Advice On Getting Fitter / Stronger

Smartly Dressed

I play Gaelic football and at the moment, I feel as though my lack of strength and fitness is holding me back. I'm trying to break into the county team so obviously I'm going to have to do a lot of hard work to make that step up from club level.

I'm 15, around 5ft 11 and I weigh just under 11 stone (70kg I think).

I've never been to a gym before in my life so I wouldn't really know where to start but, I would like to improve my upper body strength and overall fitness.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Colm_OReilly

Hey man,

I reckon the best thing you could do is Starting Strength for a few months. Once you've gotten used to the routine, try adding in a CrossFit style metcon workout once a week.

Where are you season wise? What are you current demands re: time and rest?

We'll need to know these if we've to adjust the program for you.

Col

rubadub

I have heard people saying younger people should stick to lower wieghts or bodywieght exercises. OP is 15 so could be young or old for his age, so I do not know what is best, just mentioning it in case people missed it.

You can start right now doing bodyweight stuff.

www.simplefit.org
http://www.bodyweightculture.com/

Smartly Dressed

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Where are you season wise? What are you current demands re: time and rest?

My club season just finished last week so at the moment, I'm only training with the county team. I train with them once a week, usually on Saturday/Sunday so that means I have Mon-Fri off but I wouldn't really want to do much on Friday if that would be possible.

And thanks for the replies and links, guys!

entropi

Smartly Dressed wrote: »

My club season just finished last week so at the moment, I'm only training with the county team. I train with them once a week, usually on Saturday/Sunday so that means I have Mon-Fri off but I wouldn't really want to do much on Friday if that would be possible.

And thanks for the replies and links, guys!

Basically you are gonna be in "maintenance" mode now keeping current fitness levels until pre-season begins, but since it seems you are looking for an edge i would recommend you begin using bodyweight exercises like push ups/dips/chin ups/squats/sit ups.

Use these as a base to going on the Starting Strength program, possibly modifying it to use some lighter weights as it has been pointed out above, for anyone under 16 its not good to use heavier stuff as you are still growing fast. And remember to always give your body 1 day rest before exercising again, unless you are gonna split the routine, in that case you can always check back here for advice on how to do so.

Also fair play to you though for putting in the thought and dedication needed to break into the county squad at such a young age, it'll be tough but certainly worth it

Colm_OReilly

This notion that children shouldn't do weights is another one of those myths that's perpetuated like fat makes you fat, or squats below parallel cause your knees to explode, and is completely unfounded.

If you think about ti, children develop strength as infants, enough to stand, then walk, run, climb etc. You also have children performing feats of amazing strength on rings - example.

Now, consider children also carry bags of (relatively) heavy books to school, sometimes walking for a mile or two with them - this is load bearing activity.

Weight training, provided proper body mechanics are maintained, and load is progressively applied, is perfectly safe. This applies weather you're 5 or 95.

Rippetoe & Kilgore also point to studies done on juniors and weights.

So, Smartly Dressed, while you're young and full of testosterone, squat.

BobbyOLeary

for anyone under 16 its not good to use heavier stuff as you are still growing fast.

Just curious as to what the physiological basis is for this comment. I don't mean to sound obnoxious, I'm honestly curious. I don't know for sure either way but I can't see how its ok for kids to do pushups but not bench press.

A pushup is equivilant to a 50 - 60% BW bench isn't it? Something similar at least. Why is this ok and performing a bench press is not? Again, just curious.