Books or Videos that can help me with my workouts?

[Ekyotin]

Anyone know any good books or videos that will teach me methods of working out without having to lift weights because im only 13. Also will whey protein be a good supplement to take that wont cause damage to me. Thank you

[koto_ryu]

Originally Posted by Ekyotin

Anyone know any good books or videos that will teach me methods of working out without having to lift weights because im only 13. Also will whey protein be a good supplement to take that wont cause damage to me. Thank you

If you're only 13, you should just do a lot of bodyweight calisthenics: push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, and the like. You'll put on some muscle and get stronger to be sure, but I wouldn't recommend you training with weights until you're at least 16. As for whey protein shakes, I'm not a big fan of supplements really If you really want to add on some weight, just eat more. Have an extra two glasses of milk with every meal and make sure you're getting plenty of good quality food in you and you'll do well.

[bred]

There is no truth to being too young to lift weights. Whey is the protein in milk without all the fats. It is a great supp for anyone. There is no reason you can't lift weights. You just need someone to show you proper form so you don't hurt yourself, just like anyone at any age. There is an old myth about being too young to lift weights. It does nothing but good for anyone, adds bone density, increases strength + 1 bilion other positive things... means less injury to young people doing young people things.

[koto_ryu]

Originally Posted by bred

There is no truth to being too young to lift weights. Whey is the protein in milk without all the fats. It is a great supp for anyone. There is no reason you can't lift weights. You just need someone to show you proper form so you don't hurt yourself, just like anyone at any age. There is an old myth about being too young to lift weights. It does nothing but good for anyone, adds bone density, increases strength + 1 bilion other positive things... means less injury to young people doing young people things.

Trust me, I'm speaking from around 8 years of lifting experience. Kids under 15 should never start lifting weights, which has been said not only by many professional bodybuilders, powerlifters, and the like but also by many medical doctors and sports physiologists. And fat is what helps you gain size, proper unsaturated fats build up testosterone which is what you need for muscular development. Bodyweight training is perfect for him now, as he can still develop muscular strength and size through the use of bodyweight exercises without investing in a weight set and risk to himself.

[bred]

I am speaking from an educated stand point. There is no study and no proof that kids should not train with resistance. Fat is good but not in the high amounts that come with getting enough protein through whole foods. Whey is a supplement not a meal replacement. The only reason kids should not lift is immaturity which causes injury because they feel the need to lift the heavy weights to show off. HEY, just like most teenagers all the way through colleged age guys. The other thing is resistance training in the form of body weight or a BB is the same thing. Resistance is resistance is resistance is resistance. I bet you beleive machines are not as effective as free weights, don't you?

[koto_ryu]

Originally Posted by bred

I am speaking from an educated stand point. There is no study and no proof that kids should not train with resistance.

There are in fact many studies. Case in point:

Kids And Weight Lifting Don't Always Mix, Says Texas A&M Prof

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COLLEGE STATION - To bench press or not to bench press, that is the question.
In a few weeks, thousands of junior high and high school athletes will begin reporting for football drills, and the vast majority of them will engage in a comprehensive weight lifting program. But will pumping iron really help them on the field?
For some yes; for others, it will be of limited value and a waste of time and could actually be detrimental, believes a Texas A&M University health and kinesiology professor who specializes in child fitness.
William Barnes says age is the key factor. Generally, kids in the 16-to 18-year-old range will find that a serious weight training program can produce tangible benefits.
But for younger kids, it may be less effective or could even produce damaging results, Barnes believes. Instead, a vigorous exercise program might be better, he says.
The bottom line: For youths in or near the puberty years, their bodies are just not ready for squats, lifts and clean and jerks.
"There are two problems to consider," Barnes says.
"First, is the stress of weight lifting too much on a kid's skeletal system? These are kids who are still growing and developing and maturing, and very often, lifting weights can be of little value or maybe even be harmful.
"Secondly, can children respond to an activity that is best suited for adults? Young boys, for example, face testosterone limits that can prevent adding muscle mass. Their hormonal activity is not mature yet.
"The simple answer is that in physical terms, there is a significant difference between a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old."
Weight lifting can often be gender unfriendly. Barnes says girls usually don't experience muscle enlargement the same as males.
"Girls can sometimes become leaner lifting weights, but as far as adding muscle like boys, it is much more difficult for them to achieve," Barnes says.
Barnes says that for boys and girls ages 13-14, the rates of growth and development are different. Some mature much later and some experience delayed growth spurts, and for those reasons, weight training could be of marginal value.
But for senior citizens, the opposite is true. The Texas A&M professor says studies have shown elderly people usually benefit from some type of weight lifting program if it's done on a moderate basis.
"For older people, we've come 180 degrees in our thinking," he adds. "It used to be discouraged for senior citizens, but now we know that a moderate weight training program can be beneficial for them. The key word here is moderate. We've learned the benefits far outweigh the risks. They respond to weight lifting just as well as much younger people."
If Barnes had a 14-year-old son, would he encourage him to participate in a high intensity weight lifting program?
"I could not recommend it," he responds.
"Sometimes, junior high coaches try to emulate the Dallas Cowboys and they want their young players to lift weights two hours a day. At that age, a youngster is still in adolescence. He or she is not an adult, and that's the big difference.
"There are better ways to work out and develop strength. I'd save the weight training for a later date. For kids, I prefer the traditional calisthenics and overall workout program. Weight lifting is not risk-free and the child is still not a mature adult. There are just too many question marks at that age."

Almost exactly what I said.

Fat is good but not in the high amounts that come with getting enough protein through whole foods.

Actually there's studies of diets they performed which were as high as 70% of calories coming from unsaturated fats and the participants still gained muscle, lost flab, and built levels of testosterone. Check out the Testosterone Diet from Men's Health as well, they eat plenty of unsaturated fats and get good results from that diet as well. That was probably my favorite diet until I'm at the one where I am at today.

I bet you beleive machines are not as effective as free weights, don't you?

I know for a fact machines are not as effective, as they do not exercise the stabilizer muscles nearly as much, which is what you need for functional overall strength. Doing a standing overhead press with a barbell is much different from doing one with a complicated machine, as not only are you restricted to that one form of movement, but your stabilizer muscles are not called into effect as the machine is doing that all for you. Many reports have said that machines are only good for muscle definition and tone, whereas free weights are ideal for building size and strength.

[bred]

There was no proof in that article only specualtions. The key points made in that article is lifting too much weight and not being mature. Which I mentioned is bad but not only for kids but for anyone. He also mentions training like the dallas cowboys (2 hours weight training) no one can do that without steroids and not become overtrained because natural test drops dramatically around the 45 minutes- 1 hour mark and makes it very hard to recover properly. Muscle is made functional by training the CNS not the muscle itself. That is why a new lifter can make astounding strength gains at first because he is teaching the CNS how to use the muscle he has. Machines wouldn't be the way to go for rehabilitation if they didn't work. There is no such thing as muscle definition and tone only levels of bodyfat and genetics. Some people have a certain level of seperation and others don't. Perfect example would be the abs some people have 8 some have six and some have 4 or a mess of weird looking cross sectional muscle. It's nice to have a discussion without name calling and other stuff.

[koto_ryu]

Originally Posted by bred

There was no proof in that article only specualtions.

Then show me some proof then that's not "speculation". Barnes is very knowledgeable about what he says, and most of the lifts designed for muscular strength and explosiveness will put a lot of unnecessary stress on younger kids. Think about how you feel sometime after a good set of snatches, and imagine a 13-year old doing the same. Their bodies are under the stress of maturation and overworking themselves with weight training will affect their testosterone levels, of which they're already trying to build. Once they hit about 16, their testosterone levels peak out. I started weight training when I was 15, but luckily I was doing a pumper's routine so I didn't put too much stress on my body. Once I discovered powerlifting and "dinosaur training" (excellent book, btw, highly recommend it) I was 19 and ready for some serious, heavy lifting. Some kids could do well weight training earlier, yes, but unless you know the kid face to face and know how they could handle it, I wouldn't recommend anyone over the Internet to start training with weights until they're 16+.

The key points made in that article is lifting too much weight and not being mature.

This is actually the key points:

The bottom line: For youths in or near the puberty years, their bodies are just not ready for squats, lifts and clean and jerks.
"There are two problems to consider," Barnes says.
"First, is the stress of weight lifting too much on a kid's skeletal system? These are kids who are still growing and developing and maturing, and very often, lifting weights can be of little value or maybe even be harmful.
"Secondly, can children respond to an activity that is best suited for adults? Young boys, for example, face testosterone limits that can prevent adding muscle mass. Their hormonal activity is not mature yet.
"The simple answer is that in physical terms, there is a significant difference between a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old."

Machines wouldn't be the way to go for rehabilitation if they didn't work.

Machines may be good for rehabilitation, I agree, but if an average man is looking for functional strength and building size, free weights is the best solution.

[bred]

I suggested finding someone to show him proper form. Younger people should take note of women who weight train. They benefit from weight training and have low anabolic hormones and in general have weaker bones. I don't know too many kids that could lift enough through proper form to cause damage to themselves. Samething with adults, I could swing up and cheat alot more weight than I do but I would be risking injury.

"Resistance training and bone mineral density in adolescent females.

Nichols DL, Sanborn CF, Love AM.

Institute for Women's Health, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas 76204, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of 15 months of resistance training on bone mineral density (BMD) in female adolescents (aged 14 to 17 years). STUDY DESIGN: Participants were randomly assigned to either a training (n = 46) or control group (n = 21). BMD and body composition were measured by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Strength was assessed by means of one-repetition maximums for the leg press and bench press. The exercise group trained 30 to 45 minutes a day, 3 days per week, using 15 different resistance exercises. Control participants remained sedentary (<2 hours of exercise per week). RESULTS: Leg strength increased significantly (40%) in the exercise group, but there were no changes in the control group. Femoral neck BMD increased significantly in the training group (1.035 to 1.073 g/cm(2), P <.01) but not in the control group (1.034 to 1.048 g/cm(2)). No significant changes were seen in either group in lumbar spine BMD (1.113 to 1.142 g/cm(2) and 1.158 to 1.190 g/cm(2), respectively) or total body BMD (1.103 to 1.134 g/cm(2) and 1.111 to 1.129 g/cm(2), respectively). CONCLUSION: Resistance training is a potential method for increasing bone density in adolescents, although such a program would be best done as part of the school curriculum.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial

Randomized Controlled Trial


PMID: 11598594 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]"

There is no info to support the idea that it is dangerous for adolescents to strength train. Their bones adapt. I used females as an example because they would obviously have the igher risk of overtraining or experiencing injury due to their lower natural bone density and lack of anabolic hormones. And to top it off there is no direct correlation between mass and strength. A 30 year old cannot put on mass at the same rate as an 18 year old but often he can still make strength gains as strength is primarily CNS related. If you go to www.pubmed.com you can look up studies on any topic you can imagine.

[HtTKar]

He also mentions training like the dallas cowboys (2 hours weight training) no one can do that without steroids and not become overtrained.

That is just not true. I have never used steriods and I workout/lift an average or 3 1/2 hrs a day. Somedays I'll workout for as many as 6-9hrs. There are limits, and my body tells me when I'm reaching mine. I listen carefully, and if need be will take a day off, or only lift once a day for a week or two.

Also machines are not as good as free weights. Instablity is what causes your body to constantly adapt. I do a lot of fieldwork in the summers, you want to know how to build strength? stop using tools. There are many tedious tasks that I have to do in the summer. Clearing 5' hedges with machettes. Cutting and chopping wood with a maul, carrying 5 gallon buckets around to water a 5 acre orchard. Planting trees. Digging with shovels. I could go on-and-on. These are all difficult, but the number one thing that I have to do in the summer that builds overall strength is carry very large ignious rocks up a slippery 45 degree angle hill and load them into a truck. The instability of the hill, and the fact that you cant get a grip on these rocks makes it very difficult. My whole arms will redline for the first couple weeks. My arms never adapt and just get stronger and stronger.
I have friends that I lift with for the rest of the year, and they can lift more than I do, but are unable to keep up with me in the summer. I seem to keep better balance, and have a very strong grip. Their muscles have been formed for working with machines, mine are for field work.

another point here, I also have a bow-flex which are just about the opposite of machines in the way that your body lifts. The further away the weight on a bow-flex, the harder you have to push. There is no momentum. I can outlift my weightlifter friends on the bowflex, but not on their own machines. Again, Their muscles are for working with their machine. The human body can adapt to anything, especially when doing the same thing over and over everyday.

As for teens lifting, I dont think there could be a problem. Farmers have had thier sons working the fields for centuries. Romans used to lift everyday to keep in to shape. The body just might adapt in a way that appears imperfect. Except for the few excercises that can't be done any other way, I personally suggest staying away from machines.

[bred]

It is not possible to go 2 hours weight training and being able to maintain intensity. So what is the point in going longer. Yes your anabolic hormones drop at around the hour mark so really it is not a good idea to go longer if you want the best results possible. This is why many lifters go in the morning and come back in the evening. There is a difference between working out and training with heavy resistance for 2 hours. You cannot tell me you can bench press for 2 hours and towards the end have any form or be able to lift anything beneficial to gains, unless you take 10 minutes in between sets, this is how you tear muscles. Machines work but are supplemental. Bowflex is a machine, glad it works. I didn't name anything specific, did I?