Defiant STI

I need your help please! Over the last six months I developed an unsightly red stretch mark across my left pec and I've now found more developing on the inside of my arms around my triceps, is there anything I can do to prevent getting them e.g. diet wise etc?

I've seen them on several body builders and I just dont want to get to that stage. I have extremely light skin and I can't tan so they really stand out.

Please help me :P Thanks in advance!

TelBoy

LOL, super Si will love being called a bodybuilder!!

The short answer is No, you can't do anything about them.

The long answer involves all sorts of bollox about vitamin E creams, massage, foods rich in Vitamin E and so on.

If you're really trying to put on size, your muscles will grow faster than your skin. Of course the effect is made worse if your training is artificially "assisted".

Like all stretch marks, they can fade in time, but once you've got them, they're there to stay.

Defiant STI

I've been training seriously for about 3 years now. I train 4 times a week for a couple of hours and squeeze in some cardio on odd days, training a particular muscle group per day. The worrying thing for me is that the stretch marks are occurring at a time when nothing appears to be changing. I have other white stretch marks which have always been there but these red one's are horrid.

Any further ideas or is a trip to the doc's in order?

Cheers,

Si

daiscooby

I also have stretch marks on my biceps and have never been into bodybuilding but have always done weight training at a medium level as part of general fitness.

TelBoy

Doctors can't do a thing, but by all means have a chat to yours about it.

Sounds like you're going through what i did. You sort of notice them one day, and wonder where they came from. But for me, they occured when my body size had definitely increased - although you weigh the same, if you've trained for three years, i assume it will be distributed rather differently from when you started, no?

beemerboy

my missus has stretchmarks!!!

[i'll get my Weider dressing gown.....]

BB

Tiggs

to slow or to low?


and squatting trousers are not groovy...not anywhere.

grovesy

Si dont get them mate you will look a right C*nt

TelBoy

LOL - agree, do NOT get those bloody awful stripey things.

I've always used Puma Kings - more than tough enough! I also split a pair of trackie bottoms squatting - not pleasant i can tell you! "Was that my **** giving way, or my trousers..??"

Warwick-hunt

what sort of weights are you squatting to need wraps?

i agree with above, a stretch mark can be thought of as a scar and will not go away but may look less noticable in time.

super_si

I can get up to 120/130 no belt, no knee wraps. Then i wrap for 4*140 and see how many at 150 usually 1-2 atm

Si

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Are you covering a secret love child up ?

Seriously, its down to your skin, I have some faint ones on the back of my arms due to training, fact of life, my mate has them on his belly thru gaining/losing weight, they look like the tiger stripes on old rally cars !

DAC

if they are really unsightly - I would think they are more likely to be busted blood cells or a small busted blood vessel.

usually caused by a rupture due to strain - not always painful but an injury nevertheless.
will only repair itself with rest.


PS - hate to pish on the bonfire - but there is research done that indicates knee wraps can actually be detrimental to the knee when doing squats.
saying that my training partner uses them as do many others - but I do similar weights and never have (personal preference I presume)

TelBoy

Dac - true, wraps can hyper-extend the knee joint if you go too low. On balance, i reckon the stability and confidence they give you outweighs this potential problem.

super_si

Im trying to not depend on them as much now, i need to let my ligaments grow stronger thats why i tend not to use my belt so my adominals and back take the straight at heavy weights. Then in shows i can have an extra 15-20kg with a belt and wraps on.

Si

Daz WRX

Def, how you doing mate?

Defiant on roids???? he wont take an asprin util his brain juice leaks out of his ears

Blood vessel this isnt, just the normal run of the mill stretch mark, only this one is red.
All my marks started out as red ones and ended up fading into white ones.
Def has numberous white ones but has never had a reddie hence his concern. Its also fair to say that there has been no increase in mass or definition to cause this.
I think what Defiant is really trying to say is why suddenly this red mark when all previous ones have been white?

The answers out there somewhere....
Daz.

Defiant STI

Thanks for the responses guys and for the character reference Daz :P

I actually plucked up the courage to talk to the woman in Boots about stretch marks. She showed me a few products but ended the sales pitch by admitting that none of them would probably work
You have to admire her honesty!

super_si

yesterday evening i finally nailed the 180kg dead lift again. Did 170kg for 4 reps also. Took it outta me but finally felt awesome hitting my pb again

Defiant STI

Congratulations! I felt pretty good when I got my bench press up to 125kg for 5 reps. I'm still a little sceptical of pushing myself too fast. I think i'll start none machine squats tomorrow, any ideas whats a good weight to start at?

super_si

Probably 100kg. What was the smith machine one? I saw a Body builder squatting 4 plate smith last week he looked so unsafe doing. it On the free bar he just crumpled under the weight lol

Si

barge

125Kg bench not bad

last time I pressed any weights [except for my gut in to my cloths] was november 1987 & I was push 160kgs on the bench, but a bit of a storm & torn ligaments in my shoulder stopped play

Defiant STI

I think i'll start on 80kg, I know I can control that and work my way up. Ever since I injured my back late last year my leg developed has taken a bit of a hit but I need to step it up to prevent a top heavy appearance. I'll let you know how I get on Si

Thanks barge. Your injury is exactly why I'm afraid of increasing the weights. I'm pretty sure that I could get a couple out at 150kg but I'm not sure my joints would appreciate it

[Edited by Defiant STI - 8/14/2003 6:46:39 PM]

super_si

I just cannot get over 80kg.

Whats your height? Ive got long limbs so its an uphill battle really.

Definat its such a different world using the Propper bar. Rob had me on the smith for one week just doing technique. Then ive being on the Olypic bar since. Front squatting is the daddy of the squats. Thats the real muscle builder.

Si

Defiant STI

Super_Si, I'm dead on 6 foot and like your passion for squating, free weight bench press is my personal favourite. I look forward to it every week. Shoulders are great too, seeing real gains in terms of free weight presses.

But I just HATE legs. I can't deal with the pain

CC

barge, was that 160kg bench press free weight or machine? If it was free was it 140kgs plus the bar = 160kgs? If so, same as me in 1998, best this year of 140kgs x 6....although now after not training that well for a few months I'm way below that.

Defiant, imo if uve not squatted properly for a while u should start with zero weight, yes just the bar, and work your way up towards about 10 hard reps @ max weight, dont go to failure till ure max weight.

Si, 180kgs d.lift, good weight, thats 4 plates and looks cool in the gym lol! I think d.lifts along with squats (free weights only) are the best exercises, for me anyway. There's no other movement that can just totally fvck you up with a few hard sets. They require 100% concentration and aggression!

I'm just getting back into at the mo', struggled badly @ 140kgs squats...give it 3 months and i'll be doing a full set with 180kgs

super_si

no way legs ,deads and overheads i love.. Seems weird i dont add weight to bent over rows or bicep curls yet my main lifts still go up.

Yeah deads condition the whole body which is pretty good. 4 plates looks good but when the grip fails ..................

super_si

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrgh [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] lol


What i thought tel, normally only people with roids get this as the muscles grow to quickly for the skin and tendons. I dont get his problem atm.

Si


[Edited by super_si - 8/12/2003 10:36:03 AM]

Defiant STI

LOL, see the roid thread for my opinion on artificial assistance.

What I can't understand is that my weight has be constant for over a year now (14.5 stone) yet its only now that they have appeared. My definition hasn't changed either. I really don't understand it.

So short of not doing the weights anymore there is nothing I can do. Groovy

Edited to say, thanks for jumping to conclusions guys

[Edited by Defiant STI - 8/12/2003 10:40:54 AM]

TelBoy

No, not necessarily the case Si - i started getting marks after a few years' natural training. Most guys make their biggest gains within the first two or three years, and the rate of muscle growth is greater than the skin can tolerate. Roids just make the problem worse.

I'm assuming you've done, or are doing, quite a bit of weights in a gym Def, right? Otherwise there might be something more in it...


[Edited by TelBoy - 8/12/2003 10:48:30 AM]

super_si

Dont suppose anyone knows where i can get a groovy pair squatting trousers. Split my tracky bottoms going to low with too much weight

[Edited by super_si - 8/12/2003 5:53:39 PM]