LiftsmithBeginners
Lifting weights as a teenager: how to start safely
· 2 min read
If you're a teenager thinking about lifting weights, or a parent wondering whether it's a good idea, the short answer is yes, done the right way. Strength training builds stronger muscles, bones and tendons, makes sports safer, and is one of the few habits you can keep for the rest of your life. Here's how to start without getting hurt or wasting your time.
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The old worry that lifting stunts growth isn't backed up by research. What causes injuries is the same at every age: too much weight too soon, sloppy form, and skipping rest. Learn the movements with light weights first, and if you can, get a coach, a teacher or a trainer to watch you lift.
Your first month
- Train two or three times a week, with a rest day between.
- Pick five or six movements: a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull and something for your core.
- Do two or three sets of 8 to 12 reps, and stop each set when you could still do two or three more with good form.
- Warm up every time. A few easy minutes and a couple of light sets first. See how to warm up for lifting.
- Goblet squatQuads, Glutes
- Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes
- Push-upChest
- One-arm dumbbell rowLats, Upper back
- PlankAbs
Get stronger slowly
Add a little weight only when every rep of every set looked good last time. Small steps, week after week, beat big jumps. That's all progressive overload means. If you want a ready plan, this beginner gym plan is a good place to start.
What to ignore
- Supplements and "stacks". You don't need them. Eat regular meals with some protein, drink water and sleep.
- Comparing your body to anyone else's. Bodies change a lot during your teens. Track what you did in the gym, not what the mirror says.
- Maxing out. Testing the heaviest weight you can lift once is how most beginners get hurt. It tells you nothing a set of 5 doesn't.
Liftsmith is for ages 13 and up. For anyone under 18, body fat and body shape stay switched off unless you turn them on, and your Friends profile can't be public. If your school coach runs a team in Liftsmith, joining it gives you Pro free while you're on it. Here's how school teams work.
Questions
- Does lifting weights stunt your growth?
- No. That idea isn't supported by research. Injuries come from poor form and too much weight too soon, which is why starting light matters.
- How often should a teenager lift?
- Two or three times a week is enough to get stronger, with a rest day between sessions.
- Do teenagers need protein shakes?
- No. Regular meals with some protein in each cover what a growing lifter needs.
How we write and check our articles: editorial standards.
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