OK for a 13yo boy to lift weights?

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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Why not?

    Copying his cousins is fine. If they're all buff, good for him.

    If he expresses unhappiness over his weight, remind him that as he grows, the weight will come off naturally.

    If he doesn't want to do it like mom does, that's normal. Teenage boys frequently don't want to be like middle-aged women. It's normal and natural to prefer coming male cousins. :)

    He's so young. Let him try out what he wants to try out and don't try to direct the course. Unless he's doing something dangerous, leave him to find his way. :)
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    Yes and no. There's a reason hard-core body builders don't limit their routines to body weight exercises and that revolves around their ability to more efficiently build intensity with weights. As an example, he *could* do 100 push-ups but he's less likely to overdo it than if he is slapping an increasing number of plates on the bar and seeing immediate and tangible results.

    High intensity weight training is great for adults and teens that have fully developed bone structure as well as the maturity to understand the consequences of overdoing it. But for adolescents, it can create a situation with the potential to stunt growth and/or cause developmental problems with joints.

    I'm not a doctor and this is broscience at its finest, but I was an adolescent boy that lived through this same sort of thing. At the time, I reluctantly took the advice to lay off the heavy lifting and my pal did not. I surmise that it is not a coincidence that one of us has arthritis.
    Moving weight is moving weight. The source is irrelevant. If he can push weight in a pushup, he can bench. If he can pull his bodyweight during a pull up, he can use a lat pull down machine. If his trceps can support his weight for dips, he can do tricep pull down on a cable machine.

    And i agree, cardio should be part of every lifting regiment. Even if its just walking.
    he shouldn't be doing exercises with added weight. pull-ups, dips, push-ups and, most importantly, CARDIO for kids of that age is essential.
  • callas444
    callas444 Posts: 261 Member
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    My son's karate instructor says that he doesn't recommend any lifting for boys under 18 due to it being very easy to injure their growing joints and muscles. For that reason, I'd say make sure to consult his doctor and/or a trainer who is trained in working with adolescents. Why take a chance on a permanent injury? Football players and wrestlers lift weight from an early age and they are physically some of the most miserable adults (physically) you'll find. Those early injuries to joints and muscles contribute to arthritis and general aches and pains. For my son, I decided that the downside overwhelmingly out weighs any benefit he'd get from lifting.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Define heavy. As I said he shouldn't lift heavy. He could easily push 70-75% rm (while working with a coach and using good form) without risking injury and making gaaaaaainz.
    Yes and no. There's a reason hard-core body builders don't limit their routines to body weight exercises and that revolves around their ability to more efficiently build intensity with weights. As an example, he *could* do 100 push-ups but he's less likely to overdo it than if he is slapping an increasing number of plates on the bar and seeing immediate and tangible results.

    High intensity weight training is great for adults and teens that have fully developed bone structure as well as the maturity to understand the consequences of overdoing it. But for adolescents, it can create a situation with the potential to stunt growth and/or cause developmental problems with joints.

    I'm not a doctor and this is broscience at its finest, but I was an adolescent boy that lived through this same sort of thing. At the time, I reluctantly took the advice to lay off the heavy lifting and my pal did not. I surmise that it is not a coincidence that one of us has arthritis.
    Moving weight is moving weight. The source is irrelevant. If he can push weight in a pushup, he can bench. If he can pull his bodyweight during a pull up, he can use a lat pull down machine. If his trceps can support his weight for dips, he can do tricep pull down on a cable machine.

    And i agree, cardio should be part of every lifting regiment. Even if its just walking.
    he shouldn't be doing exercises with added weight. pull-ups, dips, push-ups and, most importantly, CARDIO for kids of that age is essential.
  • Kattarra
    Kattarra Posts: 190 Member
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    Ok so our first trip to the gym went great. We worked on bench press bar only, lat pull downs, shoulder press with a 20lb barbell, and some leg press. We kept the weight lighter and stopped at 12 reps even though he could do more. He seemed to enjoy it and didn't seem embarrassed to be there with his mom. He's looking forward to cardio tomorrow and seems excited to continue lifting so we will take it slow and easy.
  • golferd
    golferd Posts: 400 Member
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    My 10 year old is doing BodyBeast with my wife and I. Making great progress and I keep pushing him to go heavy. Form is most important in my opinion.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Ok so our first trip to the gym went great. We worked on bench press bar only, lat pull downs, shoulder press with a 20lb barbell, and some leg press. We kept the weight lighter and stopped at 12 reps even though he could do more. He seemed to enjoy it and didn't seem embarrassed to be there with his mom. He's looking forward to cardio tomorrow and seems excited to continue lifting so we will take it slow and easy.

    Sounds like a good start! Expect some soreness tomorrow!
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    We started our son with Karate & when he started driving, we started him on compound lifts. He was 17. That was a few months ago & now he's fixing to start a formal program.

    I've seen younger kids at our gym, I'd say around 13-14 and most are being coached by people who appear to be the parents. There aren't many though.

    My son used to go the weight room at his H.S. with his buddies when they had free periods. Though it was supervised by whichever coach happened to be there, they had NO idea what they were doing. Basically just monkeying around in there :laugh:

    We always had plans to start him on weight training, but wanted to wait until we felt he could handle the commitment along with school, and work. I never asked why, by DH was adamant that he wouldn't start the boy till he was 16-17. It worked out well, he pays for his own gym membership and his workout partner is his sister :wink:
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
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    I wouldn't do that at the age of 13, when a kid is starting puberty.
  • aizahs
    aizahs Posts: 1 Member
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    We have 3 boys- all different body types, all athletes from a young age (swim team, wrestlers, and football players). From a young age (as early as 4) they have been doing body resistance exercises (pull ups, sit ups, push ups) along with sprints/running. As they got older (9-10) we added resistance band exercises. The hardest part seemed to be teaching proper form.
    As you can tell from this thread, there's many differing opinions on the issue of lifting at a young age. Our personal choice for our boys was to err on the side of caution and not include anything heavier than a 5lb hand weight.
  • Rhumax67
    Rhumax67 Posts: 162 Member
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    Our son was younger than 13 when he started. It was more of a hanging out with Dad thing & maybe learning form & the benefits. Dad watched him carefully & that's important.
  • Marie047
    Marie047 Posts: 240 Member
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    I used to lift weights when I was 12, I did this regularly as a sports acro gymnast I was lifting 2 people on my 5x a week plus weight training in a weights room, one of our requirements was to be able to do certain weights between 40%-60% of our body weight. Hasn`t done me any harm.
  • Odwaroftorn
    Odwaroftorn Posts: 110 Member
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    I don't know if this'll be read, but for what it's worth...

    The best strength/conditioning quote ever, a reporter asked Mohamed Ali once how many sit ups he did in a workout. He replied he didn't know. The reporter incredulously asked how he didn't know. Ali responded that he didn't start counting until it started hurting.

    As to stunting growth, Lou Ferrigno placed second in a Mr. Olympia (the first he ever entered) and fourth in a worlds strongest man contest in 1977 I believe. He was 6'5 and had a competition weight of 285, he began lifting with free weights in his basement at age 13, because he was scrawny and tired of being bullied.

    Schwarzenegger began at 15. Ferrigno at 13.

    I am not saying to continue the weight training ya'll began, but here's a precedent and if weightlifting at 13 stunts growth, imagine how big Lou would have gotten if he'd waited two years.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I was told no lifting until after 16 because of their joints, and that plyometrics and calisthenics is plenty for a younger kid. (Not that I could get mine to do anything.)

    Football players at my high school started as young as 14 with heavy lifting. Was it done with their best interests at heart, or to ensure wins? Can't answer that, but they had good form, and worked hard.

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