Need advice, kind of beginner, Am I wasting my time?

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EnjoiiPANDA

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Ok, Im 13 and I weight 100-105 lbs. Im in 8th grade and Im like 5 foot, yes I know im short and small.

Hopefully I get my growth spurt in 9th grade and I get taller and stronger. What I have came here is to gain muscle, im not weak or really strong, I feel weak and like a toothpick.

I'm skinny and I was wondering if I am wasting my time, every day in the gym. I do upper body one day, then lower next day, and I do all of them 10-15 reps then I go back to them three times. I am in Track, Football, and Basketball. I was hoping to get alot stronger and muscular for football because I am starting to go into high school.

Heres the real question, so I dont waste your time. Is it possile to to gain alot of muscle and get stronger in just a year? Because I think Im getting my growth spurt next year, and I want to come back to school really strong and muscular. Is it possible at all? How long will it take?

I dont have time for breakfast in the morning, so I am going to eat to get a balanced diet and the protein I need. I have also read weight lifting can stunt your growth and mess up your bones.

My brother was a little chubby kid in 6th-8th grade and he started working out alot and hes really muscualr, 6-pack and his biceps are like huger than my head.( Sarcasm, but he is really strong) I keep asking him, will I ever be as strong as you even though Im skinny? He says no, a
nd that just makes me think, why even try to get muscle if I cant get it?

Please guys give me advice, I want to be strong, buff, and muscular. I can already get a 6 pack easily because im skinny, a 2-3 week of alot of sit-ups will get me it, but its different with my arms and stuff. Please take the time to read this because I have been thinking about this alot, and I need some good advice. Bear with me!

And im almost turning 14.(If that will help?)
 
You know what you want and you're willing to get it...I like that.

You're definately not wasting your time right now. Tell us what your upper/lower exercises are in sets and reps, and we'll let you know if you're on the right track. Lifting for young kids will stunt growth if the individual uses improper form.

The best thing you can do for yourself and your future is to learn and educate yourself. You seem like a smart kid, so start reading around here for starters.
 
Don't lift any weights at this stage. As you said, you havn't had your growth spurt and yet and seeing as your just shy of 14 i'd bet that it's not far off. By the end of this year you'll probably be around the 5'6/7/8 mark and gain a good 15 pounds just from growing - This is the earliest stage that you should start training with weights. For now, as far as resistance exercise goes, start out with bodyweight exercises and don't go to failure. You're still growing and there's no need to start heavy resistance training at this stage.
 
You're still growing and there's no need to start heavy resistance training at this stage.
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Don't listen to him. When I was 14 and a freshmen I wrestled 98lb weight class and as a sophomore I wrestled 105 class but my junior year I weighed 150. I am still not a big guy but I have attributed the strength I have now to those days when I was the skinny kid lifting concrete weights in my parent's basement.

I have also read weight lifting can stunt your growth and mess up your bones.
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Yeah and drinking coffee will turn your toe nails black. I might worry about damaging growth plates if you weighed 165 and could bench 220lbs. at 14.

1) Realize you're young and are going to get bigger so don't set unrealistic goals right now, just try to increase your strength and learn as much as you can.

2) Learn proper form and movement for resistance exercises, it will save you a lifetime of pain.

3) Learn to keep a schedule, set goals and stick with it. This one will really pay off when you are older.

4) It sounds like you are active in other sports, keep that up and try new one's. You will be glad you did.

5) Don't get discouraged by comparing yourself to others. In their teens boys mature at different ages and often get "sputs". You will run yourself crazy or give up "trying to keep up with the Jones's".

Good luck, be safe and keep up the good work.
 
Greenetuckian said:
Don't listen to him. When I was 14 and a freshmen I wrestled 98lb weight class and as a sophomore I wrestled 105 class but my junior year I weighed 150. I am still not a big guy but I have attributed the strength I have now to those days when I was the skinny kid lifting concrete weights in my parent's basement.
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Regardless of how much you weighed in your freshman year or whatever, my advice is correct.
 
Lift with good form. EAT THAT DAMNED BREAKFAST. Fit it in there somewhere, it jumpstarts your metabolism and your brain for the day.

Keep your goals realistic. You're 13 and skinny. Umm...how to say this? A healthy 13 year old guy OUGHT to be skinny, lol! You will fill out in time.

You're doing the right thing though. You're setting up a healthy lifestyle at a young stage in your life that will benefit you your whole life if you stay with it.
Like others have said, use that SEARCH function here, read the stickies, ask questions when in the gym, educate yourself.

Good luck!
 
Well thanks for the advice, but it seems just impossible to get that big, and Im starting to lose confidence. The doctor told me I would hit my growth spurt in 8th grade, so hopefully it happens in 9th. Whenever I squat it hurts my shoulder blades and neck, a personal trainer walks around helping everyone and he says I have good form, but it hurts my neck and shoulder blades bad.

Squat- 100-105
Bench- 65-70(I dont work on my pecs, so im going to start)
Curl- 15 x 10 reps, or 10 pounds and like 35 reps(dumbbells)

I do alot of machines there, some I can do 210 on my legs and back, and I dunno, Im confused right now.

I also feel embarrased because I am lifting lighter weights than my friends are, and they are lifting more.
 
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NEVER feel embarrassed in the gym. I see people lighter than me, who are moving far more weight than me. And then I see people much bigger than me, who can't move the weight I can move. Everyone is at their own stage, don't sweat the small stuff.

As far as squats hurting your neck and shoulder blades, it sounds like you may not have the bar placed right. Get the trainer to make sure you have the bar where it is supposed to be (resting on your traps, not your neck). You may want to pad the bar, they should have them at the gym, though some people don't like the pad as it can allow the bar to roll and move a little during the squat movement.

I'm not a believer in machines, personally. I think you get a lot more out of free weights. But find what works for you and be dedicated. DON'T BE IN A HURRY! You are so young, take your time. There are no real shortcuts. (well there are, but they're illegal and dangerous)
 
It doesn't matter what your friends are lifting.

First rule of weight training: The only person you're competing with is yourself. If you're improving, you're winning. Nothing else matters.

Worrying about what your friends are doing means you're not trying hard enough. You shouldn't be noticing anything that's going on in the gym. Seriously. If the guy next to you spontaneously combusts, you shouldn't notice until you choke on the cloud of ashes you kicked up on your way to the rack. :D If you have to, put on headphones, blast some pump-up music--NERD, "Rockstar" is what I'm listening to right now ^_^--and get into your own little world.

For the squats, try doing them with dumbbells. You might find them difficult to hold on to; straps work good for this. Should remove the back/neck issues. I don't normally advocate the use of straps, but I think your grip strength will be fine, given all the sport. There's also the possibility that the bar's not sitting right. It should be resting on the thickest part of your delts; they should be pressed back, too, to create this effect. Chances are they're just grinding on you 'cause you don't have big enough delts, though; I have that same problem. Try dumbbells.

If you have access to a trainer, as you say you do, stay away from the machines. They're worthless, particularly if you're looking for functional strength. Slow and controlled on the eccentric (lowering movement) and fast on the concentric.

Oh, and get a proper full-body workout going. Twice a week is good, to start.

A simple and effective choice would be:


Deadlift
Bench press
Squat
Pull-Up (or Lat pull-downs if you can't do Pull-Ups. Given how light you are, you should be able to)
Walking Lunges
Bent-Over Row
Military Press

I know it'll come as a shock, but direct isolation exercises like bicep curls aren't actually necessary until you're at least intermediate-advanced (see: years of training), and even then, somewhat questionable. As a skinny guy, you shouldn't really be doing 4 sets. Try working with 2 sets of 8-12 reps (which happens to be the rep range generally accepted as the best for hypertrophy [increasing muscle size]) for a couple months. 45-60 minutes total workout time. Especially for you. That's how long you should be in the gym. If you're not out the door by the time 60 minutes has passed, you're screwing around.

That's about all I can think of, off the top of my head...and I second EAT BREAKFAST. Even if all you do is throw a scoop of protein in a bottle and wolf down a banana in 3 seconds, this will help you much. Not having time is a bull**** excuse. Just putting it out there. Do you want to get big, or do you want to sleep an extra 2 minutes every morning?

If you want to gain muscle or lose fat, it's mostly in your diet. You have to eat well and often; in the right amounts.

As others have said: read, read, read. If you want links to great resources, just ask. I collect them.

P.S. I just realized I spent almost 20 minutes writing this, so you better read it and take it in. Good, free advice is hard to come by. :cool:
 
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KIDS and WEIGHTLIFTING - JP Fitness Forums
This is something you might wanna read regarding kids and weight training. (Not saying 13 is a kid, but the point is, its before the growth starts for real. so dont take offence :))
Good forum, lost of experts

Brian Grasso
Youth Fitness Expert

read his posts, they make alot of sence, and the dude knows what his talking about.
 
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Yes Focus, I appreciate it the advice, and everyone else. I probably will try what you guys told me to do, and is there anything else I should know?

Is the Millitary press where you shape your hands in a diamond and do a push up?
Not to sure what a Bent-Over Row is either.
 
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[Focus] said:
A simple and effective choice would be:

Deadlift
Bench press (1)
Squat (2)
Pull-Up (or Lat pull-downs if you can't do Pull-Ups. Given how light you are, you should be able to)
Walking Lunges (3)
Bent-Over Row (3)
Military Press (4)
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(1) Start with chest press before bench press
(2) Do leg press instead of squats
(3) Walking lunges and bent over row arn't good beginner exercises, so leave them out for now
(4) no need to do shoulders at this stage, they'll get worked in chest press. You can progress to doing compound shoulder exercises later.

Don't do any free weight exercises, stay with pin/machine weights

[Focus] said:
Try working with 2 sets of 8-12 reps (which happens to be the rep range generally accepted as the best for hypertrophy [increasing muscle size]) for a couple months. 45-60 minutes total workout time. Especially for you. That's how long you should be in the gym. If you're not out the door by the time 60 minutes has passed, you're screwing around.
Click to expand...

Work with 15 - 20 reps for now. It isn't the hypertrophy range but since you're a beginner you'll get a response out of this. Total workout time shouldn't really be no more than 40 minutes (including warm - up and stretch), but would likely be around the 30 minute mark. Wack in a good cardio session and should be done within an hour. Take 30 seconds rest between sets and lift with a 2:2 ratio meaning that you're concentric and eccentric phase each lasts for two seconds and don't lock out your joints eg. elbows on bench press. The reason being is that you want to keep the tension throughout the whole exercise. This would do for a resistance program for now:

1. Seated Row
2. leg press (horizontal or 45 degree)
3. Chest press
4. Lat pulldown
5. Some core work.

Do a 5 minute warm up and stretch and do this twice a week for about a month and you'll be sweet to step it up a bit.
 
Streamline said:
(1) Start with chest press before bench press
(2) Do leg press instead of squats
(3) Walking lunges and bent over row arn't good beginner exercises, so leave them out for now
(4) no need to do shoulders at this stage, they'll get worked in chest press. You can progress to doing compound shoulder exercises later.

Don't do any free weight exercises, stay with pin/machine weights



Work with 15 - 20 reps for now. It isn't the hypertrophy range but since you're a beginner you'll get a response out of this. Total workout time shouldn't really be no more than 40 minutes (including warm - up and stretch), but would likely be around the 30 minute mark. Wack in a good cardio session and should be done within an hour. Take 30 seconds rest between sets and lift with a 2:2 ratio meaning that you're concentric and eccentric phase each lasts for two seconds and don't lock out your joints eg. elbows on bench press. The reason being is that you want to keep the tension throughout the whole exercise. This would do for a resistance program for now:

1. Seated Row
2. leg press (horizontal or 45 degree)
3. Chest press
4. Lat pulldown
5. Some core work.

Do a 5 minute warm up and stretch and do this twice a week for about a month and you'll be sweet to step it up a bit.
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Why leg press instead of squats??
 
Focus - Of course you think your reccomendations are better, mine just happens to be more correct. There's a principle called progression, it's fairly important

Jman - Leg presses are better because the machines are fixed and you can't get as much wrong with form than if you were doing squats.

Smith machine squats are also good but i'd still favour leg presses. And throw in a leg curl as well so that everything's even.
 
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leg press are fixed and will force you to do wrong form, with squats you can follow a natrual movement. He will need to learn squats sooner or later anyways, and the leg press wont give much carryover technique wise, so it will be new nomatter what.
 
EnjoiiPANDA said:
My brother has some carb powder and some amino 6000 stuff? Do you guys reccomend I should take that?
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I really think most supplements are a waste of money, I'll probably get flamed hugely over that statement :p . But over the years, I threw a fair amount of money into them too. Drink a ton of milk, skim. Good protein although a lot of natural sugar, but it won't matter to you at your age. Tuna and chicken are cheap and excellent sources of protein.

You point out that your older brother is much stronger than you. You don't tell us how old he is, so I will assume he is 16. There is a big difference between a 16 year old and a 13 (almost 14 year old). He is well into puberty, you are probably just getting started. Expect him to be bigger and stronger for a while, but you will catch up and potentially even pass him, once your body settles down.

You asked about military presses and bent over rows. Someone said it here, just google it. And as far as machines versus free weights, you'll notice a lot of opinion here on that! My thought has always been free weights are better.

How are the workouts going??
 
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