Helping a 16 years old boy get muscled

RulaAsaad

hello everyone,

I have a cousin going through his 'rebellious teenage years' and somehow he got into the gym and got so obsessed with it, which is a good thing because while he is so into fitness, he's away from bad boys and reckless behaviors

However, he does not have a couch and gets help from 'bodybuilders' at the gym who have no professional training. I'm not sure about his height, but he would be around 165+ cm and 60KG. he would like to "lose weight" and build his muscles. Seeing that he trusts me with fitness (unlike his parents although his dad is a PE teacher, swimming and basketball coach), I would like to be able to help him as much as I can (i just got him to stop consuming protein powder and just eat healthily!). I have no idea about bodybuilding, soooo ... I have a few questions!

1. is it safe for him at this age to go full mode into bodybuilding rather than just being fit and healthy?
2. what would you recommend his macros to be?
3. training days, how much a week?
4. are there things he should NOT be doing at the gym at his age?
5. do you think he would benefit from this app? or do you recommend other apps...

Thank you all

PS. I know that the best way is for him to have a trainer and see a nutritionist; however, since his parents aren't crazy about this and unfortunately aren't listening to what he wants, let alone help him do it right, there is no way to get a trainer or a nutritionist.

debrakgoogins

He is too young to use the app. It is meant for adults age 18 and over. I would have his parents consult a physician. I understand you want to help him but since he is a minor, it really lands on their shoulders to decide what would be best for him.

GaryHarbishee972

So there is far too much to cover to even begin to address this. I would invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer who can guide him.

I don’t know about the gym he goes to, but one of mine has a real steroid culture with all the people you might class as “bodybuilders”.

Sorry this isn’t useful, I appreciate your predicament, but this is a difficult thing to guide over the internet. Especially for someone potentially susceptible.

cwolfman13

His age is likely fine...I started lifting at 15/16 for sports in school. The biggest thing will be his programming...he probably won't, but he should follow a structured program. I say he probably won't because when I was that age, a lot of guys just wanted to do endless arm curls and bench. I was fortunate in that I played football and we had a strength and conditioning coach to instruct us in the gym and we didn't get away with not doing things that weren't to our personal preference like squats, deadlifts, etc. Left to our own devices we all would have been just doing endless arm curls and bench press and missing on the exercises that would be most beneficial performance of our sport.

We weren't really bodybuilding though...we were developing our bodies for the sport and positions we played...yes, I did put on mass, but not bodybuilder mass.

psuLemon

cwolfman13 wrote: »

His age is likely fine...I started lifting at 15/16 for sports in school. The biggest thing will be his programming...he probably won't, but he should follow a structured program. I say he probably won't because when I was that age, a lot of guys just wanted to do endless arm curls and bench. I was fortunate in that I played football and we had a strength and conditioning coach to instruct us in the gym and we didn't get away with not doing things that weren't to our personal preference like squats, deadlifts, etc. Left to our own devices we all would have been just doing endless arm curls and bench press and missing on the exercises that would be most beneficial performance of our sport.

We weren't really bodybuilding though...we were developing our bodies for the sport and positions we played...yes, I did put on mass, but not bodybuilder mass.

Very much agree with this. Invest in a handful of coaching/trainer sessions and then follow a structured program. I can't tell you how often I have had people coming up to me in my gym asking how to fix what they are doing. And its always the same nonsense... Chest and arms brah.

Use the stickies at the top. There is a list of structured lifting routines. He can probably aim for 125g of protein and fill the rest in with nutrient dense foods. I wouldn't focus on calories or anything but rather nutrition and training effectively.

BrianKMcFalls

And nothing wrong with protein powder if he needs it, it's just food. I'd say stear clear of any protein powders with supplements added at that age. He can probably drink milk and eat enough protein without it.

geoffgarcia

Hey Rula, Does he participate in sports at his school? if so, which sports? Many school sports will have a weight room regiment involved in training which would really help build confidence in the gym.
While eating healthy is a great idea, there is nothing is wrong with protein powder. Its a great way to get extra protein at a lower cost than consuming the quantities of meat that would be required.

1. is it safe for him at this age to go full mode into bodybuilding rather than just being fit and healthy?
-- it depends what you are referring to as "full mode bodybuilding" if by this you mean lifting weights for 5-9 hours per week then it is absolutely safe. "Fit and healthy" is not going to get anyone muscled unless they have incredible genes so I'd drop that idea:)
2. what would you recommend his macros to be?
-- This is pretty reasonable: 2250 Calories daily intake
150 Grams of Protein
75 Grams of Fat
244 Grams of Carbs (Primarily pre and post workout)
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/teen_bodybuilding_guide.htm
3. training days, how much a week?
-- 5 days per week is typical. 6 is acceptable, 7 is not recommended. Anything less than 3 would not work to build muscles in my opinion.
4. are there things he should NOT be doing at the gym at his age?
-- No. He is at the right age to do everything in the gym.
5. do you think he would benefit from this app? or do you recommend other apps...
-- No. IMHO this app is for people trying to track calories which is far more advanced than a novice gym member needs. Consider Cross Fit as a great class based way to learn about weight lifting. If going to a standard gym then a trainer is a good idea for a few visits to help him develop a structured workout and get into the concept of tracking progress on a clipboard/notepad he takes to the gym. IMHO there isn't a viable app for this purpose and phones + gym leads to distractions and a lack of focus on what you should be doing in the gym. If he is really interested in building muscle then I would buy him The Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding its an amazing book.

andezz99

I would recommend he check out CrossFit.com and follow the work outs on this site. They provide helpful links to training videos and I believe offers a well rounded combination of muscle strength, cardio/endurance, gymnastics, balance, and more. You can do many of the workouts without a lot of equipment (if access to a gym is a problem). I used to be a bodybuilder and while I put on a lot of bulk, my overall fitness drastically improved through a combination of exercises done at a high intensity level.

Z_I_L_L_A

My nephew has been in the gym with us since he was 10. He is 16 now, holds many power lifting records, wrestling titles, and one body building win. Nothing wrong with him doing it, as long as he has good people behind him. My nephew eats 8 meals a day and most of the time 2 workouts a day. Weighs 205, 5'11 6% BF Junior in high school.

richardpkennedy1

Z_I_L_L_A wrote: »

My nephew has been in the gym with us since he was 10. He is 16 now, holds many power lifting records, wrestling titles, and one body building win. Nothing wrong with him doing it, as long as he has good people behind him. My nephew eats 8 meals a day and most of the time 2 workouts a day. Weighs 205, 5'11 6% BF Junior in high school.

A giant kid! Bigger than most athletic men