Young Teens and Weight Lifting

1frugaldreams

Hey All,

I live with my boyfriend and his young male teen. He will be 14 in a few weeks. Up until a few months ago he seems to have the metabolism of a humming bird and was very slim but his family genetics are portly and it's starting to come out. We've been hearing lots of comments lately about how he is "fat". He is not according to the doctor but he is definitely "mushy" for lack of a better word and needs to exercise more. It also seems like a good idea to get him into the habit of exercising regularly given his family history of being heavy combined with diabetes. He has also been making remarks about being "weak".

After some prying we found out there was a bully situation. His father and the school have dealt with that but we have been talking about ways to help him have more confidence and we thought that it seems reasonable that if he feels weak and the doctor says he needs to exercise, lifting weights would be a good place to start. I need to add that into my fitness routine anyway and we have plenty of space in the garage to get a work out space going. I also thought I would encourage him to come out with me when I start my 5K training here in the next couple weeks. He is a pleasant, compilable young man so I don't anticipate any serious teenage rebellion once we get started.

I am hoping that there are some knowledgeable people here who can tell me if there are any things we should be careful of with him as he is still growing. Obviously teaching him he is not to lift alone is big. I will being doing some more research on this but if anyone has real life experience with this age group and has ideas or knowledge about what is effective, safe and positive I would appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks!
Christine

3laine75

I say, grab a copy of Starting Strength and go for it. I don't actually have any experience of that age but my daughters were joining in with me at 16 & 18 (they've lost interest now though).

I'd just make sure he's getting plenty to eat and his form is perfect (and start light).

IsaackGMOON

I'm not a 'pro lifter' but I used to do weights when I was around your sons age.

Just make sure he has correct form; this means he will have to use weights he can handle with proper form. You do not want injuries at his age.

There are a number of really good programs he could do , Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5.

h7463

Hi there!

My nephew has started weight lifting at 16, and he's lost a good 50 lbs over 1 year. He's 18 now, and still growing. Looking at his transformation, progress, and confidence, I would agree, that there is a chance, that your boy will enjoy it, too.
He is still very young, though, and you should get clearance from his doctor. Most gyms have an minimum age for lifters, too,

Check this out:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/teen-bodybuilding.html

Good luck!

rdkstar

I just started my 14 on weights. Nothing too much for now. Don't push too heavy of weights for now but work up slowly.

What he is doing. Just started last week.
Squats - body weight only (form is bad)
Bench press 25 lbs
Leg lifts 20 lbs
Leg curl 10 lbs
Overhead dumbbell press 10 lbs each hand
Calf raises holding 10 lb dumbbells

Right now our goal is to lift half his body weight which should be doable. Then we will decide from there.

Good luck and get him involved in deciding his goal/plan.

thesupremeforce

I started lifting as a freshman in high school, so I was basically that age. Make sure he uses proper form. Otherwise, go for it.

midnight419

I started lifting at 12 or 13. As others have said, make sure he has good form. If you or your boyfriend lift then demonstrate how to properly lift. If not, I'd set up a few sessions with a personal trainer who can help him develop a good plan.

FFfitgirl

Lifting weights at 13 can mess up the growth rate. Body weight exercises and cardio should be ok.

Lofteren

I train a group of young powerlifters ages 13-15. As long as the lifter has good instruction and follows a specific training plan then they can lift safely. I would recommend the program Starting Strength. Don't just set him free in a gym because he'll do nothing but bench and curls when he really needs all 3 powerlifts, overhead presses, rows and cleans.

Lofteren

Lifting weights at 13 can mess up the growth rate. Body weight exercises and cardio should be ok.

This is blatantly false. The only way to stunt growth would be to fracture the epiphyseal discs which would require a complete break of a bone. Please learn about lifting before you go off giving "advice". This is a great example of how old wives tales are perpetuated.

thesupremeforce

Lifting weights at 13 can mess up the growth rate. Body weight exercises and cardio should be ok.

This is blatantly false. The only way to stunt growth would be to fracture the epiphyseal discs which would require a complete break of a bone. Please learn about lifting before you go off giving "advice". This is a great example of how old wives tales are perpetuated.

Agreed. Lifting weights at 13 can increase badassery by up to 47%.

midnight419

Lifting weights at 13 can mess up the growth rate. Body weight exercises and cardio should be ok.

"Will strength training compromise a child's growth?

Not if it's done in a safe, supervised, appropriate manner, according to the AAP. Fears about weight training affecting growth are unfounded[.]"

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/is-weight-training-safe-for-kids