I am not very strong. I go to the gym to work out every week to do cardio but I want to do weights too. Some people say that I shouldn't because it stunts my growth but i see other kids do it too. Should I?
I think kids are WAY too inactive (most adults, too!), so good for you for wanting to do something about it. I don't think weights will stunt your growth unless you really overdo it -- I'd say take it easy to start with, letting your growing muscles and tendons and bones adjust to the extra work. Be careful not to get sucked into the destructive end-gaining gym mentality of "no pain, no gain". Maybe you could find a good kid-friendly trainer, not one who wants to turn you into an Olympic weight-lifter! Good luck.
You didn't say how old you are, but I think it's a myth that it necessarily stunts your growth except for possibly things like barbell squats that can compress your spine. It would be good to have someone show you a bunch of freeweight exercises to give you a full body workout so that you know what you're doing and can be productive instead of just joining the crowd of kids around the bench press who try to max out with bad form and without warming up.
Dave
Site Administrator
"Half of our funny, heathen lives, we are bent double to gather things we have tossed away." - George Meredith
Lifting after 16 will not harm you.
Before 16 some exercises might harm you.
Not knowing yourself and your limits and doing stupid stuff will harm you.
Weights help you to produce more HGH and Testosterone. So they will help you grow more.
Gyms want to limit you in gaining too little amounts of muscle and loosing too little amounts of fat because they want you to be customer.
What is the base of that? Having memberships on over ten gyms and knowing some stuff about marketing psychology and making customers.
So, if you can't exercise at home, go to gym. But you can exercise at home.
If you are above 18 go to gym and refuse to take any program they give you. You are smart and you can make your own program. No one knows better yourself than yourself.
