so I am 16 50% of the people I know say lifting is BAD for me 50% of the people I know say lifting is OK for me So CAN I LIFT YES OR NO??? (NOT GOING HIGHER THAN 40 KG ANYTIME SOON) AND WHY YES OR WHY NO!!! thanks
Lifting can only be good for you. (I am assuming you don't have any pre-existing medical conditions) It will not only increase your strength and muscular endurance but it will also improve your bone density and long down the road help you avoid osteoperosis (degenerative bone loss). Lifting weight also serves as a function that not many think of... it's a great way to relax. It gives the rest of the harddrive a chance to spin down so to speak... being able to focus on a specific task at hand is a great way to relax. Not that being 16 you have much stress anyhow. You'll find that most peoples arguements against lifting are rubbish. Generaly predicated on misinformation and silly stereotypes. Ignorance on parade. I'll leave it to the H&F forum natives to give a more in depth response... but I'm guessing that lifting can only be good for you. Granted that assuming you don't use all that new found muscle mass to pimp out your older sister or beat old ladies and nick their pension money.
haha I aint no criminal they usually say it will affect my growth...this kinda worries me because I am rather small (1m74) and I dont want to look like a square :bang:
Well, considering my position... slip, start the parade ! I am usually pretty good about sniffing out BS in weight training, but the 'if you lift early it will stunt your growth' rumor is one that I'm still leery of. I don't recommend that people younger than 17 or 18 start lifting heavily, especially if they are still concerned about their height. I would love it if someone could dispel this myth, but every person I've known who lifter early was relatively short (ie: shorter than their parents).
1M 74 AINT small ,i'd call like 5ft small and at your age you will still grow some more i think ! so yeah get lifting.you have only things to gain,the reason experts claim that you shouldnt lift before your 16 is that they claim that your bones aren't fully developed and havn't finished growing ,so ... lifting heavy weights could create bone abnormalities in young people i am not an expert this is just what i'd been told by an "EXPERT" cheers cj.
And just what sort of "abnormalities" you might ask? How about damage to the growth plates in your bones. Broke my left leg @ 14 yrs and it was right through the growth plate (end of the leg bone, just above the ankle). I was told that I may have one leg shorter then the other. Fascinating things these growth plates. Fortunately my leg is fine but imagine repetitive, high weight, compression of our joints and the taxing of the bones too. I can imagine, I am no expert, that heavy lifting while young could damage the growth plates. Just a guess!
Ahh that is the question. For me, @ 16 yrs., it would have been 95 lbs for a bench press, 15 to 20 pounds for curls, Squats about 130lbs. But of course each of us is different and I am sure there is not an accurate way to quantify what "heavy" is. Nor, what "prolonged" lifting might be. So Mr. Yav, make up your own mind based on good solid reading and education. :Angel:
You can lift, but A) listen to your body; if something hurts, stop! B) Learn proper form before you start adding on the big boy plates; this sets up proper biomechanics, and lessens chances of any injuries. C) Don't be stupid with the weights; check your ego at the door. D) Get a good diet in order. E) Lift smart! There's other rules, but you get the idea, right? Lifting relatively heavy is fine, but heavy all the time is not necessary.
Big arguement over this. If you don't use good form, then yes, it can damage growth plates. So make sure your learning form from a qualified (IE: Experienced/Trained) person, and not a website. In my and my doctors opinion, theres nothing wrong with anything 3-4 reps and above, as long as you keep good form and know how to recover well. Many experts who rec high rep ranges for teens are thinking more about developing solid form than anything else. If your brand new to lifting, keep in th 8 - 12 rep ranges for at least a few months to ingrain some form and allow your ligaments/connective tissue to adapt to the stress.
Learn good form and you should be fine. I started lifting right after I turned 15, and now I'm almost 16. In the past year, I've grown over an inch. I'm now 5'9" and two inches taller than my dad.
Honestly, why do you want to lift? I lift now because I: (1) Want to be a better martial artist, and (2) Am no longer in school so I need some sort of exercise If I were you I would just wait a year or two until your body is closer full maturity. I don't really know a lot about the biology of it all (which is why I asked someone to prove me wrong) but I have met people who blame heavy lifting for being short.
Beowolf was not saying get a Personal trainer, just use someone that is experienced. READ. Ask questions of those you think you would like to emulate at your gym. The reading will give the knowledge, the questions will help you find the people that Beowolf mentioned. Without the knowledge you can be force fed stuff that will not help you.
I have also seen very short powerlifters and bodybuilders that started early. I would avoid movements that compress the spine. You can find ways to work around it, instead of squatting do leg curls, leg extensions, lunges, pull-ups.. benchpressing and arm work shouldn't hurt you at all with the growth plates. Compound heavy lifts that tax the spine seem to be the culprit here. I'm not sure about heavy shoulder presses.
I disagree with this 110%. If you do want to lift, you shouldn't avoid olympic style lifts (ie: squats), you should just avoid going heavy with them. Leg curls, extensions, ham curls, and other isolated movements are, imho, inefficient and full of other problems.
Lifting weights has made me stronger faster and better conditioned. I think it will help you too. The main benefit for a young person or anyone starting out is to build muscle memory, or get your body used to lifting. Practice improves all motor skills, lifting is a motor skill too. The last time I looked around there were lots of people who were out of shape and a few who were in shape. Do you know who you should act like? You need proper technique, good nutrition and plenty of rest. You are young, educate yourself and make fitness a priority in your life. Can you do 50 push ups without stopping? Can you do 50 crunches without stopping? Can you do 10 pull ups without stopping? Can you run 5K in less than 24 minutes? IMO if you are fit enough to do the above then look into weights, if not then you know what to work on. KICKBOY
Personally I think it is still an edgey debate. I am 17, started lifting around about 15. While I am still growing strong, my shin bones in fact curve slightly... Don't know if this is linked though
Bad lifting is bad. Good lifting is good. Professional Fighters lift. Professional athletes lift. I've never heard of any well-known martial arts instructor that didn't at least have some dumbells laying around.
