Intro Novice Program LP for 12 year old using Cybex Machines

[Brian.Johnson]

Hello.

My family recently joined the YMCA near our house. At age 12, they allow kids to start using machines. I figured this would be a good time to introduce my 12 year whose goal is to play high school baseball and basketball to the concepts of the starting strength program even though he does not have access to the barbell equipment.

The gym has all the usual machines: leg press, hamstring curl, sitting over head press, sitting chest press, lat pull down, rows, and a bunch of small muscle machines (glutes, biceps, etc.).

I was thinking of doing a 3x5 Lineament progression looking like the following:

A Day

1) Leg Press: Warm Up, 3x5
2) Bench: Warm Up, 3x5
3) Rows: Warm Up, 3x5

B Day

1) Leg Press, Warm Up, 3x5
2) Siting Overhead Press: Warm Up, 3x5
3) ?

Any suggestions on what else to put on B day? Maybe the hamstring curl?

He is really interested in starting strength training. I wanted to direct his energies doing something close to Novice Linear progression within the universe of equipment he can use on his own. He is also going to log all his exercises in a notebook and track his progress over time.

Any help/ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

Brian

[Mark Rippetoe]

Practical Programming for Strength Training | The Aasgaard Company

[TommyGun]

Brian,
Here’s what I did with my 14 year old who will be entering high school next month.

When he was 12 or so I brought him with me when I trained. On the drive there I would explain a lot of the things I would be doing, especially why squat and deadlift. He watched and asked questions. He liked to help by videotaping my sets and would help add plated to the bar. Then he would look at the stupid things other guys were doing in the gym and ask why they were doing them.
So basically at 12 and 13 he observed and learned.

At 14 I he began a LNP, although with many stops and starts. But here’s the thing: he loves it, and I think it is because he is not forced to do it. He understands the role of strength and knows how it translates to his sports.
I took him to a SS Squat and Deadlift Camp a few months ago also. Went for myself and let him tag along. But he really liked being around strong guys and being coached.

Summary: don’t force it. Let him come to the bar. Be very observant, he will want to do more than sets of five. Also consider his physical readiness, i.e. Tanner Stage 4 is Rip’s general rule for when young trainees are ready to run a LP. Good luck.

[Fulcrum]

Hello.
My family recently joined the YMCA near our house. At age 12, they allow kids to start using machines. I figured this would be a good time to introduce my 12 year whose goal is to play high school baseball and basketball to the concepts of the starting strength program even though he does not have access to the barbell equipment.

The gym has all the usual machines: leg press, hamstring curl, sitting over head press, sitting chest press, lat pull down, rows, and a bunch of small muscle machines (glutes, biceps, etc.).


Brian

I have experience training a few kids.

Here's the thing.
If you search this site, you'll learn that younger kids will likely not respond to training the same way an adult will respond to training.
Type Tanner Stage 4 into the search function.
The hormones and "machinery" just isn't quite there yet for them to put on gobs of muscle.
Every kid is different, and develops (puberty wise) at different rates and ages.

There is still value for a kid to lift with barbells at earlier ages: coordination, balance, and motor pattern learning of the barbell lifts.
That way if he/she is regularly doing squats, deadlifts and presses with good form, once they do show a response to training, their lifts will take-off accordingly.

So the machines do not have much value at all.
I assume at an older age they would be "allowed" to use the barbells at the Y.
Hopefully this is 14,15,16 or something. If it's 18, find another gym or do a garage gym set up.

You'd be better off buying the 12 year old a barbell (perhaps a 15 kg women's bar or 5-10 kg technique bar) and a few token plates,
and have the kid do the lifts at home to learn the movements.
A pair of cheap squat stands aren't much.
Hell, you could hand him the bar for presses or place the bar on his back for squats by hand to get started.
Deads, and power cleans are done from the floor of course.

If you are serious about the school sports thing.
It would really behoove you to get his barbell lifts straightened out and completely ingrained now before
the school weight-room "coaches" get a hold of him.

And +1 with what Tommygun's post said

Summary: don’t force it. Let him come to the bar. Be very observant, he will want to do more than sets of five.

[Brian.Johnson]

Brian,

Summary: don’t force it. Let him come to the bar. Be very observant, he will want to do more than sets of five. Also consider his physical readiness, i.e. Tanner Stage 4 is Rip’s general rule for when young trainees are ready to run a LP. Good luck.

Definitely. Thanks for sharing your experience.

He wants to start doing something, so I wanted to channel that energy in a positive direction. He is definitely not ready for LP on the bar, but I want to start laying the mental foundation and habits for when he is ready.

We started last week with some help from Andy Baker. After one week in, he is still asking to go to the gym every other day.

[Brian.Johnson]

Hi TommyGun. Thanks for the advice.

He is definitely not ready for LP. At 14 he would gain access to the barbell area at our local Y which has all the equipment he would need for LP once he hits Tanner Stage 4.

I share your concern about high school strength training programs, so I want to start developing the best habits we can within the constraints we have to work with.