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baji-boy
01-25-2001, 04:19 AM
As some of you may know, I'm 14 years old. I know I'm still growing, but I'm pretty...well, I'm skinny! :) So, are there any ways to build muscle, or rather, mass?

I know pushups are a great way to build one's upperbody, and I should get lot's of Calcium, and protein right? But are there any ways to gain muscle mass, preferably soon? The Spring season is coming up, and hey, I'm in highschool! :) I also know that just training hard, and practicing MA should help as well.

The doctor said that I have grown my full height, and all I have to do now is grow wider. I dunno, I think my body is developing strangely, but it's all just part of growing up. The weird thing is, all of the fat I have, has gone to my thighs, without "spreading". Yeah, I know, it's part of growing up, as I've said many times. Anyways, thanks in advance! :)

nospam
01-25-2001, 04:45 AM
Sure is. It's called hitting your highschool weight room and train smart. Start off with 3 total body workouts a week (if possible), eat sensibly and get lots of rest. Pick up some of the muscle mags, they have great articles or search the web..there are many great websites out there that will teach form of movement and nutrition.

Train hard and smart.

8stepsifu
01-25-2001, 06:23 AM
Do legs first. Legs are a large muscle group so working them out hard releases lots of testosterone. Then do upperbody and keep the muscle because of the increased testosterone levels. Also balance legs and upperbody so that your body doens't get out of balance.

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

Kevin73
01-25-2001, 05:02 PM
I would go to a website and look around for MA and weight training. Or find a book that lists different exercises. I would take weight training class if your school offers it so then you can have someone help you out with your program and exercise form.

Don't get too discouraged. When I was a sophmore in high school I was 5'6 and 125 when I graduated I was 5'10 and 175, when I got out of college I was 6'0 and 200. Some people just grow later than others no matter what a Dr. says

"There are many who talk of the Way, but few who walk the Way."

little chain monkey
01-25-2001, 06:07 PM
Here's a tip from an old timer whose been around gyms for a long time. You will develop mass the quickest with the compound excercises such as deadlift,squat and benchpress. The grandaddy of all excercises though for bulking up and gaining strength is the SQUAT. Eat lots of protein and do lots of heavy squats, you will bulk up faster than any other way!!!! Trust me I have seen this routine work with many guys over many years. :)

qeySuS
01-25-2001, 06:40 PM
Well i'm only 17 so i can understand why you'd like some muscles. For me personally i feel like a jerk going weightlifting, being a newbie and all. I did it for a few months and well it was fine while i had a training partner to spot me so i could do a few extra reps, but once my buddy left the place and i was left to weightlift on my own, well i didnt last.

I like best just being on my own in the training hall and doing pushups/some ab workout, lunges and so forth, although someone told me that this would give me a great workout and make me strong, but the muscles would not bulge out and lookt "pretty" so.. :) I gained the most weight during my 4 month weightlifting period WITH A LIFTING PARTNER, not only did that help me doing a lot of the excercises, but i found myself forced to come to practice and work out in the gym, or else my friend would be left alone. While on my own i could sit at home and only be hurting myself (and so i did).

Free thinkers are dangerous.

Waidan
01-25-2001, 06:56 PM
A lot of good info posted here. If you're looking for a good starting point:

1. Train with a dedicated partner.

2. Purchase "Arnold Schwartzenneger's Encyclopedia of Modern Body Building". It's got loads of great info, and a million illustrated excercises.

3. (as was mentioned earlier) stick to mass excercises like squats and bench at first, and move into higher rep isolation excercises once you've got something to work with.

4. Oh, and just as a general tip, stay the hell away from steriods of any kind (hang out at the gym long enough, and they will appear)...they're bad all the way around.

jacob360
01-26-2001, 04:44 PM
I was always told not to start weight training until I was at least 16, but everyones body is different. I would probably take it pretty easy, and keep it simple, considering you're only 14, maybe only one to two exercises per body part.
Squats, calf raises, bench press, bar curl, skull crushers*, and military press, M W F should be a pretty good full body workout to start with. Add on or change as you progress. Make sure someone helps you with your form when you first start, you don't want to get hurt or develop one side more than the other. And of course lots of pushups, pullups, and ab exercises. Good Luck and keep it safe. * Oh yeah, I'm sure these are called something different, but you lie on the bench, keep a close grip on the bar, maybe one or two thumbs apart, keep your elbows up and in and bring the bar up from your forehead. I got the name skullcrushers from my older brother, he calls them that for two reasons, one, because if you try too much weight you could crush your skull if you drop it on your forehead, and two, if you can do 150lbs. you can crack someones skull when you get a good solid punch in. :eek:

PEACE

baji-boy
01-27-2001, 06:20 AM
Thanks for the help everyone! I'll definately take all of the advice! :)

Tiger Moon
03-01-2001, 09:18 AM
Welp i'd say to gain muscle, the key exercises would be, Bench Pressing, Curls, Push-Ups and Diamond Push Ups (which are where you form a diamond with your hands together in the center of your body) and Leg Presses for your legs. When you work out, make sure to just start off with a little bit and progress, don't rush anything so you don't injure yourself. Cause being injured of course only slows you down of course. 3 times a week or 4 times a week is how much you should work out, cause the muscles need to heal, so that they can repair and bulk up. Also you should do a couple repetitions for each exercise. But just take your time, your young and all so theres no rush ;-). Make sure you can do the exercises without straining and like forcing the weights to go, if your doing that take off some weight. Welp i hope this is helpful. Good luck to you, if you are into books a Book from Bruce Lee, called "The Art of expressing the human body" is a cool book to check out. Peace

~~Tiger-Moon~~

obiwan
03-01-2001, 09:53 AM
Dont mix up mass with muscle!

I'm a lot skinnier than many of my friends, but I'm stronger. They are more built in appearance but not strength.

As a rule of thumb, (it's not perfect)
Lighter weights but more repititions for size gain.

Fewer reps but heavier weights for strength.

As I said, that's only a rule of thumb, but be careful. Make sure you train properly. Weights, despite their apparent simplicty, can actually injure you quite badly if you dont know what you're doing.

I trained with someone who had trained for a year with weights. I thought he knew what he was doing. He didnt. His exercises screwed my arms up for 3 weeks. Be careful, it's more difficult than it looks.

Also, avoid buying any of that muscle building stuff in magazines. They are not medically approved or tested because they do not fall under the FDA specs. (they're supplements therefore not food or drugs.) It's a pretty big gamble taking any of that stuff.

One of my friends took a lot of that stuff, and he started acting like a real meat head because of the increased testosterone levels.

Nothing beats a well balanced diet, and a good trainer.

Good luck

The Force will be with you...always

Martial Joe
03-01-2001, 04:32 PM
I lift weights everyother day and do 500 crunches a day right now,i think i may move it up to 700 next week,maybe that can help you out.

soy
03-03-2001, 05:21 AM
I train for agility.. I run 1/2 mile every other day.. And on the off days I do the following:

20 or so military press
25 standard situps
25 reverse situps (facing down, horizontal movement of shoulders up..
25 situps with nothing holding my feet down, engage muscles in stomache, you can also extend and bring in your legs.
25 more reverse situps
20 laying down lifting legs, put hands under butt to elivate and make it easier.
25 "Geni" crunches (From standing do the geni thing with your arms.. that means covering each elbow with your hand.. and keep your feet flat.. Lower ass to the level of your knees and press up.. Engage muscles in lower area for added benefit)

for that last one it's better if you start off with 15 and work your way up.. they're pretty intense..

03-03-2001, 07:13 AM
Quickiest way is to join a set programme ,of some weights and jabs of ster01ds.,i think you go through a 6 weeks program,and magic.,you are ARNIE.....

kelvein chan

brucelee2
03-03-2001, 09:25 PM
Hi,

I think I remember reading somewhere that men keep growing until they're 21. In any event, at your age of 14, I would definitely be careful- I think you're still growing. I would avoid all exercises that put alot of weight on the spine- squats, military presses, deadlifts, etc...- these can stunt your growth and injure your still developing spine. I would recommend doing exercises that use your own bodyweight- pushups, pullups, situps, bike riding, jogging, etc... When I was your age I used to come home from school and watch sitcoms for a couple of hours and every time there was a commercial I'd do a set of situps or pushups- I got alot stronger. Be careful of your body, you have to use it your whole life. Something that I think is an excellent exercise that uses bodyweight and can get you really strong and an awesome build is Power Yoga, also called Ashtanga Yoga. If you have this in your area and the teacher thinks you're old enough to do it, I would definitely recommend it! It will also give you flexibility and a meditative benefit. Good luck- and whatever workout you do, always listen to your body and lay off it there's pain (the wrong kind of pain- experience will teach you the difference)

joedoe
03-04-2001, 12:47 AM
merciless****er is an idiot. Do not take steriods. Baji-boy, I hope that you have more sense than to take that stupid advice.

prana
03-04-2001, 01:18 AM
This is just information I have learnt from Sports Science studies... This is ONLY intended as a guide.

When doing repetitions, make these adjustments according to your own power and form, forget about what others can do. Your form will benefit yourself and only you.

Just a word of caution, this is based entirely on Western Sports Science.

Phase 1 "Cappilarity"
30-60 Maximum repetitions.
Duration Of training = 3-6 weeks
Rest between same muscle groups workouts = 15 minutes
Weight = Adequate to do 30 - 60 moves
Reason = Building capillarity
General Caution - Adequate rests. Becareful of tendonitist and repeated use.

Followed by a transition phase

Phase 2 "Power"
Intermediate
Maximum 4-6 sets
Duration of traning = 2-4 weeks
Rest between muscle group workout = 2-3 minutes
Frequency = 4-6 times
Reason = Muscle Fiber recruitment, increase maximum power of muscle to increase the range of aerobic intensities. Real Muscle Fiber gains.

Advanced "Power"
Maximum 0.5 - 1 repetition
Maximum 4-6 sets
Duration of training = 2-4 weeks
Resr between muscle group workout = 2-3
Frequency = 6-10
Reason : Maximum power gain is found by resisting a force in the negative repetition. Some other variations include Plyometrics etc.. Real Muscle
Fiber gain and Maximum power

Caution - Much rest required between Power phases. Also suffer from Delayed Onset of Muscular Strain (AKA DOMS) Plenty of rest and warm up !!!! WARM UP !!!!


Power Endurance phase (4 weeks)
Maximum - 6-14 moves
Sets = 3-4
Rest between - 5-10 minutes
Reason - Lactic Tolerance, Anaerobic endurance
Gain : Fake Muscle mass, Glycogen mass.
Negatives : Will lose maximum power and Aerobic endurance. Irritating to train. Some people like the pain.
General Caution - Rest in between. Avoid Flash pump. Plenty fluids.

Rest phase - 2 weeks :)


CAUTION : Practice to your own ability and be responsible for your own training.
Stretch Strecth and Strecth

Breathe till there is no breath...

Kumkuat
03-17-2001, 09:34 AM
700 crunches? That's impressive but that's wasting time if you want to build muscle; unless you are just going for endurance.

AsianSifu
03-18-2001, 04:06 AM
700 for endurance only? How do you get strong powerfull abs? Sit ups? Maybe jumping on a trampoline?
http://www.nudeepics.com/amateurgirls/robin6_small.jpg

I don't have a signature because I have no pen to write it.

Kumkuat
03-18-2001, 07:12 AM
Weighted situps. Enough weight so you can only do 15 or so.

Budokan
03-19-2001, 10:33 PM
Hm. She's got nice muscle mass.

K. Mark Hoover

stormy
03-28-2001, 03:36 AM
Almost every one of these suggestions has been very good. I agree with jacob360, you're still young and if you get too hardcore about it you could get yourself hurt. I like the idea of weight training classes(if that's what you're into), then you have the help of an instuctor that will, most likely, be able to help you find out what is a healthy limit for you. The important thing is getting as good foundation to build on, from there you will have endless options. Personally I prefer mobile exersises, such as running, sports, rockclimbing, hiking, etc. much more than I do stationary exersize, like weight lifting. But it's your body and you know what you like and prefer. And another little word of advice: :mad: DO NOT LISTEN TO "mercilessfighter". NOT ONLY ARE STEROIDS ILLEGAL THEY WILL KILL KILL KILL YOU:mad: !!!!! And don't even think for a second that Arnold Schwartzanegger takes steroids to get his body, he is a spectacular body builder and his muscles were hard earned with lotsa time and even more sweat.
Live long, stay strong

baji-boy
03-28-2001, 10:56 PM
Thanks everyone for the advice, and don't worry, I won't take steroids! :D

"...It means that life
returns, and with life,
pain. Only death is
painless..."-Top of the
World

"He who rides the Tiger
can never dismoun

dumog93
04-11-2001, 06:48 AM
Whoever said Arnold was drug free needs to get a reality check.He didn't smoke pot on a documentary movie with 5 other bodybuilders either.Maybe it was staged like the moon landing:).I suppose you believe bodybuilding itself is drug free today as well?Hell,they weren't even illegal in his time like they are now.To the issue of needing steroids to gain mass for what we do(martial arts)-not really necessary.I am 5'9" 186 and feel that i'm getting close to striking a balance between muscular power and quickness/agility for my body type.Of course genetics regulate all of us as well,but i think weight training will really help you in the long run as well as stretching and everything else in moderation.As long as you keep actively shaping your body to the form you seek it will happen.It has to adapt over time and fit the mold you shove it into to some extent.The hard part is not getting over-zealous or slacking.Find a pace for yourself in all things that can keep you moving forward.10 years ago i weighed 136 and was in wrestling shape,so i know this will happen in time.

-Devildog

sbarbe
04-11-2001, 07:53 PM
if you are going to weight train, start out with a personal trainer for the first couple of sessions and get them to advise you on proper form for all of your exercises. Proper form is extremely important for both gaining benefit from the work you do and avoiding injury. As a rule, go slow and do all the exercises properly. I've seen too many people who are eager to up the weight, which leads them to do a lot of jerking and using momentum in order to get the weights up. Use a weight that you can handle slowly and in proper form. Once you find yourself able to add more reps than you need to each set, then slowly increase the weight until the resistance again reaches the proper level. You will find that while your progress may appear slow compared to some of the more gung ho people, the actual mass and strength benefits for you will be much greater. Also, if you find yourself stalling or reaching a plateau, mix up both the order of your routine and some of the exercises that you do. There are about a bijillion different weight training exercises for each muscle group, and they all do slightly different things to the muscles. Sometimes it is desirable to shock the muscle out of it's normal pattern by applying force to it in different ways. Just always remember, do it slowly and properly.