I noticed after the other day that when I extended my arms laterally with palms facing outward there are small red lines (one inch long) forming at the upper most part of my armpit where the chest meets the shoulder. They appear as if blood vessels have broken. Doing an incline bench press with a lot of compression, flies, or any other chest exercise seems to target this area of the chest/ shoulder more so than any other part. Am I doing something wrong with my technique or is this something that comes normal?
Probably stretch marks. They mean you are growing!
I was reading more about stretch marks and it appears that this is the case. How long does it take for the skin to become accustomed to a larger body size, and should I take it easier for a certain amount of time until there is ample room to allow for greater muscle mass?
[quote]badman926 wrote:
I was reading more about stretch marks and it appears that this is the case. How long does it take for the skin to become accustomed to a larger body size, and should I take it easier for a certain amount of time until there is ample room to allow for greater muscle mass?[/quote]
What? Your stretch marks are a result of your skin stretching to accomdate room for more muscle or fat. The marks are the result of the skin getting bigger.
I have stretch marks around my bicep. If anyone says, “Hey, wtf is up with those marks around your biceps?” I’ll just say, “It’s because my arms grew so damn fast cuz I’m the man.”
Seriously though, there’s probably some creams you can apply if you’re really worried about it. Ask your girlfriend or mom. 
I seem to remember taking zinc helps prevent them in the first place though I may be wrong.
Wear them with pride. Like I said - they mean you are growing. They’ll probably fade eventually but you’ll always have them.
[quote]badman926 wrote:
I was reading more about stretch marks and it appears that this is the case. How long does it take for the skin to become accustomed to a larger body size, and should I take it easier for a certain amount of time until there is ample room to allow for greater muscle mass?[/quote]
You should probably just get used to them. They will most likely be there for a very long time without showing much fading. In addition, if you keep it up you’ll probably even get more of them. Who cares about the stretch marks though?
They are a very good sign that you are actually putting forth effort in the gym. Of course, if they really bother you that much, you could probably take up a less intense activity, like knitting or something.
Point taken. Thanks for your thoughts.