At what age can you start building muscle, getting ripped?

[Hoofy]

Halb said:

When will they let you do it Hoofy?

15 years to go!

[993kimbo]

Great replies and many thanks. Much appreciated.

Advice on a training program for a 13 year-old ?

I'm guessing:

Push ups: 10 a day three times a week?

Sit-ups: 20 a day three times a week?

Tricep dips: 10 a day three times a week?

Concept 2 Rower: Three short 250 metre bursts (level 4) three times a week?



Thanks again.

[Halb]

I suppose the rower covers legs/back. But I think bodyweight squats would be OK as well.
Triceps dips possibly not needed, but if you add them I'd add an opposing muscle exercise.
Possibly add an opposing muscle exercise for the press-ups as well, if the rower doesn't do it.

Basic routine; legs, push, pull, core, cardio.

[Hoofy]

All the bodyweight stuff I did as a kid from about 12 in various martial arts classes without any problems. The repeated beating to the head and the rest of the body is where it all went wrong. We called it body conditioning. Social Services call it child abuse these days.</TheyDon'tKnowThey'reBornTheseDays>

[Animal]

Pull-ups? If you've no access to a bar he can do them lying under your dining room table.

[Hoofy]

Animal said:

Pull-ups? If you've no access to a bar he can do them lying under your dining room table.

If he's short. Otherwise it's a horizontal row.

[balders118]

To go agaisnt the grain, weight training for kids is absaloutely fine.

They don't need to do bigs weight but by doing exercises like squats, deadlifts and especially complex stuff like olympic lifts they can really develop they strength and more importantly control of their movements which can be massivly beneficial.

Studies have been done on large groups of kids who weight train and play sports with NO injuries occured from weight lifting and only a beneficial effect. The whole damage of growth plates is a myth.

[someday]

Mark Rippletoes says it's fine for kids to lift weights

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-R...

[Halb]

Intriguing. That is something that would make me change my mind.
If it was my kid, there still would be a kernel of doubt though, and so I would watch her loading, volume and rest like a hawk, to ensure her youthful invincibility didn't lead her into a quick injury.

[Tiggsy]

At 13, I cant see how weight training would be a useful addition to the programm of kid doing a sport with a high degree of skill development required. Far better to focus on other stuff. Not because he'll get hurt - just wont be a addition that adds much gain at that age in that sport.

[balders118]

Tiggsy said:

At 13, I cant see how weight training would be a useful addition to the programm of kid doing a sport with a high degree of skill development required. Far better to focus on other stuff. Not because he'll get hurt - just wont be a addition that adds much gain at that age in that sport.

By doing weight training, particualarly stuff that requires a lot of control, they can dramatically imrpove their motor control of their muscle and therefore their control over what their limbs/body is doing. This can be very beneficial for improving skill, coordination etc for pretty much any sport. On top of that all the usual strength/speed/power benefits of weight training. I can't see how you think it won't be beneficial!

[Asterix]

A friend's son is a very good young gymnast. I think he's around 10 and the level of conditioning he has at that young age is bonkers. He's also incredibly strong for his size, as you'd expect. However, they've already been told that it's likely he'll end up being quite short. Something to do with his growth going into muscles and bone strength rather than shooting upwards