Squats, deads, bench

[calvinbiss]

Do you have a video camera handy? If so, film your self doing the exercises. compare then to pictures and videos on the starting strength web site. Post them here and be open to criticism.

Don't worry about the weight. Get the form right, stick to the workout and the weight will come!

 

[keyed]

What order are you doing your exercises? Are you doing the dead-lifts last, because it's the most taxing, body-wise.

 

[SearchMaster]

I would have to guess it's more mental than anything, though shoulder pain will certainly hurt your bench. Did you have an injury that's causing the pain? Your numbers should go up very quickly especially as you gain confidence in your form and your abilities.

My 6 year old deadlifted 112 pounds the other day though it was a 1RM not a 5x5 He had very good form, if that kid stays with it, he's going to be a beast. Don't worry; I'm not jeopardizing his health/growth, he saw me deadlifting and imitated me on my curl bar.

 

[MJinZ]

I would have to guess it's more mental than anything, though shoulder pain will certainly hurt your bench. Did you have an injury that's causing the pain? Your numbers should go up very quickly especially as you gain confidence in your form and your abilities.

My 6 year old deadlifted 112 pounds the other day though it was a 1RM not a 5x5 He had very good form, if that kid stays with it, he's going to be a beast. Don't worry; I'm not jeopardizing his health/growth, he saw me deadlifting and imitated me on my curl bar.

Yea you are jeopardizing his health and growth. What, you're going to let him drive or drink just because he saw you doing it?

 

[kalrith]

Yea you are jeopardizing his health and growth. What, you're going to let him drive or drink just because he saw you doing it?

I was thinking along those lines as well. Also, there are some disagreements as to when a child is old enough to lift weights, but AFAIK there aren't any disagreements over whether 6 is old enough.

Has he ever lifted before? If not, then you made a big mistake IMO. He could've easily and permanently hurt himself with improper form, dropping the weight on his foot, etc. If a novice adult weight lifter is starting to do deadlifts, they often won't start with 112 pounds. To have that be the first rep by a 6yo seems like a big risk just because you can't (or won't) tell him no.

And, if that's not his first rep on the deadlift, then it's still a red flag, because a 6yo shouldn't be an experienced weight lifter.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yea you are jeopardizing his health and growth. What, you're going to let him drive or drink just because he saw you doing it?

Actually, there's been research to show that weightlifting does not stunt children's growth. The problems that typically come with it though are 1) burnout (from boredom), 2) potential overtraining (if they're really into it, which is where the biggest problem lies), and 3) parents pushing their child too hard. If they like it and do it on a schedule that allows them to recover and have no injury, research has shown no detrimental effects to health or growth.

 

[kalrith]

Actually, there's been research to show that weightlifting does not stunt children's growth. The problems that typically come with it though are 1) burnout (from boredom), 2) potential overtraining (if they're really into it, which is where the biggest problem lies), and 3) parents pushing their child too hard. If they like it and do it on a schedule that allows them to recover and have no injury, research has shown no detrimental effects to health or growth.

Even at the age of 6? I've heard of 10-12 years old being a gray area for whether kids should be lifting, but never much younger than that.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Even at the age of 6? I've heard of 10-12 years old being a gray area for whether kids should be lifting, but never much younger than that.

A serious weight-training regimen probably shouldn't be in place and I definitely wouldn't be having my child do 1RM lifts. However, most elite level athletes begin their sport at a very early age. The sooner a kid starts, the sooner they begin reinforcing their motor pathways for a given movement. If they're going to be doing a clean and jerk and they start early in life, they're going to be better at it earlier. Like I said, I definitely wouldn't have a kid do a 1RM (risk is too high), but if they trained a certain movement and slowly increased the weight then it's absolutely fine.

 

[SearchMaster]

Relax, everyone. Yes it happened, no it's not a regular occurrence. When you have kids you'll realize that they do things sometimes when they don't know better, this was one of those times. He has done very light training before (primarily body weight with very light weight, e.g. squats with 5 pound dumbbells in each hand, dumbbell bench with 5-10 pounds, etc.). In this case I was benching at the time and hadn't noticed he was picking up the curl bar. I didn't think yelling at him to drop it immediately was the best course of action as he was mid-lift when I stopped my bench. He had good form but he's very clear that he is not to attempt any more weightlifting without our direct undivided supervision.

 

[MJinZ]

Relax, everyone. Yes it happened, no it's not a regular occurrence. When you have kids you'll realize that they do things sometimes when they don't know better, this was one of those times. He has done very light training before (primarily body weight with very light weight, e.g. squats with 5 pound dumbbells in each hand, dumbbell bench with 5-10 pounds, etc.). In this case I was benching at the time and hadn't noticed he was picking up the curl bar. I didn't think yelling at him to drop it immediately was the best course of action as he was mid-lift when I stopped my bench. He had good form but he's very clear that he is not to attempt any more weightlifting without our direct undivided supervision.

You're a bad parent for even allowing "light training" for a 6 year old, who should be out playing or doing something fun.

6 year old doing squats? What the hell is wrong with you?

Do you watch porn in the same room as well? Some influences should be physically off limits to kids that young.

 

[HN]

You're a bad parent for even allowing "light training" for a 6 year old, who should be out playing or doing something fun.

6 year old doing squats? What the hell is wrong with you?

wtf? what if that's what the kid wants to do? so they're in to physical fitness and you look at it negatively?

Do you watch porn in the same room as well? Some influences should be physically off limits to kids that young.

jeezus, what the hells wrong with you? this ain't ATOT.

 

[SearchMaster]

You're a bad parent for even allowing "light training" for a 6 year old, who should be out playing or doing something fun.

6 year old doing squats? What the hell is wrong with you?

Do you watch porn in the same room as well? Some influences should be physically off limits to kids that young.

Okay, man, whatever - have a great day

 

[MJinZ]

wtf? what if that's what the kid wants to do? so they're in to physical fitness and you look at it negatively?

Who cares about what the kid wants to do? Parents are parents, not servants to their children.

Plenty of good things for adults should not be done by children for health and safety reasons.

jeezus, what the hells wrong with you? this ain't ATOT.

:thumbsdown:

 

[calvinbiss]

This thread got jacked!

 

[MJinZ]

This thread got jacked!

It's still about squats, deads, and benching. Just when not to do them.

 

[kalrith]

Relax, everyone. Yes it happened, no it's not a regular occurrence. When you have kids you'll realize that they do things sometimes when they don't know better, this was one of those times. He has done very light training before (primarily body weight with very light weight, e.g. squats with 5 pound dumbbells in each hand, dumbbell bench with 5-10 pounds, etc.). In this case I was benching at the time and hadn't noticed he was picking up the curl bar. I didn't think yelling at him to drop it immediately was the best course of action as he was mid-lift when I stopped my bench. He had good form but he's very clear that he is not to attempt any more weightlifting without our direct undivided supervision.

Thanks for clearing that up. It sounded like his 112-pound DL was supervised and approved of. My previous comments were based on that, and I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh. I'm glad to hear that it was just a kid being a kid .

I have a 1yo, and he's already starting to get into everything. He's picked up the 3- and 5-pound dumbbells a few times too. I have a feeling he's going to be a little monster by the time he's 6 .

I'm all for sports training and body-weight exercises from an early age, and I realize that professional skiers, skaters, etc. almost universally start their sport by the age of 5 (and many by 2-3). I just never thought that weight lifting fit into that category.

And just for the record, even though I agreed with his statement earlier in the thread (before I had the above clarification), I have now safely moved back into my usual camp of totally disagreeing with MJinZ ^_^.

Since this thread has totally been hijacked, does anyone have examples of when professional power lifters/body builders started out? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Arnold, who started lifting when he was 13-14 and competing when he was 18.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

You're a bad parent for even allowing "light training" for a 6 year old, who should be out playing or doing something fun.

6 year old doing squats? What the hell is wrong with you?

Do you watch porn in the same room as well? Some influences should be physically off limits to kids that young.

A kid is more likely to stunt their growth out playing with other kids then are are lifting weights. Weight lifting is statistically one of the safest physical activities you can do. You have to remember to have proper technique, and at a young age not over do it. Other than that there is no danger in stunting your growth whatsoever.

The whole growth stunting BS was thought up because many really good powerlifters/weightlifters over the years have not been extremely tall. Idiots see trends like this and therefore think weight lifting is what caused these great weight lifters to be short.

The only way a kid can stunt their growth is by fracturing a growth plate, and with medical science these days as long as they get treatment there will be no lasting effects of a fracture. A kid is more likely to fracture a growth plate playing soccer or basketball than weight lifting with proper technique.

 

[MJinZ]

A kid is more likely to stunt their growth out playing with other kids then are are lifting weights. Weight lifting is statistically one of the safest physical activities you can do. You have to remember to have proper technique, and at a young age not over do it. Other than that there is no danger in stunting your growth whatsoever.

The whole growth stunting BS was thought up because many really good powerlifters/weightlifters over the years have not been extremely tall. Idiots see trends like this and therefore think weight lifting is what caused these great weight lifters to be short.

The only way a kid can stunt their growth is by fracturing a growth plate, and with medical science these days as long as they get treatment there will be no lasting effects of a fracture. A kid is more likely to fracture a growth plate playing soccer or basketball than weight lifting with proper technique.

Why the FUCK would a kid want to lift weights anyway? They are incredibly healthy as is, and to become a freakazoid of nature is just wrong before you even hit puberty.

I'm talking about SAFETY. A child is NOT A FUCKING ADULT, in sound MIND or body. Unless you're there holding his hand through every heavy movement, you are risking his SAFETY.

Might as well send your kids to the construction yard or to a contractor and have him work with heavy stuff. That's REALLY safe.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Why the FUCK would a kid want to lift weights anyway? They are incredibly healthy as is, and to become a freakazoid of nature is just wrong before you even hit puberty.

I'm talking about SAFETY. A child is NOT A FUCKING ADULT, in sound MIND or body. Unless you're there holding his hand through every heavy movement, you are risking his SAFETY.

Might as well send your kids to the construction yard or to a contractor and have him work with heavy stuff. That's REALLY safe.

I'm sure all the parents will attest to the fact that kids imitate everything you do. This guy's kid saw him lifting weights so he decided he wanted to be like his dad? Who cares. Kids will be kids. You're telling this guy he's a bad father because he let his kid do one dead lift. It's painfully obvious you don't have kids yourself. I don't have kids and I know I have no right to tell this guy how to parent his own child.

Now find me one study that proves that a child moderately lifting weights isn't safe.

Just because your kids are going to wear bicycle helmets their entire life because the world isn't safe doesn't mean every kid on earth will. People like you are the reason we have raised entire generations of pussies.

 

[MJinZ]

I'm sure all the parents will attest to the fact that kids imitate everything you do. This guy's kid saw him lifting weights so he decided he wanted to be like his dad? Who cares. Kids will be kids. You're telling this guy he's a bad father because he let his kid do one dead lift. It's painfully obvious you don't have kids yourself. I don't have kids and I know I have no right to tell this guy how to parent his own child.

Now find me one study that proves that a child moderately lifting weights isn't safe.

Just because your kids are going to wear bicycle helmets their entire life because the world isn't safe doesn't mean every kid on earth will. People like you are the reason we have raised entire generations of pussies.

LOL. People like you, lacking basic common sense for safety of a child, is the reason our generation is almost entirely DUMBASSES.

 

[coreyb]

I see nothing wrong here. Tons of kids do stuff like gymnastics at a young age and they get strong as fuck doing that, what's the difference between that and lifting a little bit of weights?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I see nothing wrong here. Tons of kids do stuff like gymnastics at a young age and they get strong as fuck doing that, what's the difference between that and lifting a little bit of weights?

There is no problem if the training is moderate. MJinz is trolling as always. Just like whole milk is the devil (God forbid cheese or bacon). He doesn't actually have any research to back it up. People thought for a long time it would stunt or affect growth, but recent research has shown that kids who are involved in healthy activities (Not obsessions. Think moderate here.) grow up to their full size and potential in all facets of life.

 

[mav451]

Have you read Starting Strength. I'm almost done reading it, and it's been a great resource. I worked out for years in high school and college and thought I knew what I was doing. I wasn't doing anything terribly wrong, but I certainly didn't have perfect technique either.

I did my first set of bench pressing last night after reading through the book (and only my second set since getting back into lifting last week). Tightening my shoulder blades, keeping my chest up, taking a deep breath and holding it, etc. all helped me to have the best feeling bench press I've ever had.

Just for comparison I'm 6'1" and 180 lbs and benched 3x5 with 35-lb dumbbells, so I agree with others saying there's something off with your form or thinking. Having a tight torso made a huge difference for me from my bench press last week to last night.

This is good advice. Alone - have you tried benching again? Just going by the OP's height and weight, it just doesn't make sense that your shoulder's are hurting, unless something is being compensated for (i.e. previous injury).

*oops read that you can do push-ups fine. Hrmm...

 

[Kirby]

How many kids do you have, MJizZ?

 

[HomerX]

Why the FUCK would a kid want to lift weights anyway?

Because he saw his father training with weights... Thats the way Children learn...

I'm talking about SAFETY. A child is NOT A FUCKING ADULT, in sound MIND or body. Unless you're there holding his hand through every heavy movement, you are risking his SAFETY.

You can never protect a child from every potential harm... You can reduce the risk of some really dangerous things and you can educate your child to watch for his health...
Some Parents have a big problem with this and they try to protect a child from everything... they won't allow their child to climb on a tree or to work on a piece of wood with a saw/hammer/nails etc... They won't allow them to go out when it rains and they won't allow them to play in the dirt...
And after a few years when the child grows up chances are good that he has became a chicken-hearted weakling without any self-confidence that gets ill 4-5 times a year...


I have a 5 Year old son (6 in 2 months) and sometimes he imitates my push-ups/sit-ups... I helped him to do them with good form and now sometimes he starts doing them when i'm training.
This summer he joins a gymnastic club for children.... As long as he has fun with doing sport/training i will support him!