I am currently 15 years old, and have yet to really grow. I am about 5'10" 150 pounds and have been lifting since a little before christmas. I am pretty sure that i'm still growing considering my dad is 6'0 and has a lot bigger build (wider shoulders and stuff) and that sort of thing. But that isnt really my question. I just wanted to give some info on my situation.
Anyway, my question is this. Does lifting effect the normal growth process? The way i understand it you grow taller and whatnot until about the age of 16 and then you start to widen out and gain muscle and that sort of thing. So, if i am correct (if im not let me know) then wouldnt the breaking down and rebuilding of muscle due to lifting hinder that natural process?
I’m not so much asking whether or not lifting will stunt my growth, but I am more asking Why lift now (during a time of natural growth) instead of waiting until i’ve reached my full size and then trying to improving upon that?
Sorry if it got a little confusing, it is hard to explain what i am thinking.
Simply put if you start now you’ll be A LOT bigger than if you waited until your growth stopped. You are getting ready to hit some serious growth years so take advantage of it. Get your nutrition straightened out, your lifting routine planned, and make sure you get plenty of rest and you will grow like a 'sumbitch.
Tons of great info on this site be it on the forums and old issues. Soak it up like a sponge. You are going to be way ahead of everyone else.
Good luck!
Definitely lift now. I started when I was about 15 and by the time I was 18 people thought I was juicing. I lifted 5 days a week, 2.5 hours a day and I had a really poor routine (Didn’t know about periodization) and didn’t eat enough to fuel my growth. Despite all this I grew higher and wider.
Your Testosterone levels will be naturally high - make the most of it!
Lifting early in life definitely does not impede the growth process. That’s just an old wive’s tale. I started lifting before my freshman year for football. Now I’m 6’8’'.
Warhorse called it right. I also started at 15 and started to grow more than everyone else they, of course had no knowledge of steroids, thought i was juicing. I only wish I had cleaned up my diet at the same time.
Start lifting now. You will be better off for it. About what you said about growing taller until you are 16. That really isn’t true. I’m 18 now and I’m still growing. My uncle was like 5’11’’ going into college, and by the time he graduated he was 6’3’'. I have seen this for many people. Everybody’s different. The only thing I really do know for sure is that girls generally develop faster than boys and therefore usually stop growing before boys do. Lifting will not stunt your growth, if anything it will help it. Just make sure you use good form and don’t sacrifice form for heavy weights.
Just want to thank this kid for sounding educated,and not like your typical 15 year old…so sick of seeing threads like Wuzzup yo,this is the shznit blah blah blah
