A very shy and depressed kid. His family hired me to train him so I can get him in shape. Any recommendations? What should i have him do?
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01-01-2015, 10:37 PM #1
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01-02-2015, 02:03 AM #2
Kids are tough because often nowadays they have no physical activity at all. First of all figure out what he wants to be able to do - typically sports is a good place to start with kids. Make sure to keep things fun but not so hard that he won't do it and you may be shocked initially at what he can and can't do. Bodyweight stuff is typically your best bet, throwing in some fun agility drills and improving his overall coordination. Confidence is a huge thing at that age as well, and make sure that the parents are on board with healthy eating. He didn't get to 220 pounds on his own.
One of my saddest cases ever was an 8 and 10 year old brother pair who were obese and it was completely their parents' fault.
Edit - just read your other thread. You're a brand new trainer and they have given you a 10 year old to train with no experience? Jesus. Welcome to the world of chain gyms.
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01-02-2015, 09:32 AM #3
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01-03-2015, 09:45 AM #4
- Join Date: Jan 2014
- Location: Austin, Texas, United States
- Age: 32
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My guess is that you probably already had one training session with this kid? (I hope it went well) I would keep this in mind for the next training session. Kid's get bored very easily so make sure you have his attention through conversation and coaching the entire workout. Relate the workout to his life and what he wants to do, so that he can see the benefit of the workout. Here's a small program that I like to use when training kids. Another thing I would keep in mind is to look up progressions and regressions so that you can truly help the kid get better in the weight room, weight loss, etc...
A. 10-minute dynamic warm-up – Start with general calisthenics to increase the kids core temperature and then progress to more challenging exercises. Get creative and make it fun! Remember that your kids’ nervous systems are still developing at this point. Their nervous system is basically like “plastic” and can be “molded” accordingly. So make sure you choose exercises that challenge the children’s balance, flexibility and work in multiple planes for full motor skill acquisition. Some of my favorites are: jumping jack variations, squat thrusts, skipping variations, side shuffles, balancing toe touches, leg swings, etc.
B. Body Squats – 2-3 sets of 10-25 reps
C. Push-ups – 2-3 sets of max reps w/ good form
D. Walking lunges – 2-3 sets of 10-15 steps each leg
E. Chin-ups or flexed arm hang – 2-3 sets of max reps or max time
F1. Crunches – 3 sets of 10-25 reps
F2. Low-back raises / “Supermans” – 3 sets of 10-25 repsHead Strength and Conditioning Coach- Onnit Academy Gym HQ
Squat- 540
Bench- 418
Deadlift- 550
"The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, and to conquer."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
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01-05-2015, 03:37 AM #5
- Join Date: May 2013
- Location: Richmond, Virginia, United States
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Training sessions will be futile if you don't address what the kid is eating and his lifestyle in general. Considering that he is 10 years old, this means you will likely have to achieve this through working with the parents. I'm assuming that they are the ones paying for the training, so they will hopefully be open to working with you to make these changes. I'm going to guess that the kid is probably eating a ton of highly processed, nutrient poor, energy dense foods and is not engaged in any kind of normal physical activity. These are things that would best addressed outside of the gym - physical activity at his age should be fun, not a scheduled workout.
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha
"No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." - Socrates
NSCA-CSCS
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified Coach
Primal Blueprint Certified Expert
rob@arthurhealth.com
www.arthurhealth.com
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01-10-2015, 02:48 PM #6
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01-13-2015, 12:00 PM #7
- Join Date: Aug 2004
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I'd argue that his energy would be better spent in his parent's getting him into a local sports team. Basketball, footy, cricket, whatever. Something that's physical but not seen as "training", and where he can socialise with other kids. His parent's have done minimal (if any) research into what's involved with working a trainer, and if this is a chain gym scenario are assuming that everything's the same across the board. Incorrect.
A brand new trainer shouldn't be dealing with an obese 10yr old. Too many factors that need experience behind it. You'd think parents would thoroughly research who they're goin to pay and who's to take care of their son. If that's your market your goin for, great, you'll have to deal with all the external factors involved. If it's not your market you're goin for, refer elsewhere or suggest team sports.advertising/self-promotion not permitted
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01-16-2015, 04:17 PM #8
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01-17-2015, 08:33 AM #9
- Join Date: Oct 2011
- Location: Farmington, Connecticut, United States
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I'd be inclined to agree but if he's already depressed and feeling poorly about himself it's unlikely his parents will get him to be optimistic about sports. I've trained dozens of kids just like this, and most of them wanted to start a sport when they became a little more confident. Don't treat him like you're a parent. Be an expert but get on his level. Kids are resilient so use your judgement and push him, but not to the point where he's discouraged right off the bat with soreness etc. He won't know the difference between pain and being sore at this point so stay gradual with him. Figure out what activities he actually enjoys and build a program around that. Remember that he'll likely get bored quickly and his mind will wander during a session so the most important thing is to just keep him moving. Just because you're a new trainer doesn't mean you can't be confident in yourself and your knowledge. I've hired a lot of trainers based on their experience and plenty of times the "new guy" was better than the veteran trainer. You're only as valuable to that kid as you think you are. Food for thought man, good luck
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01-17-2015, 08:41 AM #10
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01-17-2015, 12:04 PM #11
- Join Date: Sep 2008
- Location: Maryland, United States
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Ten years old is super young, and as has been said, since he is kept by his parents, his eating and lifestyle habits are supposed to be moderated by them.
One thing you might want to see is if he's into video games and maybe suggest more active games using the Kinect or even things like Dance Dance Revolution. It's not particularly helpful for the time in the club, but it might be something he can do at home if he's kind of a nerdy kid. I know it helped me when I was in middle school. :/
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