Good Gym Routine for Teenagers

With modern amenities such as TV and social media occupying much of a teen's free time, it's no wonder fewer young people are exercising. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average teen watches approximately three hours of television per day and has a 15 percent chance of being obese. To combat this sedentary lifestyle and the risks it brings, teens may establish a gym routine. But most teens will have trouble doing this alone; they'll need both external motivation and a routine that's enjoyable.

  1. Goal-Oriented

    • One of the most important things a teen can do to perfect his gym routine happens before he even hits the gym: Establish a goal. Some common goals include achieving toned muscles, losing weight and boosting strength. A gym routine with a tangible goal, such as getting into shape before that spring break trip to the beach or improving fitness for football tryouts, can motivate a normally uninspired teen to get off the couch and into the gym.

    Resistance Training

    • All teens can benefit from adding resistance training to their gym routines to build muscle and increase metabolism. In general, the resistance training routine for a teen is much like that of an adult, but with a caveat: the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends teens lift moderately heavy weights at higher reps to avoid injuries or menstrual problems. A teenage gym-goer should aim for three days of resistance training per week with rest days in between resistance training days to allow for muscle recovery. They may find machines less intimidating to use than free weights; encourage your teen to ask staff for guidance. For a full body workout, a sample schedule might designate Tuesday as core day for working the abs, hips and back; Friday as arm day for working the biceps, triceps, wrists and shoulders; and Sunday as leg day for working the quads, hamstrings and calves.

    Cardio

    • For teens with weight-loss goals, cardio is instrumental, as it increases the amount of fat burned as fuel. Even if a teen is focused on gaining muscle, cardio is beneficial as it is essential for burning fat and improving cardiovascular health. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics states that many children begin to have cardiovascular problems as young as age 5 due to obesity, the overweight teen may especially benefit from this kind of exercise; check with your child's doctor before beginning such a program. Because of the wide variety of cardio exercise options -- from dancing, to swimming, to cycling, to basketball, to shadowboxing -- most teens will find cardio fun. This is a powerful motivator. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least three days of cardio exercise per week.

    A Full Gym Routine

    • For a teen focused on fitness, a good gym routine should have three days of cardio and three days of resistance training. With a busy school schedule, a teen might choose to work out every evening after school, with Monday, Wednesday and Friday being her resistance-training days and Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday being her cardio days. On weight training days, she could engage in five difference exercises, each consisting of three sets of eight reps. Her cardio sessions should last at least 40 minutes, as longer cardio sessions burn more fat; she should choose something she enjoys, such as listening to music on the treadmill, so that she doesn’t burn out. In total, she will spend about one hour a day in the gym. Encouraging your teen to team up with a friend when hitting the gym can make it more fun to commit to a routine.