Thread: Young Body - Damaging Growth Plates??

You're 15 and you're doing a 350lbs decline bench press 5x5?!

Also, your deadlift pr is lower than your bench pr?!

Originally Posted by BulkBoy

I am asking this because I have had my concern raised about damaging growth plates while lifting weights. I am 15, about 6'1-6'1.5'' 235-250 lbs. (weight fluctuates) I do have quite a bit of BF. My parents have always been in the medical profession, although they don't know anything about weight training, they insist that if I don't watch the weight I use I could be damaging my growth plates in certain areas. I am looking for a person who can give me a view from both the medical and PT point of view.

Here are my areas of concern:
Leg Press - 550 lbs. (500 in plates + 50lb carriage weight)
Decline Bench - 200-225\300-350lbs. AT 15?
Deadlift - 315 lbs. - "straddle" the bar WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
I would be doing these exercises on 4 sets of 8, 5 sets of 5 (heavy decline), or 5 sets of 4 (deadlift)

I just want to know if I could be damaging myself in anyway by using this much weight, I myself, believe my body can handle it fairly well, but my parents insist differently. Another thing - I am lifting for strength, so I keep my reps generally low, and it has worked very well for me, so please ignore my reps, I just need info on growth plate damage.

If you're lifting the weight you've said you are, you had to start lifting years ago. Pressing 350lbs at your age is not natural IMO. I'm more concerned with this than anything.

juicing will fuse your epiphyseal plates (due to estrogen), as well if you crack the plate for some reason. nothing that i have learned about the epiphyseal plates has ever suggested that some stress on them will cause them to fuse.

From what I have read, weightlifting will not have an effect on the growth plates. To cause harm, the force would need to be perpendicular to the bone, I would think. As Yan stated, juicing would because they fuse once test levels get to a certain level , I didn't know it was from the aromatization, though..

I would nix the leg presses, though, but I s'pose that is a personal preference.

Yes, I am pressing more than I am deadlifting. I have a very weak back due to mild scoliosis in my mid-back. And, yes, I have been lifting for 3 years, and I have a very large body frame.

I have added a pic of an example of the "straddled" bar deadlift.

I'm sure theres probably another name for it but I have never heard what it is called.

Originally Posted by Yanick

juicing will fuse your epiphyseal plates (due to estrogen), as well if you crack the plate for some reason. nothing that i have learned about the epiphyseal plates has ever suggested that some stress on them will cause them to fuse.

Sorry, but I don't juice. I am too concerned with my cardiovascular health as I was born with several heart problems which I have just recently in the past few years been able to overcome through growing and doing things to strengthen my heart.

There was a boy who started doing clean and jerks at 5 years old until he eventually got to something like 500 pounds @ 22 years of age. He has complete records of his lifts, starting at 45 pounds going back to when he was 5 years old.

He is doing just fine.

I started lifting at 11 years of age and I was in no way at all strong, I didn't bench bodyweight for awhile - but I am fine and taller than my father.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

From what I have read, weightlifting will not have an effect on the growth plates. To cause harm, the force would need to be perpendicular to the bone, I would think. As Yan stated, juicing would because they fuse once test levels get to a certain level , I didn't know it was from the aromatization, though..

I would nix the leg presses, though, but I s'pose that is a personal preference.

Ok, thanks for your time and interest. I greatly appreciate it.

I believe the lift you are refering to is called the Jefferson Lift. g

Originally Posted by P-funk

I believe the lift you are refering to is called the Jefferson Lift. g

Yur damn skippy, Buffalo Butt!

Fucking hell. Is that 350 5x5 or 350 ME?

Either way you're going to be a titan if you continue lifting.

If I was over 6 foot, I would say fuck it....lift heavy as hell.

I don't think you have anything to worry about growth plate wise. But I would mix up your routine instead of just going heavy all the time. The p/rr/s program that Gopro laid out is great.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Fucking hell. Is that 350 5x5 or 350 ME?

Either way you're going to be a titan if you continue lifting.

I start around 200 and build up then on last 1-2 sets of 5 I do 300+, depending on what exercises I have done and if I am having a good/bad day my personal best was last 2 sets of 5 using 365lbs. ( I didn't say 365 because I was having a really good day and it was my first lift)