Thread: Kids and weights.

IMO it's almost never too young for pull ups and push ups. I doubt an argument could be made that those will ruin bone structure, etc. Besides, they have kids doing that stuff in phys ed at a young age anyways. But that's just my opinion.

When did you start?

I started with weights when I was thirteen, but I didn't take it seriously and just benched and used a machine. I stopped for a couple years and started again when I was fifteen and have been lifting seriously ever since. Contrary to popular belief, I have not stopped growing, and my bones have not been broken either. Most things you find about kids and lifting should be taken with a grain of salt IMO. Maybe you can simply call a sports medicine doctor and talk to him/her for five minutes and get all of your questions answered the right way. I'm not saying you should ignore what everyone else says, but I would probably try to make the call or set up an appointment. Otherwise, I'm sure you can find a credible online source for such information.

I don't think you can be too young, really. Just have them lift light weights and focus heavily on form. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to get them into the world of exercise. Hell, I used to do bodyweight stuff when I was 6-7 for soccer practice.

i started when i was 15 or 16, however old you are when your a freshman in high school (seriously, before that i would do biceps and chest up the ying yang) and grew up to be taller than my mom (can't compare myself to my dad, he is an amputee).

i'd say start em off with calisthenics, and just start building a good foundation of a strong work ethic, healthy habits etc. condition them aerobically and anaerobically via joggin and sprints (foot races maybe) respectively. bodyweight anything won't hurt them, since they have to walk around with their BW all the time anyway, BW squats, push ups, pull ups, dips etc.

your biggest challenge would probably be to keep their attention long enough, or to keep em motivated in the long run.

my opinion:

bodyweight exercises till 12.

12-14 lightweights only and to learn proper form.

15+ start heavy.

by 14/15 their bones and tendons should have thickened up appropriatly to start heavy lifting.

i started round 8 but wasnt heavy liufting at 8

your much to young! just don't get injured KEFE

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

Maybe you can simply call a sports medicine doctor and talk to him/her for five minutes and get all of your questions answered the right way.

It's not easy finding a good one with my coverage.

KEFE, youre gonna hurt yourself if you go heavy. Stay off the bench son.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

It's not easy finding a good one with my coverage.

Even at my age, I know what you mean. My family is filled with medical problems, including me and my sister. I felt terrible going to a sports medicine doctor knowing that we don't have the best coverage, but I figured it was better safe than sorry when it comes to injuries.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

It's not easy finding a good one with my coverage.

Just call around and see if you can get one to talk to you for 3 minutes for free. If you put a little time into it, then I bet you'll find at least one. Or at least I would hope so...

Originally Posted by LexusGS

KEFE, youre gonna hurt yourself if you go heavy. Stay off the bench son.

Talking to him like this is likely to just encourage him to do the opposite.

My advice, whether you choose to follow it, is to use proper form all the time no matter what. Oh, and don't listen to the idiots who call you weak or anything else or try to make you max out. That's the best way to get hurt. As long as you use perfect form every time, you'll find it's pretty difficult to get hurt when you're being sensible.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

When did you start?

I started doing push ups, pull ups (tried), and sit ups when I was 4 years old. They will be fine.

Originally Posted by ihateschoolmt

I started doing push ups, pull ups (tried), and sit ups when I was 4 years old. They will be fine.

Wow!

i be careful cuz i dont wanna take any risks

that's a good attitude KEFE

Min0,

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong whatsoever with the information Yanick and some others have given you here. Stretching, body weight excercises, and cardio should be a mainstay in anyones life whether you be five years old or 75 years old.

I watched that TLC documentary on "Little Hercules" and his parents had him doing light stretching at a ridiculously young age, and the flexibility of that kid is bar none the best I have ever seen.

Stretching, cardio, body weight excercises can't possibly hurt in my opinion.

They're starting kids off early in school nowadays. My little brothers are six and in first grade and they will be doing fitness testing soon (mile, pushups, situps, pullups). My little bros can't do any pushups yet, but they are good at monkey bars! I tried to get them into it, but they'd rather be doing running and soccer, playground stuff, etc.. So I say if they're into it, then try to teach them (but I wouldn't recommend weights before 13). Otherwise, let your kids do what they want.

I personally started weights in 7th grade (apx. 12 years old) but nothing serious. Just benching really. Got my first bench at 14.

I started at 11, I started my younger brothers earlier on very light weights. I would put for example 1.25 pounders on a dumbell for their barbell curls, coordination can be an issue depending on the child so keep an eye on that as well.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I have two boys aged 7 and 10 right and they are always flexing with me...
anyway what is the earliest you can have your kids start using weights?
Are they to young for pullups and pushups.

I don't think they are too young now if they are interested and if you are their supervising and teaching them correct form.
I myself started lifting weights at 13.
I have two kids, my daughter is 8 and is already training with weights and doing a fitness routines so she needs to be able to lift her own body weight in many ways.
I create her mini workouts all the time.
She loves working out, can't think of a single reason to deter her from it.
My son just isn't interested yet so I wouldn't push it on him.

My son started lifting with me when he was 7. We concentrated on basic movements....squats with dumbbells, bench press, bicep dumbbell curls, chin ups and situps. The concern comes in when lifting too heavy a weight. So, I would not let him do a weight that he couldn't do with perfect form at least 10 times, and he couldn't move up in weight until he could do two sets of 15 with a two minute rest. It has worked out wonderfully for him. He is 10 now and he is very strong and agile for his weight.

bodyweight only exercises until 7th grade. once a child is old enough to participate in contact sports for school they are old enough to build up there body to protect it from injury.

In europe children start weightlifting (olympic weightlifting) as young as 8yrs old sometime. All they are doing is learning the exercises, movement effeciency, etc....you can teach them form with little to no weight and then ofcourse the basic stuff like pushups, pull ups and situps.

My neighbour's son started when he was 12. Right now he's in the military, and he benches 400.

id start them with weights probably at age 12 or 13....but they are definetly not too young for any bodyweight excercises like pushups and pullups.

you could show them things like close/wider grip pushups. and same for pullups.

i personally started doing weight training at 13 yrs old.

Originally Posted by WATTS

i personally started doing weight training at 13 yrs old.

ditto...that's when I joined my first gym

aight, this is good to hear, i was getting worried that i was too young to be working out and that it would fuck up my body, but i guess its all good to keep going