You know what grinds my gears… is when a “know it all coach”, or “know it all college kid” tries to tell me not to do certain lifts. Squats especially. I cant see the reaason why he doesnt want me to squat because Im only 13 and he thinks it will damage my knees. But he hounds me at the gym everyday and its really annoying.
I was just wondering if anyone would agree with me.
1st. I think that doing everyday activities, such as snowboarding, wrestling with friends, playing football, and helping do yard work is WAY worse as far as injuring yourself. Think about this, I just recently went snowboarding (I SUCK) so I was constantly falling down and picking myself up. Basically I was ASS to GRASS squating everytime I fell. But I didnt have a controled environment, there were no mirrors for me to watch my form, I would fall and get back up as quickly as possilbe.
Also, wrestling with friends I think is a lot worse then doing squats, deadlifts, of bench pressing. When you try to pick your friend up to body slam him or some other shit, you just use all your might to lift him off the ground. YOu dont stop to make sure your back isnt rounding out or make sure your weight is on your heels. Right?
But when your in a gym performing Deadlifts, you take that extra second before the lift to make sure your form is perfect. or when your Squating you look to the side before you get under the bar to make sure you have a good arch in your back.
So why do people constantly nag teens like me about weightlifting and damaging my growth? Ive done enough research and havent found any legit evindence of stuning your growth from weightlifting.
Thanks to anyone you agrees with me/ disagrees with me but overall just give feedback.
1st. I think that doing everyday activities, such as snowboarding, wrestling with friends, playing football, and helping do yard work is WAY worse as far as injuring yourself. Think about this, I just recently went snowboarding (I SUCK) so I was constantly falling down and picking myself up. Basically I was ASS to GRASS squating everytime I fell. But I didnt have a controled environment, there were no mirrors for me to watch my form, I would fall and get back up as quickly as possilbe.
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You want to be carefull about how you fall. I’ve done a lot of damage to my knees from tumbling with a snowboard attatched to my feet.
Try to flatten out and keep your arms out so that your body doesn’t roll.
Stay off of your down hill edge. Nothing worse than getting slapped in to the ground when your edge catches.
And forget about the dude that says not to squat. By the time you are his age, you will be way ahead of him.
I think you’re wise to question what older people are telling you. But the only way you can know whether squats can hurt you at your age is to look at the actual experience of other people who started squatting at a similar age.
If I were you, I would write to Dave Tate and ask his opinion. He started squatting at age 13. If you don’t know who he is, this interview will explain:
You can find Dave at his website, elitefts.com. The site has a Q&A section. You might try asking there. Good luck!
Thanks to every one who replied. Im researching on how to contack Dave Tate, if anyone has his contact info or could help that would be great but overall thanks.
1st. I think that doing everyday activities, such as snowboarding, wrestling with friends, playing football, and helping do yard work is WAY worse as far as injuring yourself. Think about this, I just recently went snowboarding (I SUCK) so I was constantly falling down and picking myself up. Basically I was ASS to GRASS squating everytime I fell. But I didnt have a controled environment, there were no mirrors for me to watch my form, I would fall and get back up as quickly as possilbe.
You want to be carefull about how you fall. I’ve done a lot of damage to my knees from tumbling with a snowboard attatched to my feet.
Try to flatten out and keep your arms out so that your body doesn’t roll.
Stay off of your down hill edge. Nothing worse than getting slapped in to the ground when your edge catches.
And forget about the dude that says not to squat. By the time you are his age, you will be way ahead of him.
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Arms out? So he can then separate his shoulder? That is the most insane thing I’ve read in at least 10 seconds. I have to disagree with you on that one.
I’m not Dave Tate but have squatted since I was about 13 or 14 I think…
I have never had any knee problems or other lower extremity/back injuries, while my roommate, who never touched a weight but is a soccer player, has had knee problems for a while, many ankle injuries and a strained hamstring.
movements that cause injuries are fast, high impact movements most of the time. squatting isn’t a fast movement.
just use reasonable poundages and lift with good form and I think you’re good to go
Since you mentioned you fall a lot, here is an article you should read
I make my boys wear wrist guards when snow boarding which is recommended by their doctor. Of course, they also wear helmets when skiing or snowboarding.
I don’t snowboard but I once dislocated my shoulder by sticking my arm out to break my fall when I fell on icy snow. My entire weight landed on the elbow, causing it to slide up and out on the slippery surface.
The leverage was such that the head of the armbone ripped completely out of the shoulder socket and came to rest under the skin towards the center of my chest. This injury was very, very painful, and it took a very long time to heal, and ever since, I have been careful never to stick my arms out when I fall.
[quote]StandTall wrote:
Arms out? So he can then separate his shoulder? That is the most insane thing I’ve read in at least 10 seconds. I have to disagree with you on that one.
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Well, I have never separated a shoulder with my arms out to prevent a tumble, but have torn ligaments and bruised meniscus several times from tumbling.
Do you actualy snowboard, or is this one of those theoretical types of conclusions?
[quote]robbie1687 wrote:
I don’t snowboard but I once dislocated my shoulder by sticking my arm out to break my fall when I fell on icy snow. My entire weight landed on the elbow, causing it to slide up and out on the slippery surface.
The leverage was such that the head of the armbone ripped completely out of the shoulder socket and came to rest under the skin towards the center of my chest. This injury was very, very painful, and it took a very long time to heal, and ever since, I have been careful never to stick my arms out when I fall.[/quote]
That would be more of a direct fall though, wouldn’t it?
Think about it this way- You are sliding down a slope, either on your backside or front. You have your hands out to prevent or buffer a twisting of the body around the knees and ankles which are attatched to a board that does not want to twist. This will hopefully prevent the twisting and tearing of the ligaments of the knees and ankles.
The other situation is that the board does tumble, but instead of taking your knees and ankles with it, your entire body rotates with it, around your outstretched hands, reducing or eliminating the twist through the knees and ankles.
It isn’t a technique intended to entirely remedy a situation, just to prevent something bad from becoming worse.
Read “6 Things I Really Dislike” by Mike Boyle in Recent Articles. Dislike number 2 talks about doing squats and that there is no evidence it damages your knees. Also it is a good article worth reading. I love to squat, been doing it since I was 14 and I have never had problems with my knees. I’m only 23, but a lot of my friends already have knee problems and I never have. I wouldn’t worry about lifting light or heavy, just keep good form. Arch in your back, weight on your heels etc. I have always lifted heavy, because that is what I enjoy doing. So I wouldn’t avoid heavy weights, just keep it within what you can handle. In other words don’t try to lift something just to impress someone else.
Yep, definitely, what I was describing was a fall – my body was airborn with my legs higher than my shoulders, and I hit the ground elbow-first.
I think you’re right, sliding is different. What you say makes sense.
Also, I should correct what I said earlier about never sticking my arms out. That’s not true. But I try not to extend my elbows out to the side when I fall.
Sliding reminds me of something a hang-gliding instructor once told me during a lesson with training wheels on the glider. (Not disagreeing with you here, just throwing this out in case anybody finds it interesting.)
He warned me that if I landed on the slope, with the glider rolling downhill, not to try to slow the rolling by sticking my hands out in front of me and pressing against the ground. He said that was a sure-fire recipe for breaking a wrist or forearm, I forget which. (Of course this is different from snowboarding – just thought it might interest somebody.)
Thanks everyone!! My problem isnt too much snowboarding I was just using it as an example. I read that six thing i dislike article. And thats what really made me post. Its just that a lot of the Articles are geared more towards Older People, which is much of the T-Nation readers.
When I squat I warm up, stretch, and do “Form Squatting” with just the bar before I load any plates on. Im confident in my form, I put my toes to the top of my shoes to ensure that I dont fall forward or put any weight forward.
Alright… Thanks. Ya I was begining to think I was the only 13- 17 year old kid here. But anyway thanks for the support. Ill keep squating and deadlifting… with PERFECT form.
