Strength training video for a teenage boy?

7elizamae
7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
Title pretty much says it all.

My 15 year-old son wants to do some strength training. He does not want something "girly."

Any suggestions? Hoping for a video/DVD rather than just a book or list of exercises.

ETA: He is at a healthy weight (on the skinny side, actually) and now that his sport season is over he's just layin' around a lot. He "wants muscles."

Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    videos ain't gonna do it.

    Give him a book from Mark Rippetoe, and get him a couple sessions with a trainer to work on form. The rest is up to him. At his age, he's still growing, but with a measured approach he could do well with weight training.
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    Yes, get the book Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe. This is the perfect book for skinny teenage boys. You can look on YouTube for Rippetoe videos, which help with form, but the book is an excellent reference.

    He will need a barbell with 300 pounds or so of plates, a bench, and a squat rack. If you don't have that equipment, check out the book "You Are Your Own Gym", which is a body weight strength program. He won't get as muscular as he will from a barbell routine, but something is better than nothing!
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    why would he need 300lbs of plates so soon? or even a squat rack? he can still get into shape without all those things as a beginner. he can do it with dumbells at first and there are a lot of videos out there than can help him build muscle.(bob harper,body beast,les mills pump,etc), They are all weight lifting videos and you can get a barbell with say 150 lbs at first then add on later(weights are expensive). or maybe you can find some weights on craigslist,etc, Kettlebells are good too to build some muscle.walmart also has weight benches with some weights for a decent price as well.good luck to him :)
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    I am female and I have built a decent amount of muscle without a trainer(not everyone can afford a trainer and not everyone has a gym near by) and I do use proper form. most videos now adays tell you how to do proper form. I have yet to hurt myself.I do have barbells and dumbells that I use along with videos.If my 40 year old butt can do it a 15 year old boy can as well
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    There are tons of videos on Youtube, Bodybuilding.com, T-nation.com and several others with some pretty good workout routines. You can also Google Starting Strength from Mark Rippetoe, and if he doesn't want to read the book, can watch some good videos on proper form. Starting Strength is a good program, especially for teens wanting to get bigger and stronger.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    videos ain't gonna do it.

    Give him a book from Mark Rippetoe, and get him a couple sessions with a trainer to work on form. The rest is up to him. At his age, he's still growing, but with a measured approach he could do well with weight training.

    Just looked at the Rippetoe website and it looks like a good place to start. Thanks! I'd never heard of him.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    rick_po wrote: »
    Yes, get the book Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe. This is the perfect book for skinny teenage boys. You can look on YouTube for Rippetoe videos, which help with form, but the book is an excellent reference.

    He will need a barbell with 300 pounds or so of plates, a bench, and a squat rack. If you don't have that equipment, check out the book "You Are Your Own Gym", which is a body weight strength program. He won't get as muscular as he will from a barbell routine, but something is better than nothing!

    He has access to a free gym. So, that's not the problem. I think he mostly needs a plan that is coming from someone other than his mom or dad. :)
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    CharlieBeansmom wrote: »
    I am female and I have built a decent amount of muscle without a trainer(not everyone can afford a trainer and not everyone has a gym near by) and I do use proper form. most videos now adays tell you how to do proper form. I have yet to hurt myself.I do have barbells and dumbells that I use along with videos.If my 40 year old butt can do it a 15 year old boy can as well

    I don't lift weights, but I work out every day, and he has mentioned that if I can do it he probably could too. I agree!
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    dave4d wrote: »
    There are tons of videos on Youtube, Bodybuilding.com, T-nation.com and several others with some pretty good workout routines. You can also Google Starting Strength from Mark Rippetoe, and if he doesn't want to read the book, can watch some good videos on proper form. Starting Strength is a good program, especially for teens wanting to get bigger and stronger.
    Thanks for your suggestion!
    I like the looks of Starting Strength. It seems reasonable and balanced. There is some steroid use at his school and I don't want him going down that road.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I was going to also suggest starting strength. or The New Rules of Lifting. As far as videos are concerned i was going to suggest watching TMW, but you may deem their antics inappropriate.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I was going to also suggest starting strength. or The New Rules of Lifting. As far as videos are concerned i was going to suggest watching TMW, but you may deem their antics inappropriate.

    If I would find them inappropriate, I'm sure he would find them hilariously entertaining. I'll take a peek.

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    7elizamae wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I was going to also suggest starting strength. or The New Rules of Lifting. As far as videos are concerned i was going to suggest watching TMW, but you may deem their antics inappropriate.

    If I would find them inappropriate, I'm sure he would find them hilariously entertaining. I'll take a peek.

    They have a few channels. Twin Muscle Workout, Fasting Twins (they do IF), HodgeTwins, and Ask Hodge Twins (this is the one i'd say he shouldnt watch). XD

    Here's there transformation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Ql_N3Ftug
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    Stronglifts 5x5 is another program he can try. It's very similar to Starting Strength, but doesn't need bumper plates. It's a free website run by an annoying guy, but it might appeal to a teenage boy.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    At his age, he won't want to go down the steroid route. Let him figure that out hen he's an adult and has 5 years of barbell training behind him.

    If he puts in his time under the bar, he'll get strong, he'll pack on some muscle (at the perfect time in his life for it) and he'll learn a lot about himself.

    Rippetoe for a kid would be great. I think moving on to Wendler's stuff once he has a year or two under the bar.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    rick_po wrote: »
    Stronglifts 5x5 is another program he can try. It's very similar to Starting Strength, but doesn't need bumper plates. It's a free website run by an annoying guy, but it might appeal to a teenage boy.

    Don't need bumpers with Starting Strength, just replace the power clean with OHP.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    7elizamae wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I was going to also suggest starting strength. or The New Rules of Lifting. As far as videos are concerned i was going to suggest watching TMW, but you may deem their antics inappropriate.

    If I would find them inappropriate, I'm sure he would find them hilariously entertaining. I'll take a peek.

    They have a few channels. Twin Muscle Workout, Fasting Twins (they do IF), HodgeTwins, and Ask Hodge Twins (this is the one i'd say he shouldnt watch). XD

    Here's there transformation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Ql_N3Ftug

    They've participated in a bit of extra-curricular activity with their training...if you catch my drift.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Just a bit of info (studies from PubMed) for his parents - the studies might bore him unless he's going to be a biology major, lol. 'Short overview for children/adolescents starting out strength training.'
    - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445252/
    (45 studies referenced in this short paper) You'll find it helpful to judge the videos & books suggested. Have fun!
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    rick_po wrote: »
    Stronglifts 5x5 is another program he can try. It's very similar to Starting Strength, but doesn't need bumper plates. It's a free website run by an annoying guy, but it might appeal to a teenage boy.

    Don't need bumpers with Starting Strength, just replace the power clean with OHP.

    Did you mean replace power cleans with barbell rows? OHP is part of Starting Strength already.

    You can also power clean without bumpers, the SS book explains how to do it, just drop the weights down to the thighs and set it down like deadlifting.

    As far as steroids you can tell him that at 15 years old his body is almost a natural testosterone factory. He should milk it for all it is worth!
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