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Training Question: I'm Trying To Help My 15 Year Old Son Bulk Up To Gain Confidence. Can You Suggest A Good Routine?

I purchased a bench and set of weights for my 15 year old son. He would like to add to his strength and body mass. I would like to know of a basic routine that he can start that will help him and not hurt him or his growth plates. He is pretty athletic and in good shape. He is 5'5" and weighs 115lbs. He is no stranger to exercise. He plays football,he is a wrestler for his school, plays basketball,and baseball, even runs track! I would like him to become more confident in himself. He is a little intimidated by others because most of his classmates are bigger than him. He really loves football and I would rather see him play than give up and so would he. He says that if he has to sit the bench because of his lack of strength, he will quit. Any help you can give?


Answer #1

I would recommend to your son not to do too much heavy weights. I would suggest he does 4 to 5 sets of 10 reps with reasonable weights considering your son's abilities. One more thing, I would recommend you purchase various weights of dumbbells so that your son could do some dumbbell press with bench press. And also it would help your son if he drinks whey protein shakes after he works out within 1 hour. Hope your son gets confident on his size. Let me know please.

Danny


Answer #2

In my opinion, don't get your son started with weights yet. It really can stunt his growth at this early age. The best thing to do is start him with some push-up and maybe some dips. Plyometrics would work well for the leg strength and foot quickness. Thank you for considering my response.


Answer #3

I was a timid 15 year old like your son at one time. Then I had a great boost from my family to get me on weights. When and if you put your son on weights do:

1. 3 sets of 5 reps of bench
2. 5 sets of 8 reps of squats
3. 2 sets of 10 reps of power cleans

Do this for about 3 months and you will notice a massive change. It helped me and hopefully your son.


Answer #4

I'm 15 years old too. I suggest that you have him focus on calisthenics and light dumbbell lifting at high reps. Heavy weight training isn't good for him because his body is still growing and it would put a lot of stress on the muscles and joints. Calisthenics like push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups are great because they're cheap, and can be performed almost anywhere. In addition, they can get him good results in a pretty short period of time, if he exercises frequently. As for the light dumbbells, find a good book or a qualified fitness trainer to help you find the proper results for him. Here's a sample workout:

1) Push-ups between supports (10 reps, 3 sets)
2) Free Squats (20 reps, two sets)
3) V sit-ups (25 reps, 2 sets)
4) Pull-ups (15 reps, 2 sets)
5) Lunges (10 reps, 2 sets)
6) Crunches (20 reps, 1 set)

If you're son is trying to bulk up, he should also eat a lot of protein. Milk, soy, chicken, and fish are great sources of protein. In addition, he should balance that out with carbohydrates like bread and spaghetti, and fruits and vegetables. He should eat healthy fats like canola oil, olive oil, and raw peanuts.


Answer #5

Remember, food is the key to getting big, not weights. No matter how good your program is, if you don't eat properly, you will not grow properly. That is why you see so many people who train hard, yet don't get very good results. What I am suggesting is for your son to undertake a proper eating program (5-6 meals a day). If he increases his eating significantly, he should put on anywhere up to 20 pounds in a month.

I wouldn't put your son on a proper weights program yet. Wait till he's about 17. This is what I suggest:

Three days a week:
1. 3 sets of pushups (Elevate feet by putting them on a chair. I recommend buying push up handles.)
2. 3 sets of dips
3. 3 sets of chin-ups (Rotate overhand and underhand grip.)

I assure you this will give him very good results as long as he eats properly. This routine will build the basics for when he starts a program, and he will get stronger and bigger more quickly when he starts a weights program. This was my program when I was 15 and it did wonders for me. When I started a proper program at the gym, I left everyone behind, because I had built the basics.

Good luck!


Answer #6

First of all, weight lifting cannot stunt your growth. I have been lifting for a year and a half, and I have made incredible gains. I'm 15 now. Last year, I was one of the smallest kids in my grade and I was sick of getting picked on, so I got pumped up and my adrenaline running and I hit the weights with my teacher who also works with weights.

A year later, I have make incredible gains. I went from 5'1" to 6". From 90lbs to 120. I went from no abs to an 8 pack and pecks like Arnold. People think I weight about 150 because I can lift so much and I'm so much stronger than them, but I'm only 120. I'm very compact. I'm the most ripped person in the school and I'm a freshman in high school. How I did it? All I did was eat a gram of protein per 1lb, and work out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On days you don't work out, run and do lots of sit ups. When you lift, do sets of 1 set of 8 reps, 2 sets of 6, 2 sets of 4 reps. Max on all things.


Answer #7

Hi, I'm 16 now and started resistance training at 15. It's great that your son is willing to start. In order to see gains, you need motivation, perseverance and discipline. Basically, your son needs to find a routine/program he ENJOYS and follow that. I recommend your son seek professional help/advice before starting such as from a personal trainer. This is to make sure he has correct form, which is VITAL. Start out with comfortable weights, THEN progress naturally according to strength gains. DON'T start out heavy, it's BETTER to start out at a light, comfortable weight with CORRECT FORM. Your son will also create a solid basis from which progress will follow.

I recommend your son start out with twice a week (once a week is not frequent enough, 3 times a week is great if your son has the discipline to do it) and lift either 4 sets of 15 reps, or 3 sets of 20 reps. This keeps the intensity LOW, but will cause STRENGTH GAINS. As for stunting growth...believe me, I had MANY qualms about this issue and found out lifting weights will NOT stunt your growth if you lift correctly. The fact is, you can injure yourself in ANY sport. Soccer especially can fracture growth plates and stunt growth, so there is no reason for resistance training to be singled out.

Also, diet is VERY important. Variety is a key, and I suggest lean meats, lots of bread, cereal, wholesome foods, and eating at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight, which isn't hard at all. And remember to EAT A LOT (frequently every 2 -3 hrs), but not junk food. The only supplements I would EVER recommend at this stage is just a multivitamin. Don't take creatine or anything like that. I have given you a lot of the insight that I can provide and thank you for reading this because it took a good effort to write this. Best of luck with you and your son. If anything else pops up to mind, I will post that as well.

Thanx,
Mike


Answer #8

I beg to differ with all the clowns that say 15 is too young to start lifting weights. I agree your son shouldn't go crazy in the gym, but he can sure as hell lift. Have him do basic compound exercises, mostly with some minor accessory work. Have him go to the gym no more than three times a week for no longer than an hour a day. If he has problems with performing the exercises, hire a trainer to show him the proper technique or have him ask someone in the gym to show him how to do it. Contrary to popular belief, not all of us who work out are a-holes.

A good workout for him to try would be:

Monday:

Bench 4 sets of 8
Incline 4 sets of 8
Leg Press 4 sets of 8
EZ Curl 4 sets of 8
Dips 4 sets of 8

Wednesday:

T-Bar Row or Low Row 4 sets of 8
Lat Pulldowns or DB Rows 4 sets of 8
Calves 4 sets of 8
Tricep Pushdown or Nosebreakers 4 sets of 8

Friday:

Front Mil. Press 4 sets of 8
DB Shoulder Press 4 sets of 8
Upright Rows 4 sets of 8
Shrugs 4 sets of 8


Answer #9

I am a 17 year old weight lifter. I don't really have very big arms, but yet I can push out a good 34-40 kilograms easy. My training partners are my 15 year old mate, his 42 year old father, and my 47 year old father. I didn't start weight training until I was 15 and I lost the motivation. The growth process of the human body takes time. My shoulders and chest and legs are big (big enough for my confidence) and yet my arms aren't special. My 15 year old mate has huge shoulders, huge arms (I'd say a good 14 inches) and he has been advised by a former Mr. Britain 1999 to do and use the same weights as me.

Your son's growth will not be affected by his size. My mate is 5 foot 7 inches and I'm only 5 foot 6 inches, and yet he is bigger built than I am. His height doesn't matter as long as he does a weight that is comfortable and that he can easily lift without a lot of strain. It also has a lot to do with the way he lifts his weights and how frequently he lifts the weights. I was certainly advised not to lift the weights more than 2 times a week. In fact, this is our workout.

Monday: Chest and Shoulders
Bench press, incline bench press, flies, shoulder press, side laterals shrugs

Tuesday: Arms and Triceps
EZ curls, dumbbell curls, skull crushers, kick backs

Wednesday: Aerobic Exercise
Football or especially swimming

Thursday: Legs and Back
Squats, calf raises, bent over rows, dumbbell rows, deadlifts

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest

It is not advisable that he takes a supplement called "CREATINE". It is a very debatable supplement, but it has been shown to be dangerous. I suggest that he takes a supplement called "Whey Protein". This can be bought from Holland and Barret or any good gym. The protein is of a higher quality than any found in meat and it is the building block for all muscle. I also strongly suggest that he takes "multivitamins" and "cod liver oil" tablets. These help in the fight against muscle and tissue strain. They aren't expensive and they help so much! The whey protein must be taken an hour before training and an hour after to allow it to filtrate the muscle and repair.

Soreness is something that should occur the day or two after the training. This is because it is where the muscle rips and scabs over and develops (however, the muscle-building is a long process as already mentioned). Compliment him and it will keep him focused. I hope that you agree with my comments.



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