My 13 year old son

is absolutely nagging me to start doing weights.

I'd like some help about this. I am refusing to let him do weights until he is 15 or there-a bouts. He has grown a good 6 inches in the last 6-8 months and stands about 5 foot 3 inches and has a very decent build with what is becoming a naturally muscular build. We participate in Taekwondo and he does gymnastics aswell. He certainly hasn't finished puberty, but his keeness to follow me into body-building whilst makes me proud, also makes me think he is too young...or is he? He is naturally stronger than to give some light weights to get him off my back for novelty value.

Will he be satisfied with body weight exercises? 
 
If you ciruit and superset them they can be pretty gruelling and shouldnt pose any issues?
 

why do you not want him doing weights?

if he is already doing gymnastics and taekwondo its possible he could be ready for weights in the near future.  if he had been a more average 13 yo who had only really exercised their thumb on a PS3 and their right forearm then i would have said no straight away

stephen77


why do you not want him doing weights?

yes, why ?
is he already stronger than you ?

I don't think there would be a problem beginning a basic lifting program with your son. If he is active at the moment he will have developed a basic level of co-ordination, proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. Machine based weights and barbell work enforcing structural balance and proper movement patterns will help his development down the line. I think it is also a good way of developing self esteem, discipline etc.
 
Starting him on a bodybuilding program on the other hand is another matter.

my son trains & gets satisfaction from having a 6pack while his xbox dwelling mates are lardy - he's 14 in a month
 
keep them light & concentrate on strict form - if he's a gymnast he'll have a lot of strength anyway i cant see the point in holding him back - it's good & should be encouraged imo

the main question is WHY does he want to do weights? for strength, mass or function? Also educating him on the different benefits to lifting weights is vital.
 
The best gauge for knowing how ready a teenageer is for lifting weights is by looking at their build and frame. As I am sure you are aware all 13yrs olds do not develop at the same rate. So if he is already well developed and diciplined he is probably more ready than others.
Body weight exercises can be quite a high level of resistance but are likely to be far more functional but be aware that gym based resistance equipment is extremely UN-functional and has the potential for de-conditioning the 'strength' he may already have from his martial arts and gymnastics.
His desire to be active and healthy should of course be encouraged but teaching him the hows and whys should be a priority

I started weight trainingg at 14, and my dad had the owner of the gym keep an eye on me, but as with all kidz, tell em not to do something and theyll do it anyway.
 
be thankful for his enthusiasm as many kidz these dayz simply dont have it
 
monitor his training, teach him the basics first such as stretching and proper form, if he aint bored after a year you could have a young prospective competitor on your hands
 
either way teaching him a new dicipline at this age can only be a good thing, but do all the ground work and build from the bottom up.. and good luck!

i reckon with the gymnatics behind him he has the core strength base and discipline to be ok at his age with weights. and i think also because of his gymnastics background he will listen to the do's and don't's and learn the safe way to lift. let him go for it. its what he wants and at least he is active

keep in mind that his bones are still developing and he shouldnt go too heavy. high reps and relatively light weights

Rachfit


keep in mind that his bones are still developing and he shouldnt go too heavy. high reps and relatively light weights

This is one of the exact reasons I am reluctant to let him start at this age. 
 
But there is some pretty good advice received from the above posts. Perhaps a slow-and-steady approach and a lot of over-seeing may be the key to allowing him to start.

The bone growing debate is a live one indeed. I was working as a coach with the Scottish Youth Climbing Team a couple of years ago and this issue came to light then, opinion is very split on whether it makes any difference.
 
If we wade through the arguments and counter argumnets though, we can simply apply common sense. At the time of the debate with the youth team, we looked at what we knew was good practice and what was safe and built around that. Grey areas are ok for lively discussion, but they don't improve performance. Take a positive approach, look at the opportunities rather than the restrictions, and get wired into it.
 
His desire to train and be healthy (and strong) is positive so you can look at ways to promote this in any way he wants. High reps, low weights will be great. Nice and simple full body programmes add a fantastic opportunity to teach him perfect form, how to structure a perfectly balanced programme and how to structure his nutrition around training.
 
Get him doing everything right, right from the start.
 
By doing this you eliminate any potential risks and give him a great base to take into adulthood -physique wise and knowledge wise.

^^^ great post Bollard

Agreed. Sometimes it is too easy to get bogged down and diverted into an argument over what is best practice, when it comes to it, the kid has shown a healthy (and rare) desire to better himself through training, embrace this and show him the right way.

and keep him away from meat heads with bad influences and bad habits, every gyms got em!

I'm with the majority. He seems to have a solid foundation already so and a very healthy urge to do more. Be a perfect time to teach him perfect form with light weights and high reps.
 
You could incorporate some light weight work within a curcuit if you have a bag at home. So the majority can be cardio based with a small amount of weights to start him up.
 
For instance: 1 min skipping, 2 min bag work, Sit-ups, press-ups, some form of weightlifting. Then repeat.
 
 

it all boils down to what he wants to achieve from it, as all exercise choice should, to decide what is most appropriate