Sweating is one of those unique aspects of bodybuilding that most people overlook. It can be a gauge of how you’re training, or simply of what genetics you have. It can cause problems for yourself and others, if precautions are not taken. Let’s further examine the phenomenon known as sweating in the gym.
 
The gauge
Some trainers tend to assign value to a workout based upon how much sweating they did while training. While it’s often easy to see a guy soaked and say “that guy trains hard”, the amount a person sweats is usually determined mainly by room temperature, the amount of clothes worn, body fat percentage of the trainer, and genetics. Some people break a sweat climbing out of bed. Others, like the Fonz from the Happy Days series, can run 20 miles without breaking a sweat. As with balding and bone structure, the genetics lottery strikes again!
 
The Sauna
Many bodybuilders spend time following their workout in the sauna, sweating out toxins. This can feel great, and is fine as long as you drink adequate water for recovery. One warning exists, however. If you use creatine, you should avoid the sauna at all costs!
 
On the gym floor
Bodybuilders are notorious for leaving benches, dumbbells, barbells, and particularly aerobic equipment covered with their sweat. Make every effort to wear clothes which may grab up most of this sweat, and always clean up after yourself. You wouldn’t want to lie down in somebody else’s sweat, and they don’t want to find themselves in yours!
 
Hygiene
People who sweat a great deal tend to have body odor that can be a bit unpleasant to those around them. When these people lift weights, the problem can compound, leading to a very uncomfortable situation. Shower frequently and bring along several t-shirts everywhere you go in order to alleviate this problem in the gym.

Skin Quality 
If you are a competitive bodybuilder, excessive sweat can leave your skin quite unattractive come contest day. Long-term buildup of sweat on the skin can lead to acne and other blemishes which may look terrible under the contest lights, no matter how much Pro-Tan you throw on.
 
Sweat suits
In wrestling, MMA, and yes, even bodybuilding and powerlifting, many athletes tend to don a plastic suit during exercise (or even through a nice hour in the sauna) in order to remove water from their bodies. In contact sports and powerlifting, the purpose is to bring down their body weight so that they can compete in a lower weight class than they normally would be able to fit. The idea is that competing against smaller men will give you a strength and performance advantage. This advantage is washed away when every competitor drops water to fit in a lower class, defeating the purpose, but that is a different discussion altogether. For bodybuilding, sweat suits allow the athlete to drop subcutaneous water from the skin to increase vascularity and allow the muscles to show through much better. Many of the athletes at the Arnold Classic 2009 press conference wore sweat suits, and the result was a lineup of extremely dry athletes, with a super-dry Kai Greene taking the crown. Use them with caution, as excessive water loss can lead to renal (kidney) damage.

If you like this article, click here to share: