Biggest Mistakes Teens Make

[titus_teen]

I am just wondering if anyone knows of the biggest mistakes that teen body builders make? I am only 16 and I do not want to make them because I would like to be able to succeed in my weight lifting.

[Pull14]

Recreation or competitive?

For the majority of recreation lifters who's goals center around bodybuilding, the most predominate mistakes I see are...

1) to little focus on strength
2) no planned progression or lacking methods to monitor progression
3) bloated templates: perform way to many lifts that have a whole lot of, and unnecessary overlap.
4) Machine, cable exercises and "accessory" lifts are turned into the main lifts while movements such as squats, press, deads, gm's, etc. are babied or not even used.
5) training mentality... they workout, they don't train.
6) to much time and energy spent on the stupid crap: pre-, peri-, post workout meals, supplements, rest intervals, pre-fatiguing muscles, etc.
7) fail at dieting: eat to little, eat to much, or eats to much bad food. Supplementation is thought of as a cure all and not a supplement.
8) poor consistency in everything: diet, getting in the gym, programming...

This is more or less the problems you see with any beginner, but those in there teens are for the most part new. To get good, always be consistent, work hard, keep a log, take a SIMPLE and brief approach to training (brief in terms of exercise selection per session), commit to your goals and if something isn't working, find the problem don't change your goal or compromise. Read everything and keep an open mind, but don't believe everything you read and hear. Commit to your principles of training, but again keep an open mind and make changes when needed - sometimes you gotta bite the bullet.

[Spartigus]

I agree with Pull. One mistake I made (in addition to all of the ones Pull mentions) was listening to other people who knew nothing about lifting. The worst thing is when a group of guys who all have terrible routines/training/ect and they all reinforce eachothers bad habits, then said people start giving advice to newer guys. The newer guys dont know any better and listen.

[titus_teen]

Originally Posted by Pull14

Recreation or competitive?

For the majority of recreation lifters who's goals center around bodybuilding, the most predominate mistakes I see are...

1) to little focus on strength
2) no planned progression or lacking methods to monitor progression
3) bloated templates: perform way to many lifts that have a whole lot of, and unnecessary overlap.
4) Machine, cable exercises and "accessory" lifts are turned into the main lifts while movements such as squats, press, deads, gm's, etc. are babied or not even used.
5) training mentality... they workout, they don't train.
6) to much time and energy spent on the stupid crap: pre-, peri-, post workout meals, supplements, rest intervals, pre-fatiguing muscles, etc.
7) fail at dieting: eat to little, eat to much, or eats to much bad food. Supplementation is thought of as a cure all and not a supplement.
8) poor consistency in everything: diet, getting in the gym, programming...

This is more or less the problems you see with any beginner, but those in there teens are for the most part new. To get good, always be consistent, work hard, keep a log, take a SIMPLE and brief approach to training (brief in terms of exercise selection per session), commit to your goals and if something isn't working, find the problem don't change your goal or compromise. Read everything and keep an open mind, but don't believe everything you read and hear. Commit to your principles of training, but again keep an open mind and make changes when needed - sometimes you gotta bite the bullet.

I am just doing it for recreation right now. Maybe some day I will be strong enough to do it for a competition.

[Chillen]

At 16 years old, most at this age can get easily influenced and sometimes misdirected. Decipher fitness information intelligently, learn the basic fundamentals of weight lifting and dietary mechanics, as these will provide the base of your accomplishments and provide the foundation to allow more advanced methods to work.

And, this will allow you to view BS when you read it.

Peace and happiness to you, young man.


Chillen

[TitanCT]

number one mistake youngins make.

- they think they know it all and pretty much ignore older, bigger, wiser, people.

[Rich Knapp]

Originally Posted by TitanCT

number one mistake youngins make.

- they think they know it all and pretty much ignore older, bigger, wiser, people.

Added to this.

They liston to "know it all gym rats buddies" rather than people that have been there with success.

[TitanCT]

everyone has their way but it only works if you do it 100% there way. no mix n match kiddies. find a trainer or mentor you trust and do what they say to a "T" until you know better yourself, how your body works, reacts, etc.