What age should you start lifting weights

Is doing weights at too young an age bad for you?

For the Youngsters on Strength and Fitnesstips.

I as a teenager always wanted to be stronger, bigger and lift weights. It would have really helped to be bigger, faster and stronger than everyone else when I was playing rugby. There was a lot of skepticism about wether it’s advisable for youngsters to lift weights while they are still developing. There is not question about it that squats and dead lifts will put a lot of pressure on your back and joints. When you are developing your bones are ligaments are not as strong and you will be much more prone to injury. It’s therefore a bad idea to start doing heavy dead lifts and squats under the age of 16.

I do not agree with the fact that it’s completely unadvisable to do any weights when your growing up, leaving the only weight you lift being the Tv or Xbox remote control.

I think it’s great for teenagers to be active, throughout our evolutionary history youngsters would have been required to do physical activity from a very young age. Something that seems to be lost now. It’s very important for youngsters to experience life sports, many of which involve a degree of physical activity and builds not only strength but also fitness and team building traits. Doing these sports will put more natural stresses on the body. Then making weights safer to do.

I certainly have never seen any evidence that anyone suggests doing weights pre-puberty, so if you or your children are this young don’t do or let them do weights. You may have seen the documentary about, ‘The strongest boy in the world.’ His name is Richard Sandrak and by the age of 6 he could bench press twice his weight. He had a strict diet and worked out a lot, hoping to one day become like Arnold. He now still trains but has lost his muscly physique. Posing the question that being muscly too young may stunt your development.

The age at which you start lifting weights should always be consulted with your doctor, as the age at which you mature varies.

When you lift you should never be lifting too heavy and you should be doing at least 10 repetitions. When you get to the age of 16-17 then you can seek more advanced exercises and at a heavier weight.

So in summary, there is not set age when you should start lifting weights, it varies from person to person but you should not be doing weights younger than 12/13. Always consult your doctor for a professional overview.