Weight training, or strength training, is a perfectly safe and even recommended activity for teenagers. As long as you learn how to properly execute exercises and use strength-training equipment, you can benefit from lifting weights. Teenagers must take certain aspects into consideration, however, before beginning a strength-training regimen. As a teenager, you should not approach strength training as competition, like bodybuilding. Rather, strength training should be seen as a fun activity that helps you stay healthy.
Beneftis
Regular strength training can help you tone your muscles and make you stronger. If done properly, lifting weights can also help strengthen your joints and reduce the risk for injury. Stronger muscles and joints can translate into better overall physical performances in sports. But you should consider taking up strength training even if you are not involved in sports. If you are overweight or would like to gain muscle mass, strength training can help you in both instances. Lifting weights helps tone muscles and burns calories. Combined with a nutritious diet, it also helps develop muscle size.
Equipment
Strength training workouts can be performed using different types of exercise equipment. Nearly every gym has free weights and machines. Free weights can come in the form of dumbbells and weighted plates that are stacked onto a bar. The weights are then pushed or pulled through various motion ranges to work the muscles. Machines are generally designed to work one specific body part. Their designs position your body in such a way that isolates a particular body part, which concentrates the work of the exercise on those muscles. Ensure you familiarize yourself with strength-training equipment before using it.
Workouts
If you are new to strength training, work out with someone who has experience, such as a coach or personal trainer. A training partner can help you demonstrate how to perform weightlifting exercises safely and effectively. He can also help develop a comprehensive training program based on your age and goals. Always perform a short five- to 10-minute aerobic warm up before lifting weights. This helps warm your muscles, which reduces the potential for injury when strength training. Warm ups can include running on a treadmill, elliptical training and jumping rope. After your warm up, perform some basic stretches that further loosen your muscles.
Intensity
As a teenager, you must take care not to lift weight that is too heavy for you. Bones and ligaments still grow during your teenage years, and strenuous weightlifting can have an adverse affect on their development. Use light weight and aim to complete one set of 12 to 15 repetitions for each exercise in a workout. If your muscles are near failure after completing 12 to 15 repetitions, you are using the right amount of weight. Focus on executing each exercise with proper form. This benefits you more than worrying about how much weight you are lifting. Never lift weights on consecutive days. Give yourself at least 24 hours between workouts so that your muscles can fully recover.
Member Comments