Dad Looking for Help with his Football Playing Son

I am an old time bodybuilder looking for advice for my son. He’s 16 (sophomore in high school) and very gifted in the area of football. Problem is, he’s somewhat short (5’7") and lean (135lbs) for his position (wide receiver). He’s approached me about supplements but unfortunately, the pharma world passed me up years ago. I can help in the weight room but need advice that will help carry him throughout his high school career and help him reach his goal of playing collegiately. I understand the obvious side of quality weight gain through proper diet so specifically, I’m looking for pre/post/recuperation products to help him gain size without sacrificing speed and flexibility.

Is this a joke? You do realize you’re posting in a Steroids forum asking for advice about your 16 year old son…? You are a terrible father.

[quote]cwwalden wrote:
I understand the obvious side of quality weight gain through proper diet so specifically, I’m looking for pre/post/recuperation products to help him gain size without sacrificing speed and flexibility. [/quote]

As far as supplements for a 16 year old I recommend:
Multi-vitamin/mineral
Micronized Creatine Monohydrate (5 grams per day)
Protein powder (1.5 grams per pound of lean mass from food and supplements)

On a more observational note:
If your kid weighs 135 and you think he will play collegiate football try to put muscle on him any way you can.
A car will usually go faster when you put a bigger engine in it.

The “without sacrificing speed and flexibility” is one of the dumbest things I hear in relation to gaining muscle and playing sports. If you want to maintain speed and flexibility stretch, do agility drills and run sprints/routes.

There’s this thing called meat you could have him try. To begin I would set the dosage at “all the time”.

But seriously, at that age he needs to bulk (conservatively or otherwise). He’s underweight right now. There’s an easy 30 pounds he can add if he eats aggressively. I would only recommend health supplements for him at this time.

at 16 he has test levels high enough that you can solve any problem by throwing protein at it.

Played football in high school, know a little bit about that. Played RB, ran a 4.5 40yd-dash, and i can dunk, relatively athletic. 20 yrs old. I would highly suggest beta-alanine & creatine. Both these supplements are scientifically proven to improve performance, inside the gym and out on the field. I take them both, and can back up the claims. both of these supps are pre/peri workout. I would do research on this site as well as others for correct dosing and whether a 16 yr old should even take them. I know creatine would be safe, beta-A i’m less sure about. look into BCAAs for post workout. coupled with a good ratio of carbs&protein in his diet. i believe the general recommendation for protein is between 1.5-2g per pound of bodyweight. carbs will fluctuate depending on training and the individuals “leanness”, keep them complex.

Shopping/Research
Beta-alanine
Creatine
BCAAs

I think those three would be more than adequate for a young kid to exceed on the field. I wouldnt dive too deep into other “pharma”.

Your best friend will be Joe Defranco. google him, a GOD in the athlete’s world.

@ 5’7, if he is truly “collegiate” material, he may wanna look into being a CB instead of WR… 5’7 is pretty small, unless he’s Wes Welker material.

Gentlemen and Shermie…thanks for the replies. Let’s clear the air and set the record straight. I came here looking for advice on nutrition and supplements - not PEDs, steroids, or smart-ass comments.

Let’s not get carried away thinking I’m trying to juice my kid up. I’m just uncertain as to whether or not he should be taking things like creatine and BCAAs at his age.

juiced? beta-alanine is a legal/tested/proven substance. Creatine is VERY common among high school athletes, BCAAs are already found in the body but become depleted through exercise. You said you were looking for pre/post/peri products did you not? Those are the 3 most researched and proven SUPPLEMENT products on the market. If you dont want to go that route then listen to these guys. meat, meat, meat, complex carbs, meat.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/tips/take_your_bcaa_121506&cr=

[quote]cwwalden wrote:
I’m just uncertain as to whether or not he should be taking things like creatine and BCAAs at his age. [/quote]

In my opinion BCAA’s and creatine are not why a 16yo doesn’t gain weight. Protein is the reason he doesn’t gain weight (and I’m assuming his workouts are in order). I had trouble gaining weight in highschool. When I went to play football in college I learned how to eat big. Get protein bars for him to keep in his locker at school.

Have him drink a gallon of milk a day and eat protein shakes. Will creatine and BCAA’s hurt? No, they are fine for someone his age (also assuming quality product), but protein is the answer. I would stay away from anything designed to increase testosterone or alter physiology, but creatine and BCAA’s are normal for diet.

[quote]tveddy wrote:

[quote]cwwalden wrote:
I’m just uncertain as to whether or not he should be taking things like creatine and BCAAs at his age. [/quote]

In my opinion BCAA’s and creatine are not why a 16yo doesn’t gain weight. Protein is the reason he doesn’t gain weight (and I’m assuming his workouts are in order). I had trouble gaining weight in highschool. When I went to play football in college I learned how to eat big. Get protein bars for him to keep in his locker at school.

Have him drink a gallon of milk a day and eat protein shakes. Will creatine and BCAA’s hurt? No, they are fine for someone his age (also assuming quality product), but protein is the answer. I would stay away from anything designed to increase testosterone or alter physiology, but creatine and BCAA’s are normal for diet.[/quote]

well said.

Thanks eightohfive and tveddy…that’s what I was looking for. My reference to “juice” was to combat shermie’s comments accusing me of being a terrible father because of my post. He obviously misunderstood that I was looking for supplement advice as opposed to roids.

[quote]cwwalden wrote:
Thanks eightohfive and tveddy…that’s what I was looking for. My reference to “juice” was to combat shermie’s comments accusing me of being a terrible father because of my post. He obviously misunderstood that I was looking for supplement advice as opposed to roids.[/quote]

No problem. And good luck. I wish I would have had a better diet when I was younger.

[quote]tveddy wrote:

[quote]cwwalden wrote:
Thanks eightohfive and tveddy…that’s what I was looking for. My reference to “juice” was to combat shermie’s comments accusing me of being a terrible father because of my post. He obviously misunderstood that I was looking for supplement advice as opposed to roids.[/quote]

No problem. And good luck. I wish I would have had a better diet when I was younger.[/quote]

x2

Instead of that vegetarian bulshit I had a run with (vegetarian father,love the guy).

http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask-joe-test/45-nutritionsupplementation/171-badass-of-the-month-block-vs-conjugate-periodization-a-joe-ds-supplement-pyramid.html

The second answer in the link is Joe Defranco’s ‘supplement pyramid’. He works a lot with High School athletes, worth a read.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Please do not feed him excessive amounts of dairy etc.

EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE I have worked with or talked to has had much better results (energy, mood, performance) by eliminating dairy, wheat and gluten.

A gallon of milk a day is iMO terrible old-school thinking. Fortunately we have surpassed this most basic of nutritional strategies with far more superior and less health-damaging ideas and strategies.

I’m sure many here will voice dissent, which is fine. This is my opinion, after all :slight_smile:

BBB[/quote]

i was gonna say something about GOMAD earlier but though i’d get blasted. i really agree though.

shit i love my oatmeal on my carb ups but i have noticed recently going with rice and potatoes has made me look much fuller the days following

[quote]roon12 wrote:
http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask-joe-test/45-nutritionsupplementation/171-badass-of-the-month-block-vs-conjugate-periodization-a-joe-ds-supplement-pyramid.html

The second answer in the link is Joe Defranco’s ‘supplement pyramid’. He works a lot with High School athletes, worth a read.[/quote]

DAMN GOOD ARTICLE

Since when is skim milk health damaging? We’re talking about a 16yo kid that needs to up his calories, not a bodybuilder thats trying to tweek an already dialed in diet. I’ve always been of the belief that you fix the big things first and then worry about the small stuff

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Please do not feed him excessive amounts of dairy etc.

EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE I have worked with or talked to has had much better results (energy, mood, performance) by eliminating dairy, wheat and gluten.

A gallon of milk a day is iMO terrible old-school thinking. Fortunately we have surpassed this most basic of nutritional strategies with far more superior and less health-damaging ideas and strategies.

I’m sure many here will voice dissent, which is fine. This is my opinion, after all :slight_smile:

BBB[/quote]

I’m not dissenting, though what’s your opinion on fermented dairy products, it seems that some of the ill effects are addressed (if I recall correctly).

[quote]tveddy wrote:
Since when is skim milk health damaging? We’re talking about a 16yo kid that needs to up his calories, not a bodybuilder thats trying to tweek an already dialed in diet. I’ve always been of the belief that you fix the big things first and then worry about the small stuff[/quote]

Low level milk protein sensitivity (similar to gluten sensitivity) elevated cortisol, bowel irritation. At least I believe that’s the paleo viewpoint. I for one have tried GOMAD I always felt like I needed a benadryl and my shits were horrendous.

I basically buy into the premise that we haven’t had enough time to adapt to cow’s milk, grains, legumes, etc.