Avoid Getting Stretch Marks When Bodybuilding

People think that stretch marks only afflict pregnant women, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Bodybuilders are another significant group that is susceptible to getting them, because of the speed at which the acquire muscle mass. When the gain quickly the skin is stretched beyond its limit and has a tendency to tear.

Those who use steroids are more likely to get stretch marks, because their muscle growth is even faster. However, just because a bodybuilder has stretch marks doesn’t mean that they are using steroids. It is a double edge sword because building muscle makes a guy look good, but the stretch marks tend to detract from that.

Try to avoid getting stretch marks to begin with. Do not put on a bunch of muscle and fat (bulking up) and try to convert it to net muscle later. This is a sure way to get stretch marks. Put on lean muscle mass slowly and don’t get fat.

When people first notice their stretch marks, they wrongly assume it is because of the sweat or the strain of the workout. However, this is not the case. Before long they notice that these marks have not disappeared, and in some cases, may, in fact, be getting worse. A common myth is that men are not at all susceptible and that is why it is often difficult for men to believe that these red marks are actually scars on the skin.

Once you do get them there are a number of creams that can be used both to prevent and treat them. These creams have ingredients that go into the places where the skin has been damaged, and once they have reached the second layer of skin, they begin to repair

Don’t let these minor nuisances get you down. Stretch marks are a testament to how successfully you are building muscle in a short period of time. The indicate very hard work and you should celebrate that instead of letting it get you down.

For more details on stretch marks from bodybuilding and how to get rid of them, go to the beginners bodybuilding website.