What age to start lifting for teenagers?

[dk1]

Hi,

I have two very athletic daughters that play soccer (15yo) and basketball (17yo). Both train speed and endurance and have done light dumbell workouts. Is there an age that is "safe" to start the bigger compound movement - squats/dead lifts etc. They have asked to go to gym with me and begin lifting more.

 

[letsgetbig]

my daughter is 13 going on 25 and me and my wife take her to the gym, we dont do squats with her only because of the pressure on the vertebrate, dead lifts are cool as long as they are not real heavy, also watch the dead lifts it will make them wider at the waist..

 

[Gazhole]

So long as you do your own homework and make sure your instruction of the big lifts is good, and that they maintain perfect form throughout, there is no reason why they can't enjoy the benefits of squats, deadlifts, pullups, rows, bench press, military press etc etc.

I'm not saying get them doing 1rm attempts, but theres no reason why they can't train heavy either. Strength is an incredibly large contributor to overall athletic performance, and it'll only improve their health and performance in their sports.

That said, make sure they're comfortable with the form of the exercises with 10-12 reps or so for a few months before gradually increasing the intensity to 8 or 5 rep sets.

 

[Built]

my daughter is 13 going on 25 and me and my wife take her to the gym, we dont do squats with her only because of the pressure on the vertebrate, dead lifts are cool as long as they are not real heavy, also watch the dead lifts it will make them wider at the waist..

I do deadlifts. My waist did not get wide. It got larger, around, but that's because my erectors got deeper.

If there is a single lift you do, it should be deads. Everything should be thought of accessory to the deadlift. There isn't a single movement that hits more bodyparts or is as natural a movement as squatting down, picking up a heavy object, and standing up.

letsgetbig, your girl can do squats. She's not about to squat her car, and the sooner she gets going on this natural movement she did before she took a chance and stood up (yep, the original squat didn't start at the top - it started at the bottom!), the more natural it will feel for her as she becomes stronger.

I always wonder why people are so nervous to have their kids lift controlled weights in a gym. Farm kids doing chores work way harder than any kid I've seen in a gym!

 

[Gazhole]

I don't know about any of you, but when i was a kid we used to do far more uncontrolled wild and dangerous exercise climbing trees and jumping over walls and fighting and things. Got injured way more times doing stuff like that than i ever have in a gym.

 

[letsgetbig]

cool yea i meant hack squats because of the machine ,, sorry.. she will do squats now though lol.

 

[dk1]

thanks to all. my thoughts were as stated in the replies. with perfect form and no really heavy weight (no 1rm as mentioned!) they should be OK. just watned to make sure there was no science on the correct age to start. thanks again.

 

[Built]

Here's what Patrick Ward (p-funk) has to say on kids and lifting:

Question about weight training and age…… — Patrick Ward, MS CSCS LMT

 

[KelJu]

I don't know about any of you, but when i was a kid we used to do far more uncontrolled wild and dangerous exercise climbing trees and jumping over walls and fighting and things. Got injured way more times doing stuff like that than i ever have in a gym.

Same here, but I have never been hurt climbing anything. I am half gorilla. I can climb like a mofo, and never fall. I feel safer in a tree than on the ground. I use to scare the shit out of my parents and grand parents.

 

[jmorrison]

I could use some pics of the athletic 17 year old to assess her abilities.

Fucking with ya bro, I am a father myself. Nothing wrong with letting them train, just teach them to do it right. Correct form, and better yet, teach them WHY they do certain movements. I absolutely hated squat and deadlift when I lifted in high school, and it wasn't until I learned why they were so desireable that I found myself enjoying them. Well enjoying them may be a bit of a stretch, but at least I dont dread them anymore.

 

[ScorpionKing]

My boy is 11 and he works out with me. I like it cause I'm able to show him the correct way to lift weights and the best thing is that its my boy who is looking up to his dad to become every bit of a man as his dad. Now thats way cool!

 

[Built]

SC, that's awesome. What a good daddy.

jmorrison, try to keep it in your pants.

 

[N_I_C_K]

Wow working out at 11! Starting a good habit early. Good for him and job well done by you.

I've been working out on an off since I was 14. I say on and off because during football and wrestling season I've got practice 5 days a week and a game/tournament on Saturday so I've got no time to workout, really. But during the off seasons I workout.