At what age should a male child start working out with weights?

[appleton111]

My son who is 8 years old is ridding me to let him start hitting the weights so I venture here to inquire as to what age a male child should and can start working out on real weights?

 

[3J]

there was broscience going around back in the days that said lifting weights at a younger age stuns your growth.. i recall reading a study on the correlation between higher estrogen levels and fusing of growth plates.. though i wonder if the higher natural testosterone levels of a tennager who works out would have much of an effect on estrogen levels..

the body does regulate, after all

 

[halfwit]

Funny you mention that 3J. I started powerlifting at 15 years old for that very reason, as I didn't want to be freakishly tall as an adult. Yeah, didn't work so well haha.

I would honestly just start the youngster off with body weight movements as joints are going to be soft at that age. Joint/connective tissue damage is easily the biggest risk I can think of.

 

[bigben66]

I agree, I'd leave the free weights right now... stick to bodyweight exercises and show him loads off gymnastics/parkour/street dance videos....

The core strength gains you would make in those orientations will stand him in good stead for when he hits his teens.

 

[A.B]

I'm of th old school variety- besides sports I wouldn't have my kid doing any weights- they're at the age they need team sports.

High school is a different story- I started lifting grade 9

 

[3J]

i started in middle school myself.. we had an afterschool weightlifting club at my middle school 3 times a week.. it was fun

 

[appleton111]

Great advices, sounds right, love all the core strength gains, so maybe wait until hes 12 to start him off slowly?

 

[Anabolicsrevisited]

I started at age 12 using my brothers old POS bench, my son however I started at age ten with things like bench step ups, plyometric box jumps, sprints, elastic resistance bands and pull ups. Soon as he hit the puffy nips of puberty stage we hit the weights... he's 5' 6.5" tall though so I might've eff'd him up...unsure. He's 17 now and benches 280 pounds and squats 405 at 152. His mom is also short (5' 2") and I'm a lowly 5' 9" tall. When I was his age I weighed 210 pounds at 7% bf though. His stature may be more his mother than the weight training. I think that the strength increases in bone density are worth it though as he's a football player and has never suffered an injury, whereas other kids his age he's played with have had plenty of broken arms playing the same position RB. I'd rather have a mentally tough and strong short stature kid than some 6 foot tall kid who whines about poundage's though.