While it's important for teens to build muscle as they grow and develop, it needs to be done with a slightly different approach than it would be for adults. A focus on nutrition is the first step. Teenagers need to eat well-balanced, nutritious meals full of vitamins and nutrients. Following the MyPyramid Plan is a good start. When it comes to exercise programs for teens, a focus on proper technique and training habits are crucial aspects of increasing muscle mass in the gym.
Getting Started
Before getting started with any muscle-building program, visit your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to start training. Once your doctor gives you approval, set a weightlifting schedule and stick to it. Being inconsistent with training and nutritional habits are two of the biggest mistakes teenage lifters make, according to Bodybuilding.com. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends three days of light resistance training per week for teens. If you are serious about building muscle, increase your lifting regimen to four or five days per week or increase the intensity.
Exercises
Since you will most likely be a beginner in the gym, start by focusing on compound exercises. Compound exercises are those that work multiple muscle groups at once. A few of the most effective compound exercises include bench press, squats/leg presses, deadlifts and shoulder presses. Base your workout around these primary exercises. You can fill in the gaps with targeted exercises that focus on one muscle at a time, such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg curls, shoulder shrugs, crunches and lat pulldowns.
Schedule
One of the biggest mistakes teenagers make when trying to build muscle is overworking themselves. You will not build muscle without an adequate amount of rest between workouts. One effective workout strategy that allows for an ample amount of rest time is a three-day-a-week lifting schedule that offers a day of rest between each session. If you choose to lift on a four or five-day-a-week lifting plan, do not exercise the same muscle on consecutive days. Instead, choose one to three muscles to target each day and then rest them for the rest of the week.
Circuit Training
An alternative to traditional muscle-building programs is called circuit training. This training regimen offers a cardio benefit in addition to helping you build muscle. You can circuit train up to three times per week as a teenager with a day of rest between each session. Start by choosing five to 10 exercises that collectively provide a full-body workout. Do each exercise consecutively with no more than 30 seconds of rest between. Complete a total of one to three circuits per workout.
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