[Chadforpresidentin08]

I just have one question, when is the proper time to start weight lifting? EllisJersy said after my growth spurt, which is reasonable, but I just want to see if I can start early.
Thanks.

[HurricaneJet32]

I would say it's never too early to start exercising. But I wouldn't get too deep into it. Do simple things. I would start with machines. Definitely do not go straight to free weights. Get your form down and build the primary muscles. Once you've done that, you can focus on free weights and stabilizer muscles and all of the different muscle fibers.
Just my thoughts, I'd ask a bunch of people though.

[x80NyJeTs28x]

i wouldnt say there is a set gae because everybody is different. Once you hit a major growth spurt is the good time to start getting more serious. If you want to start lifting now though, id say do light lifting, with alot of reps.

[ganggreen_ewok]

Lets see i dtarted lifting before i got my big growth spurt in freshman year, and I a was 5'0" 95 lbs receiver . Then two-a-days started, still hadn't hit my spurt and i started lifting, didnt notice anything except for i got faster, I was still getting laid out on mid slants, lol. All of a sudden I got stronger before i grew any weight or height, I.E. squatted 145 then pyramided up to 230 in 3 months. Now, two HS football seasons and one narrowly missed hernia later, I'm 5'6" 165lbs and I'm second string Varsity my junior year.

I dont recommend starting as early as i did, seeing as i almost got a hernia, but see if you can start lifting before your major growth spurt, maybe like a growth of 5-10 lbs and maybe half an inch.

What is this for anyways?

[ellisjersey92]

there are a bunch of freshmen who come to my schools weight room and lift all year round, and it doesnt do shit. when you hit your growth spurt and are going through puberty, its like you are juicing but naturally. you have a ton of testosterone in your body, and when you get older, the levels go down. that's why athletes inject testosterone and human growth hormones. from what ive seen, if you dont wait until your growth spurt, then its wasted time.

[ellisjersey92]

i just siad freshmen because im not in the middle school and i dont see any younger kids. my point was that these kids havent hit puberty yet and hit their growth spurt. you may have and thats why lifting weights worked for you

[ganggreen_ewok]

i just siad freshmen because im not in the middle school and i dont see any younger kids. my point was that these kids havent hit puberty yet and hit their growth spurt. you may have and thats why lifting weights worked for you

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wait I was lifting right before puberty my freshman year and i got stronger faster in no amount of time, before i gained weight.

[ellisjersey92]

Wait I was lifting right before puberty my freshman year and i got stronger faster in no amount of time, before i gained weight.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ok....this is my little "synopsis" (dont know if thats the right word lol)

everyone has muscle, from the time you're in your mother's stomach. when you are a baby, you probably cant pick up say, a dictionary or another heavy object. when you're 4 you can probably pick up that dictionary. that means that you have gotten stronger and gained muscle. you didnt hit puberty yet, but you got stronger.

im not doubting u ewok, but ive seen tons of kids that lift before they should and its all a waste of time because they get virtually no results. im not saying nothing can happen, because you are gaining muscle and getting stronger from the day you're born, but the thing is that its some kind of scientific fact that your body produces a ton of testosterone when you hit puberty, and that is the time to be lifting and gaining muscle. there are also rumors that it stunts your growth. ive heard that it's true, and ive heard that it's an excuse for people that are too lazy to lift. i dont know which one is true, but IMO its a good idea to start lifting after you have done most of the growing you will be doing in your life, and while you are juicing............................. NATURALLY!!!

[ganggreen_ewok]

Obviously I'm through the stage.

But, I kid you not, I got stronger and faster because of lifting and not because of naturaly growth.if i hadn't lifted weights i'd probably wqould be as skinny as i was then because i started at a good time.

[ganggreen_ewok]

Ive heard of guys

Well that would be a tercerary source

[S-Dubb]

Take it from me don't start working out untill your mostly done growing. You will stunt your growth. If you wanna weight train at all use very light weight and lot's of rep's but do not lift to max or try to bulk up when your young. You will pay for it later.

[ganggreen_ewok]

I agree, finally someone gets what im saying

[bobzero11]

start liftin wen u turn 13 cuz dats wen ur muscles start to grow.  U can work wit free weights  but jus do a small weight u can control an do a number of reps to get ur feel an form down den from there work ur way up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please dont spread falseness like this. 13 is not when your muscles start to grow... when you hit puberty it is true that much more chemicals get released, such as testosterone... which is the basis of steroids... it gets complex, but to keep it simple, your muscles dont really start to grow at 13, they change...

it is easier for younger people (compared to older people) to lengthen their muscles and tendons which is how you get bigger... however there can very easily be overworking

I STRESS THAT YOU CAN DO PERMANENT DAMAGE

the main problem with stunting your growth and such is you still have growth plates up until you are in your mid 20's... certain loading such as squatting and if you even have slightly poor technique you can close or alter how effective these growth plates are...

if you really wanna be benching 350 or whatever at the age of 15 knock yourself out... the ramifications could be much worse in the long run, but thats something you should try to figure out for yourself i suppose

it is a complex issue but the textbook time to add muscle to your body is after you are done growing which will be in your 20's until your 30's and everything from then on is mostly muscle maintenance, it becomes more and more difficult to make your muscles any bigger after 30 or so... but by then your tendons (which is what connects the muscle to the bone) are almost unbreakable, stronger than steel... so as you age you can say you are the "man of steel" for more than one reason

i gotta go sleep, but any more questions, just lemme know, i hope anything i have said here has helped someone in any way... have a great day ya'll

[jabronidan]

Well I recently started working out a lot more seriously but last year, when I was 15, I started working with free weights, light weights though 5lb. I didn't wanna rush into anything so I just did 5lb's and abs. Then I moved on to 10lb in a few months. This summer I started using 16 and 20lb weights, doing a lot of calisthenics, more abs, etc. I work out 4 times a week, with wednesday and weekends off. I would highly reccomend doing something of what I did. Starting at 13 with light weights is a smart thing to do. As other people have said, dont rush into things and in weight lifting less is more. Over exercising is a bad thing ofcourse. Your muscles grow when they rest so don't do the same body part two days in a row (with weights, you can do calisthenics 6x a week.)

By the way, I am 5-6, and very light, under 120lb.

[JetsRock1991]

Is it true when you start lifting you stop growing? Because i am 5'10 and 13. I'm like 135 and i do lift . But i dont want to get serious if its gonna stunt my growth.

[JetsOhFive]

Is it true when you start lifting you stop growing? Because i am 5'10 and 13. I'm like 135 and i do lift . But i dont want to get serious if its gonna stunt my growth.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I heard squat could stunt your growth but I doubt bench, clean and deadlift would.

[jabronidan]

Well deadlift may, squat does, bench doesn't. I've heard pullups can actually increase growth/aid it. I wonder how true that is.