Thread: age

My opinion is just let them do high rep body weight workouts until there about 15-16 and make them stretch so they don't get unflexable And helps with injuries. And when they do start lifting make sure they learn proper form...

Originally Posted by mshelton

I have two boys 12 and 10 and was wondering what age is about right to start lifting.

First concern with children lifing weights for most people are the effects of resistance training on height potential. Muscle actually pulls on bones, not restrict them, however, height potential is primarily influenced by how long the epyphyseal plates remain pliable for growth. Genetics first and foremost will determine that time frame, however, heavy stress upon the epyphyseal plate can also cause them to close up prematurely, and that stress would be loading bearing going down the axial skeleton (ie.. heavy squats, deadlifts...etc). Apart from axial skeleton loading exercises, lifting weights young should be fine; healthy for bone development actually. However, what the poster said above me would is good advice in general.

push-ups, pull-ups and sports to build up legs (basketball, football, etc.)

At that age I think the most important thing you can do is get them to appreciate the importance of form over weight. I think even basic Oly lifting training w/ a broom stick or PVC rod is perfect. You can go this route for bench press, squat, DL as well. And as mentioned above - bodywt / isometrics stuff - I always wonder about how kids view "training" and if they are completely fixed on just how big their biceps are and just all about the weight to show off. Instead I think its a great time to give them a "real" view of the whole concept of training - e.g. mobility / stability (which is the foundation of training for the best pro athletes), as well as bodywt stuff, and then form for actual lifting. If you've got an Oly gym near you, an Oly club & kids training might be available.

In terms of eqpt to start them w/ - easy things are the PVC bar for the full-body / barbell stuff and bands for the "dumbbell" stuff.


Here's (by the music I'm guessing 80s): even Arnold has a bodywt approach:

Originally Posted by mshelton

I have two boys 12 and 10 and was wondering what age is about right to start lifting.

I started about 14 with dumbbells pushups and homemade weights using duffell bags and heavy books.

Started seriously at 15 since they offered weight training as a gym class in high school (gotta love socal)

My son is 14 (and already at least 2 inches taller than me at over 6') and I have him focus on low weight reps right now with machines and some free weights and swimming. I started some training with him when he was 12 since he was already close to my size.

I know a big difference between me and my kids is it's like pulling teeth to get them to exercise and I wanted it so bad I used to sneak in my workouts before my dad would wake up. He was an abusive guy and thought I was trying to get strong to kick his ass so he would make sure I was pretty well punished if he caught me working out.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will start them with the push-ups, pull-ups and work on form.

I started at 13 and have never looked back. Initially, all of my training was sport-specific (football) and incorporated heavy weight training. The notion that weight training will affect height has never been proven in any scientific studies. One only has to look at the height of today's NFL players to know that weight training did not limit their growth potential.

yup as we grow our bones Can be forced to ossify under resistance training stunting the growth of long bones

So heavy squats, leg press are not a smart idea

Keep reps high 15-20 with every exercise and there should not be enough stimulus to stunt growth

Originally Posted by mshelton

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will start them with the push-ups, pull-ups and work on form.

My 12 yr old wants the same thing

Growth can be stunted if too young

I was 12 when I started and I'm 3 inches taller than my dad

The potential for injury is higher the younger you are, I'd say start at about 15 or so, first year of high school.

Originally Posted by mshelton

I have two boys 12 and 10 and was wondering what age is about right to start lifting.

too young let them play soccer or something like that it would be more beneficial , they can do push ups pull ups...not a good idea to work repetitively with weights at this age because of risk of injury they must be supervised at all times + it won't help much
start around 15 with light weight to learn the technique properly, at this age they can learn the right way to lift thus no injury and benefits to growth of the bones instead of damaging them. at 12 they are not capable of learning and sticking with good technique + it could become boring to them.

There in to football right now and they see me lifting, they are getting curious about it so we will start bodyweight exercises,try to keep it fun

Originally Posted by mshelton

There in to football right now and they see me lifting, they are getting curious about it so we will start bodyweight exercises,try to keep it fun

that will do it .....but do not worry about them if they don't exercise regularly , the key is not to make them hate exercise, i see parents forcing their kids to go to the gym but this will lead to them hating the gym,...it has to be fun and when they want to do it at their time..

I believe the myth of growth plates closing prematurely has recently been dispelled. I wish I could reference the articles I've read recently, but you should be able to find them by googling. Hormones close growth plates, not resistnace training. That said, form and proper breathing should be key. I think olympic training would be a great idea, done properly, they will get strong and put some size on, but they will not get the sort of injuries that come from overuse.

Originally Posted by vancouver

I believe the myth of growth plates closing prematurely has recently been dispelled. I wish I could reference the articles I've read recently, but you should be able to find them by googling. Hormones close growth plates, not resistnace training. That said, form and proper breathing should be key. I think olympic training would be a great idea, done properly, they will get strong and put some size on, but they will not get the sort of injuries that come from overuse.

^^^This is right on. There are no studies that show resistance training prematurely fuses growth plates. Once again if it did, the 6'5" + athletes playing in the NFL would not be there. ALL of those guys have been training with weights since they were in their early teens.

Like already said, there is no scientific evidence that states resistance training stops growth. The only study i've read that says something that might support that argument is resistance training that leads to skeletal micro-fractures (bad form, too much weight). If you keep the weights reasonable, the rep scheme medium to high and supply ample protein, they should grow rather muscularly, quickly...

My buddy has a few children. One happens to be 13 around the same age group and he (being an amateur bodybuilder that he is) has them doing plyometric/cardio/resistance training and what not.

Alot of running/pushups some weight resistance training etc and they love it. He joined football and soccer. Soccer he was the best in speed and control of the ball and dominated on his little team. At 13 in football he killed as a running back. Pure power and speed.

You can incorporate weights for kids but dont overdo it. Above all, proper nutrition is always the best place to start even at a young age. Important for them to learn that now and instill it into there brains =]

the weight training will not cause growth plate to close prematurely but it may in some cases damage them from repetitions and from possible bad technique and form. other type of damage can occur too from bad technique. children at 12 cannot train properly on their own they need supervision, they can do push ups etc...only because they have no natural tendency to do them regularly in a way they can hurt themselves, kids at 10 and 12 like to have fun and weight training is no fun for them and should not be encouraged at this age, their body and their mental state are not ready yet for that + it will not do them any good they will have time to workout why rush it? some kids are pushed to be competitive at a young age like gymnasts in china for example, they are pushed to follow very strict training schedule etc... a child must not be pushed to be competitive in any sports or any other type of competition it is not mentally good ,they must enjoy what they are doing and have fun.
Besides if a kid starts training at 10 do you think he will be faster and stronger than a guy who starts training at 15 when both reach adulthood?

many myths out there regarding this. Remember, muscles grow at a different rate than tendons and ligaments. the key to training at a young age is to not put much stress on the weightlifting itself, but providing pathways for neural adaptations to be made. It's going to take a 12 year old a longer time to learn how to properly bench or shoulder press than it would a 17 year old regardless of prior lifting experience. any age is a good age to teach proper form to build these neural pathways. this is the first step before any resistance training should be applied. attention to injury should be of upmost importance since bones, tendons, and ligaments are not fully matured. when executed safely, children as young as 6 can begin working out and exercising.