Arms all dotty after doing weights!!!

Glowing

I hope you can explain this for me!!

I was doing a weights class last night - did plenty of arm exercises with heavy enough weights ... after about 5 minutes in, my arms got suddenly very red and hot - felt like they were going to explode (like filled with blood) They also got suddenly very itchy!! It was really strange!!!!

I noticed when I got home and the redness died down that inside my arms and around my biceps, there are hundreds of tiny redish pinpricks ... loads of tiny dots!!! It's like nothing I've every had before.

Can anyone shed some light on this? :eek:

Bodhan

How long have you been doing weights? Was it one excersise that you were doing when this started? eg Flys. I often find that when I'm lying on the bench doing flys some of the blood drains from my arms and I get the redness you are talking about and a slight stinging when the blood drains back into my hands.
Lower the rep amount and take 60 second breaks between sets.

You should have your blood pressure checked by your GP as my advice is just from experience and not medical knowledge (disclamer there )

NotMe

Actually I got that before around when I started lifting. I was doing bicep curls.. the next day my right arm was covered in tiny red dots. I imagine it was burst blood vessels under the skin? It cleared up after a few days.

Glowing

I've been doing weights for a good few weeks now, never had any problems (and blood pressure is fine ) The only difference is that I was probably pushing myself more in the class.

The 'full of blood feeling' started when we were doing lunges with a barbell across my back and i had to hold it there for a while with both arms bent -then they also got extremely itchy. It kinda felt like my arms were going to burst. If you know what i mean, yuk.

With all the dots on both arms, it looks like the blood burst through or something.

I wasn't in any pain or major discomfort (I would have stopped!), it was just weird and annoying.

?mark

Blood flow to working muscles increases causing the 'pump' and I'd say the red dots are due to sweat rash.
I get itchy if I start sweating sometimes, but it goes away after the skin becomes sweatier

Glowing

No I've had a heat/sweat rash before - I'm pretty sure it's not that. These are kinda under the skin and are not raised.

hunnymonster

I've had something similar in the past and it turned out to be an allergy to either the leather on the bench or someone's sweat (euch). Once I started putting a towel down as a barrier I was fine.

Bodhan

It really does sound too me that the blood drained from your arms as they were above your head, and lunges push the blood downward in your body. Some people experience "pins and needles" when the blood flow returns. Also the barbell being across your neck wouldn't help the bloodflow, although it is the correct position.

Glowing

Yeah, thanks - that could explain the itch and discomfort Bodhan - but why all the dots? Are they burst vessels?

Bodhan

I don't think they are burst, as the blood flow moves away the vain contracts. When the flow returns the vessel expands and heats up. The vains nearest the skin become more visable, it will subside in a few days with rest. A damaged vain looks blue and brused, a burst one looks worse and usually would be brused too. Think of a minor varicose vain and that's what a burst vain looks like.

Glowing

Ew! Thanks for that.

So is this something I should expect regularly, or did I just overdo it? It's not exactly pretty

Bodhan

You probably over did it a bit, I get the same problem with my legs after running.
If it continues you should go too your GP and have a proper check, get plenty of rest and water.