weight lifting

JP1 · Post by **JP1** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:07 am

:yh_questn I have a 13 yr old grandson who is 5'8" tall and weighs 208.. He was given a weight bench and weights.. He wants to start lifting, I suggested starting with lighter weights and working with them for a while and gradually adding weights.. Can anyone suggest what weights to use and for how long before adding more..

Any help will be greatly appreciated.. Thank You

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:52 am

Wow that is heavy for that height. I don't know how to put this delicately, is he actually overweight ? If he is then at that age he should be addressing his diet rather than lifting weights. The type of excercise he should be taking is walking/jogging to shift the weight first. Muscle weighs more than fat so if he tones up with weights his weight will increse, he is also still growing so I would be very wary of excessive weight lifting.

Your local gym should be able to recommend an exercise strategy for him.

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:58 am

I would check with your local fitness center about setting up a workout regime for him. He is still growing and if he begins to bulk up or muscle up it might affect that growth. It also depends on what he wants to accomplish with his lifting.. building muscle.. toning.. definition.. definately though I would check with someone before starting a regime. I have lifted on and off for about 10 years.. so.. .. another thing to examine will be diet.. when you are lifting in any serious manner, dietary requirements change according to what you are trying to accomplish..

hope this helps..

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:59 am

Beware of steriods, ususally young people start out with weights for strength and then want more bulk. Your grandson is young at the moment, it will not be long for him to be exposed to the gym and school competition where the juice is? Be careful and watch, it happens and you are not even aware. really.

Start out light, slowly increase...weight training...

JP1 · Post by **JP1** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:03 pm

That's for the replies... I think he is about 10 to 15 pounds overweight.. but I don't think he is trying to lose weight by lifting, maybe work on his arms and tummy.. I will check with a fitness center here in town.. Thanks again..

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 4:18 pm

With all due respect, the youngster is at least 30 to 40 lbs. overweight. His weight problem should be addressed before any weight training program begins. Even at his young age, weight lifting with his excess weight could affect his blood pressure and heart. I am 6' 4" , 215 lbs and could stand to loose at least 5 lbs.

Bullet · Post by **Bullet** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:16 pm

As everyone says, it depends on his goal. Strength training is good for all, and should be part of his goal. But it sounds like he need to loose some weight also. Fortunatley, as he builds muscle, he will loose weight automatically. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn during a movement. Of course go to a local pro to get advise, but he will probobly tell you cardio 3 times a week and weights 2-3 times a week. As for the weights, he will want to start light and go for more reps, thus burning fat and adding strength, not mass. He would start out with a weight that he can lift 15-20 reps for a set, then add a few pounds and shorten the number of reps per set, totaling 3-4 sets.

One more important thing. At his age, he has not aquired his total height. Any movement that he does that puts weight on his spine should be light weight and controled movements.

As for body weight per height info. I think it's more important to check body fat by percentage. I am 6'2" and weigh 240lbs, which according to all the statistics, makes me about 40-50 lbs over weight. But it's all(mostly) muscle, my body fat % is low. My Doc has no issue with my weight, because it's not fat weight.

Dixiespurgirl · Post by **Dixiespurgirl** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:17 pm

Actually, anaerobic exercise is a great way to stimulate the metabolism and burn excess FAT and CALORIES.

Start out light and work upward.

Just remember, to build muscle you must first break the msucle down to force it to mend stronger...he should rest in between days he lifts weights!

chicagolosina · Post by **chicagolosina** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 3:05 am

Cardio is the ONLY way to get rid of fat. He needs to do it at least 3x per week, for 30 minutes at a time...more if he can handle it. Find his target heart rate..for someone so young it should be quite high. That is when the fat is burned. I find the treadmill is the est cardio machine to start out on...you can walk fast and sprint every five minutes or so...and once your endurance goes up you can move on to the bike, the stairmaster,and to the elyptical trainer.

The best time to work out is in the morning, before you eat...that way you are buring fat, not your breakfast...if your body has no food in it to burn, it uses fat. After your workout you can eat, because your body is in overdrive and will burn calories at a faster rate all day.

Weightlifting is great...he should do high reps (2-3 sets of 20) with a light weight. When the weight gets too easy he can up the weight. He should also only work two major muscle groups per workout day, and take a day off in between weights. (For his muscles to heal and grow)

For example...my 16year old son and I work out..this is our schedule

Monday 30 minutes cardio..shoulders/biceps

Wednesday 30 minutes cardio...legs/back.

Friday..30 minutes cardio..chest/triceps

Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays we do abs at home..and maybe swim or some sort of cardio.

We only spend and hour and 15 minutes in the gym 3x per week...that's all you need.

Don't buy into the hype that fat turns into muscle, it dosen't. He will build muscle, but that muscle will be underneath the fat...to get rid of that he has to do cardio and lower his carb intake. It's probably a good idea for him to have a partner to work out with...if it weren't for my son I would find many excuses not to go to the gym...and the same goes for him too, we keep each other in check, and give each other encouragement as well.

Try the YMCA...it's great, cheap and has everything you need, plus youth weightlifting classes, and even personal trainers. They can evaluate him and let him know what to do, help him with form, etc.