Kids want to be strong for a variety of reasons, from looking like their favorite superhero to being better at the sport of their choice. Children cannot lift weights until they reach puberty. But there are a variety of activities you can do to build muscle and get stronger.
method
Method 1 of 3: Build muscle safely
Step 1. Go outside to play
Running, biking, swimming, team sports, and romping around in the woods naturally build muscles. This is often the safest, funnest way to build muscle for children. Grab a group of friends and play basketball with them, go on a scavenger hunt, jump in the pool, and wrestle in the garden - just as many adults use "cross-training" to build muscle through various activities, kids can secretly build muscle while they play.
Step 2. Warm up before you work out
Just that kids are flexible and energetic doesn't mean they can skip the warm up. Do some light aerobic activity (like walking, jogging, or jumping rope) for five to ten minutes before exercising to relax your muscles and get your blood pumping.
Step 3. Use your body weight to build muscle everywhere
Children shouldn't just take an adult training plan and cut it down. That can't just be dangerous. Children also have a level of energy and natural flexibility that allows them to do a variety of exercises without the need for weights. Perhaps more importantly, these exercises can easily be turned into games or small competitions. This makes them more fun than a trip to the gym.
- Do modified pull-ups on monkey bars or offer your friends to push them on the swing to build arm muscles.
- Jumps, jumps, and lunges all use your body weight to work your leg muscles.
- Climbing, be it on a climbing wall or in the playground, is a great workout for your arm and leg muscles.
Step 4. Do pushups
One of the best exercises for upper body muscles is still one of the easiest. Lie down so that your hands and toes are touching the floor. Use both hands to push your entire body up until your elbows are barely bent. Then slowly lower yourself to the ground. When you're about 6 inches from the floor, push yourself back up and repeat. Try to do ten in a row, then rest for a minute or two and try again.
- Keep your butt down, level with your shoulders.
- Keep your back straight.
- Your hands should be shoulder width apart. However, the further they are apart, the more you work on your chest muscles. The closer your hands are together, the more you work on your arm muscles.
Step 5. Do sit-ups with a ball and a friend
Sit facing each other with your knees bent and toes pointing towards each other. One of you should be holding a ball in your hands. At the same time, come up from your stomach so you can look into each other's eyes and toss the ball to each other. Only your feet and buttocks should still touch the ground. Keep doing situps and throwing the ball until either of you gets too tired to continue.
- Keep your feet on the floor all the time, trying to keep your shoulders level with your friend's.
- Focus on using the muscles around your stomach to pull yourself up each time.
Step 6. Organize "crazy races" to build different muscles
There are tons of fun variations on a regular race that activate certain muscles and encourage kids to exercise without them noticing. Try doing a relay run alternating between the following exercises to inspire great upper body strength.
- Bear crawling: Stretch your buttocks high in the air with your hands and feet on the floor and walk forward on all fours. You'd be surprised how tired you get - a lot of soccer and rugby teams still do this for strength conditioning.
- Crab gang: Sit with your knees bent and your feet and hands on the floor. Lift your buttocks and move forward, backward, or side to side to exercise your arms, abs, and thighs.
- Push-up jump: Jump forward with both feet. When you land, lie down and do a push-up. Then get up quickly and jump forward again.
- Moon lunges: While looking slow, they are great exercises for building muscles in your hips and legs. Take the biggest step forward with your right foot that you can. Then slowly lower your left knee and buttocks to the floor. Stand up and repeat with your left leg.
Step 7. Write the alphabet with your legs to work on your core and leg muscles
Not for the wimp, this exercise is a fun way to add some thinking and competition to your exercises. Lie on your back. Lift both legs together and straighten your toes to form a long, straight pencil. From here, use your legs to spell the alphabet. How far do you get
- Often times it is easiest to keep your hands under your buttocks for balance.
- Do a "workout spelling contest" by challenging friends to spell words using their legs. It's not just spelling that counts, you have to get the word out as well.
Step 8. Use exercise bands for "light" weight training
Exercise bands are long, stretchy exercise machines that allow you to safely simulate weightlifting. Think of them as big rubber bands - when you pull on them, they resist and want to snap back together, making them harder and harder to pull. Some exercises to try out include:
- Stand with your right foot on one end of the ribbon and hold the other in your right hand. Keeping your elbow in the same place, pull the band towards your chest with your hand. Do it ten times, then switch hands.
- Hold an end in each hand. Stand with both feet on the middle of the band, legs shoulder width apart. With your arms wide apart (as if you were giving up), push the end of the ribbon towards the sky. Keep your knees slightly bent.
- Hold one end of the ribbon in your right hand and stand with your left foot on the other end. Keep your back straight and twist on your hips towards your left foot as if trying to touch your toes with your right hand. Turn back and pull the band up to the right side of your body. Think of it like a classic "disco dance" or pulling the string to start a lawnmower.
Step 9. When you're done, stretch
Cooling down helps your muscles relax, which makes them more effective the next time you need them. When you're done, do some light stretching to feel great the next day.
Make sure to take time to rest. Your body needs time to recover from a workout. Therefore, do not train the same muscles for two days in a row
Step 10. Know that you shouldn't lift weights until after puberty
Trying to lift difficult weights and "get huge" is not only impossible for young children but also unhealthy. Your muscles, tendons (which attach muscles to bones), and ligaments (which connect bones to other bones) are not fully developed and could break under stress. Be patient and wait with the weights until you are a teenager.
In younger children, exercise bands can safely be replaced with small weights ranging from 1.0 to 4.5 kg
Method 2 of 3: start lifting weights
Step 1. Start lifting weights after you hit puberty to build muscle
Teenagers can start building muscle in the gym after puberty. Teens may even be able to build muscle faster than adults. The hormones that cause a teen to grow rapidly during puberty increase your metabolism and increase muscle growth. Most children can start lifting weights between the ages of twelve and fourteen. However, the signs that someone is in puberty include:
- Beginning of body odor
- acne
- Beginning body hair (boys)
- Broadening shoulders, growing rib cage (boys)
- Beginning development of the breasts (girls)
Step 2. Focus on light weights and high repetitions, not on lifting a ton a few times
The safest, most effective way to get muscle for teenagers is through proper shape and safe lifting habits. When you start out, you may be able to press many weights once or twice. However, your form suffers when you try to push the weight up. Try to do eight to twelve repetitions of something that weighs in, but feels comfortable.
- A "repetition" means that you do an exercise once. Aim for eight to twelve reps.
- A "set" is several repetitions. After a set, rest for a minute or two before continuing. Aim for three to five sets of each exercise.
Step 3. Build a program around the basics
While every magazine rack across the country is pushing for "the best new workouts to get muscle," the classic exercises are still some of the best. Most of these are "mixed lifts," meaning they work multiple muscles at once for quick results. Begin your lifting routine by learning the following exercises before moving on to more complex, sport-specific lifting:
- Bench press
- Shoulder press
- Squats
- Deadlift
- rowing
Step 4. Aim to exercise no more than an hour a day, three to five days a week
Remember, your body is still growing and reacting negatively to exercising too often. Don't force yourself because you think you'll get better results then - you might just hurt yourself and set your training back. Shorter, more frequent workouts will help you stay in shape and keep your muscles healthy.
- Exercise on non-consecutive days so that you can rest between sessions.
- An hour long workouts allow you to focus on your technique without getting too tired to pay attention to your form.
Step 5. Make sure your technique is perfect
This is the best thing you can do to grow muscles quickly and safely. Don't try to teach yourself how to lift weights. You need a coach, parent, or personal trainer to discover your mistakes and show you how to correct them. A few things to focus on include:
- Keep your back straight. Your lower back should never be bent. To avoid this, focus on getting your chest inflated a little and keeping your shoulder blades behind.
- Never fully straighten your joints. Instead, push the weight until your joint is still slightly flexed before returning to the resting position.
- Stop if you are in pain. "No pain, no gain" is a myth - even if an exercise is difficult, stabbing pain in your muscles or joints means that you are doing something wrong.
Step 6. Eat and drink water within 30 minutes of your workout to fuel muscle growth
Your muscles need protein and energy to get strong. So make sure you're getting the calories you need to build muscle. While you don't need to overload yourself with protein, you should have something to eat shortly after your workout. Also, make sure to drink two to three glasses of water after your workout to rehydrate yourself.
- Sandwich with turkey or chicken
- Trail mix
- Peanut butter with jelly
- Protein, muesli or fruit and nut bars.
Step 7. Know that dietary supplements are not a substitute for good nutrition
Supplements that are claimed to "build muscle quickly" or help you lose weight in weeks are generally not safe. This is especially true for developing teenagers. You should concentrate on eating a healthy and balanced diet and avoid "quick fixes" that may or may not help.
- A good, balanced diet consists of protein (chicken, fish, eggs), complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, whole wheat), and fruits and vegetables every day. Good nutrition will fuel your body and help you get the most out of your workouts.
- Never use steroids to supplement your workout as they can create health problems for years to come.
Step 8. See your doctor before starting any exercise program
At your annual check-up, ask your doctor about starting an exercise program. Make sure there are no medical concerns that you should be aware of. Talk to him about creating a safe exercise program for your body. While you may feel ready to lift weights, your doctor has specific advice for you to get the most out of your exercises.
Method 3 of 3: Understand children's muscles
Step 1. Remember that children are not likely to grow muscles before puberty
The hormones needed to build big, bulky muscles come with puberty. Therefore, don't push a child into lifting weights or starting exercise programs if they can't even reap the rewards. Children naturally begin to build muscle as teenagers. However, you should focus less on growing your muscles and more on being healthy.
Step 2. Focus your energy on strength training, not weight lifting
Weight lifting, bodybuilding, and power lifting can be very dangerous for a child's developing muscles. However, strength training focuses on proper technique and safety rather than lifting the largest piece of metal you can. Lifting weights as a child can damage a child's growth plates. These are the pieces of cartilage that are still being converted into bones. Damaging them can hurt a child for life.
Differentiate between increasing muscle strength and "pumping". Talk to them about the benefits of having lean muscles, such as a healthy weight, improved exercise performance, and higher self-esteem. Let them know that it is impossible to "pump up" many muscles before puberty
Step 3. Know that a child can start weight training around the age of seven or eight
If a child is good at following instructions and expressing an interest in getting stronger, it is safe to start a light exercise program at the age of seven.
Generally, if a child is ready to play organized sports, they are ready to start a strength program as well
Step 4. Focus your energy on strength training, not weight lifting
Weight lifting, bodybuilding, and power lifting can be very dangerous for a child's developing muscles. Weight training, however, focuses on proper technique and safety rather than lifting the largest piece of metal you can. Lifting weights as a child can damage a child's growth plates. These are the pieces of cartilage that are still being converted into bones. Damaging them can hurt a child for life.
Differentiate between increasing muscle strength and "pumping". Talk to them about the benefits of having lean muscles, such as a healthy weight, improved exercise performance, and higher self-esteem. Let them know that it is impossible to "pump up" many muscles before puberty
Step 5. Prefer the correct technique to large muscles
Since most children cannot actually build muscle, you should work on the right training techniques to prevent injuries, learn good mechanics, and lay a solid foundation for later workouts. A few things to watch out for include:
- Keep your back (spine) aligned axially. Your lower back should never be bent forward or backward to make a stretch easier. Focus on keeping your chest up and your shoulder blades behind so your back is level.
- Never "overstretch" a joint. If you are overstretching, you bend a joint slightly in the opposite direction in which you want it to bend (such as pushing your knees so hard that your legs are bent backwards).
- Work on a healthy running form. Good runners keep their backs straight, land in the middle of their feet (not on their heels), and take medium-sized, quick strides instead of long strides.
Step 6. Always supervise a child while they are learning weight training
Children try to learn complex movements at the same time as they build muscle. This is difficult when you are just starting out. You need to observe children and help them correct their posture, avoid injury, and exercise effectively.
Tips
- Being active, going outside, and playing sports games is the best way to get muscle every day.
- Play team sports like handball or soccer.
- Make sure you have good posture when lifting weights to avoid back pain.
