Training my teen.

[That_guy_Over_there]

Guys. I've been working with my 16yr old. I'm noticing that as the weight starts to get heavier, his lack of coordination in the lifts is preventing him from getting the reps. For example, bench press. He is easily able to do 5 with 75lbs but go to 80 and he gets zero. I think the problem is figuring out how to effectively push hard and technique. I'm curious how you all would approach this? I want him to keep succeeding and I think he just needs more reps to get used to pushing harder. He might stop mid rep like he can't get it and the next fires it up like nothing.

He has plenty of years ahead of him so I don't think there is a need to rush the progress. We have been at it for less than a month.

Looking for suggestions.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Guys. I've been working with my 16yr old. I'm noticing that as the weight starts to get heavier, his lack of coordination in the lifts is preventing him from getting the reps. For example, bench press. He is easily able to do 5 with 75lbs but go to 80 and he gets zero. I think the problem is figuring out how to effectively push hard and technique. I'm curious how you all would approach this? I want him to keep succeeding and I think he just needs more reps to get used to pushing harder. He might stop mid rep like he can't get it and the next fires it up like nothing.

He has plenty of years ahead of him so I don't think there is a need to rush the progress. We have been at it for less than a month.

Looking for suggestions.

How did he do at 77?

[That_guy_Over_there]

How did he do at 77?

I didn't try that, I suppose that is what I want to know. Even though he has the raw strength to do more, should I slow the increases until the technique catches up? I'm leaning towards that being the right path. It seems he is unlikely to overtrain at this stage, would having him do more gradual warmups be beneficial? With the low bar weight, he tends to not do many warmup sets.

He is working on squat and deadlift also, last night his deadlift was 185lbs, he weighs 165. He keeps wanting to bend his arms and get the bar over his toes. Last night looked much better.

Overall, he is doing great.



I want to make this enjoyable for him so he will hopefully stick with it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you actually read the blue book? Where it says that benches and presses use smaller jumps, and why.

[That_guy_Over_there]

Yes. I didn't explain what I meant very well. I can do smaller jumps. At these weights he can get it, he might do 2 really good, then can't get 3rd but will get 4 and 5 easy. Struggles with beginner stuff like bar getting too low on his stomach sometimes. We have micro plates, I'll start working those in for him. I'm sure I still didn't explain adequately, seems more of a coordination issue than strength and wanted to see the best approach to that. Basically, the solution is time under the bar?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The solution is teaching him how to move the bar correctly. That's your job, and if you can't do it well you need to hire a coach for him. Or come to a SS Seminar and learn how.

[That_guy_Over_there]

We are working on that. Deadlifts looked great last night. Squats are getting shallow so need to address that. Overall, he's doing a good job.

[Maybach]

The combination of the light bench weight, and the fact that a five pound increase takes him from five reps to zero, makes me wonder if he's really ready to train productively (the immediate cratering of reps from 5 to 0 is typical of a trainee outside the post pubescent male demographic). What size is he? Does he seem like he's past Tanner stage 4? Or is he something of a late bloomer.

[That_guy_Over_there]

The combination of the light bench weight, and the fact that a five pound increase takes him from five reps to zero, makes me wonder if he's really ready to train productively (the immediate cratering of reps from 5 to 0 is typical of a trainee outside the post pubescent male demographic). What size is he? Does he seem like he's past Tanner stage 4? Or is he something of a late bloomer.

5 to zero was more on Deadlift. Typing it out I don't think I explained my thoughts that well. On bench he might get the first rep or two great, then seems to forget how to push on 3 but gets 4 and 5 easy. We are working on his form and most of them are good. Some times though he gets out of the correct path and can't recover from it. I think it is just practice, he's never done these things before. We are only about 8-9 workouts in. My concern was trying to push the incremental weights if he is struggling with technique.

He stalled on deadlift at 185 for a couple workouts while we addressed his form, Wednesday he did 190 and made it look easy.

He's just about 5'11" and 165lbs last we checked.

The bench press issues seem pretty common, I see it with my wife and daughter. It takes them more time to learn that pattern and they seem to have trouble activating the correct muscles to push hard. Especially as the weight gets heavier, almost like when they push really hard they squeeze all the muscles and just hold the bar still. They will get it, there is no rush. It gives me a little time to get my numbers up before he catches me.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Seeing as it takes us about 15 reps to get a 90%-correct bench press at the Seminar, he still has a coaching problem.