Reply With QuoteWhy would it be better to avoid "spinal loading" until he is older? And what would a more "bro-oriented approach" be?
Obviously he should just DTP
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Training a 13 years old friend
I have a 13yo , 130lbs skinny-fat friend who wants to get into lifting , to build some muscle.
I'm going to 'coach' him in a few days , though I need a coach myself !
I don't know if I should have him do the program (assuming the gym where he trains has squat racks and allows deadlifts and standing presses). I myself had a lot of injury issues when I started doing the program at 16yo and 140lbs , all of which are gone now that I am 18 and 205. But they held me back , a lot.
Since his goal is just to build muscle , I would like to know if a more "bro-oriented" approach would fit better , and if it would be better to avoid any spinal loading until he is older.
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Why would it be better to avoid "spinal loading" until he is older? And what would a more "bro-oriented approach" be?
Obviously he should just DTP
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Because his soft tissue is not quite as developed as an old person. His ligaments , tendons and joints are fragile at this age.
Another thing is that his hormonal profile may not allow him to gain muscle as fast as an older person would , and thus would be unlikely to truly benefit from the program.
A bro oriented approach is what you see most guys in the gym do (without the machine isolation bullshit) , which when done consistently and intelligently can yield some results hypertrophy wise , though not so much in terms of strength.
I know quite a few guys in the gym who are weaker than me but more muscular (at least in some bodyparts)
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[QUOTE=exter;677582] His ligaments , tendons and joints are fragile at this age.
Another thing is that his hormonal profile may not allow him to gain muscle as fast as an older person would , and thus would be unlikely to truly benefit from the program.
QUOTE]
The ligaments, tendons, and joints of anaverage thirteen year old male are not fragile.
If your question boils down, as I think it does, to whether he should do some sort of body building or SS, I say he should do SS.
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A better approach for a 13 year old motherfucker to avoid injury would be to swap low bar squats with high bar squats, power cleans with cleans, deadlifts with Romanian deadlifts, add in EZ bar curls and high-rep chins/dips, dumbbell pressing instead of the over-head press, and close grip bench instead of the regular bench.Originally Posted by exter
I'll probably get flamed for this. But I worship the Lord of Light. So flame away motherfuckers, unless you own dragons.
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What is the rationale for each of these changes?
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HBBS and RDL instead of LBBS and deadlifts: More amenable to higher reps, less loading at the lower back, much MUCH easier to teach. The kid is 13 years old, much better not to bore and confuse him at the start with inane cues like look down, knees back, hip drive, etc.
Cleans instead of power cleans: Will reduce the inevitable form breakdowns that come with learning the power clean first, especially on the catch. Will probably take an extra two or three sessions to learn, but it's worth it particularly in a 13 year old boy who could benefit from some extra coordination. Most people doing power cleans have stone legs, something that is always fixable after a period of doing full squat cleans. He's also 13, meaning he picks things up faster than old motherfuckers, unless he's an uncoordinated little fuck.
Use Pendlay's three step clean progression. The method for the power clean in SS is completely fucked up, goes against all orthodoxy and you will have you completely reconstruct your technique should you actually go to a respectable coach later on.
EZ bar curls and high rep chins/dips: BEACH MUSCLES MOTHERFUCKERS
Dumbbell pressing instead of the overhead press: He's 13. He'll stall exceptionally quickly on the overhead press. Dumbbell pressing is more amenable to higher reps, allowing him more steady progress rather than endless deloading, stalling, etc, that could deflate a little kid. I'd argue autoregulated progression is superior in this instance.
Close grip bench: Better for long-term shoulder health, and important because he probably wants to play varsity sport later on unless he is a faggot.
Spinal loading isn't bad, but he's 13. That means he's probably impatient and becoming a bit of a douche. Better stick with HBBS and RDL than the LBBS and deadlift in this case.
Last edited by yellowmamba; 05-22-2013 at 11:50 PM.
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I'd have him doing a lot of repetition for a good while first. Until he can show he is confident and can nail perfect form.
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I'd say do some version of a Bill Starr 5x5
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I'd agree with Paul. I vote getting him to start squatting LBBS, deadlifting, benching and pressing. Id have him do high reps with v. low weights. 5 sets of 10 on each. After a few weeks which no real increase in weight, but where you are happy with his form, Id start him on the program as written. On the bench and press maybe look at 5lbs increase a week rather than per session as his stall points will likely come very early. Definitely invest in some micro-loading plates.
I cant think of anything better for a 13 year old's athletic ability than deadlifting. I'm guessing he will be playing sports etc at school so cardio isn't too much of a concern.
Also try to instill the need to eat more protein. I remember when I was 13 and although I could eat anything and everything I wanted to and not gain fat, I would generally devour pizzas and pasta more readily than large quantities of chicken.
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