Peoples experiences with stretch marks??

[average_ash]

have been lifting now a year and a half, and in the last 3/4 of a year started to get more and more serious, over the last couple of weeks have noticed stretch marks appearing were my chest and bicep meet, what precautions shoulkd i take to reduce these or attempt to stop more from growing, i was reading on bodybuilding. that one persons doc told him to lay off the gym for 3 months, obviosuly i dont want to do this, can anybody help me with any suggestions?? cheers Average

 

[chestmaster1]

look where the lotions are, they sell stuff especially to reduce and prevent stretch marks, usually contains cocoa butter

 

[odoyal rulez]

my ex swore by cocoa butter...

 

[mrgravez]

I also heard Cocoa butter with vitiman E works well

 

[average_ash]

thanks guys, ill look into getting some, think im going to lay off the heavy reps for a while, average

 

[ZGzaZ]

if you want to avoid stretch marks, whether youre doing light or heavy reps...if you're growing or shrinking too fast for your body then you will continue to get them. It's about your diet, not your lifting...

 

[neoguri]

i've got stretch marks on my outer chest, outer upper thigh, and across my ass. i'd rather not have them, but it's affirmation that i'm doing things right, and that my muscles are growing faster than my skin. i tell myself i'm defying genetics and busting out of my shell. i was 135 before lifing and i'm 180 now approximately the same bf%, so i'm outgrowing my skin and defying the size i was meant to be... think about it that way.

 

[Madcow2]

I don't think I know anyone who got decently big that avoided them completely. Growing too fast for your skin is the cause. Generally it happens under the arm because you have the pecs, delts, traps, lats and upper arms all developing at once and pulling in every direction. This is pretty common in that area and if you notice this isn't a major area for fat deposits so in general it's primarily a muscle thing although fat gain can obviously cause these marks too.

So how do you grow less fast - cut back the cals. You can grow from a lot of things so not going heavy may not necessarily do it but you can certainly limit your caloric intake and prevent youself from growing muscle very rapidly or at all.

They do fade over time and the products suggested above can work okay although honestly I've just never seen anyone completely avoid them and get big and strong. I'm not sure it can be done but the lotions can't hurt.

 

[ZGzaZ]

I dont particularly enjoy mine...but if you can get in the right mind set, they won't bug you so much. Think of youself as a weight lifting warrior, they are your war wounds...your stripes, you earned them....you're training like a warrior, be proud you've earned them and are growing!