Bodybuilding Forums

Hello everybody. I would like to ask for advice. Some may think I'm too young to worry about working out and all that stuff, but, Its a major part of my life now, its given me alot of extra confidence, and I'm not about to give that up. I'm 14 years old and I've been working out for almost two years. I've only had access to a weight bench for about a year, and I don't have access to a local gym. I am completely stuck on my bench press. I feel like I'm gettin weaker! I took a lot of weight off so I could do it with better form, but that was some months ago. So I was at about 110 pounds with ok form getting it maybe 6 or 7 times. ( I stay with a 6-12 rep range ) Ever since I've been decreasing in reps, until now I'm at 100 pounds with about 7 reps, and I'm lost. And I am just now trying to get back into my routine a little bit more, with school starting and all, I kind of slacked off a little bit during the summer, but, I've been having some problems with this way before summer started. And I feel kinda embarrassed with some of my friends on the football team, because they talk about their HUGE strength gains and they are all like progressing really fast ( tho sometimes I find it hard to believe ) and I know that they are goin way more intense and harder, but, I would like to know what I should do. I'm thinking about joining the football team next year, or the year after, and that should help me too, but until then... well, I'm lost, and ANY advice at all would be VERY appreciated. thank u for ur time.

First of all if you are losing strength on the bench press check your diet(are you eating enough calories and protein) and your training frequency.For example if you are doing the bench press every other day you may not leave enough time to compansate and become stronger.

Secondly if you want to became stronger for athletic reasons such as american football you must do it for all of your body.Since you can't go to a gym, you must find access to at least the important basic exercises and equiments.The most importont basic exercises are squats,deadlifts,cleans,bench presses(already do),shoulder presses,pullups,rows with bb or db,dips and bb/db curls. A squat rack, a pullup bar, and a bench are enough. If you can find a cage it would be even greater for safety reasons and space. Many weight plates and dbs are standards also for progressive overloading.

Gidday Moonshoes, its good you are into exercising. You are young, and creating a good habit, that will help you lead a really good life. Think about health, and results will be easier. That means good food and good rest. The only exercises you need to focus on are chinups, dips, pushups, sprinting and hanging leg raises.

Chin with grip both ways, palms facing and palms away. When you get strong you can use an old towel, or sheet, and hang things around your waist. Once you can do 12 chinups add weight.

Pushups are great upper body, as you get strong, raise feet higher and higher.

Dips are great too, its easy to figure out a way to do them. I'm in a remote place and use two really strong chairs placed apart back to back. Add weight like chinups.

For lower body, legs, sprint. Build up to a workout of 10 x 100 m. when you are good at that, sprint uphill, sprint downhill, sprint up stairs, down stairs, through water, in sand, you will get awesome legs.

Just do one type of exercise as a workout, say chinups, then rest a day, then dips, rest a day, sprints, rest a day, hanging leg raises, rest a day, then repeat it. Except each time you repeat the cycle, swap between dips and pushups.

Lots of places have playgrounds, with bars and stuff to do chins, dips and hanging leg raises, you'll find something. Here's some stuff to get you looking and thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLCWMVkMLSs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x838rpTW ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlXhQWe4fqQ&NR=1

Say when you are starting, you can only do one chinup. just do one, rest a minute, another one, and so on, resting longer if you have to, till you've done 25. Same with dips and hanging leg raises. when you feel stronger, try lots of 2, until you are tired, can only get 1, and finish on lots of 1, till youve done 25. Then when stronger, lots of 3/2/1, till 25 then 4/3/2/1, and so on. Aim for 3 lots of 10, and add weight, start all over again.

Ease into the sprinting, warm up well with 5 minutes of jogging, some slower 40m sprints, 5 lots, increasing speed. Then, start off doing 5 x 50m sprints. Sprint 50, jog back slowly, repeat, if you are too tired, rest a while, 3 minutes., until you do the five. Aim for eventually doing 10, then increase distance to 75m, then when you can do 10, increase to 100m, then start on hills etc.

Be patient, you will get really strong, muscular and healthy, and when your hormones kick in in a few years, you will grow dramatically. All the training will ensure maximum results, growth and health. There is tons of good info on the net, you'll learn heaps and heaps, have fun.