My son wants to go to the gym!

[Jr_Geezer]

My 15 yo son has seen me going to the gym regularly for the last 3 1/2 years but has never wanted to join me. I've never really pushed, because I know that is the path to failure (I did insist on one gym session, after I couldn't take it anymore seeing him sit on the couch all weekend with his video games. That was about a year and a half ago, no visits since.) He's expressed an interest in going out for the track team next year (he'll be a sophomore), for javelin, of all things. He's got good leverages for that, with long limbs, and I've tried to impress upon him what an advantage it would be to be stronger by the time track season rolls around. Apparently what finally flipped the switch for him was seeing the latest Avengers movie and seeing how buff Captain America was (I'm an old fogey, never seen any of the films in the series). He came home from the movie and said he wanted to look like him.

As I said, he's just turned 15, about 5' 11", skinny at maybe 155lbs. Hairy legs, deeper voice, Fu Manchu mustache, so physically mature enough to actually do some training. We've planned for the first session to be this Saturday and I was planning on getting him started with the squat, bench and deadlift, working on form as much as possible, keeping the weights light enough to not induce too much DOMS so as not to discourage him too much. I did offer to set up a session with the local SSC, Robert Santana (who I've seen a few times), but my son wanted to stick with just me for now. I think I'll see if I can get him comfortable with the lifts and approaching decent form and then set up a coaching session, so he won't be quite as self-conscious.

Any advice or thoughts on how to make this a successful start for what I hope is a beneficial journey for my son and I would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

-Rob

[Meshuggah]

Both of my sons trained with me in our garage gym. I have a lot of great memories and pride of what they accomplished. (both were state powerlifting champs)
You will never regret spending time training with your son. They grow too fast, enjoy every minute.

[Jr_Geezer]

Both of my sons trained with me in our garage gym. I have a lot of great memories and pride of what they accomplished. (both were state powerlifting champs)
You will never regret spending time training with your son. They grow too fast, enjoy every minute.

Truer words have never been spoken. And congratulations on your sons' success.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. I just don't want to screw it up by making it a bad experience for him.

[Meshuggah]

Truer words have never been spoken. And congratulations on your sons' success.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. I just don't want to screw it up by making it a bad experience for him.

Their ages now are 34 and 28. My oldest hasn't touched a weight for a couple of years, but my youngest still trains and makes a good living
as a personal trainer ($35.00 an hour) and he will soon be the director of trainers.
As long as he wants to do it, things will be great. I never once forced it on my sons.
One thing to be prepared for - when he starts out-lifting you, you will be very proud and a little bit depressed all at the same time.
Youth eventually prevails.

[Charlocity2]

In my opinion, you've already done (and no doubt will continue to do) the most critical thing:

...model the discipline required to productively train.

That long term discipline will be imperative, because you know from experience that a Captain America will not come overnight.

But you know your son best, and know his motivation is an opportunity. I would keep it low key when you train together in the gym, since he or any other relative won't be able to absorb coaching from you as good as they could from someone they're not related to.

Speaking of coaching: can an SSC do a group session with both you and your son?

After my son's first private coaching session at my gym, the SSC was nice enough to tell me how well he did, a few days later. He reported that my son said he learned the lifts from me, which was nice to hear. But my son is much more naturally athletic than me and has much more intestinal fortitude (currently a Sergeant on active duty in the Marine Corps).

...and as Mr. Shug said, our sons always end up outlifting us, sooner than we might like.

[Tiburon]

seeing how buff Captain America was (I'm an old fogey, never seen any of the films in the series). He came home from the movie and said he wanted to look like him.
....
5' 11", skinny at maybe 155lbs.

eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat
eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat

[Sopirate55]

OP, keep us updated. My son is only 7 so I have to live vicariously through stories like these....and hopefully learn a few lessons.

[billb7581]

Here's my boy in the last 10 months 15 years old

squat.jpgdeadlift.jpg

[skid]

My eldest son started us both lifting back when he was 14 or so. I had some weights and a squat rack that I hadn't used for almost 10 years stored away, and he decided he wanted to start lifting for football. Fast forward a few years and the two of us competed in the Nationals earlier this year. Weightlifting created quite a bond between us...

[Eric Schexnayder]

Both of my sons trained with me in our garage gym. I have a lot of great memories and pride of what they accomplished. (both were state powerlifting champs)
You will never regret spending time training with your son. They grow too fast, enjoy every minute.

This is my dream with my two sons. Glad to see it actually happened for someone.