starting out

**copenhagen** · 10-09-2005, 09:27 PM

i have a 15yr old kid who has taken up bodybuilding. he has never lifted b4 so i started him out with just basic push ups and pull ups. he has been doing these 3 days a week for the past month. i was wondering if i could give him a program that included weight training? he has alot of other kids pressuring him at school to max out and stuff. (i think we can all relate to highschool weight rooms and peer pressure) I know he is not ready for that.

**Flexor** · 10-10-2005, 11:06 AM

I'm 18 and started with pushups and pullups when I was fourteen. I used to love the way everybody would max out the machines with terrible form, whilst I would do 12-15 reps in a controlled fashion with the free weights. Although I was the only one doing it and got laughed at because my weights were 'pathetic', in the end I had the last laugh when I had outgrown them and could lift more in both machines and free weights. Because I dedicated myself to learning all about muscles and exercise, I would quietly laugh to myself as I watched them fool about pumping their egos instead of their muscles and not knowing one thing about what they were doing.

My dad said when I was 15 I shouldn't do deads until I had stopped growing and I'm glad I didn't. Now I do them since there is less risk of injury. I think doing 12 reps is probably best at that age and have read it many places. Bench pressing can put a lot of stress on young shoulders which have very weak interconnective tissue. I found it best to just add weight in a backpack for pressups since that strengthened the surrounding muscles more than bench pressing anyway because the body moves as a whole solid unit. Then going onto benching at 16 was good.

Hopes this helps because I have been in this situation.

**alo5603** · 10-10-2005, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by copenhagen

i have a 15yr old kid who has taken up bodybuilding. he has never lifted b4 so i started him out with just basic push ups and pull ups. he has been doing these 3 days a week for the past month. i was wondering if i could give him a program that included weight training? he has alot of other kids pressuring him at school to max out and stuff. (i think we can all relate to highschool weight rooms and peer pressure) I know he is not ready for that.

would limit it because at 15, he is still growing and regardless of what others say, weight lifting WILL stunt growth. Im currently in the process of gettin my NP license, and i know this stuff. I would recommend body weight lifts for now, at least till mid 16. Then introduce things like bench, but stay away from deads and squats for a little while longer. Those put heavy stress on his plates, which can and probably WILL lead to stunted growth. Trust me, at his age, body weight is a perfect tool to use for muscle growth.

alo

**S.P.G** · 10-10-2005, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by alo5603

would limit it because at 15, he is still growing and regardless of what others say, weight lifting WILL stunt growth. Im currently in the process of gettin my NP license, and i know this stuff. I would recommend body weight lifts for now, at least till mid 16. Then introduce things like bench, but stay away from deads and squats for a little while longer. Those put heavy stress on his plates, which can and probably WILL lead to stunted growth. Trust me, at his age, body weight is a perfect tool to use for muscle growth.

alo

agreed........Ossification will still be taking place....but i do not think it will stunt his growth

**Lavinco** · 10-10-2005, 11:16 AM

I will have to see proof on the stunted growth. I started at age 14 and now I am 27 and am fine. I just wish I had know more at that age on how to lift correctly.

Is this kid interested in lifting weights? Ask him. If he is, then show him how to do controlled movements with the correct amount of weight. If he sticks with it, change his workout routine every 3 months or so advancing him a little more each time.

**oldandgrim** · 10-10-2005, 11:24 AM

He can get a lot out of training at this age. I have a 15 year old son and he trains with me 3 times a week in the gym.

I allow him to train upper body only and his confidence as grown with his strength. I also believe that training helps him to dispel some of that teenage rage coursed by the Testosterone racing around his body and that the discipline of good training help him to manage under school pressures.

**alo5603** · 10-10-2005, 11:27 AM

totally agree, it is very good for kids to lift, helps confidence for sure which leads to better grades, better athlete, more gf lol, etc. and upper body is a good way to start, just monitor his benching and dont allow him to go super heavy. If he wants to work out legs, try wall squats, body weight lunges, calve raises, etc. Nothin too fancy, but it will help.

alo

**alo5603** · 10-10-2005, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Lavinco

I will have to see proof on the stunted growth. I started at age 14 and now I am 27 and am fine. I just wish I had know more at that age on how to lift correctly.

Is this kid interested in lifting weights? Ask him. If he is, then show him how to do controlled movements with the correct amount of weight. If he sticks with it, change his workout routine every 3 months or so advancing him a little more each time.

well as for proof, i dont use online proof, i get my info straight out of class bro. and, its not a definite that your growth will be stunted, but its highly likely. You may be lucky, but now you will never know if you could have been taller or what. Go ahead and ask your doc or a personal trainer on the matter (not a BB), im willing to bet 9x out of 10, they will tell you the same thing i am.

alo

**Lavinco** · 10-10-2005, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by alo5603

well as for proof, i dont use online proof, i get my info straight out of class bro. and, its not a definite that your growth will be stunted, but its highly likely. You may be lucky, but now you will never know if you could have been taller or what. Go ahead and ask your doc or a personal trainer on the matter (not a BB), im willing to bet 9x out of 10, they will tell you the same thing i am.

alo

You could be right. I just wanted the source of your information.

**alo5603** · 10-10-2005, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Lavinco

You could be right. I just wanted the source of your information.

well, if your really curious, im sure there are stufff on it online somewhere, i just dont use those as sources cuz i feel the class is much better, for me at least. But whatever works bro.

alo

**copenhagen** · 10-10-2005, 01:24 PM

thanks for the advice fellas.

**robkesl** · 10-10-2005, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by alo5603

would limit it because at 15, he is still growing and regardless of what others say, weight lifting WILL stunt growth. Im currently in the process of gettin my NP license, and i know this stuff. I would recommend body weight lifts for now, at least till mid 16. Then introduce things like bench, but stay away from deads and squats for a little while longer. Those put heavy stress on his plates, which can and probably WILL lead to stunted growth. Trust me, at his age, body weight is a perfect tool to use for muscle growth.

alo

no it wont, its been recently proven that weght lifting doesnt stunt your growth, and you should do it. thats been the thoery for the past i dont know 20 years or so. but its wrong. all ages should exercise, just the intensity needs to be watched, at 15 hes old enough to start free weights if he wanted too.

and im getting this right out of class. im a nutrition and fitness major.

**alo5603** · 10-10-2005, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by robkesl

no it wont, its been recently proven that weght lifting doesnt stunt your growth, and you should do it. thats been the thoery for the past i dont know 20 years or so. but its wrong. all ages should exercise, just the intensity needs to be watched, at 15 hes old enough to start free weights if he wanted too.

and im getting this right out of class. im a nutrition and fitness major.

thats still being tested actually, and has yet to be proven wrong. I do agree that kids can use freeweights, just like you said limit them on intensity, and i said to avoid things like squats and deads because those are intense lifts anyway, and put direct pressure on the growth plates and such.
I can see your way of thinking so by no means am i tryin to be an A**. The difference we see comes from our schooling, you are taught for leading an overall healthly life style, im taught to keep people healthy and diagnose and prevent disease OR developed deficiency's with age.

alo