Hickey Marks from weights? Help!

[ValentineLJD]

Hi All!

I'm really into lifting weights and have been for a long time... but I find that certain weight machines, when I'm trying to lift enough weight to be challenging for that muscle group, will leave marks resembling hickeys on my skin. I'm guessing it's just breaking the blood vessels but how can I avoid this? Lately the problem has been on the seated calf machine, with the marks appearing on my thighs and I kind of want to be wearing shorts this summer without these marks on my legs... Note: This happens through my clothes, not just when it's against bare skin. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[gailh]

the marks are just light bruising....wear them proudly!!

[Wyomann]

Hi All!

I'm really into lifting weights and have been for a long time... but I find that certain weight machines, when I'm trying to lift enough weight to be challenging for that muscle group, will leave marks resembling hickeys on my skin. I'm guessing it's just breaking the blood vessels but how can I avoid this? Lately the problem has been on the seated calf machine, with the marks appearing on my thighs and I kind of want to be wearing shorts this summer without these marks on my legs... Note: This happens through my clothes, not just when it's against bare skin. Any suggestions? Thanks!

You get those when you are new to a certain exercise. Once you body adapts you won't get the bruising anymore. I used to get them across my traps when I would squat heavy, but now I don't. I used to get them on my thighs when doing heavy shrugs, but now I don't.

You skin will adapt.

[mrshester]

You get those when you are new to a certain exercise. Once you body adapts you won't get the bruising anymore. I used to get them across my traps when I would squat heavy, but now I don't. I used to get them on my thighs when doing heavy shrugs, but now I don't.

You skin will adapt.

OP, I've gotten them before, it did kind of freak me out at first, lol.

Wyomann, I haven't noticed any bruising, but ever since I removed the pad from the squat bar, I've noticed the weight across my back seems to almost shift(?) tissue where it sat? Does that make any sense? I don't know if it's fat or just the muscle being pushed around but it's incredibly uncomfortable...does this get better with time or does it mean I need to hang out at that weight for a while? Sorry for taking it OT

[Wyomann]

Wyomann, I haven't noticed any bruising, but ever since I removed the pad from the squat bar, I've noticed the weight across my back seems to almost shift(?) tissue where it sat? Does that make any sense? I don't know if it's fat or just the muscle being pushed around but it's incredibly uncomfortable...does this get better with time or does it mean I need to hang out at that weight for a while? Sorry for taking it OT

You took off the "pussy pad"?, + reps. lol, sorry that's what that pad is referred to in most gyms.

Shifting is never good, especially when you are going heavy. I would say try moving your hands in closer. Ideally the closer your hands are towards your shoulders the better, because it makes it "tighter". You don't want to be so close it hurts or is uncomfortable and each person's flexibility determines this. The reason for this is your own "inflexibleness" sort of pulls down on the bar the closer together your hands are.

Also, you might want to make sure there isn't a lot of "bend" in your squat. Ideally your upper back and keeping your chest up ALMOST moves the bar in a straight path throughout the lift. If you are bending over a lot and then standing up straight the force of the bar would be trying to roll off of your back.

When I go really heavy I do have to pull down on the bar a bit while I squat. It isn't a major concentration, but I'm doing it. This is because I can't afford for the bar to roll at all and it can happen easily when bars are bent. Which reminds me, check your bar too. Roll it on the rack and make sure it isn't bent too much.

[mrshester]

You took off the "pussy pad"?, + reps. lol, sorry that's what that pad is referred to in most gyms.

Shifting is never good, especially when you are going heavy. I would say try moving your hands in closer. Ideally the closer your hands are towards your shoulders the better, because it makes it "tighter". You don't want to be so close it hurts or is uncomfortable and each person's flexibility determines this. The reason for this is your own "inflexibleness" sort of pulls down on the bar the closer together your hands are.

Also, you might want to make sure there isn't a lot of "bend" in your squat. Ideally your upper back and keeping your chest up ALMOST moves the bar in a straight path throughout the lift. If you are bending over a lot and then standing up straight the force of the bar would be trying to roll off of your back.

When I go really heavy I do have to pull down on the bar a bit while I squat. It isn't a major concentration, but I'm doing it. This is because I can't afford for the bar to roll at all and it can happen easily when bars are bent. Which reminds me, check your bar too. Roll it on the rack and make sure it isn't bent too much.

Thanks so much!! LOL...I had to take it off.. Apparently before they had the bench press bar in there and the power rack bar was being used to bench. I never understood why one bar was heavier than the others when I started benching, LOL. Another noob question: I was told it was either 50 or 55 lbs but never which for sure, do you know? Anyway, the heavier bar with the pad was putting too much space between me and the bar making it even MORE awkward, lol. It's not so much the bar that's moving, but when I rerack the weight I can feel on my back where there's like a small bulging where it sat and kinda numb. It isn't rolling, per se. I notice that I kinda push up on the bar though...like it's not simply just sitting there, my arms are kinda working too. I don't know...come spot me!LOL

Well, thinking about it, and being the housewife I am it does kind of remind me of the roundness of dough before rolling it out and what that looks like as it goes, if that makes the picture clearer? Right now my hands are just outside my shoulders when I pick the weight up. Is it possible that it could be almost too much weight for my back? I haven't reached a point where I thought I'd lose the weight because of it, but it makes me wonder sometimes, midset, LOL

[Wyomann]

Thanks so much!! LOL...I had to take it off.. Apparently before they had the bench press bar in there and the power rack bar was being used to bench. I never understood why one bar was heavier than the others when I started benching, LOL. Another noob question: I was told it was either 50 or 55 lbs but never which for sure, do you know? Anyway, the heavier bar with the pad was putting too much space between me and the bar making it even MORE awkward, lol. It's not so much the bar that's moving, but when I rerack the weight I can feel on my back where there's like a small bulging where it sat and kinda numb. It isn't rolling, per se. I notice that I kinda push up on the bar though...like it's not simply just sitting there, my arms are kinda working too. I don't know...come spot me!LOL

Well, thinking about it, and being the housewife I am it does kind of remind me of the roundness of dough before rolling it out and what that looks like as it goes, if that makes the picture clearer? Right now my hands are just outside my shoulders when I pick the weight up. Is it possible that it could be almost too much weight for my back? I haven't reached a point where I thought I'd lose the weight because of it, but it makes me wonder sometimes, midset, LOL

A standard Olympic bar is 45lbs, this is the standard bar for most gyms. Shorter bars like the E-Z curl bar are typically 20lbs.

I doubt it is too much weight on your back, you would be surprised at how much you could probably place on there and be able to hold across your back. Also, if you are able to "push it" with your arms so to speak it probably isn't overly heavy. I would just think about locking down your hands and keeping that bar locked in. Then concentrate on driving with your legs and not using those arms so much. Just really focus on the mind muscle connection of driving with your legs while your upper body is "locked".

So you didn't even get your buff arms from weight lifting, it is from being a house wife and rolling dough lol.

[mrshester]

A standard Olympic bar is 45lbs, this is the standard bar for most gyms. Shorter bars like the E-Z curl bar are typically 20lbs.

I doubt it is too much weight on your back, you would be surprised at how much you could probably place on there and be able to hold across your back. Also, if you are able to "push it" with your arms so to speak it probably isn't overly heavy. I would just think about locking down your hands and keeping that bar locked in. Then concentrate on driving with your legs and not using those arms so much. Just really focus on the mind muscle connection of driving with your legs while your upper body is "locked".

So you didn't even get your buff arms from weight lifting, it is from being a house wife and rolling dough lol.

Thanks again! And you would NOT believe the workout your tris get from kneading dough!LOL Carrying babies and baking bread= po' folks workout

[WariorGoddess]

Hi All!

I'm really into lifting weights and have been for a long time... but I find that certain weight machines, when I'm trying to lift enough weight to be challenging for that muscle group, will leave marks resembling hickeys on my skin. I'm guessing it's just breaking the blood vessels but how can I avoid this? Lately the problem has been on the seated calf machine, with the marks appearing on my thighs and I kind of want to be wearing shorts this summer without these marks on my legs... Note: This happens through my clothes, not just when it's against bare skin. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Same thing happens to me with this machine but only when I'm wearing shorts; not much of an issue when there is no skin contact. Maybe look in to a different exercise for this musle group.