What age is too young?

6stringmaniac

Hi,
Im 15 and I recently invested in a set of weights.
What Im wondering is, is this too young to start weight training and should I just stick to training wit my own bodyweight?
Or is this ok as long as I keep proper form and do it right?

AARRRGH

You're too young to lift heavy weights.

Push up type exercises are the way to go.

Sangre

I would say no, you're not too young. The idea of 'don't touch a weight until you're 18' is one of the main reasons we all look tiny compared to the average american.

Hanley

AARRRGH wrote: »

You're too young to lift heavy weights.

Push up type exercises are the way to go.

Damn 15 year olds... I hate em. Only start training and they're immediately lifting heavy weights :D

Sangre wrote: »

I would say no, you're not too young. The idea of 'don't touch a weight until you're 18' is one of the main reasons we all look tiny compared to the average american.

Troof.

Roper

15 is grand. Just get some proper instruction and not just some from your cousin's mate's brother who looks massive.

It all really depends on what your goals are. Do you play a sport? Getting fitter and stronger so you can improve at your chosen sport can be great motivation.

rubadub

AARRRGH wrote: »

Push up type exercises are the way to go.

But what if he can only do say 2 pushups and builds up to 8-12? and then inclines his legs to remain in the 8-12 rep range? same with pullups, of which I expect most of the population can do none.

What I am getting at is weight is weight, 50kg of flesh weighs the same as 50kg of iron. The one thing I have heard concerns about is spinal loading (heard, not saying true/false). Young gymnasts are incredibly strong and doing very tough moves relative to their bodyweight.

The other thing is young lads are probably more likely to do some mad dangerous movement that they figure is good, or overexert themselves thinking they are stronger than they are, possibly using bad form (good to see the OP knows the term "good form"!). I much prefer bodyweight training myself though, I do both and combinations.

EileenG

No, it's not too young. It was only a generation ago that 15 year olds and younger were expected to work on the farm, hauling bails of hair and lifting all sorts of heavy stuff. Girls as well as boys.

In fact, there are studies which show that lifting weights before and during puberty tends to build really dense bones, which will stand to you for your whole life.

The same rules apply to you as to other lifters: lift as heavy as you can manage with perfect form. Don't use sloppy form just for the sake of getting a higher weight.

Reyman

Mmmm! Bails of hair. Now that would be tough even for a regular

cowzerp

Your not too young, just focus on good technique and try not to lift more than you can handle, if you cant control the weight its too heavy, its not a competition and it takes time so have patience, at 15 you'll gain more strenght than size as your Hormones are most likely still settling down!

corribdude

I personally wouldn't go below 16.....oh wait you mean for lifting? Id say 15 is a good age to start, if I could turn back the clock I would definitely have liked to start at 15.

_Nuno_

6stringmaniac wrote: »

Hi,
Im 15 and I recently invested in a set of weights.
What Im wondering is, is this too young to start weight training and should I just stick to training wit my own bodyweight?
Or is this ok as long as I keep proper form and do it right?

I started training at 15 and had no problems. By 16 I had grown something like 7 cm taller, weighted around 10 Kg more, and went from a very skinny kid to a normal build/strong kid. I trained 3 times a week and had a very good instructor and ate like a horse. I was squatting 100 KG when I stopped, and didn't get back to it until I was 25

There's no contraindication regarding teenagers lifting weights, and anyone that tells you different has no evidence to support it.

AARRRGH

Hanley wrote: »

Damn 15 year olds... I hate em. Only start training and they're immediately lifting heavy weights :D

When the OP said he wants to begin "weight training" I interpreted that as meaning he'll be following an adult programme, e.g. starting strength.

The articles I've read on the topic say 15 year olds should not be lifting heavy weights.

Play it safe would be my advice... you have your whole life to get big.

Roper

AARRRGH wrote: »

When the OP said he wants to begin "weight training" I interpreted that as meaning he'll be following an adult programme, e.g. starting strength.

The articles I've read on the topic say 15 year olds should not be lifting heavy weights.

Play it safe would be my advice... you have your whole life to get big.

"Adult Programme"? Also, I'm gonna need some links to those articles, I'd like to read them.

I agree though, play it safe but the OP said nothing about "getting big". I would staunchly disagree with the idea of "you have your whole life". Teenage years are a major part of your whole life. The foundations you lay in your teens during the most prominent hormonal growth stage of your life can benefit your movement patterns for your entire life.

EileenG

Have you looked at a typical 15 year old recently? Half of them are growing beards! They are well able to lift a few weights without ruining their delicate physiques.

I've never found any evidence-based research to show that 15 year olds, or even younger, should not lift weights. All the research I found says that they should, as it builds bone and provides a good base for a lifetime of fitness.

For what it's worth, there is a lot of evidence that teenage pre-teen GIRLS should lift weights and do high impact exercises to build bone density.

Roper

EileenG wrote: »

For what it's worth, there is a lot of evidence that teenage pre-teen GIRLS should lift weights and do high impact exercises to build bone density.

Linkage? I face that uphill battle regularly.

Vegeta

Roper wrote: »

The foundations you lay in your teens during the most prominent hormonal growth stage of your life can benefit your movement patterns for your entire life.

Exactly.

(To be sung in theme of Batman, starring Adam West) "Na na, na na, na na, na na, Hormones"

Don't waste em kid, put them to some decent use. As the guys say caution is the name of the game though.

Also I would advise making flexibility a part of your training or if you are already flexible then maintain it.

g'em

Some abstracts (Roper I'll see can I chase up something along the lines of what Eileen is referring to):

Clin Sports Med. 2000 Oct;19(4):593-619.

Strength training for children and adolescents.

Faigenbaum AD.

The potential benefits of youth strength training extend beyond an increase in muscular strength and may include favorable changes in selected health- and fitness-related measures. If appropriate training guidelines are followed, regular participation in a youth strength-training program has the potential to increase bone mineral density, improve motor performance skills, enhance sports performance, and better prepare our young athletes for the demands of practice and competition. Despite earlier concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of youth strength training, current public health objectives now aim to increase the number of boys and girls age 6 and older who regularly participate in physical activities that enhance and maintain muscular fitness. Parents, teachers, coaches, and healthcare providers should realize that youth strength training is a specialized method of conditioning that can offer enormous benefit but at the same time can result in serious injury if established guidelines are not followed. With qualified instruction, competent supervision, and an appropriate progression of the volume and intensity of training, children and adolescents cannot only learn advanced strength training exercises but can feel good about their performances, and have fun. Additional clinical trails involving children and adolescents are needed to further explore the acute and chronic effects of strength training on a variety of anatomical, physiological, and psychological parameters.

Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Jun;33(3):547-61.

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology position paper: resistance training in
children and adolescents.

Behm DG, Faigenbaum AD, Falk B, Klentrou P.

Many position stands and review papers have refuted the myths associated with resistance training (RT) in children and adolescents. With proper training methods, RT for children and adolescents can be relatively safe and improve overall health. The objective of this position paper and review is to highlight research and provide recommendations in aspects of RT that have not been extensively reported in the pediatric literature. In addition to the well-documented increases in muscular strength and endurance, RT has been used to improve function in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy, as well as pediatric burn victims. Increases in children's muscular strength have been attributed primarily to neurological adaptations due to the disproportionately higher increase in muscle strength than in muscle size. Although most studies using anthropometric measures have not shown significant muscle hypertrophy in children, more sensitive measures such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have suggested hypertrophy may occur. There is no minimum age for RT for children. However, the training and instruction must be appropriate for children and adolescents, involving a proper warm-up, cool-down, and appropriate choice of exercises. It is recommended that low- to moderate-intensity resistance exercise should be done 2-3 times/week on non-consecutive days, with 1-2 sets initially, progressing to 4 sets of 8-15 repetitions for 8-12 exercises. These exercises can include more advanced movements such as Olympic-style lifting, plyometrics, and balance training, which can enhance strength, power, co-ordination, and balance. However, specific guidelines for these more advanced techniques need to be established for youth. In conclusion, an RT program that is within a child's or adolescent's capacity and involves gradual progression under qualified instruction and supervision with appropriately sized equipment can involve more advanced or intense RT exercises, which can lead to functional (i.e., muscular strength, endurance, power, balance, and co-ordination) and health benefits.

Roper

Smashing. I still have JSTOR access G'em but I'm not sure about the other databases. What one did you dig those out of?

thirtyfoot

I don't know about the OP and what sport they play. If they just want to do weights to be fit and do weights, then its probably fine, I wouldn't know to be honest what the medical ramifications are.

If they play sports and want to do weights to supplement their sport or make them stronger for their sport then I would say ask themselves are they as efficient and adept at the various skills and techniques of the sport? If not, then focus more on your sport's skills and techniques before moving onto conditioning. Maybe get someone to show you how to lift properly if you want to do weights. Once someone has had a bad habit for even 2-3 years it can be very hard to break and correct it when you are say 20 or 21. At that stage you spend a massive amount of time working on technique (which you should have nailed when you were 15 or 16) when you should be really working on conditioning. If the OP doesn't play sport, then I suppose you can ignore my opinion.

6stringmaniac

Thanks for all your help so far guys.
At the moment I do kickboxing and play basketball, but it's more an issue of just wanting to become stronger/fitter than improving at sports (even though I would like that).
For someone my age, what would be a good excersise routine, just for starting off, for around a 4 day week.
Also what foods should I eat/not eat?

g'em

Roper wrote: »

Smashing. I still have JSTOR access G'em but I'm not sure about the other databases. What one did you dig those out of?

PubMed - I have full access to almost all journals in work so if there's anything you want me to download and send on just send me some linkage.

Hanley

AARRRGH wrote: »

When the OP said he wants to begin "weight training" I interpreted that as meaning he'll be following an adult programme, e.g. starting strength.

The articles I've read on the topic say 15 year olds should not be lifting heavy weights.

Play it safe would be my advice... you have your whole life to get big.

I don't really understand what an adult program is??

FWIW, if you're training smart and correctly when you're young, you'll make much faster progress than you would in later years.

Tingle wrote: »

I don't know about the OP and what sport they play. If they just want to do weights to be fit and do weights, then its probably fine, I wouldn't know to be honest what the medical ramifications are.

If they play sports and want to do weights to supplement their sport or make them stronger for their sport then I would say ask themselves are they as efficient and adept at the various skills and techniques of the sport? If not, then focus more on your sport's skills and techniques before moving onto conditioning. Maybe get someone to show you how to lift properly if you want to do weights. Once someone has had a bad habit for even 2-3 years it can be very hard to break and correct it when you are say 20 or 21. At that stage you spend a massive amount of time working on technique (which you should have nailed when you were 15 or 16) when you should be really working on conditioning. If the OP doesn't play sport, then I suppose you can ignore my opinion.

Nice post!

Roper

Might hit you up there g'em I'm currently writing something up and I need some more references.