Teen Bodybuilding Workout Plan

For a first-timer entering the weight room, the experience can be a little intimidating. Trying to sort through the variety of exercises to come up with a cogent plan is quite a handful for most adult weightlifters, let alone teenagers. While getting caught up in the latest exercise fad is always tempting, one should remember that the best development comes from sticking to the basic movements and attempting to consistently progress from week to week. Read on and discover a sample exercise plan for aspiring teen bodybuilders.

  1. Introducing the Basics

    • Teen bodybuilders should stick to free weight exercises for the most part, keeping to mostly compound movements. A compound movement is one that works more than one muscle group at a time, as opposed to an isolation movement (such as a bicep curl). The cornerstones of every teen bodybuilding plan should focus around the squat, the bench press, the deadlift, pull-ups and rows. This will ensure a proper balance between the following movement patterns: pushing, pulling, hip extension and hip flexion. For those unsure of how to perform these basic techniques, a wide range of supporting articles can be found at Tmuscle.com.

    Putting it all together

    • While most teens are convinced that more is always better, that is not always the case with adding additional exercises or additional workout days. Basic is almost always best, and including too many workout days in the week can impede one's gains. With that in mind, we recommend starting off with a three day split--that is, one will perform three workouts during the week, usually on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Any three days will do, however, so long as the workouts are separated by days off from the gym.

      Exercise names will be followed by two numbers separated with an "x." The first indicates the number of sets an exercise should be performed. The second number indicates how many repetitions should be performed per set. So 3x8 means to perform three sets of eight repetitions in each set on that particular exercise.

      The recommended workout is a slightly modified variation of Bill Starr's 5x5 plan, and is as follows:

      On Monday perform: Squat 5x5, Bench 5x5, Barbell Row 5x5
      On Wednesday perform: Squat 4x5, Incline Bench 4x5, Deadlift 4x5
      On Friday perform: Squat 4x5, then one set of eight reps using less weight, Bench 4x5, then one set of eight reps using less weight, Pullups 4x5

      Every week you should try to add more weight to the bar, even if it is only an extra 5lbs. If a week comes where you can no longer best your previous records from last week, change the exercise slightly by varying the grip (wide, neutral or close), stance (wide, neutral or close), or angle (incline, flat or decline) of the exercise. After a few months of dedicated and consistent practice, you will be amazed at your newfound strength.

    Always remember nutrition

    • Lifting weights is only half of the bodybuilding equation. The other half is what happens in the kitchen. Ensuring proper muscle growth means feeding your body enough to grow. For teenagers, nutrition should be fairly simple. Generally speaking, eat a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (e.g. if you weigh 150lbs eat 150g of protein per day). Stick to whole foods like lean meats, fruit and vegetables, and try to avoid processed and "fast" foods. Avoid supplements for the most part--a little protein powder is not a bad thing, but do not waste your money on anything fancy. All you need during your teenage years is plenty of solid, healthy food.