Training advice for 16 year old

saska

Hi everyone. I’m 15 and am trying to tone up overall and gain some muscle, so I’m wondering if anyone could give me some advice on this? I’m roughly 5’5 in height, 50kg average in weight and am of a slender build/frame.

Diet-wise I eat about 2-3 meals a day, tend to eat in moderation and avoid junk food if possible, drinking mainly water or milk. I eat enough carbs and protein although I could do with more fruit & veg and probably a little more protein in my diet. The problem with me is that I’m weak when it comes to muscle (have the energy, just not the strength for it!) and gaining it seems to a very slow process for me. My legs are strong, it’s just my weak arms that bug me.

I’m mainly looking to tone up overall, particularly on my middle and lower half and get a bit more stamina/endurance. (Would like to train for athletics but am not sure where to start) I’d love to gain a little more muscle on my arms and top half also, I have a bit but it doesn’t seem to do much for me. I’ve been going to Carlisle for a while and it’s been helping, but are there any specific machines/workouts that would suit me best? I’ll be asking the trainers there for some advice soon. Also, would Kickboxing or some other activity sound like a good idea or possibly too strenuous for me?

Some have told me that it’s not good for someone my age to focusing on training/fitness yet (can stunt height and development I think, is this true or?) while others have told me that it’s best to start now before I let myself go, lol. So based on my stats and such what would you all recommend?

Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

celestial

My advice is to steer clear of weight training until you are about two years older - or even older than that. You are still growing and you have likely a fair bit more growing to do. Weight training at your age could stunt your growth.

However, you don't even need weights, which is great for you. You can still build muscle and build yourself up generally without weights! You can do push-ups, squats (using only your bodyweight), pull-ups and crunches and sit-ups. I would also do some intense cardio to get your fitness up and keep yourself trim. Then, if/when you do start weights in the future you'll be fit as a fiddle and well able for it. Bear in mind that exercises like push-ups and squats build muscle without weights throughout your body, and can be done anywhere, without any equipment. A win-win situation!

GerryRyan

celestial wrote:

"My advice is to steer clear of weight training until you are about two years older - or even older than that. You are still growing and you have likely a fair bit more growing to do. Weight training at your age could stunt your growth."

Celestial - please feel free to back up that claim (myth) on the stunted growth :rolleyes:

• Few extracts from sites

True, there have been studies conducted on teen weightlifters that suggest that certain types of weight lifting may damage the epiphysis, or growth plate, of your bones. and that lifting heavy weight could speed up growth plate closure, which would stunt your growth.

http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/Sports/1441.html

Weight training will not stunt your growth unless you damage your growth (Epiphyseal Cartilage) plates. This is rare and will not happen if you follow a sound exercise program.

To be safe, avoid one rep maximum lifts for now and check your ego out at the door; follow sound progressive weight training practices. See weight training guidelines.

Certainly you can concentrate on your upper body but realize squats and deadlifts are the exercises can significantly increase the production of testosterone in men, a muscle building hormone, for overall muscular development.

The whole notion of growth being stunted by weight lifting is
a myth. It didn't stunt the growth of Shaquille O'Neal, David
Robinson, Karl Malone, Michael Vick, etc. They all started
lifting in their early teens, and all have gone on to be well
over 6' tall and star in professional sports.

So the answer is no, weightlifting does not stunt height growth, or
any other kind of growth, for that matter. There is no scientific
evidence to support such ideas and, in fact, books such as the
Russian, School of Height, suggest that weight training may
stimulate growth. The latest weight training studies done on
teens showed only positive effects.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Weightlifting-Exercise-1549/SAFE-weight-lifting-STUNTED.htm

Hanley

celestial wrote: »

My advice is to steer clear of weight training until you are about two years older - or even older than that. You are still growing and you have likely a fair bit more growing to do. Weight training at your age could stunt your growth.!

Ignore that post.

ecoli

saska wrote: »

I’m mainly looking to tone up overall, particularly on my middle and lower half and get a bit more stamina/endurance. (Would like to train for athletics but am not sure where to start)

if ya lookin to get into athletics best way to build endurance and stamina is to build a base start with 20min runnin three times a week and progress from there increasing either amount of days(no more than six a week) and also time ran so say extra 5-10min each week till you doin up to an hour
wouldn reccomend weights this early as an athlete but push ups crunches etc suitable also using a medicine ball throw against a wall to build muscle strength rather than buildin muscle

celestial

Hanley wrote: »

Ignore that post.

If you read my post again you'll see I said they could stunt growth, not will stunt it, if done in the wrong way. I should have been clearer though admittedly. If you get the right instructor (and presumably then the right programme) you should be fine. Also, you can still build muscle without weights, to some extent, if he so chooses.

thirtyfoot

saska wrote: »

Hi everyone.
I’m mainly looking to tone up overall, particularly on my middle and lower half and get a bit more stamina/endurance. (Would like to train for athletics but am not sure where to start) I’d love to gain a little more muscle on my arms and top half also, I have a bit but it doesn’t seem to do much for me. I’ve been going to Carlisle for a while and it’s been helping, but are there any specific machines/workouts that would suit me best? I’ll be asking the trainers there for some advice soon. Also, would Kickboxing or some other activity sound like a good idea or possibly too strenuous for me?

If you want to get into athletics join an athletic club and don't spend time faffing around in gyms etc at your age, you need to get running or throwing or jumping or whatever. You can waste loads of time doing weights, talking to sub-standard trainers in gyms, kickboxing etc when they have little relevance to athletics. Been running for 26 years and have never had to use kickboxing yet on the track;)

So if you want to do athletics join an athletics club - northside (clonliffe, raheny) southside (dundrum south dublin, crusaders). Clonliffe are based in santry and have the run of excellent facilities there (track, weights gym, indoor track) and crusaders are in Irishtown (track and gym). Of course there are other clubs dotted around the city.

Colm_OReilly

Concerning weight and children. Weights are a means to build strength, which is vitally important for vitallity. Bodyweight exercises can also build strength. They're both forms of resistance training so it seems odd that someone would recommend bw and not free weights.

Children (I understant the OP isn't a child) are going to pick things up and move them around, possibly more than adults do - adults being generally more sedentary. As such children are engaged in "weight training" all the time. They're picking up their school bags, toys, other kids.

As such, children are going to weight train, so there's absolutely no harm in having them do it in a controlled environment under supervision.

Now, OP, advice: I'd steer clear of any and all machines for training. Machines force your body to work in a manner it's not designed to, along a very strict plane. You lose out on the neurological component of strength as well, which won't help with sports performance.

As for exercises, focus on these lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses, pull ups, push ups. Drop me an email on info at crossfit dot ie and I can send you a beginners program for strength building. Or you can pop up and start training with us if you're not tied to a contract and have a bike.

There's also Tallaght athletics club nearby, which has it's own 400m track. www.tallaghtac.ie However you haven't mentioned what type of athletics you want to get involved in, shot put, high jump, distance running?

Tingle - surely a decent strength program would help in athletics? The stronger your legs are the more powerful a jump you could create. You can see how having a stronger bench/shoulder press will lend itself to a shot putt.

saska, you mentioned martial arts. I've a couple of guys around your age training up at www.spartanmma.com if you're interested?

Any questions, shoot me an email or reply,
Colm

thirtyfoot

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Tingle - surely a decent strength program would help in athletics? The stronger your legs are the more powerful a jump you could create. You can see how having a stronger bench/shoulder press will lend itself to a shot putt.

Of course. Didn't mean to suggest you shouldn't do weights for athletics but if you are 16 and want to start athletics you should focus on getting running/jumping/throwing and learning the skills of the sport as you have a bit of catchup to do. Doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't run, hurdle, jump or throw properly. Learn the skills, then the conditioning, the OP seems to want to approach from the other way which I think is a bad thing. There will be loads of time for working on your strength.

LegacyUser

Stay away from supplements, try get all your nutrients from your food.