Advice re juniors and rugby

Rug_bug

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. Two months ago I started my boys ages 8 and 10 in rugby, and they're extremely keen. I've bought them all their gear and they're happy out with that.

They're healthy children by all accounts, but in physical terms they both need bulking up. They're both average weight for their ages, and no fat on them at all. Ideally I'd like to see them gain weight healthily for rugby. I have them on a healthy diet, they don't eat rubbish or have fizzy drinks, and I've been slipping in complan every day, but there doesn't seem to be much of a difference.

Is there anything else I can be doing here? or what am I doing wrong?


thanks in advance

rrpc

At 8 and 10, they're too young to start thinking about 'bulking them up'. That should come later at about 16 on when they can do weights etc.

A healthy diet is all they need.

CIARAN_BOYLE

rrpc wrote: »

At 8 and 10, they're too young to start thinking about 'bulking them up'. That should come later at about 16 on when they can do weights etc.

A healthy diet is all they need.

This but if the OP is concerned

Weight gain or loss is determined by the amount of calories taken in compared to the amount of calories burned. If you want to increase their weight they need to eat more extra calories then they are burning.

I don't know what their diet is but could you just increase their portion size at meal times.

justsomebloke

Rug_bug wrote: »

They're both average weight for their ages

Then why do they need bulking up? seriously they are only kids, let them develop at their own pace.

Personally I think it is way to young to be encouraging eating habits to bulk them up as they won't be able to differentiate between eating to bulk up and eating normally and so this could drastically effect their relationship to food in the future and could just end up with them having weight issues

Rug_bug

Thank you both for your replies

rrpc wrote: »

At 8 and 10, they're too young to start thinking about 'bulking them up'. That should come later at about 16 on when they can do weights etc.

A healthy diet is all they need.

I wasn't sure if I was over thinking things on this, but they look just a bit too thin or something compared to the other children.

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Weight gain or loss is determined by the amount of calories taken in compared to the amount of calories burned. If you want to increase their weight they need to eat more extra calories then they are burning.

I don't know what their diet is but could you just increase their portion size at meal times.

Breakfast is a choice of porridge, weetabix, cornflakes, rice krispies or cheerios. I leave a plate in the centre of the table with chopped up apple, banana, and melon for them to pick at. They have a glass of milk with this.

School lunches: Wrap with chicken and ham, a banana or an apple, a tub of nuts and raisins, and a tub of grapes. They have a bottle of water with that.

Dinner: Potatoes, carrots, peas, turnip with a 1/2lb of mince between them. Milk with that, followed by a tub of rice each.

An alternative dinner to that might be pasta in sauce with chicken.


At about 6/6.30 they each get a cup of complan.

I'm not so sure if it is the portion sizes, because they're barely able to finish what they're given. Is it smaller snacks in between I need to be giving?

Rug_bug

justsomebloke wrote: »

Then why do they need bulking up? seriously they are only kids, let them develop at their own pace.

Personally I think it is way to young to be encouraging eating habits to bulk them up as they won't be able to differentiate between eating to bulk up and eating normally and so this could drastically effect their relationship to food in the future and could just end up with them having weight issues

Just seeing this now. Do you mean it would just leave them over weight? Again, I could be over thinking the whole thing, they just look a little too thin compared to their pals.

ormond lad

The size a person is when playing doesnt matter if they are technically good at the game they will be fine
Im one of the lightest players on the pitch every week i tog out but it doesnt matter because of how i play the game. Yes i could and prob should bulk up but your kids are very young to be thinking of bulking up, 16 at the earliest is when they should be thinking along those lines

rrpc

Rug_bug wrote: »

I'm not so sure if it is the portion sizes, because they're barely able to finish what they're given. Is it smaller snacks in between I need to be giving?

Seems like a healthy diet and if they're full, filling them up further will have detrimental affects as stated above.

My two lads at that age weren't all that big either and playing rugby, soccer and gaelic football. They ate when they were hungry and both still play rugby and some gaelic football as time allows.

The bulking up came at sixteen onwards and went with gym work etc.

In short, plenty of exercise first, the food will be consumed as needed. I've come to the realisation that kids know best and shoveling food into them when they don't want it is going agaiinst that instinct.

CIARAN_BOYLE

I wouldn't be concerned about bulking for sport at that age. If you are concerned that they are too thin wander over to parenting or nutrition & diet to see what they say.

If they look a little thin compared to their pals is it cause their pals are overweight? Or maybe their pals are in a stage where they are putting on a bit of fat which they will lose when they go through a growth spurt.

longhalloween

justsomebloke wrote: »

Then why do they need bulking up? seriously they are only kids, let them develop at their own pace.

Personally I think it is way to young to be encouraging eating habits to bulk them up as they won't be able to differentiate between eating to bulk up and eating normally and so this could drastically effect their relationship to food in the future and could just end up with them having weight issues

Children develop at different rates and only start to build muscle when they hit puberty.

Monitoring their diet and adding supplements sounds a bit dodgy for kids that age and all the exercise and training they need should be provided for by their rugby coach.

Rug_bug

ormond lad wrote: »

The size a person is when playing doesnt matter if they are technically good at the game they will be fine
Im one of the lightest players on the pitch every week i tog out but it doesnt matter because of how i play the game. Yes i could and prob should bulk up but your kids are very young to be thinking of bulking up, 16 at the earliest is when they should be thinking along those lines

I'm glad you said this, I can see Ive been fretting for no reason

rrpc wrote: »

Seems like a healthy diet and if they're full, filling them up further will have detrimental affects as stated above.

My two lads at that age weren't all that big either and playing rugby, soccer and gaelic football. They ate when they were hungry and both still play rugby and some gaelic football as time allows.

The bulking up came at sixteen onwards and went with gym work etc.

In short, plenty of exercise first, the food will be consumed as needed. I've come to the realisation that kids know best and shoveling food into them when they don't want it is going agaiinst that instinct.

Thanks for that. I think I needed some perspective on the whole thing. They seem content with what they eat on a day to day basis, so I won't push it with them

Rug_bug

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

I wouldn't be concerned about bulking for sport at that age. If you are concerned that they are too thin wander over to parenting or nutrition & diet to see what they say.

If they look a little thin compared to their pals is it cause their pals are overweight? Or maybe their pals are in a stage where they are putting on a bit of fat which they will lose when they go through a growth spurt.

One or two of them would be on the larger side, but the others just seem bigger and I wondered if there was anything to do to help.

longhalloween wrote: »

Children develop at different rates and only start to build muscle when they hit puberty.

Monitoring their diet and adding supplements sounds a bit dodgy for kids that age and all the exercise and training they need should be provided for by their rugby coach.

They don't eat any rubbish and have always had a healthy diet. complan was the only thing I added in there, but I can see it is not needed now. they've only been on it about 2 weeks.

I think it would be fair to say if you're not monitoring what your child is eating then your parenting approach needs looking into. There are far to many obese children these days, and if there were a little more 'monitoring' going on this wouldn't be the case.

I'm giving them healthy food, my concern was that they appeared smaller in size than other children and wondered if there was anything I could do to help or was I doing anything wrong at all.

Imhof Tank

Rug_bug wrote: »

One or two of them would be on the larger side, but the others just seem bigger and I wondered if there was anything to do to help.



They don't eat any rubbish and have always had a healthy diet. complan was the only thing I added in there, but I can see it is not needed now. they've only been on it about 2 weeks.

I think it would be fair to say if you're not monitoring what your child is eating then your parenting approach needs looking into. There are far to many obese children these days, and if there were a little more 'monitoring' going on this wouldn't be the case.

I'm giving them healthy food, my concern was that they appeared smaller in size than other children and wondered if there was anything I could do to help or was I doing anything wrong at all.

Are you for real?

"Bulking up" an 8 year old - specifically for rugby - when you say in your OP they are average weight??

Maybe under 8s coaches should make a point of counselling parents on how inappropriate the idea of devising diet plans specifically to gain weight for u8 players is; should something this obvious really need to be stated though?

justsomebloke

Rug_bug wrote: »

Just seeing this now. Do you mean it would just leave them over weight?

ye pretty much. Bulking up in general is adding on lean mass i.e. muscle. It basically requires that after you have done some activity to stimulate muscle growth and then you have a surplus of calories to allow for that muscle growth.

That surplus of calories though is the tricky part as surplus calories will generally lead to a fat build up. Trainers spend years getting the balance right so that they don't get fat.

Your kids being kids would also have issues with putting muscle mass on as they don't have the testosterone levels until puberty to add mass so you have even more chance of giving them to much food and them adding fat

Rug_bug wrote: »

Again, I could be over thinking the whole thing, they just look a little too thin compared to their pals.

yes you are, this country has enough weight problems as it is due to people not having a clue what a good diet is. Most parents have no idea what a good diet is but you seem to and if you kids are eating what you are saying they are getting a good breakdown of fats, protein and carbs so just enjoy them being healthy.

Just remember the smoking and binge drinking are only around the corner so let them have have the good diet while they still want it:D

one word - "puberty".

It hasn't hit yet. Let that happen first.

errlloyd

To be fair OP I respect the diet your kids are on a lot. Keep them healthy and make sure they're enjoying the game. The fitness and mass will come soon.

Bearcat

Ehhh....where's the Dr Phil forum?:D

Op...I have 2sons in the same boat if a little older. Let them develop at their own pace as pervious advice and I'm not buying this complan gear your giving them.

Imhof Tank

errlloyd wrote: »

To be fair OP I respect the diet your kids are on a lot. Keep them healthy and make sure they're enjoying the game. The fitness and mass will come soon.

This has to be one of the most bizarre threads ever.

Advice for muscle mass gain for 8 year olds

Tell me - how "soon" will this happen exactly?

mrpdap

OP, good advice above, just let them enjoy themsleves and keep fit and healthy. Running around, playing rugby and other sports is all they need. You seem to have them on a good diet.

I coach mini rugby as I'm sure lots of other posters do, size is no determinant of how well a kid will do. Our smallest player is probably 50% of the weight of the biggest and would have no problem tackling him, never mind nipping around him.

justsomebloke

ok I think this thread is done so going to close it off now