Workouts For Teens
September 28, 2009 by Shaun
Filed under The Fitness Bug
Over the past few weeks I have been assisting many teens (under the age of 16) on how they should workout, and the lack of knowledge some of them have does amaze me. However, I was that young once (in my mind I still am 
) and I do remember what it was like. One thing I did know for sure though, was that you shouldn’t be hitting free weights (power lifting) or supplements before the age of 16. So to drum it into the mind of any teenager that reads this,
‘What you don’t know will kill you’
Well… not literally, but possibly. That applies to many things in life, but lets stick weight training and exercise.
Whether you are a teen or you have a nephew, brother, son or someone you know that is one, they will most likely be inspired to workout. But until they reach the age of 18, or even 21, the exercises that they perform in their workouts will and should be different compared to those performed in an adult’s workout.
For myself it was at age 16 when I started to workout, but I made a pact to myself not to start high intensity resistance training until I was 17-18 years old, and there was a good reason for this.
Prevent Stunt Growth
The reality is that the skeletal structure of the younger person is likely to still be growing and any teenager really doesn’t want to interrupt that growth process. It may lead to being short, or under developed in terms of adult size and frame. Even worse, you may just carry on growing, and if you become a skyscraper (like me ), then you are likely to develop stretch marks.
There is nothing wrong with being short at all, but you might as well find out if that is how you will be once you reach the age of 21. If you then find that you are to be tall then the girls will love you for your height too. 
I was always tall growing up but I still didn’t want to interrupt my natural growth, so I waited until 17 years old before lifting heavy weights. It was good that I did wait, as many other ‘shooting stars’ that I knew in and outside of school started to early and without a doubt, I am certain that doing so stunted their growth.
Ok, point taken, I’m a teen, what should I do?
In terms of building strength or some weight gains, teens should stick to bodyweight workouts, performing many of the exercises that I have recently covered such as
- Sit-ups
- Leg lifts
- Crunches
Use an exercise ball to maximize your ab building potential with the above exercises.
- Press-ups
- Chin ups
- Pull-ups
- Leg raises
Use the Iron Gym Xtreme door chin up bar to perform the above exercises effectively.
- Knee jumps
- Mahler body blasters
- Weight-less squats
- Lunges
Swimming, running and cycling are good moderate intensity cardio exercises, but are also good for building functional strength. Climbing trees is also another good activity to include in your workouts.
You could always take up activities such as martial arts to keep your muscles and strength gains active. Martial arts will not only be good for improving body strength, but will be good for improving flexibility too. The best part of taking up martial arts is that it will set you up well for your knowledge in self-defence with a strong mind set for discipline and improved attitude.
Overall, as a teenager, your goal should be to only increase your strength and build the ‘ripped’ look and of course, general fitness. Be patient and wait it out for 2-3 years before you start bulking up and pumping those heavy weights. Time will fly after reading this, and believe me, when that time comes you will thank me for it.
Are you a teenager?
If not, how old were you when you began to lift weights?
See you in the comments
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Yes. Agree with you. Teens nowadays are very conscious with their body and their weight and sometimes they might be mis guided.
hi, i m manish joshi. I m 17 year old boy. my height is 5 foot 10 inches & weight is about 86kg . can u suggest me any proper workout to reduce my weight fast & efficiently.
Hi Manish
Welcome!
The first thing to understand is that losing weight ‘too’ fast is not a good thing. Doing so will leave you with loose skin and won’t necessarily be a good thing when trying to increase your metabolism, which is key to keeping the fat off!
The two rules
Fat loss = Short intense cardio workouts
Building lean muscle mass = Longer moderate intensity cardio workouts
Obviously, which one you go for depends on your current body fat percentage
1) Read some of the guidelines in the FREE ebook you just received
2) The exercises listed here are good
http://www.stayfitbug.com/category/bugs-workout-routines/
But they focus on building muscle
The solution?
3)
2 book that can help you
The exercises – Bodyweight exercises = Increases metabolism/ Builds lean muscle mass/ Builds functional strength
The Unique bodyweight exercise ebook
Workout Routines
The 31 Day Fat Loss Cure
Here’s a taster
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/unique-bodyweight-exercises/
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/the-complete-guide-to-unique-outdoor-exercises-warning-designed-for-the-insane/
Note: A new product will be released soon that will help you specifically and in detail with your current problem. So make sure you keep an eye on your emails.
-Shaun
Hey man..
i’m 15 this year can you plan for me a workout so that i can get rid of my belly fat..
thx man..
)
I’d say focus on bodyweight exercises only and sprinting, along with a good whole food diet. But before I do that, what have you tried so far?
I’m 17 and going back to what you said about stretch marks I always had them nut ever since going gym about 2 months ago they got bigger and its pretty much like what’s on the pictures, I’ve always been in good shape around 9% body fat and now sort of ripped but the strech marks ruins everything man, any tips on how to blend them in…thanks
Hi Nathan
Two things
1) Reduce the cause of stretching
2) Increase elasticity of your skin.
Creams like cocoa butter
Stay hydrated
Take vitamins A,E,C
3) Getting rid of them
Exfoliate everyday
Use Vic’s vapour rub on your skin every night
Tanning – This is one of the pro’s of tanning. If done right, you can eliminate them completely. Make sure you consult with your doctor and use a recommended sun screen.
Vitamin E Gel – Use this on your skin for about 2 weeks straight, directly on the stretch mark areas
Medical procedures include…
Microdermabrasion
Endermologie
Laser Therapy
Cosmetic Surgery
These are things you can look into in the future, but try the above first.
Hi,
Thanks for quick reply so I’m gesssing multivitamins shld do the trick and how exactly wouldn’t reduce the strechin?.. I will look into all the stuff u have said as it all makes sense to me now and one more thing can I ask u a tip on working out please, what is the best exercise towork the obliques so they are like a V-cut shape around the waist, thanks
Here’s an article you might like
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/why-you-need-to-create-the-super-hero-look-v-shape
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/the-order-of-human-fat-loss
As you can see, there is no way to gauge where you lose fat. But the solution is diet (non-processed foods) and short burst workouts. I’m not sure how important bodyweight exercises are to you right now, but a new product launch is coming up on the 30th, and this version of the ebook will have short burst bodyweight routines to help with those annoying layers of fat.
The FREE bonuses include
15 non-crunch exercises
foods for fat loss
And the free report which you can grab now. http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/bodyweight-exercise-bonanza-v3-0
The only other routines I have up that relate to this is a 3 day split routine which you can read here…
http://www.stayfitbug.com/the-fitness-bug/3-day-split-workout-routine
Hi, thankfully I have been doing these exercises too and I’m 5ft 7 so not too small or tall ad in terms of the V-cut waist I kind of have if but not as defined as I like it to be, so I’m gona keep on going and ya I’m really into exercising right now, defo get your e book later as at work right now…thanks
Go for it. I’m pretty sure it’ll help you a lot in the goal of building that near perfect body!
hey i really like this workout but there’s one thing could you help me…..how often do i do this wokrout?
hey i really like this workout but there’s one thing could you help me…..how often do i do this workout?
Hi Ahmed
Well… it’s good to stick to a routine for a maximum of 12 weeks. Then it’s a good idea to analyze your results and switch up the routine based on what you find. Since we are on the topic of bodyweight exercises, feel free to watch the video on this page, which launched today.
http://www.stayfitbug.com/unique-bodyweight-exercise-ebook
That should make things a little clearer. Let me know if there’s anything else you need to know.
hi, I’m a 14 year old male. I do swimming, soccer and basketball. I need a good complete workout routine that I can do 3 times a week so that I look great, am the strongest and best, and grow to my full potential (high testosterone and growth hormone from working out, and not being stunted by intense workout).
Many thanks
Hi Joey
You can choose many of our own workouts from here >>> http://www.stayfitbug.com/category/bugs-workout-routines
But for a well rounded DONE-FOR-YOU solution, check this out >>> http://www.31dayshredwithbulk.com/fitness-model-diet-plan-male-fitness-model-diet