I am 13 years old and i play basketball alot and i just joined a gym for the first time. Everywhere i go i read that i should use low reps and high weight for basketball low weight and high reps would be endurance. The problem is that since i am young and inexperienced, i dont want to hurt my bones or anything like that by putting on as much weight as i can do, and doing 2 reps. What do u guys think i should do? High reps since im young, or low reps for bball?
Thanks
Even young athletes such as yourself can lift heavier weights and benefit from them. However, I would not suggest training too heavy (<3 reps), and you should never train to failure.
Otherwise, in order to gain some strength and size, I’d highly recommend sticking with many compound lifts and using weights that allow you to complete 6-15 reps per set for a few sets.
Chad Waterbury and several others have mentioned that younger athletes can weight train, as long as they don’t push it too far.
Every beginner should start with low weights and high reps, just to learn the excercises. I would recommend to start out with low weights and aim for 15 to 20 reps for at least a month.
Note down the weights you use for the different excercises.
It’s better to start out with a weight that is to light, so you can increase the weight the next time, than start out with a weight that doesn’t allow you to make the 15-20 reps.
I’ld also advise to have someone older, a parent, an older brother or friend, with experience in working with weights, “spot” for you.
When your satisfied that you have acquired proper form, you can gradually increase the weights (and by consequence lower the reps) until 12. I wouldn’t go any lower than that.
Also, for ballsports it could be recommended that you perform the reps EXPLOSIVELY, while still maintaing proper form. This would probably mean, lighter weights.
But for now start out with light weights and aim for 15-20 reps.
[quote]Wreckless wrote:
Every beginner should start with low weights and high reps, just to learn the excercises. I would recommend to start out with low weights and aim for 15 to 20 reps for at least a month.
Note down the weights you use for the different excercises.
It’s better to start out with a weight that is to light, so you can increase the weight the next time, than start out with a weight that doesn’t allow you to make the 15-20 reps.
I’ld also advise to have someone older, a parent, an older brother or friend, with experience in working with weights, “spot” for you.
When your satisfied that you have acquired proper form, you can gradually increase the weights (and by consequence lower the reps) until 12. I wouldn’t go any lower than that.
Also, for ballsports it could be recommended that you perform the reps EXPLOSIVELY, while still maintaing proper form. This would probably mean, lighter weights.
But for now start out with light weights and aim for 15-20 reps.[/quote]
I disagree that light weights and high reps are better for practicing form.
Most people lose form during sets of higher reps. Form breaks down, and then you end up having “garbage” sets. As fatigue sets in, trainees tend to get sloppy on those later reps. Charles Staley has talked about this before.
You can use lower reps (6-8) and still practice good form with moderate weights. I see no point in a beginner doing 15-20 reps on exercises.
I trained my father using 5x5. He was a complete beginner, and not only did he make fantastic progress, but he learned great form as well. I started him out with lighter weights (the bar in some cases) and we added 5-10lbs each week, as long as he kept good form and was able to complete the reps.
It’s implied that when performing more reps, you use less weight. Perhaps I should have been more expliciet about it. And you’re right, even the last rep should be executed with proper form.
Also, when performing more reps, you’ll get the hang of the exercise a bit quicker, at least imho.
[quote]TomRocco wrote:
I am 13 years old[/quote]
Do we wont him to perform sets of 6-8 reps?
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
I disagree that light weights and high reps are better for practicing form.
Most people lose form during sets of higher reps. Form breaks down, and then you end up having “garbage” sets. As fatigue sets in, trainees tend to get sloppy on those later reps. Charles Staley has talked about this before.
You can use lower reps (6-8) and still practice good form with moderate weights. I see no point in a beginner doing 15-20 reps on exercises.
I trained my father using 5x5. He was a complete beginner, and not only did he make fantastic progress, but he learned great form as well. I started him out with lighter weights (the bar in some cases) and we added 5-10lbs each week, as long as he kept good form and was able to complete the reps.
[/quote]
This is true. But you have to learn the form in the first place. If the weight is heavy enough that it’s a strain to lift it, I don’t think you can learn how the movement is suppossed to go. I think it’s best to start with a weight light enough that it’s not a strain for the first several reps and you really get a feel what the movemen’t supposed to be like through its proper range of motion. The first couple workouts don’t even have to stress the muscles too much. I think a couple workouts like this is enough to know how each exercise works and then it’s time to start lifting heavy.
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
I trained my father using 5x5. He was a complete beginner, and not only did he make fantastic progress, but he learned great form as well. I started him out with lighter weights (the bar in some cases) and we added 5-10lbs each week, as long as he kept good form and was able to complete the reps.
[/quote]
Ah. So is this sort of like I said? The first couple workouts (using 5 x 5s) were not really a huge strain because the weights were low? Or was it still very difficult for him due to the fitness level he began at? If it’s the former, I see this being a fine method for introducing someone to weights and focusing on form.
I think i will do 5 sets of 10 for my first month to get used to the exercises, than i will begin to gradually increase the weight and start to perform less and less reps. (Next month ill do 5 sets of 9 with a little heavier, 2-3 weeks later ill do 5 sets of 8, etc.)
WHat do u guys think?
[quote]jsbrook wrote:
Ah. So is this sort of like I said? The first couple workouts (using 5 x 5s) were not really a huge strain because the weights were low? Or was it still very difficult for him due to the fitness level he began at? If it’s the former, I see this being a fine method for introducing someone to weights and focusing on form.
[/quote]
When first starting, although the weights were “light,” they were still a challenge due to learning the correct form/movement pattern. It took two weeks for him to understand the movement of a back squat before we could add weight to the bar. Once he got it, we added about 10lbs a week. He went from 45lbs to 165lbs by the end of the 12 weeks (doing 5x5 with that weight).
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
Ah. So is this sort of like I said? The first couple workouts (using 5 x 5s) were not really a huge strain because the weights were low? Or was it still very difficult for him due to the fitness level he began at? If it’s the former, I see this being a fine method for introducing someone to weights and focusing on form.
When first starting, although the weights were “light,” they were still a challenge due to learning the correct form/movement pattern. It took two weeks for him to understand the movement of a back squat before we could add weight to the bar. Once he got it, we added about 10lbs a week. He went from 45lbs to 165lbs by the end of the 12 weeks (doing 5x5 with that weight).
[/quote]
Thanks Nate. This is helpful. I plan to start my sister on the bar for squats and light on other exercises too so she can learn the form. I was planning to begin with higher reps. But maybe a lower rep scheme would still be appropriate. I’ll see how she’s responding. (sorry for the hijack)
Cool deal!
Let us know how it goes. Since it’s a female, she’ll be fine doing 6-8 rep sets (women tend to need more reps and sets than men).