As discussed in part one, teen bodybuilding can start at a very young age allowing
young fitness enthusiasts a whole new world to pursue. Teen bodybuilding is an excellent
way to promote a healthy lifestyle since it requires regular weight training, cardiovascular
training, balanced nutrition and even stimulation of the mind since the topic of
teen bodybuilding involves constant education. Teen bodybuilding can also help you
erase nicknames like "Skinny Mini," "Scrawny," "Tooth
Pick," "Twiggy," and in my own personal case, "Skinny Vinny!"
Unfortunately teen bodybuilding is not as easy as it looks and can result in injury,
bad habits and frustration if stated with out structure and progression. Here are
the next five tips to successful teen bodybuilding:
6. Learn Proper Technique First
How well do you think you would golf without supervision? How well do you think
you will skate without coaching? How well do you think you will play piano without
lessons? How much muscle do you think you will build without proper lifting technique?
Not much!
I hope you are humble enough to swallow your pride and accept the fact that your
first step should be getting professional coaching from a reputable fitness trainer.
I know many of your friends will not even consider this and you will be told, 'just
learn it yourself,' or 'watch others.' Can you imagine a medical surgeon or dentist
who took this approach? Yikes!
Think about it. You are going to be lifting weights the rest of your life. Is spending
a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, on a professional fitness trainer,
not going to pay you back over and over (for the rest of your life) if you do things
correctly right from the start? Definitely! If you start lifting weights incorrectly,
get ready to spend the money you saved on a coach for a rehab therapists next vacation!
If you don't get injured now, most likely it will be in the next few years.
7. Stretch Just As Much As You Lift
Stretching is the most under rated physical quality which is unfortunate because
shortened muscles perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injury.
Stretching is the only physical quality which
more is better. Stretching
is one of the only habits that can
not be over trained.
If you are serious about getting into the world of teen bodybuilding, I encourage
you to start this habit early. Most text books teach stretching methods that include
20-30 seconds per stretch. Don't even waste your time if this is your idea of stretching.
From real world,
in the trenches, experience, I would suggest stretching
at least the same amount of time that you lift. That means, for every 1
hour of weight training you perform, you must balance the effect of weight training
with one hour of stretching. Therefore, if you weight train 4 hours in the week,
you better be stretching for at least 4 hours in the week. If you are really lazy,
start stretching for at least half the amount of time that you lift. After you see
the benefits of increased strength, quicker recovery and less injuries I am sure
you will have no problem bumping up your stretching sessions to the recommend 1:1
ratio.
Fail to stretch at least the same amount that you lift is almost a sure fire way
of shortening a teen bodybuilding career or lifestyle. Remember, weight training
shortens and tightens the connective tissue you train. Stretching counters the effect
and ensures your muscles have room to grow!