how to train a COMPLETE BEGINNER WITH LITTLE TO 0 STRENGTH?

[JDid23]

hey guys.. i have just started to get serious about lifting.. i am 17, and my brother is 13. He has ADHD, tons of motor skill problems, and has had a lot of social issues up to this point in his life -- it is hard for him to write legibly, and i even tried doing some 5 pound dumbbell exercises with him at home and he could barely do a few reps without getting tired. he really wants to get stronger (he plays basketball), so i told him i would do my best to come up with a routine for him at the gym as long as he was dedicated and ate what i told him. I was thinking of doing machines for at least the first month or 2, and then when i think he is ready, gradually start him on light free weights and so forth.

does anyone have any ideas on how i can help him? he barely eats, but he does like the shakes that i make and loves to drink milk. are there any machines that would really benefit him opposed to others? like the assisted dips/pullups and so forth? thanks a lot

 

[Crocodome]

I just have to say that I respect you so much for being so cool to your brother!!! You are an awesome person for being such a good friend to him and that you are his role model. He'll do what you do... at 13, focus issues, and "0" strength, probably stretching and body-weight stuff like pullups and dips... there are weight assisted machines that will ease him into his full body weight. Maybe some unloaded bar squats too.

Keep up the good bro-ness!

 

[LucSulla]

Some people here think that starting to lift that young is a bad idea, and not without good reason. However, I very respectfully disagree depending on the seriousness and discipline of the beginner.

This book is an absolute essential for any teen beginning to lift:

» >> Starting Strength (2nd)

This will give you a solid base for working out for the rest of your life.

Here are some other things to check out, just for motivation:

Blank

A lot of these videos are of kids who learned to lift properly from the get go. It is amazing to see what they can do at such a young age. Granted, these are advanced lifts all, but I think it is a good motivator just to see what someone at your brother's age can do.

Personally, and this is just my two cents, I would spend more time learning form on the big lifts like squats, deads, and so on, even if that meant weeks of using only the weight of the bar, over learning machines. Learning good form from the beginning on the lifts that truly build strength is absolutely priceless and will lay a great foundation for years of healthy lifting and great gains. I think a beginner who can squat to parallel or below with great form, even if it is only light weight, will be miles ahead in the end of a beginner who starts off on machines. I know there are a number of us around here that spent years doing exercises on machines with all manner of splits that wish we would have started off this way.

 

[JDid23]

hey guys thanks for the quick responses.... croc i was thinking of doing something along those lines, but i will have to make a routine for him first and see how it goes. he really is weak

and that brings me to lusculla.. like i was thinking about doing that but the fact he can barely handle dumbbells puts him in the "old man" category, but a really weak one. kinda like the old guys at the gym who just do very light weight on the machines. i want to start on those, but i think even the bar would be way too much (even with me supporting him). he is really self-conscious which is the reason i want him to start out on the machines.. it will look like he can do some weight, whereas in the dumbbell area and near the rack he won't be able to handle the lightest dumbbells or the bar.

 

[SouthernLord]

Lucsulla's advice is the best you will get. Buy Starting Strength and learn how to properly execute the core lifts.

Squatting should be the foundation of all exercise programs. If you can squat, then you can do any of the traditional compound lifts. Learn the proper way to do full squats then teach him. Have him do body weight squats everyday until he has them mastered. Progress from body weight to broomstick to barbell. This has more merrit than any useless machine.

Also have him do push ups (on his knees and negatives only if he's too week) and hangs for time from the chin up bar until he can do jumping negatives and partner assisted full reps. Sit ups would be useful too.

Putting him on machines will do very little for his coordination and it will not teach him how to use his body as one peice. This will help him greatly with basketball and progression to proper strength training.

 

[Unit 2005]

13 is too young for weight training, id wait until he is 15/16. Like someone else said, bodyweight exercises and plenty of natural, hearty foods.

 

[SaiBoT]

I like Lucsulla's advice but given the circunstances we are not talking about a fully functional kid so I will have to agree with Croc on everything, good bro-ness included!

Now for the routine, he could do this 3x a week so he can develop his motor skills

Pair the exercises like this:

A1 Machine dips 1x10
A2 Machine reverse grip chin up 1x10

Do A1 and A2 with a minute rest between each one, so by the time he repeats A1 we would have rested at least two minutes

B1 Machine rows 1x10
B2 Machine bench press 1x10

Same here


C1 Alternate one rep front raises with one lateral raises total 10 reps.
C2 Alternate db curl 1x10

D1 Leg extensions 1x10
D2 Leg Curl 1x10

E1 sit ups
E2 Hyperextensions

All to be done with minimal weights and 3x10 each exercises. Rest a minute between each exercise of each superset, non consecutive during a month, if he can do like 15 reps with a weight increase a bit.

He should also start his workouts with cardio on the bike or elliptical machine and finish the session with some more cardio too.

My brother had motor and orthopedic problems with his legs and he did nothing but leg extensions and leg curls for three months, when he tried squats well let's just say that after not so long time he was squatting over 300lbs at 180lbs.

 

[JDid23]

I like Lucsulla's advice but given the circunstances we are not talking about a fully functional kid so I will have to agree with Croc on everything, good bro-ness included!

Now for the routine, he could do this 3x a week so he can develop his motor skills

Pair the exercises like this:

A1 Machine dips 1x10
A2 Machine reverse grip chin up 1x10

Do A1 and A2 with a minute rest between each one, so by the time he repeats A1 we would have rested at least two minutes

B1 Machine rows 1x10
B2 Machine bench press 1x10

Same here


C1 Alternate one rep front raises with one lateral raises total 10 reps.
C2 Alternate db curl 1x10

D1 Leg extensions 1x10
D2 Leg Curl 1x10

E1 sit ups
E2 Hyperextensions

All to be done with minimal weights and 3x10 each exercises. Rest a minute between each exercise of each superset, non consecutive during a month, if he can do like 15 reps with a weight increase a bit.

He should also start his workouts with cardio on the bike or elliptical machine and finish the session with some more cardio too.

My brother had motor and orthopedic problems with his legs and he did nothing but leg extensions and leg curls for three months, when he tried squats well let's just say that after not so long time he was squatting over 300lbs at 180lbs.

thx dude that sounds really good... glad to hear a good story about your brother

i think that doing "10" dips or pullups in a row would sound harder than 2x5, and with 2x5 i can see how he does with the weight.... that is what i think, but if you think otherwise please let me know.

hows this seem for a workout?

5-10 min on treadmill
2x5 assisted dips
2x5 machine bench press
2x5 dumbbell curl
2x5 leg extensions
2x25 situps (will boost confidence after 10 reps per and he can do that)

5-10 min on tredmill
2x5 assisted pullups
2x5 machine rows
2x5 lateral raises (would replacing this with something like dumbbell bench be okay?)
2x5 leg curl
2x5 hyperextensions

 

[SaiBoT]

thx dude that sounds really good... glad to hear a good story about your brother

i think that doing "10" dips or pullups in a row would sound harder than 2x5, and with 2x5 i can see how he does with the weight.... that is what i think, but if you think otherwise please let me know.

hows this seem for a workout?

5-10 min on treadmill
2x5 assisted dips
2x5 machine bench press
2x5 dumbbell curl
2x5 leg extensions
2x25 situps (will boost confidence after 10 reps per and he can do that)

5-10 min on tredmill
2x5 assisted pullups
2x5 machine rows
2x5 lateral raises (would replacing this with something like dumbbell bench be okay?)
2x5 leg curl
2x5 hyperextensions

on his case I think he should do a bit more high rep like 8-10 reps, needs to work on his endurance too.

All the exercises I gave you it's just one workout and reason why I placed the exercises on pairs it's because of saving time, by not making the workouts too long.

The example you gave are two separate workouts aren't they? He needs more frequency to the same bodypart so he can make gains faster at least to make him feel his muscle and get used to weightraining, push him he will follow, if he can't manage 10 he will manage 7-8, when he can do all ten then increase the weight. What you can do it's that instead of 3x10 per exercise make it 2x10 per exercise with the same weight and work from there.

 

[JDid23]

on his case I think he should do a bit more high rep like 8-10 reps, needs to work on his endurance too.

All the exercises I gave you it's just one workout and reason why I placed the exercises on pairs it's because of saving time, by not making the workouts too long.

The example you gave are two separate workouts aren't they? He needs more frequency to the same bodypart so he can make gains faster at least to make him feel his muscle and get used to weightraining, push him he will follow, if he can't manage 10 he will manage 7-8, when he can do all ten then increase the weight. What you can do it's that instead of 3x10 per exercise make it 2x10 per exercise with the same weight and work from there.

true.. the examples are 2 separate workouts. that makes sense, thx for the help.