Does lifting stunt your growth?

Remmy

HI guys!
Ive learned alot of good things on this site for that thanks.
Now I'm 17 and trying to bulk up a little.I'm doing exercises like upright rows,squats,military presses and all the other small exercises like bicep curls and pushups.

One or two of my mates who are into football tell me that i should back off with them at my age because it stunts your growth.Something to do with testosterone levels being used up.I thought that lifting produced more testosterone?I'm 6:1 and just over 10 stone so i'm a bit underweight for my height.could someone please give me some advice?

thanks

Degsy

Remmy wrote: »

HI guys!
Ive learned alot of good things on this site for that thanks.
Now I'm 17 and trying to bulk up a little.I'm doing exercises like upright rows,squats,military presses and all the other small exercises like bicep curls and pushups.

One or two of my mates who are into football tell me that i should back off with them at my age because it stunts your growth.Something to do with testosterone levels being used up.I thought that lifting produced more testosterone?I'm 6:1 and just over 10 stone so i'm a bit underweight for my height.could someone please give me some advice?

thanks

If you're 6' 1" i cant see how your growth could get stunted.

Gurlzie1

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.

Dave Draper and Arnold Schwarzenegger started lifting very
young and both are 6'1" or taller. Lou Ferrigno started
working out at 14 years old at the height of 5' 9" and grew to
6' 5" - taller then anyone in his family!

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.

I'd also point out that activities such as running and jumping
create forces on the body that are six to eight times one's body
weight. The compression forces on his legs and spine are far
greater in running and jumping than they will ever be in
squatting or pressing over head.

Not only will proper weight training not stunt growth, it allows
teens to grow up with stronger muscles and bones, along with a
healthy lifestyle. It certainly benefits any other sport they
engage in.

I'm not an expert but did look on the internet and found this on www.trulyhuge.com and if you google your question you'll find that the answer seems to be no to the idea that lifting will stunt your growth, hope that helps.

Al_Fernz

Remmy wrote: »

HI guys!
Ive learned alot of good things on this site for that thanks.
Now I'm 17 and trying to bulk up a little.I'm doing exercises like upright rows,squats,military presses and all the other small exercises like bicep curls and pushups.

One or two of my mates who are into football tell me that i should back off with them at my age because it stunts your growth.Something to do with testosterone levels being used up.I thought that lifting produced more testosterone?I'm 6:1 and just over 10 stone so i'm a bit underweight for my height.could someone please give me some advice?

thanks

Your mates are talking a load of b0llox.

Lift and eat - you will grow.

Hanley

I've never heard anything as ridiculous. Testosterone levels being "used up" wtf...??

Your mates are talking out of their ar$e. They've no idea what they're talking about. Even if it did stunt growth somehow, you're already considerably above average height wise.

JJ6000

The traditional argument for lifting causing stunted growth was that the weight placed too much stress on the body. THis has been shown to be bull. If it were true, your friends would be more likely to stunt their growth playing football than weightlifting. (see explanation below)

The force impact caused by running is far higher than the force caused by weight training. This was shown clearly by Vladimir Zatsiorsky, I believe (or maybe Verkohansky).

Example: when you run your leg "hits" the ground (the "shock" increases the stress). All your weight is also concentrated on one limb. This does not, however, stunt growth....so how could weight lifting?

Your friends have no f*ucking clue what they are talking about.
Their "testosterone theory" is even more ridiculous than the traditional theory. Myths like this really p*iss me off.

This is one myth which has been well and truly busted....(sorry for quoting mythbusters)

EileenG

In fact, the exact opposite is true. They did a load of studies in Denmark and found that lifting weights and high impact exercise in the year before puberty was optimum for building dense bones for life. Lift hard in your early teens (you've left it too late for maximun benefit) and you'll be a tall and strong old man, not a hunched over little old man.

By the way, I grew up on a farm and was expected to haul bails of hay, heavy wheelbarrows, put manners on horses and cattle a lot better and stronger than me, and it didn't stop me growing to over 5'10"

Black Swan

Ask Arnie the Governator?

Hanley

I'm pretty sure there was some study that showed elite weightlifters had a much greater bone density than sedentary people. Doesn't have much relevance to the height issue, but it does go some way to showing weightlifting is beneficial for your bones too!!

tribulus

As a general rule just don't believe anything a 17 year old tells you.

"Lifting stunts your growth"
"Lifting uses up your test levels"
"Yeah I shagged her, lasted ages"

Seriously though it's rubbish, keep lifting and make the most of the fact that at your age you're a walking test factory.

rubadub

I have heard the myth before. Many would say it is since many power related sports with weight divisions may have small competitors, due to a high power to weight ratio. e.g. a gymnast. A short powerlifter is lifting the same weight over a shorter distance so in effect is doing less work. It would make sense that shorter people should dominate certain sports.

So lift away, even if you believe the myth, since by the same logic all you have to do is bounce a ball once a week to counteract this growth stunt, since we all know basketball players are tall due to bouncing balls a lot...

Remmy

ah thanks for that lads!
I was thinking it seemed a bit bogus to me!I was going to keep going even if it did though!Thanks for the advice.