Teens and Weightlifting

A “pump” is the flushing of muscle tissue with blood that occurs when one lifts weights; this is the “pumped-up” feeling one gets after doing a set of, let's say, curls.

CONDITIONING THE BODY

One of the main problems young weightlifters get themselves into is lifting too much too soon. Resulting problems from overuse can range from sore muscles to serious injuries to the muscles, bones, tendons, or ligaments. The idea is to start out s-l-o-w-l-y. As a parent, you need to encourage your child to do just that. Tell your young person that if he starts out too quickly, he may cause an injury that can sideline him for weeks. Also, discourage him from “working through the pain”. This may be great for someone who has been lifting for years, and is aware of what their injury is, but this is not acceptable for a novice. If your young person hurts, have him lay-off the weights for 3 or 4 days. If he still hurts, have him see his health care provider.

Another thing that the young weightlifter needs to understand is that muscles are not built-up while lifting, but when resting. This seemingly contradictory statement makes sense when it's realized that during the time when one is lifting weights, muscle tissue is adapting to the stresses being placed on it. It is during the rest period that muscle tissue grows and repairs itself. Young weightlifters need to get plenty of sleep. It is also crucial that young weightlifters lift no more than 3 times a week, allowing at least 48 hours between exercise periods. If a young person gets too gung-ho and starts lifting daily (which is usually the problem with the overly ambitious), the lifter will not be gaining muscle mass because the body has not had time to repair itself. This also significantly increases the chance of injury.

THE WARM-UP

The young weightlifter has to be convinced that the warm-up is essential, not just a waste of time. He needs to take note that any person involved in professional sports warm-up before playing. The warm-up causes the muscles to stretch, flush with blood, and become properly prepared to the stresses that will be applied during weightlifting. The tendons, which connect the muscle to the bone, will stretch and warm, which will decrease the chance of injury. In general, warming-up “pre-programs” the muscles to prepare for further workloads.

Warming-up should last no less than 15 minutes. The following are good warm-up exercises:

• Jogging in place 1 to 2 minutes
• Jumping jacks 30 to 60
• Side bends 30 to 60
• Pushups 15 or more
• Squats 15 to 20

As far as the squats go, young people should squat only until their thighs are parallel to the floor; this will minimize chances of injury to the knee cartilage.

Other warm-up exercises can, of course, be done. The proper warm-up should make you feel loose and ready to go.

Muscle Groups

There are hundreds of muscles in the body, all of which are arranged in groups. For all intents and purposes, we will consider the following muscle groups important for our young weightlifter:

• Arms (including shoulders)
• Chest
• Back
• Abs
• Legs

Exercises for each group, and how to properly do them, will be covered; however, the following advice needs to be hammered into your young weightlifter's head: Exercise opposing muscle groups equally. This means that if you're exercising the biceps, the triceps also needs to be exercised. Almost every muscle group has an opposing muscle group; if one group is exercised, and the opposing group isn't exercised, over time a muscle imbalance which can lead to an injury is almost guaranteed to occur.

Legs need particular care when the young teen begins weightlifting. The legs need to be exercised, of course, but young people should not use weights when doing squats. This can cause damage to the cartilage in the knee. It's okay to do squats, but have your child wait until he is 17 or 18 before he starts using weights with the squats.

Specific Exercises

The Arm:

The biceps are the muscles most beginners are eager to develop, but the triceps are equally important for adding bulk to the upper arm. Two-thirds of the circumference of the upper arm is due to the triceps.

Curls: Barbell curls are the oldest and still the best exercise for the biceps. Hold the barbell with the hands shoulder width, with a palms-up grip. Slowly curl the barbell to the shoulders then back to the starting position. The lowering part of the exercise is as important as the curling part, so perform each slowly. Dumbbells can also be used.