My 14-year-old daughter has started going to the gym using a free summer teen pass with some of her guy friends, and she’s really enjoying weight training. One of the parents, who has experience with weight training, also goes with them to ensure they stay safe. Her favorite exercise is the bench press on the Smith machine. She mostly sticks to nautilus-style machines since the free weights intimidate her a bit she finds it challenging to focus on stabilizing them, and I explained that this difficulty is part of their benefit. She amusingly refers to them as “freestyle weights.”
As the summer pass is ending, she’ll likely start going with me or my husband more often. I’d love to help her learn more about weight training, including the names of equipment and basic exercises. We had a good laugh in the car when I picked her up because she was trying to explain what she’d done at the gym but didn’t know the proper terminology.
The conversation went something like this:
Her: “I did 30 plus the thing… on the… the thing.”
Me: “Honey, I need more details 30 reps, 30 pounds, 30 minutes? And what thing?”
It turns out she bench pressed 30 pounds of plates plus the 45-pound bar on the Smith machine!
Since we homeschool, I can incorporate this into a Physical Education half-credit if we do enough. Does anyone have recommendations for books, YouTube channels, or teen workout plans that start with the basics?
I used to do weight training before she was born, but it’s been a while. Also, both of us are somewhat hypermobile she more so than me so we need to focus on safe ranges of motion. We don’t have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, just hypermobility, and she might have mild POTS. We’ll make sure she stays well-hydrated before and during lifting.
Meg Squats is awesome! She’s a YouTuber who offers her own programs, and you can purchase them too. I believe her content is mainly geared towards women at the beginner to intermediate levels.
I’m also hypermobile, and lifting weights has nearly eliminated the pain that came with it. I only wish I had started sooner—it would have saved me a lot of stress. From what I understand (though more knowledgeable folks might correct me), going through your full range of motion under a manageable load isn’t dangerous. The risk comes when you’re lifting weights you can’t handle or in positions that aren’t safe for you. If you can achieve a perfect ATG squat, you should train in that position, or else it may weaken over time. However, be mindful of locking out joints, especially since hypermobile joints can extend past 180°, creating an unstable position (I experience this with dumbbell overhead tricep extensions). But it’s not a huge issue just avoid fully locking out by keeping the joint slightly bent at the top of the movement.
I started lifting with my 15-year-old daughter this year (I’m her dad), and we’ve found that the fundamentals of weightlifting work pretty much the same for both sexes.
To learn how to build muscle for both of us, I watched a lot of Jeff Nippard and Resistance Periodization videos on YouTube. We’ve had great success following their guidance. My daughter weighs 105 pounds and has reached a 1-rep max of 445 pounds on the leg press and 145 pounds on the squat. Her back and arms are also getting much more defined.
The one big thing I’d recommend focusing on first is perfecting her technique. Start with low weight, moving slowly and with control, and spend months mastering the basics. Also, make sure to download a fitness app to track everything there’s no point in going to the gym without a plan.
I began lifting at about the same age! My dad hired a personal trainer for me for a few months, which was invaluable in teaching me proper form and how to fuel my body for strength. Now, at 23, I’m a record-holding powerlifter!
