Hello everybody
Teenage bodybuilding started to be very popular in the whole world in the last time. Teenagers probably want to build a better body and with that get confidence and maybe be more attractive to the girls.
Because of that many times, I get a question from teenagers or worried parents which children have started to go to the gym that is it good for them at that age?
Before everything I want to say that I started with the gym at the age 15, but started to lift at home (I have some dumbbells and weights) many years earlier.
We can hear many times that lifting weights at the early ages will stop you growing... I lift almost whole my life and I have 197 cm... so much about that.
It is considered that the earliest ages for started with gym are age 15. I also think that it is the best time because in that ages, hormones are the highest so there is a lot of potentials to take advantage for the better results. Also, I think that in earlier ages like 12, 13, 14 is also a good time to start with exercising, but I would not recommend big weights, bodyweights exercises will bring good results too.
After that period with bodyweight exercises, there will be much more potential for better results later with lifting weights.
Also, I would not recommend doing some exercises with weights like squats or deadlift until ages 15 because the body at that ages are still in process of maturation so there is more potential of injury.
I need to say that I do not approve some strong regime of training and diet. Bodybuilding and exercising in that early vices that today's teenagers are increasingly exposed.
Teenagers don't need some special diets, especially they are fat so they want to lose weight. But for a normal teenager it is enough to eat more proteins (1.5 grams per kg of body weight) and to throw out sugar and candles.
For the breakfast, you can have oatmeal with 2-3 eggs, or oatmeal with protein powder, for lunch chicken, rice and vegetables and for dinner meat or fish with vegetables again. For the snack you can have for example cottage cheese with some nuts or rice cakes with ham... and before bed cottage cheese again with some healthy fats.
In my opinion, it's ok to start lifting at the age of 13 but just the basic exercise and mostly by using your body weight for lifting.
I agree :)