10.5 year-old wants to lift weights

[Anonymous]

My son wants to start lifting weights and working out to gain definition in his arms and abs. Is this too young? Should I discourage it? If it’s safe, what type of weight would be appropriate?

[Anonymous]

Take him to a sports performance place if he wants to do anything beyond body weight exercises (pushups etc). There are many that are geared toward tweens + teens and they can teach him how to workout safely in an age appropriate way.

[Anonymous]

Bodyweight would be the best starting point. Pushups, squats, lunges. You might be able to find a tween weighlifting class if he wants more, for appropriate training.

[Anonymous]

That’s weird

[Anonymous]

If he’s doing it for how he looks then I think you need to figure out what TF is happening in your lives.

If he plays a sport and thinks it can help then I get it, but I’m wondering if you’re a troll.

[Anonymous]

Extremely unhealthy behavior.

[Anonymous]

It's fine. Be sure he eats enough protein to repair his body.

Bodyweight exercises are more advanced depending on the exercise. Weights allow many movements with lesser weight than using your bodyweight, if he isn't strong enough to do many pullups, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would not allow him to use weights. Pushups, sit-ups, chin-ups, yes. Weights, no.

[Anonymous]

My 9-year old uses 5 lb weights. He has a nightly lifting routine of a few exercises my dh taught him. This is driven by the kid. I think his interest in fitness is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

I'd check the media he is consuming, because there's a lot of really toxic fitness stuff directed at boys too. Supplements weights, that kind of thing.

I wouldn't let a boy that young lift weights, he's too likely to hurt himself.

If he wants definition in his arms and abs in a healthy manner, he should consider swimming or rock climbing. But I would talk to him about media, how the look some of those men have is unnatural (steroids) and the health side effects of some of those powders and "supplements" they push. How young boys and teenagers don't have as much muscle mass and that's normal and expected.

[Anonymous]

Weightlifting at that age can only be safely done with trained adult supervision. I’d limit him to bodyweight exercises.

[Anonymous]

You all are focusing on the weightlifting and not the fact that he’s doing it to look good and not for performance. That’s disturbing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are focusing on the weightlifting and not the fact that he’s doing it to look good and not for performance. That’s disturbing

I think it could be normal for a 10yo if he looks up to say his dad or older brother who has that kind of muscle definition. But then again, if that were the situation this question probably wouldn’t need to be asked.

I agree that bodyweight exercises and sports are the way to go at his age. Group classes or personal training focused on sports performance could be good to introduce some weights. And as long as he eats a balanced, mostly nutritious diet, definition will come naturally as he starts getting taller and losing some of the “baby fat”.

[Anonymous]

That's awesome! Look at D1 training, they specialize in youth athletes.

Otherwise, I'd encourage him and buy him a small set of weights...nothing wrong with it at all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are focusing on the weightlifting and not the fact that he’s doing it to look good and not for performance. That’s disturbing

Why does the motivation matter so much to you?

It's normal and healthy.