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Question from Adam & Christian
Ricky, me and my mate are both 16 but can we lift heavy weights when we train? Will this stunt our growth. We want it to make us look hard and lean, so the real hard guys at our school won't mess with us. We both do simple exercises like bicep curls but what ones should we do in the gym to get big legs and big arms??
Ricky's Answer
Great question, mate! Absolutely, you should use heavy weights, but only if you're using proper form and you're properly warmed up. I started training when I was 16 and all I ever did was use heavy weight. It's essential for growth and keeping the bullies at school off your back. Oh yeah, by the way, if more girls at school start noticing you after you've put on some muscle, don't be surprised. I've been there mate and it's good feeling!
Ok, now as far as the training goes, I would stick with the simples tuff. Bicep curls with a barbell are great for adding mass to the arms. Lying tricep extensions or skull crushers are also great for beefing up your arms. For your legs, stick with some simple squats and some leg presses. You can also throw in some leg extensions at the beginning or end of your workout. For your hamstrings, do leg curls or stiff legged dead lifts. You can also try standing leg curls if you don't like the lying leg curls. Don't forget about the rest of your body either. Same as before, just keep it simple with exercises like bench presses, dumbbell flies, lat pull downs, tricep press downs, dumbbell curls, seated rows, military presses, lateral raises, shrugs, crunches, (of course, this is Sixpacknow.com so I gotta throw one that in there) standing and seated calf raises. If you stick with those basics, you'll be fine and I'm sure you'll add plenty of muscle to your frame in no time. The only other tip I'd suggest is that you start off slow. What I mean is if you're new to training, start with relatively light weight for just the first few weeks until your body gets broken in. After that, perform 1-2 light warm up sets before you go heavy with the weight on any exercise.
Don't worry about your growth being stunted either. As far as my knowledge goes, I've simply heard myths about that. Myths aren't exactly the truth. A lot of people might tell you a lot of things, but I've never seen any type of proof on that subject whatsoever. So, my advice to you is, just keep on training mate!
Good luck and train hard and heavy!
Ricky Gonzalez
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