The Teen Body Builds for Life
Your teen years are a great time to start getting in shape for the rest of your life. If you choose bodybuilding as a way to go about this then that is great and there are just a few things you need to keep in mind before starting. There are plenty of myths, mistakes and tips out there on teen bodybuilding and it’s always good to know a little bit about what you’re getting into before you jump right into it.
First off, the myths. The three most common myths about bodybuilding as a teen are that it stunts your growth, that there is nothing you can do about ‘bad genes’ and that gaining muscle means you will lose fat. Your teens can be a physically volatile time for you in terms of your body going pretty much all over the place no matter what you do. There is no such thing as ‘bad genes’ for working out – there are merely different body types that require different training and workout regimes.
As for stunted growth, it is recommended that you start bodybuilding after 13 years of age, don’t take hormone supplements (especially for testosterone) while you are still in your teens and try and avoid technique-heavy compound movements like squats and deadlifts until you are at least 16. Thirdly, muscle and fat are two entirely different tissues in your body – gaining in one will not affect the other. Your cardio exercises are as important as the weight training in order to lower fat content and actually let the muscles show through. During their teen years many people have puppy fat that can take a while to break through. Be patient. In fact, if there is one essential quality that applies to all aspiring bodybuilders, it’s that you must be patient!
This is one of the biggest mistakes newbies, and especially teenagers, tend to make. They get impatient, because of peer pressure or ego, and either start overdoing their workouts or leave bodybuilding entirely. Inconsistency is another related mistake. You must be consistent in your workout to see some real, solid gains, and these won’t come about unless you have a good workout plan as well as a good nutrition plan (the third and fourth mistakes). A bad training plan includes oversights like forgetting to do your legs, overtraining and not giving yourself enough recovery time between workouts. Bad form, lack of sleep and too many supplements can also do you lasting damage while hard weekend partying and drug habits (smoking etc) can prevent you from reaching your full potential.
For all that, however, the benefits of teen training can last you all your life. Your energy levels are through the roof and this is a great use, as well as release, for them. Your testosterone levels are high (both boys and girls) and, well, who wouldn’t like a good physique helping them take off some of that peer pressure? Go to it, be patient, focused and be the only demi-god(dess) within your friends and family!
