for your veins, muscles and heart, so you can simply roll up the sleeves of a regular shirt to make it fit more tightly, or wear a shirt that fits snugly to the body.
- Blood flow to any part of the body should not be restricted. Do not use tourniquets or bandages that will compress the veins. If they are not removed in time, this can lead to irreparable consequences for tissues or even the loss of a limb.
Do grip exercises. Walking with barbells, doing dumbbell curls, standing barbell curls, and other grip exercises will help strengthen your forearms and dilate blood vessels. You will notice that your veins will swell during these exercises.
- As a rule, you need to choose the right number of repetitions so that you feel pain at the end. More reps, less weight.
- If you can't go to the gym, try hanging from a door frame. This will help expand the blood vessels in the forearms and strengthen the muscles of the hands and fingers. Grasp the top of the door frame with your fingers and hang there for as long as possible. Perform the exercise several times daily and add push-ups.
Start doing cardio exercises. A healthy heart and blood vessels are the main condition for losing weight and strengthening your arms. There are two types of such load. Slow cardio exercise is a moderate exercise (for example, elliptical exercises, walking on a treadmill, cycling).
- The second type of cardio is called high-intensity interval training. Intense exercises are performed in a short period of time (20–30 minutes) with short pauses between exercises. An example of such a load is hundred-meter sprints with a minute of rest after each of them.
- An example of a moderate cardio workout is a forty-five minute elliptical workout.

Some people want to be like bodybuilders, that is, have the same body and figure, so it is important for them to know how to pump up their arms so that the veins are visible. This is done for different purposes:

amaze your friends and acquaintances;
looks good in a photo.

There are several ways to make veins more visible.

The first type of diet recommends reducing body fat levels. Swollen veins will appear only if the fat layer is at a minimum level. The best way to do this is to pay attention to your diet. It should look like this: the mandatory presence of meat, but at the same time aimed at reducing the level of fat. In order for veins to become more noticeable, the percentage of body fat should be:

less than 10% for men;
about 15% for women.

In addition to meat, you need to include fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as lean protein, in your diet. You will need to give up various sweets and junk foods. It is better not to eat outside your apartment at all, since food prepared in fast food places contains a large amount of harmful substances and fats. Still, you shouldn’t eat ready-made semi-finished products; they also have very little useful content.

You need to pay attention to sodium intake. It does not allow fluid in the body to be eliminated correctly, which means that the veins will not be visible. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce its consumption. Another important fact for veins to become visible is the amount of salt per day. It is 2300 mg, which is equal to 1 teaspoon. For the fastest possible results, it is better to reduce its consumption to 1500 mg. Therefore, it is better to eat fresh vegetables, herbs and spices.

Sports and veins

In order for a person to be able to say: “I see quick results,” he should, first of all, start building muscle mass. That is, regular training is not suitable for this; you need to do 3-5 approaches and choose equipment with heavy weight. Of course, you can’t start so intensely right away; it’s best to do 6 sets of 5 repetitions. After several workouts, you need to increase the weight by 25%.

To burn fat you need to do cardio exercises. High-intensity interval training will do this especially well. Their essence is to alternate high-intensity exercises with low-intensity exercises or complete rest.

Other ways to make veins more visible

There are several more methods on how to pump up your arms so that all the veins are visible. For example, you need to drink a lot of water. This will help the muscles to be in a “puffed up” state. That is, water will not be retained in the body. Another way would be to increase your potassium intake. It will help remove excess fluid from the body.

It is worth paying attention to the amount of carbohydrates consumed. If you want to become the owner of toned arms with visible veins, it is best to limit the amount of carbohydrates. They make it more difficult for fluid to drain out and the veins will be less visible. Also, reducing carbohydrates will help reduce the amount of fat in the body.

Thus, to achieve textured veins, you need to combine regular exercise with a special diet.

The content of the article:

It should be admitted that vascularity in bodybuilding is a rather controversial topic. This concept itself presupposes the presence of protruding veins on the surface of the skin. Of course, venousness is observed not only in athletes, but also in people with a thin physique. The answer to the question why athletes have bulging veins is quite simple - a small amount of subcutaneous fat.

Most bodybuilders do everything they can to increase their vascularity in preparation for tournaments. For them, this is not a cosmetic defect, but a mandatory attribute, indicating the presence of excellent shape. Judges also pay attention to vascularity, and this is one of the components of high scores.

When an athlete's veins protrude, his body appears more muscular, and the presence of excess subcutaneous fat sharply reduces the venousness rate. However, this is not at all an indication that an athlete with high vascularity has a minimum of fat deposits in his body. This is largely determined at the genetic level by the depth of the vessels. Sometimes in athletes with well-pumped muscles, venousness is not so pronounced. However, even in this situation, you can easily determine that they are in excellent shape, because muscle fibers can appear through the skin.

Venousness in bodybuilding

Today we will talk about why veins bulge in athletes, because this may be a symptom of a disease. However, first we will tell you how you can increase vascularity before competitions. We have already noted that bodybuilders try to increase vascularity before starting a tournament, but for many this is also evidence of the use of steroids by athletes. With the help of these hormonal drugs, you can not only pump up muscles, but also get rid of subcutaneous fat deposits in a short time.

It is difficult to argue with this fact; it is enough to compare two athletes and the one taking anabolic steroids will have higher vascularity, although the genetic factor has an influence in this case as well. Some bodybuilders who train natural all the time may also have pronounced vascularity, since their blood vessels are located close to the surface of the skin. In addition, there are drugs that do not belong to the AAS group, but can increase venousness, for example, somatotropin or clenbuterol.

This is primarily due to their ability to effectively burn subcutaneous fat. It is reliably known that sometimes athletes even specifically took drugs to increase blood pressure and were confident that this would help them achieve the effect of protruding veins. However, such attempts were doomed to failure, and the use of these medications can cause a heart attack.

In an effort to achieve maximum vascularity, some bodybuilders drink a small amount of wine before going on stage. In theory, alcohol dilates blood vessels, but only affects small ones. That is why after drinking alcoholic beverages, warmth spreads throughout the body. The situation is similar with niacin, which has a vasodilating effect, but is not able to increase venousness.

The most unpromising and even stupid way to increase venousness is to use erythropoietin or analogues of this drug. These drugs are designed to increase the level of red cells in the blood. The inappropriateness of this step can be easily seen if you pay attention to cyclists, who quite often use erythropoietin to increase endurance. Do you remember at least one cyclist whose veins protruded?

We have already noted that vascularity in sports is a controversial topic and this is largely due to the attitude of ordinary people towards it. Many people who are not directly involved in bodybuilding do not understand the aesthetic beauty in strongly protruding veins. If athletes are proud of their high vascularity and are sure that this is one of the main characteristics of the presence of a low percentage of fat in the body, then for ordinary people bulging veins are an unnatural and even ugly factor.

It should be noted here that previously athletes did not attach much importance to vascularity. Look at photos of bodybuilders of the past, and almost all of them had only a couple of veins standing out on their muscles, usually on the biceps. This fact again refers us to the topic of steroid use by bodybuilders. In one of his interviews, Vince Gironda, who can be considered one of the greatest bodybuilders in the history of bodybuilding, also raised the topic of why athletes have bulging veins. He said that he often lost to athletes who were not so well pumped, but at the same time there were practically no visible veins on their body.

Similar problems plagued Bob Hinds, whose vascularity would be the envy of modern athletes. At the peak of his form, his veins stood out very strongly, and his muscles were well developed. However, at the Mr. America tournament in 1959, he took only 8th place and ended his sports career quite quickly after that.

We already understand why athletes’ veins bulge and why bodybuilders strive to increase venousness. However, it is also necessary to say about one type of vascularity, which is definitely not aesthetically pleasing and can be observed in many elite athletes. We are now talking about distorted and swollen veins, which are called varicose veins. Even fans of bodybuilding agree with this, for whom normal venousness does not cause a feeling of disgust.

Reasons for the development of varicose veins in athletes

We know that veins are blood vessels through which blood flows towards the heart muscle. To prevent the blood from starting to move in the opposite direction, since no one has canceled gravity, there are special valves in the veins.

During operation, muscles can be compared to pumps that facilitate the work of the veins in delivering blood to the heart. Varicose veins, in turn, are a consequence of valve dysfunction. As soon as this happens, the blood begins to move in the opposite direction and this causes an increase in pressure on the walls of the veins. As a result, they sharply increase in size, and most often this process occurs in those vessels that are located in close proximity to the surface of the skin.

In addition to the fact that varicose veins do not look at all aesthetically pleasing, they often hurt, especially when moving or when a person is standing. After physical activity with varicose veins, a feeling of weakness appears and even cramps are possible, which can lead to disruption of sleep patterns and metabolic reactions. Varicose veins are more common in women, including during pregnancy. In the second case, hormones are to blame. People whose work requires being on their feet for long periods of time are also at risk.

Although varicose veins are more common among the fair half of humanity, men are also susceptible to this disease. A great example of this are bodybuilders. Scientists have proven that an imbalance in the hormonal system largely contributes to the development of this disease. A high concentration of estrogen is a factor that explains the higher susceptibility of women to varicose veins compared to men.

With age, the rate of testosterone production decreases, and the hormonal balance in the male body may shift towards estrogen. This explains the presence of this disease in older men. In addition to all of the above, varicose veins in men can also develop due to the presence of a genetic disease called Klinefelter syndrome, in which the balance of hormones is shifted towards estradiol.

Perhaps for some, the influence of hormones on the functioning of veins was a revelation, but it is true. The fact is that blood vessels contain receptors of androgen and estrogen types. Relatively recently, a study was conducted that proved the influence of estrogens on the development of varicose veins. In a group of subjects, the concentration of female hormones was higher in comparison with testosterone. In addition, androgen receptors in their bodies were not as active as in healthy men.

Thus, the answer to the question of why athletes have bulging veins is a hormonal imbalance. However, not every athlete can be susceptible to this disease, because there are many factors contributing to its development. If an athlete is actively using steroids, then he should be aware of the ability of some of these drugs to convert into estrogens.

Due to age-related changes in the body, men gradually lose muscle mass, but the percentage of subcutaneous fat increases. Today it has been proven that high concentrations of estrogen also contribute to an increase in the number of adipose tissues. All this suggests that the risks of developing varicose veins in such a situation increase sharply. This is also known to athletes who, thanks to special medications, try to reduce the concentration of female hormones in the body.

It may also be that the training style of bodybuilders also influences the possibility of developing this disease. This theory also exists in medicine, but it seems to us that this is unlikely, because physical activity is designed to reduce the risk of developing varicose veins. In conclusion, I would like to say that the only way to reduce the risk of developing varicose veins for athletes is to control the balance between estrogen and testosterone.

Causes of venousness in athletes, see below:

In most cases, bulging veins in the arms are the norm, not a pathology. More often, vessels are observed on the hands and forearms of men. They are not always extended - they are simply located close to the surface of the skin. Men have poorly developed fat tissue, and even when they increase body fat, all the fat goes to their stomach. It is almost absent on the hands and forearms, so the veins are clearly visualized.

Why do the veins on my arms bulge?

Some people have more prominent veins in their arms than others. With what it can be connected? There are several reasons:

1. Thin body type. The less fat, the better the veins on the arms are visible. They are often observed in people about whom they say “skin and bones.” Although it would be more correct to say: “skin, bones and blood vessels.”

2. Trained muscles. The larger the muscles, the wider the lumen of the blood vessels becomes. Trained athletes often have large veins on their arms. They also appear in people who do physical labor.

3. Age. As you get older, veins become more visible. This is not always due to their expansion, and is largely due to thinning of the skin.

Protruding veins can be a consequence of not only organic, but also functional changes. That is, they may become noticeable not forever, but for a while. This is possible after intense physical activity, in hot weather, or when the hand is squeezed by thick and tight clothing. Surely you have noticed that the veins bulge when they measure your blood pressure in the clinic and put a cuff on your shoulder, or take blood from the ulnar vein and bandage your arm with a tourniquet.

Veins change their shape much more easily than arteries, increasing or decreasing the lumen. After the action of the causative factor ceases, they narrow again and become less noticeable.

Veins in the arms bulge strongly

Strongly bulging veins in the arms can be a symptom of the disease. Usually this is either varicose veins or cardiovascular pathology.

In the first case, procedures or surgical interventions will help reduce pathologically dilated veins.

In the second case, you need to fight not with the effect (bulging blood vessels), but with the cause (heart disease). It is advisable to contact a cardiologist to check if your “motor” is acting up.

Venousness in the arms

In people who are involved in bodybuilding, the veins that bulge on their arms are called venousness. It is perceived extremely positively. Venousness is achieved only after drying, while during the off-season it goes away or becomes less noticeable. Before competitions, bodybuilders strive to increase vascularity in the arms and other areas of the body using various methods:

special food;
exercises aimed at increasing blood flow to the muscles;
sports supplements.

The more veins an athlete has in his arms, the higher his chances of getting high scores from judges in competitions, because veins are noticeable when assessing muscle definition.

What to do to make the veins in your arms bulge?

Some men want the veins on their arms to bulge. In their opinion, this gives the hands masculinity and beauty. What can you do to make veins bulge on your arms?

In general, veins are less noticeable in people who:

have poorly developed muscles;
have a dense constitution;
are overweight.

To make the veins in your arms bulge, you need to pump up your muscles and lose weight if you are overweight. Heredity also affects the visibility of veins, but you are unlikely to be able to change your genotype in the foreseeable future.

Swollen veins on the arms of women

If in men the swollen veins in the arms do not spoil their appearance, and many even seem attractive, then with women the opposite is true. The beauty of their hands is much more important for them, and veins definitely spoil them. What to do in such cases? First of all, eliminate the causative factors that contribute to the expansion of veins:

1. Physical activity. For women, this is usually lugging bags from the store. The greatest impact is exerted by static loads, when the hand remains in a tense state for a long time, in one position.

2. Thinning of the skin. The consequence of endless diets. It is observed more often in thin women. May be caused by a lack of vitamins in the body. The skin thins with age, and nothing can be done about this phenomenon.

3. Overheating. With frequent visits to baths, saunas, and daily hot baths, dilation of the veins is observed - first functional (temporary), and then organic (permanent, due to changes in the structure of blood vessels).

What to do? First, don't carry heavy bags. Secondly, do not drive yourself to exhaustion with diets. Thirdly, after a hot bath, take a cold shower. Over time, the veins may become smaller.

You can contact a vascular surgeon or phlebologist. There are many procedures, both cosmetic and surgical, that can reduce swollen veins in women's arms.