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My 13 year old friend wants to lift weights. Should he? Could he if he kept reps high and weights low? Say around 15 reps? Could he lift weights if he stayed high in reps and kept away from dead lifts and squats...only 2 exercises I can think of that could screw up his growth plates. Thanks for the replies.
I woulnt recommend anything under the age of 15
I had a friend who started at 14, he's lost about 5m of his height.
He did not do squats or deadlifts, he started off lightly and made his way up, and that caysed him to loose 5cm of his height.
He lost 5 m in height ? So is he like upside-down now or something ?
sorry ...
obviously i made a typing mistake.
5cm
Just out of curiosity...
How do you know he lost 5cm of height? Was he genetically preprogrammed for a certain height?
Bump on Melkor.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Melkor [/i]
[B]Just out of curiosity...
How do you know he lost 5cm of height? Was he genetically preprogrammed for a certain height? [/B][/QUOTE]
Really. That statement about losing 5cm of heigh was so stupid it gave me a headache.
At 13, I would say it's okay to lift weights but as long as your friend doesn't go to failure.
Your genetics tell u how tall u are going to be. Lifting WILL NOT stunt your growth i do believe this has been talked about for many months now on this board. I do think u friend should start training...his age is Perfect for weightraining.
lifter
Theres nothing wrong with starting at his age just that he should be more concerned with form and technique for a year or 2
[QUOTE=Melkor;329599]Just out of curiosity...
How do you know he lost 5cm of height? Was he genetically preprogrammed for a certain height?[/QUOTE]
+1 Again, weight lifting does not stunt growth. My whole hockey team went to see a personal trainer when I was playing competitive, and he said it's fine to start at around 13 for benchpress, pull ups, etc, 12 for dumbells, squats, stuff like that.
You can start training younger than that, although you rarely see that because what kind of kid wants to do that ****?
It's ok to go heavy, with good form. I would avoid high rep sets for that reason, form will break down more over a high rep set than with a slightly heavier weight for only a few reps.
srsly, go buy Starting Strength.
[QUOTE=Powerlifter16;330028]Your genetics tell u how tall u are going to be. Lifting WILL NOT stunt your growth i do believe this has been talked about for many months now on this board. I do think u friend should start training...his age is Perfect for weightraining.
lifter[/QUOTE]
Stunting of growth is not anywhere near as likely as the OTHER musculoskeletal injuries a child is prone to obtaining if they train wrong, but it can and does happen. At that age, you're more likely to get an avulsion fraction, caused by the muscle becoming too strong for the apophysis, or caused by the muscle being exerted beyond the strength of the apophysis.
You can train PROPERLY at any age, but be aware that at 13, a stock-standard bodybuilding program is not training properly. At that age, training should be submaximal (the guidelines I've been given are stopping 5-10 reps short of where you estimate the child could have reached), with a performed rep range of no less than 8 reps (so the child should be training ath their 13RM or lighter). Ideal exercises are compound and bodyweight.
24 with a 13 year old friend?
knows his friend should be 5cm taller
confused i am.
[QUOTE=rdferguson;408694331]Stunting of growth is not anywhere near as likely as the OTHER musculoskeletal injuries a child is prone to obtaining if they train wrong, but it can and does happen. At that age, you're more likely to get an avulsion fraction, caused by the muscle becoming too strong for the apophysis, or caused by the muscle being exerted beyond the strength of the apophysis.
You can train PROPERLY at any age, but be aware that at 13, a stock-standard bodybuilding program is not training properly. At that age, training should be submaximal (the guidelines I've been given are stopping 5-10 reps short of where you estimate the child could have reached), with a performed rep range of no less than 8 reps (so the child should be training ath their 13RM or lighter). Ideal exercises are compound and bodyweight.[/QUOTE]
Do you have any evidence for these claims?
[QUOTE=zephed56;409105751]Do you have any evidence for these claims?[/QUOTE]
Of course he doesn't. Folks, don't buy this bs that old wives and doctors will try to tell you without backing it up with any evidence.
[QUOTE=stonefacekilla;408698031]24 with a 13 year old friend?
knows his friend should be 5cm taller
confused i am.[/QUOTE]
Thats what i was thinking lol, Child Grooming to the max lol
[QUOTE=beatbox;329485]He lost 5 m in height ? So is he like upside-down now or something ?[/QUOTE]
LOL, funny reading this after he edited his post.
OP. Tell your "friend" that weight lifting does not stunt growth. Do you know how much more risk for injury their is involved in playing soccer or football compared to controlled weight lifting?
wrote this for another site
Is weight training safe for teenagers / does it stunt their growth?
A couple of reviews sum it up well.
Despite the contention that strength training was inappropriate or dangerous for young weight trainers, the safety and effectiveness of youth strength training are now well documented, and the qualified acceptance of youth strength training by medical and fitness organizations is becoming universal.1
Given the proper supervision and appropriate instruction and program design, children involved in resistance training do not appear to be at greater risk of injury than other young athletes who have not undergone such training. However, parents, coaches, and trainers should be aware that participation in unsupervised training or in activities involving rapid and maximal loading places prepubescent children at increased risk of injury and is not recommended.2
Therefore, the short answer to this is no, as long as the exercises are performed correctly. There is the small chance of fracturing the growth plate (physis) of a long bone which might cause it to stop growing. However, there is much less chance of this occurring doing weight training compared to other sports (soccer, AFL, rugby) which often involve a lot of shearing forces and substantial loads being placed on the body.
References
1. Faigenbaum, A. (2000). Strength training for children and adolescents. Clinics in Sports Medicine, Volume 19, Issue 4, Pages 593-619.
2. Guy & Micheli. (2001). Strength training for children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 9, 29-36.
Guys, this thread is over [b]7 years old[/b]!!
I don't think the OP is needing anymore info. :D
Mike
[QUOTE=xXDeadmanXx;411046781]OP. Tell your "friend" that weight lifting does not stunt growth. Do you know how much more risk for injury their is involved in playing soccer or football compared to controlled weight lifting?[/QUOTE]
^^^^ this!!
And I think Rippetoe mentions this in SS . . .something to the effect of few sports are as scalable up or down as weight lifting . .even to the point of suggesting that very light bars or even broomsticks could be used for a young trainee.
Weightliting does not stunt growth. It's based off the idea that weightlifting could fracture a growth plate, leading to stunted skeletal development. It's not true.
It is important that they focus on technique. The rapid growth caused by adolescence means that bones are long but weak, ligaments are tight, muscles are tightening up, and body perception may be off.