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Started By
Message
11 yo son started lifting in gym.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 9:32 am
Posted on 5/11/24 at 9:32 am
Wanted to get some advice from the dads of the OT, and also younger guys who started lifting at a young age.
Background.
I was a big kid but not very athletic or intense when it came to sports. I played league baseball up until I was 13, but was mediocre at best. At 13, I joined my freshman football team, puberty started kicking in, and slowly but surely I became a very good athlete and one of the most powerful on the football team, at 275lb, running 4.97 40yd dash, and benching 335 for 8 reps at 16yo. (Full discretion, I’m 40 now and can only bench 275 for 8 reps now at 245lb), so 17/18 yrs of age was my peak.
I attribute my gains to puberty kicking in hard while being on a robust gym protocol at such a young age.
Current situation.
My 11yo is almost exactly like I was at 11: not intense, frail, low strength and coordination. But…. He wants it and he’s interested in joining his middle school football team. He requested to start going to the gym with me because he sees that I go at least 5x/wk. I went and talked to the owner of the gym to see if they would make an exception to the age requirement so he could start making some progress, and they agreed that when he turned 11, he could start coming with me.
So for the last 5 weeks, he’s been going to the gym 3/4 times a week, and is making incredible progress. Here’s his current split…
Day1: Chest/Tri
Day2: Back/Bi
Day3: Legs
Day4: Shoulders
In back of my mind I’m wondering, since he’s starting 2 years earlier than I did, if there’s any caution I should take or negative impacts that could happen due to his young age. He’s stretching every session, doing warmups, and is really enjoying and excited about the gains he’s making.
What’s your opinions on this, and any experiences with anyone who may have started at that age, or had kids that did so?
Background.
I was a big kid but not very athletic or intense when it came to sports. I played league baseball up until I was 13, but was mediocre at best. At 13, I joined my freshman football team, puberty started kicking in, and slowly but surely I became a very good athlete and one of the most powerful on the football team, at 275lb, running 4.97 40yd dash, and benching 335 for 8 reps at 16yo. (Full discretion, I’m 40 now and can only bench 275 for 8 reps now at 245lb), so 17/18 yrs of age was my peak.
I attribute my gains to puberty kicking in hard while being on a robust gym protocol at such a young age.
Current situation.
My 11yo is almost exactly like I was at 11: not intense, frail, low strength and coordination. But…. He wants it and he’s interested in joining his middle school football team. He requested to start going to the gym with me because he sees that I go at least 5x/wk. I went and talked to the owner of the gym to see if they would make an exception to the age requirement so he could start making some progress, and they agreed that when he turned 11, he could start coming with me.
So for the last 5 weeks, he’s been going to the gym 3/4 times a week, and is making incredible progress. Here’s his current split…
Day1: Chest/Tri
Day2: Back/Bi
Day3: Legs
Day4: Shoulders
In back of my mind I’m wondering, since he’s starting 2 years earlier than I did, if there’s any caution I should take or negative impacts that could happen due to his young age. He’s stretching every session, doing warmups, and is really enjoying and excited about the gains he’s making.
What’s your opinions on this, and any experiences with anyone who may have started at that age, or had kids that did so?
13
Posted on 5/11/24 at 10:19 am to TunaTrip
i did not start that young (probably 15 yo) but did the same split over summers in prep for football season. i was average size, strength ~5'8" 165lbs but fairly coordinated. my regrets from my experience are
1 - not focusing on the on the full body compound lifts - squat, dead, shoulder press, power clean. i knew about these at the time but did not like them because they were hard, and i was not a strong -willed kid. i did the easy body-build split your son is using
2 - not knowing about and practicing the knees over toes-type movements such as split squats (both weighted and non), cossack squats,backwards drag, tib raises, flexed calf raises. i believe these keep the lower leg, knees and hips strong in extreme flexion
3 - not knowing about and using the kettlebell swing; not doing sprints every day. trains power, which i needed
4 - not drinking enough water and minerals
just my 2c. best of luck
1 - not focusing on the on the full body compound lifts - squat, dead, shoulder press, power clean. i knew about these at the time but did not like them because they were hard, and i was not a strong -willed kid. i did the easy body-build split your son is using
2 - not knowing about and practicing the knees over toes-type movements such as split squats (both weighted and non), cossack squats,backwards drag, tib raises, flexed calf raises. i believe these keep the lower leg, knees and hips strong in extreme flexion
3 - not knowing about and using the kettlebell swing; not doing sprints every day. trains power, which i needed
4 - not drinking enough water and minerals
just my 2c. best of luck
This post was edited on 5/11/24 at 10:32 am
Posted on 5/11/24 at 11:04 am to TunaTrip
My son is 13 and been lifting since 11. 11-12 was very strict on form, not heavy weights, maybe working with 10 rep maxes. He’s light years ahead of kids his age and the majority of adults.
They are basically on steroids at this age so any program will work. Where you can gain an edge is have him eat like a maniac. Of good food not pop tarts and other BS
They are basically on steroids at this age so any program will work. Where you can gain an edge is have him eat like a maniac. Of good food not pop tarts and other BS
Posted on 5/11/24 at 12:00 pm to TunaTrip
Form is important obviously.
But, I’ll drop these gems:
1. Jump rope. It’s essential for an athlete.
2. Dead hangs and pull-ups/chinups.
3. Handstands. You can watch a video on how to properly instruct and support him. It’s great for building confidence and strength.
But, I’ll drop these gems:
1. Jump rope. It’s essential for an athlete.
2. Dead hangs and pull-ups/chinups.
3. Handstands. You can watch a video on how to properly instruct and support him. It’s great for building confidence and strength.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 12:07 pm to TunaTrip
I didn’t start training until I was 16 and all my friends who started at 13 or 14 I blew by them in size and strength in no time. Regardless, I’m not telling you not to have him lift but if I could go back to my teenage years I’d certainly focus more on:
Staying properly hydrated
Getting 8 hours of sleep a night
Eating enough quality protein and healthy fats - my diet as a teenager had too many carbs. Teenagers need ‘calories’ but they need to be quality calories don’t feed him McDonald’s and Chick fil a and think that is going to be a positive thing. It’s not. Don’t have him eat just to eat. Stuffing your face with processed shite even as a teenager with high metabolism is counterproductive.
Don’t overtrain
I was doing most of the above totally wrong and if I did them correctly the outcomes would have been much better. I didn’t know what I was really doing and times were different there wasn’t the wealth of information out there then as now etc.
Staying properly hydrated
Getting 8 hours of sleep a night
Eating enough quality protein and healthy fats - my diet as a teenager had too many carbs. Teenagers need ‘calories’ but they need to be quality calories don’t feed him McDonald’s and Chick fil a and think that is going to be a positive thing. It’s not. Don’t have him eat just to eat. Stuffing your face with processed shite even as a teenager with high metabolism is counterproductive.
Don’t overtrain
I was doing most of the above totally wrong and if I did them correctly the outcomes would have been much better. I didn’t know what I was really doing and times were different there wasn’t the wealth of information out there then as now etc.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 12:19 pm to TunaTrip
I would have him do high reps, 12-15, until his growth plates close around 14.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 2:48 pm to JerseyJohn
quote:
I would have him do high reps, 12-15, until his growth plates close around 14.
This is actually a little bit of a misconception. The old saying of, "Kids shouldn't strength train until their at least 13 years old because they can injure their growth plates" is not true. Growth plates will get damaged because of injuries to them, not because of strength training. At that age it's important to focus on teaching them the fundamentals and ingraining the muscle memory of good proper form. If your son's form is good, the risk of any injury, even to his growth plates, is next to zero.
Posted on 5/11/24 at 5:32 pm to TunaTrip
Start doing plyometrics, explosiveness is the biggest factor in separating yourself from your peers in athletics. Strength training should be used a bedrock for the explosive skills.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 8:31 am to TunaTrip
so the question becomes are you training for athletics or are you training him just to have him become stronger, more confident and gain muscle?
because there is small differences in how you should train him for each
1) ignore anyone that says that is too young or mentions growth plates, they are ignorant as frick on the subject and should immediately be written off
2) no matter what he is training for, it should be a program based around compounds lift and bar speed. When training kids that age, have to understand more gains are going to be neuro and not muscular. This is why a VBT device can make a huge difference in intent and setting PRs. allows them to set PRs without it being strictly weight driven.
3) he has to eat, lots of protein
there have been couple good post above and the linked posted has some programming i have written for kids in the past
you want to focus on compound lifts, if in athletics that would be box squat over back squat and add jumps, deadlifts would be sumo instead of conventional, paused bench over bench and lots of med ball throws
both ways add unilateral work and its very important to get enough mobility to do a crossak squat properly and maintain that ability. want the stability to be able to do reverse lunges and full range of motion in knee over toes squats
for mobility work, slow crawls like bear, reverse bear, duck walks, crab walks, alligator walks etc are your best friend.
make sure they can do calisthenic work. very important a kid doesnt go into high school without being able to do basics like chinups, pushups squats.
if you want more specifics just let us know
congrats on being a good dad though. Physical literacy is very important and the decision you have made will help him in all aspects of his life. its proven to help with grades, confidence, body image, on top of all the other health benefits.
because there is small differences in how you should train him for each
1) ignore anyone that says that is too young or mentions growth plates, they are ignorant as frick on the subject and should immediately be written off
2) no matter what he is training for, it should be a program based around compounds lift and bar speed. When training kids that age, have to understand more gains are going to be neuro and not muscular. This is why a VBT device can make a huge difference in intent and setting PRs. allows them to set PRs without it being strictly weight driven.
3) he has to eat, lots of protein
there have been couple good post above and the linked posted has some programming i have written for kids in the past
you want to focus on compound lifts, if in athletics that would be box squat over back squat and add jumps, deadlifts would be sumo instead of conventional, paused bench over bench and lots of med ball throws
both ways add unilateral work and its very important to get enough mobility to do a crossak squat properly and maintain that ability. want the stability to be able to do reverse lunges and full range of motion in knee over toes squats
for mobility work, slow crawls like bear, reverse bear, duck walks, crab walks, alligator walks etc are your best friend.
make sure they can do calisthenic work. very important a kid doesnt go into high school without being able to do basics like chinups, pushups squats.
if you want more specifics just let us know
congrats on being a good dad though. Physical literacy is very important and the decision you have made will help him in all aspects of his life. its proven to help with grades, confidence, body image, on top of all the other health benefits.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 11:17 am to TunaTrip
At 11 he just needs to be taught how to lift properly. Its my personal opinion based off experience and studies that lifting doesnt stunt growth or anything like that. You can always be safe and just not load the spine heavy.
That said, you are right that no serious "gains" will be made until he hits puberty. Just teach him how to lift properly. If you dont know, there are tons of great teaching resources on youtube. Make sure he learns to do full range of motion on lifts.
That said, you are right that no serious "gains" will be made until he hits puberty. Just teach him how to lift properly. If you dont know, there are tons of great teaching resources on youtube. Make sure he learns to do full range of motion on lifts.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 11:55 am to scottydoesntknow
for those wondering what kind of gains can be made, i suggest looking at the explosive mechanics insta page and seeing the freaks Jared produces
if you are interested in training athletes, his podcast, zac goodmans podcast, along with defrancos old stuff from start of podcast are great starting points.
LINK
if you are interested in training athletes, his podcast, zac goodmans podcast, along with defrancos old stuff from start of podcast are great starting points.
LINK
Posted on 5/13/24 at 2:04 pm to TunaTrip
My only observation is instead of a bodybuilding style workout I would focus on mastering the traditional full body/compound lifts. Also I don't mean mastering like many/most middle-aged novice lifters do in the gym, I mean focusing on form first on every single rep.
I think lifting is great for young athletes, but while not easy, people with a good athletic base generally have no problems getting stronger as they age. What is much harder to develop and maintain as people age is mobility, explosiveness, and balance.
I would focus lifting reps on compound lifts and include a mobility session with every gym visit.
I think lifting is great for young athletes, but while not easy, people with a good athletic base generally have no problems getting stronger as they age. What is much harder to develop and maintain as people age is mobility, explosiveness, and balance.
I would focus lifting reps on compound lifts and include a mobility session with every gym visit.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 3:37 pm to lsu777
quote:
for those wondering what kind of gains can be made, i suggest looking at the explosive mechanics insta page and seeing the freaks Jared produces if you are interested in training athletes, his podcast, zac goodmans podcast, along with defrancos old stuff from start of podcast are great starting points. LINK
The foundation definitely needs to start being laid at that age. Id argue that intense games of tag or kick the can, etc produce physical stimulus that would replicate even the most intense plyometrics you could dream up in a gym. One big problem with training kids is that parents pay by the hour and most of the training people have access to in their areas just isnt worth what youd be paying. I completely agree that the better approach is doing your own research to see what the truly elite coaches are doing, and just work with your kids yourself.
Posted on 5/13/24 at 4:31 pm to TunaTrip
Posted on 5/13/24 at 6:13 pm to scottydoesntknow
Agree with the research part but polymeric usually put more forces on the body than lifting
Posted on 5/13/24 at 9:08 pm to NOLALGD
quote:The powerlifting approach can force him to slow down and focus on each rep. Bench, the bar doesn't come off your chest without a pause. Box squatting, same thing.
I mean focusing on form first on every single rep.
It may help him get that if he flares his elbows out, relaxes his shoulder blades, etc., that you're going to see it.
Posted on 5/14/24 at 6:34 am to TunaTrip
I might get shite on, but I don’t care. 11 years old is perfectly fine to be in the gym with proper instruction and technique. It won’t stunt growth yada yada.
However, the goal is to prepare for football. The idea for an 11 year old is to be able to move as he should for a football game. He hasn’t hit puberty yet, so he has not reached his stage of physical potential.
Instead of the bodybuilder type of workout you showed, I would make a plan around calisthenics. Pushups, bodyweight squats, lunges, box jumps, pull ups, etc. These are all great for developing a young kid to ensure that he can improve body mechanics and demonstrate a sense of control and stability while moving. It will also make him stronger to at least some degree, but he’s only 11. Once he’s a little older starts getting some testosterone flowing, then I would think about a weight lifting program. If he really wants to move something heavy, have him push and pull a sled. It requires little technique, it’s hard to get hurt using one, he’ll recover quickly and it’ll get him strong in a general sense.
ETA: You can also add resistance to calisthenics. So, if he gets to a point where he can bang out a lot of pushups with not real fatigue, you can have him wear a weight vest and slowly add increments of weight over time.
However, the goal is to prepare for football. The idea for an 11 year old is to be able to move as he should for a football game. He hasn’t hit puberty yet, so he has not reached his stage of physical potential.
Instead of the bodybuilder type of workout you showed, I would make a plan around calisthenics. Pushups, bodyweight squats, lunges, box jumps, pull ups, etc. These are all great for developing a young kid to ensure that he can improve body mechanics and demonstrate a sense of control and stability while moving. It will also make him stronger to at least some degree, but he’s only 11. Once he’s a little older starts getting some testosterone flowing, then I would think about a weight lifting program. If he really wants to move something heavy, have him push and pull a sled. It requires little technique, it’s hard to get hurt using one, he’ll recover quickly and it’ll get him strong in a general sense.
ETA: You can also add resistance to calisthenics. So, if he gets to a point where he can bang out a lot of pushups with not real fatigue, you can have him wear a weight vest and slowly add increments of weight over time.
This post was edited on 5/14/24 at 6:39 am
Posted on 5/14/24 at 6:49 am to DeafJam73
While I don’t disagree that body weight exercises and explosive movements are a great way to start training, I’m not sure I agree that you shouldn’t weight train in the absence of testosterone.
Testosterone is not necessary to build strength and muscle. There are studies on prostate cancer patients who are chemically castrated that show significant strength and muscle gains. Then you also have women.
I don’t see a reason not to teach the main lifts well, then start progressing with relatively low volume and frequency from that age
Testosterone is not necessary to build strength and muscle. There are studies on prostate cancer patients who are chemically castrated that show significant strength and muscle gains. Then you also have women.
I don’t see a reason not to teach the main lifts well, then start progressing with relatively low volume and frequency from that age
This post was edited on 5/14/24 at 6:55 am
Posted on 5/14/24 at 7:01 am to NewOrleansBlend
quote:
I’m not sure I agree that you shouldn’t weight train in the absence of testosterone.
That’s not what I really meant. I just mean save the barbell for when he is better capable of expressing strength. There are tons of fundamental exercises to explore and master before moving on to the barbell.
quote:
I don’t see a reason not to teach the main lifts well, then start progressing with relatively low volume and frequency from that age
I 100% agree. I’m only saying that in the context of preparing his son for football, there is a base level of fitness that should be achieved before teaching barbell training. If he wasn’t preparing for a dynamic sport that demands a command of body mechanics, then I would be right there with you.
Me mentioning test wasn’t supposed to be taken literally. It was a metaphor.
This post was edited on 5/14/24 at 7:05 am
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