I have written a couple of articles geared toward young people. Although I have often tried to keep a tongue firmly in cheek as I write, let me be serious for a moment. We continue to live in culture that places a tremendous value on looking good. Magazine covers have not changed in the last 35 years since I was in high school. If any, it is more intense now.
As a geeky kid trying to live up to my brothers’ reputation, I fought through all the low self-esteem, the loner mentality, and a boy’s need to belong. So, I know that skinny, unattractive kids have a certain cross to bear. But if you are that kid or have a son (a daughter?) that resembles that young person, take heart because bodybuilding can help.
There’s nothing like leaving sophomore year weighing 140 lbs and coming back a couple months later as junior at 165 lbs of decent muscle. It can give a nice boost to a young man’s self esteem, and who knows, maybe translate into both academic and social improvements. Nice!
Of course, that’s not to say that I gained 25lbs in 2 months – that’s nuts. When you gain a few pounds throughout the year, it’s gradual and no one notices. Show up after 3 months and the difference is more noticeable.
But to gain 25 lbs of muscle requires abiding by a few rules. And here are my top ten rules for young people:
- No Drugs/Steroids – One would think this would be a no brainer. But the temptation to get freaky big can be tough for some kids. Much like anything in life, there are consequences and there are costs to be paid. Drug use or using steroids is not cost you want to pay – not when packing on muscle naturally is so doable.
- Do whole body workouts – The core workout should be Monday-Wednesday-Friday. As you progress, if you are, say 17 or 18 and have been lifting for a couple of years, then you can consider upper body on Monday and Friday. You would do lower body on Tuesday and Saturday. The Cycle is two days on and two days off.
- Over Training/Rest – I have mentioned in other articles about my 2 tp 3 hour workouts following Larry Scotts’ routines. Crazy. If you learn anything from me, let it be this – do not over train. Rest your body. Rest is the magic bullet to growth. “Stress it, and then rest it.” And get a good 8 hours of sleep a night.
- Compound Movements – With the exception of exercises like Dumbbell Curls or Lying EZ Triceps Presses, you should focus as much as possible on compound movements.
- Full Range of Motion – Again, one would think this would be a no brainer. But so many confuse poundage with progress. Mindlessly adding 20 lbs to your bench press week after week may work or it may not work. It does not work if you are cheating or moving the bar 4 inches or using every muscle in your body but the one that you want to.
- Stretch – Not this 5 minutes stuff before a workout, but you must stretch between sets. Do a set of bench press, then stretch for a minutes, and then jump into your next set. Instead of watching the clock to time your rest period, use the time to stretch and elongate those muscles. Longer muscles make for better contractions and better contractions make for stronger muscles and stronger muscles make…you get the idea.
- Supplements – Other than a decent protein powder, save your money for college. Just ignore all the hype and pictures of 5’8″ guys weight 250 lbs. In fact, you should not even bother with these magazines that are 60% advertisements. Back in the day, the magazines were nothing but information, now they are just the muscle versions of Cosmo – terrible. By the Rusty Moore recommend a glass of milk with Nesquik after a workout instead of a protein shake. Good suggestion. You want protein – milk, eggs, tuna, chicken – those will get it down, not the “powder.”
- Diet – Eat calorically dense food. Juices are good but eat more whole fruits and vegetables. Drink up to a half gallon of milk a day. Milk can count towards your liquid consumption, but still try get drink 8 or so cups of water a day. (that’s a lot of liquids I know but staying hydrated is a good thing)Eat a good mix of beef, chicken, tuna, salmon, nuts, and tofu. Complex carbohydrates like potatoes, rice and pasta should be the mainstay at every meal. Do not worry too much about fats but stay away from simple sugars and high fructose corn syrups. Learn to read ingredient labels now. I know protein is big deal with muscle gain but don’t get too hung up on this 1 gram of protein per bodyweight stuff. How much of your body is fat and why would fat need protein? Just show to eat 20 or 30 grams per meal (maybe a little more for breakfast). Have some after a workout (the chocolate milk) and maybe a glass of milk before going to sleep. That’ll cover your protein needs.
- Through away your tape measure – Sure, it is nice to know, or to tell people, that at 17, you have 17” inch arms. But really – who really does cares? Measure your progress in the mirror. Measure your progress by your strength levels. Can you do 20 full pull-ups or 75“perfect” pushups or 40 full range dips? These should be your measuring sticks. If you look good in the mirror and are strong, everything else will follow.
- Believe in yourself and your future – You need no one to validate your self-worth or what you dream to be. Let others follow the crowd, let others be the lemmings. And when you become stronger and more muscular, be the same good, decent person you were when you were skinny. You will do great.
Just trying to list a few commonsense advice that I hope will add perspective.
Finally, it’s about the long term. Don’t take shortcuts. Shortcuts never work for long. Think of harvest. You plant in the spring; nurture and care through the summer; harvest in the fall – can you imagine trying to speed that up so you can harvest 4 weeks after you plant. I suppose there are shortcuts that would allow you to – but why?
Take the long view and be healthier, stronger for it.
