Weight Training at 14

[Lennox]

Hello to all who dont know me (most of you im sure). I just have a question.

Im 14 and I train in muaythai and boxing about 5-6 days a week. However I do absolutley no weight training what so ever. Do you think It would benefit me to give up some of my technique training in order to get into weights and get a good foundation for when Im older? Or would it be better to leave out weight training till Im a bit older and just focus on technique at this point?

I dont know anything about lifting weight or strength stuff, so thats why I came here to ask you knowledgable people =)

[Titan]

How tall are you right now and what do you weigh?

[davidk]

yes lift weights and lift heavy so u can only do 5 reps. doing high reps will just bloat your muscles and wont improve your strength much.

[Lennox]

How tall are you right now and what do you weigh?


Around 6'1 , 175

[Titan]

You're interested in gaining strength in your muscles and that will help you get more power in your techniques. For example, there's a lot of muscles involved in kicking, so you'll want to work out your legs and your core (stomach and back) to get better strength in that portion. For the boxing, I think your coach might be able to give you some good excercises. The stomach and back is very important there as well. These muscles are important because they're used when you throw the techniques. I don't care what anybody says about technique always beating strength. Strength can be one hell of a factor. And strength combined with technique ... you do the math. So no, it won't hurt. I think it will help. Just remember to stretch all the muscles you rowk out. :-)

[Titan]

Around 6'1 , 175
I asked because had you been kinda small, there might have be something wrong with like your diet hat needed to be addressed and not by lifting weights. :-)

[Missy]

I sort of disagree with Satan. I think it would be ok under certain circumstances but in general I would advise against it.

hmm you're 14, 6ft 1 and train 5-6 days a week? Personally I would not push you towards heavy weights because you are still quite young, boxing and MT are both hard full contact sports and I would not want you to push yourself too much. Right now I think you should focus on technique and the conditioning that these sports give you in my opinion that is what will give you the edge not how much you can bench! take note of some of the other fighters out there many don't fill out till they are in their 20's.

Possibly not what you want to hear but I would wait a couple of years but of course this is only my opinion. I would suggest you talk with your coaches - not everyone is keen on weight training for some old fashioned idea that it will make you slower - I don't doubt you're sensible but if you get a crappy coach they may push you in the wrong direction.

[Titan]

Well, a lot of people do sorta automatically associate "weight-training" with "benchpressing" or setting new records in various lifting excercises. That is NOT what I suggested.

Strengthen the core is what I said. Because you use it to deliver a lot of power. Lots of people get weak cores (stomach and back) because they sit down all days. Combine this with then going to deliver a lot of kicks in training. That puts a lot of wear and tear on your body, like the lower back. It does not hurt to have strong muscles in that case. Proper techniques or not, it is my non-scientific opinion that you risk more severe long-term injuries by such an approach as opposed to one where you do concern yourself with strengthening the core.

For your purpose, do like hyperextensions, oblique raises, and full situps for the stomach. Lots of leg-extensions, walking lunges, squats, reverse legcurl, and leg-presses. Weight training might make some slower. It is often because it needs to be performed in an explosive manner when done by fighters and not like how bodybuilders train, and some fail to do that.

That's my take on it. :-) And I think you should train a little less. :-)

[Missy]

A strong core is vital but wouldn't those exercises be part of the regular training at most boxing and MT gyms? - they are at mine, just a thought.

[Titan]

You might have. I, however, do not have the proper equipment for those excercises at my gym. Neither did I at the other gyms. Guess it depends on where you live. I'd love to have machines to leg-curl, squat, and leg press. Maybe a Roman chair to do abs. But I don't. :-) (Do note that doing just squats without weights is conditioning and not really strengthening IMO.)

[Titan]

At my gym=at the fighting gym. At my regular gym, I certainly do have access to those machines.

[Lennox]

Ok thx for your advice guys(and girls)

[Dado]

Im kind of in the same stage as you. Before i started MT i did a lot of weight lifting and although i had positive gains i have stopped now to focus 100% on cardio and technique and also because im worried about its impact on growth. Theres plenty of time to develop muscle mass later on when you are older.
If its because of looks or feeling comfortable with appearance then dont worry too much, being tall and lean is a good thing.

[Lennox]

How old are you zanzoken?

[Dado]

Im 16 now.

[Jodi]

I wouldn't suggest heavy weight training at your age but by all means you should train. Circuit training and endurance training would be perfect for you at your age and then as you get a bit older you can start with the heavy weights.

[Dado]

Jodi, does doing lots of weights at this age lead to growth stopping?

I heard that scientifically its not proven, but i want to know from an expert.

[Jodi]

You are right, it has not been proven. However, are you willing to take that chance? Just because something hasn't been fully proven yet there are obvious reasons that there are these thoeries. I think you should weight train for sure but not heavy lifting such as compound movements.

[TrojanStud]

I read that in like accidents you can damage growth plates in your body and stop growing. Improper lifting can cause accidents I guess.

[Dado]

You are right, it has not been proven. However, are you willing to take that chance? Just because something hasn't been fully proven yet there are obvious reasons that there are these thoeries. I think you should weight train for sure but not heavy lifting such as compound movements.

Thanks.

Ill just do light lifting for my forearms.

[Creation]

I did weighttraining at 14, but I only trained my biceps. Naturally, they got pretty big after a while, and they still are today. Of course I've done alot of different training during the years (Im now 18)

[aquasaurius]

Around 6'1 , 175

Dude, your huge for 14 years old.

What are you eating?? Cows?

You don't need weight training at 14 years old especially if with the training you are doing now... Wait unti you are 17 years old at least.

Your bones are still fusing together, even though training light won't stunt growth. You don't want to burn out.

[davidk]

weight training with heavy weights is fine if your over 13yrs just make sure to use good form

[Kobayashi]

Agreed, especially for someone as big as him.

Lennox, how long ago did you start training martial arts? (Muay Thai and Boxing, Etc).

[Eric Persson]

If you train 6 days a week, I don't think you need that much weightlifting.
But if you feel that you need to be stronger and want to lift anyway, remember that the body need rest, and it is easy to overtrain when you are new at it. Take it easy.