Very confused need help FAST

[JimBo123]

Ok i'm now extremely confused on what i should be doing in terms of weight training/getting fit.
Before you think, aw man another shtupid kid who isnt really intrested in this kind of stuff, please take the time to read this and help me and probably a lot of other people out.

I'm 13 and have been weight training for a month now doing 3 sets of 15 reps and 3-5 exercises for each body part.
I post a lot at the World Fitness Forum and recently asked about a bicep problem in which i got many responses, the most recent one being from JPfitness who pointed me in the direction of doing young athlete workouts.

I read the post by Craig from CB Athletics on this forum and ive decided i may need to completely change my workout/getting fit routine.

I'm very confused tho because the post that Craig made gives very good information on developing young athletes but i need to know what i need to specifically.
Should i still train with weights? but in a different way?
or should i do exercises that use my bodyweight only?

Thanks for reading my post, i hope that i can get some good responses because im very intrested in improving my fitness i wanna jump straight into the proper workout to achieve results as fast i can get them.

PS: Oh yeah and i can definetly buy some book or something if i need to, like a manual by Craig for young athletic developement. Actually im quite intrested in reading more about the info that craig wrote about like plyometrics and shtuff. I dont understand or know about any of that but i want to learn to optimize my workout.

[Craig]

Hey,

I prefer that young athletes meet with someone in person to outline a training program and go over exercise form.

It is better to educate parents and coaches over the internet, than it is to train young athletes directly.

If you provide a general location, then someone on this board may be able to recommend a person in your area.

Best to get your intro to fitness started off on the right foot,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc.,

[Brian Grasso]

I couldn't agree more with Craig. In fact, here is the post I wrote that explains Craig's point even more...

The technical side of resistance training should be your primary concern right now. There is nothing wrong with lifting weights or performing bodyweight exercises, the key is to ensure that your execution is correct.

Compound-based exercises that involve several muscle groups is the best recourse for younger participants.

-Squats – these can/should be done un-weighted at first with a strong emphasis on correct execution. Have a qualified professional in your area address this issue.
-Lunges – same as above.
-Push-ups – these can be done in either a vertical (against a wall), or horizontal (traditional) manner; it will completely depend on your current strength level and how strong you are through the torso.
-Deadlifts – same as squats and lunges.
-Various pulling exercises.

Again, technical execution is your primary concern.

If you are able to purchase a book, why not instead hire a QUALIFIED professional in your area who can ensure your technical execution of these exercises?

Also, you have to understand that developing a younger athlete is not a simple matter entailing ‘basic’ advice. ANYONE who comes on this message board with advice for you claiming that they have THE answer is wrong… without a complete knowledge of your sporting background, eventual goals, current sporting habits or postural screen, any advice you receive over the internet should be taken as informal guidance. There are right and wrong things that are basic to your age, but even that is misleading since your chronological age does not necessarily reflect other factors such as biological efficiency or emotional maturity. Not to mention motor skill development (which is the primary basis for strength training and kids), flexibility or speed enhancement… You get my point… Any advice here will be basic at best.

Craig Ballantyne is an excellent resource. Some folks would say that I know a bit about youth athletic development as well… You could go to either of our websites for more information.

Good luck!

-Brian
www.DevelopingAthletics.com

[JimBo123]

How do i go about finding a youth fitness intructor in my area?
I live in Rockford,IL very close to Chicago if you know someone in my area please tell me so i can look them up.

So your saying that i can lift weights?
I read that isolation moves are bad for teenagers but isolation moves are the only ones i have been doing so far basically.

Also i heard that some exercises like squats and deadlifts work the lower back which is still in developement for early teenagers and shouldnt be done too much or done with too much weight.

[Brian Grasso]

My office is in Elmhurst, Illinois... about 45 minutes from you.

Email me directly or give my office a call.

brian@developingathletics.com
630.832.0493

- Brian

[JimBo123]

I still have one important question before i start out on my strive for fitness.

I need to know if this sort of body style is the right one for me, i know it depends on my decision but i still want to know what you all think about it.
Here is my thought:

I am probably not going to be an athlete when i grow up, im actually pretty much sure that i wont be one, but i will still be doing sports hopefully throughout all of my school life. I'm signed up for soccer and tennis next year in highschool as a freshmen.
I know that all this new info about training kids correctly is to optimize them as a well rounded athlete, but i'm not going to become a serious athlete although i may take up fighting as a profession (martial arts) and if not, martial arts/fighting will definetly be a big part of my life.

If i'm not going to be a serious/pro athlete do i really need to train the way you guys are talking about? Should i trian to be an athlete even though i plan on not being one??
I'm really not sure about all this and need some input.

[pallsmith19]

I am probably not going to be an athlete when i grow up, im actually pretty much sure that i wont be one, but i will still be doing sports hopefully throughout all of my school life. I'm signed up for soccer and tennis next year in highschool as a freshmen.