How do you safely put weight on a teenage athlete?

[jellyfish10]

"Eat more" is the simple answer.

First question - any medical issues or intolerances that you are aware? No one should be prescribing anything until this has been answered. Specific things I am looking at would be some sort of kidney or liver issues, lactose or gluten intolerances...

Second, let's define the goal a bit. He's 61 kg. What does "add some weight" from a measurement perspective mean to him? Another 20 lbs? 40? How concerned is he with having visible abs? This is a question he needs to answer - it's his physique.

I'll fill in more once these are answered.

Great questions and thanks for responding.

Nope, no health issues. Athletic kid and long for just being 5’10”.

I would guess there is some vanity involved regarding the abs, but even if he could add 10 lbs or so before football that would be good. Iowa has summer baseball so until baseball is over, it will be a challenge to focus strictly on strength training and putting on weight.

 

[Fan In Black]

What @TarponSpringsNole said. Eat. Eat. Eat. You know the foods. Bust your ass in gym. Compound lifts. Make sure he gets rest. And because I know it goes along away...be excited about it, encourage him, and support him all the way. A compliment from someone goes a long way in sticking it out.

 

[BigDelHawk]

Oh, and pizza, lots of pizza. It is what bodybuilders eat when bulking. Lubricates joint as well.

 

[SalAunese]

So my grandma shouldn't have encouraged me to clear my plate and have 2 pieces of pie?

Always an exception for grandmas.

 

[hawkifann]

I know @Tenacious E has sought advice for strength training for his teenage son. My son is 15 and about 5’10” and a buck 35ish. He is mainly a linebacker in football and infielder in baseball. He is looking to add some weight but has his old man’s genes. I have no problem with wanting to add weight, the question is, how do we do it safely without adding bad weight? I’m not worried about the strength and conditioning aspect, but what about supplements at his age? @ClarindaA's, @Monzon or anyone else with expertise care to share? @Herkmeister no offense, but you can sit this one out.

I wouldn’t look at supplements, he just needs to eat and work out. My oldest is 17 and a junior now. His freshman year, he got cut by the HS JV baseball team (he’s a pitcher). At the time, he was about 5’8, 130 and just didn’t have the strength he needed. He started lifting (a former coach of his is also a trainer, so we worked with him and my kid learned all the proper form & mechanics). He put some weight on quickly, but then plateaued and he realized he just needed to eat more. He started alternating Kodiak Cakes (high-protein pancake mix) and protein shakes with protein powder in the mornings, started making healthier food choices and sought out every bit of protein he could find. By tryouts his sophomore year, he was 5’9, 170 and made JV before our season was cancelled. Now he’s 5’10+, running about 180.

Eating and eating the right things are key here. I wouldn’t go for supplements at his age outside of simple protein powder (we use whey powder).

 

[ClarindaA's]

I wouldn’t look at supplements, he just needs to eat and work out. My oldest is 17 and a junior now. His freshman year, he got cut by the HS JV baseball team (he’s a pitcher). At the time, he was about 5’8, 130 and just didn’t have the strength he needed. He started lifting (a former coach of his is also a trainer, so we worked with him and my kid learned all the proper form & mechanics). He put some weight on quickly, but then plateaued and he realized he just needed to eat more. He started alternating Kodiak Cakes (high-protein pancake mix) and protein shakes with protein powder in the mornings, started making healthier food choices and sought out every bit of protein he could find. By tryouts his sophomore year, he was 5’9, 170 and made JV before our season was cancelled. Now he’s 5’10+, running about 180.

Eating and eating the right things are key here. I wouldn’t go for supplements at his age outside of simple protein powder (we use whey powder).

Love Kodiak cakes. Don’t sleep on adding creatine. Not sure why there is a stigma with it.

 

[Herkmeister]

I was just teasing you about your title about safely putting weigh on safely

Ciggy, you settle down. 😊

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Do you think it is safe to add, let’s say protein, creatine, etc, to his diet?

Protein for sure. I think creatine can wait

 

[ClarindaA's]

Protein for sure. I think creatine can wait

Based on what

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Based on what

On my opinion. There’s no controversy as to its effectiveness mind you, but I believe a 15 year old should really only supplement with extra protein—-especially if you’re just starting out seriously lifting.
Don’t want to introduce a “crutch” so to speak at this age.
Seems you were maybe looking for an argument.

 

[ClarindaA's]

On my opinion. There’s no controversy as to its effectiveness mind you, but I believe a 15 year old should really only supplement with extra protein—-especially if you’re just starting out seriously lifting.
Don’t want to introduce a “crutch” so to speak at this age.
Seems you were maybe looking for an argument.

I don’t know that it’s a crutch, it increases gains, recovery, etc

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

I don’t know that it’s a crutch, it increases gains, recovery, etc

I’m well aware what it does. I used to supplement with it regularly for years.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

This post has been approved by the Department of Redundancy Department!

Because f*** Wisconsin, that's why....

 

[Ol' Dirty Bastard]

 

[bdcolt45er]

Beer and pizza.

 

[swagsurfer02]

OP, here’s some things I wished I would’ve done...

Lifting (Especially squats, cleans, incline and bench press) afterwards drink chocolate milk
Acceleration and speed agility drills
Pylometric exercises (box jumps)
Baked beans
Potatoes use sour cream and real butter
Chicken and turkey
Carry water everywhere and drink a ton of it
Take care of his feet, don’t wear shoes with no arch
Run track, especially sprints and alway train against someone he knows is faster than he is

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Honestly, for your kid’s health stay away from supplements at his age. I averaged 9 lbs per year of gain in high school with an about 8-9% body fat. I was eating 2500-3200 calories per day, but was lifting, doing speed training, and doing football or track practice. Plus band and Boy Scouts. So I was burning more than I was consuming a lot of the time during the school year. I did the creatine thing in the summer, but not wholeheartedly and I’m glad I didn’t. I saw some teammates, mainly linemen, that really struggled with the water weight gains and ended up with ugly stretch marks.

If he is on a decent lifting and speed training regimen, then it is all about eating more calories and having those be a lot of protein not junk food. And have him avoid fast food. But keep in mind that not every body type at that age is meant to be 200+ lbs. Look at what happened to Bob Sanders with all of his muscle on his tiny body. He was doing things that a guy his size just can‘t do and remain healthy.

 

[Monzon]

Great questions and thanks for responding.

Nope, no health issues. Athletic kid and long for just being 5’10”.

I would guess there is some vanity involved regarding the abs, but even if he could add 10 lbs or so before football that would be good. Iowa has summer baseball so until baseball is over, it will be a challenge to focus strictly on strength training and putting on weight.

He needs to eat. Enjoy the guilt-free splurging while he can. Does he need supplements? No, but a whey protein shake with every meal's going to help. 5mg a day of creatine (monohydrate, don't spend the extra $$ on the ethyl ester shi'ite) is also useful if he's lifting and it is very likely your boy will be a responder to it. Don't bother with any other supplements at this point.

Be prepared to spend some more $$ for food.

Lifting has been covered in the other thread linked earlier.

 

[BigDelHawk]

Based on what

Creatine just makes your body gain water weight. When you quit taking it, you pee like crazy for a week and lose ten pounds. Why carry it, it is not muscle. If you are going this route, take Branch Chained Amino Acid supplements. Quicker availability and uptake than protein. Better for building muscle.

 

[BigDelHawk]

He needs to eat. Enjoy the guilt-free splurging while he can. Does he need supplements? No, but a whey protein shake with every meal's going to help. 5mg a day of creatine (monohydrate, don't spend the extra $$ on the ethyl ester shi'ite) is also useful if he's lifting and it is very likely your boy will be a responder to it. Don't bother with any other supplements at this point.

Be prepared to spend some more $$ for food.

Lifting has been covered in the other thread linked earlier.

esther tastes like shite too

 

[FAUlty Gator]

Don’t worry about size. Start using Olympic lifts that concentrate on knee, ankle hip, explosiveness out the hands and he will be fast and powerful. There’s always a place for fast, sturdy, explosive kids. Always. As for the size, his frame will always be the judge of how big he needs to be.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Peanut butter sandwiches

Had this same conversation 3 years ago regarding my son. He was 6’ 160 as a Sophomore. 6’1, 200 as a Junior. Dropped to 185 after basketball. Went into his senior football season 6’2” 225. Dropped to 205 after basketball. Now sits at 240 and is going to play DEnd at Morningside this Fall.

Serious Mass protein shakes 2x per day, Creatine and a stack (4 double sided) of PB sandwiches before bed every night. I can also count on one finger how many 6am weight and conditioning sessions he missed over the last 2 years. Ran a 4.9 electronic time at this past summer’s combine. Improved his vertical 8 inches over two years and dunked with ease at approximately 220 lbs this winter. Point is, he kept his explosiveness.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Creatine just makes your body gain water weight. When you quit taking it, you pee like crazy for a week and lose ten pounds. Why carry it, it is not muscle. If you are going this route, take Branch Chained Amino Acid supplements. Quicker availability and uptake than protein. Better for building muscle.

No, you don’t know your science, so just stop

 

[no_one_]

Not sure it’s worth it but in order to make the most gains without steroids: creatine, protein shakes, tons of water, and training with adequate rest is the answer. With lifting recommend back with biceps, next day chest with triceps, then shoulders and legs, then day off. Repeat.

 

[afmiller]

Creatine just makes your body gain water weight. When you quit taking it, you pee like crazy for a week and lose ten pounds. Why carry it, it is not muscle. If you are going this route, take Branch Chained Amino Acid supplements. Quicker availability and uptake than protein. Better for building muscle.

Creatine is more about shortening recovery time than it really is about building muscle. And it should be fine for youth 16+.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Creatine is more about shortening recovery time than it really is about building muscle. And it should be fine for youth 16+.

Except it does increase muscle synthesis by swelling the sarcoplasm

 

[BeepBeepInMyJeep]

All the kids were taking creatine back in the day....that seemed to put a good amount of lean muscle mass.

Seemed like everyone was using this in the 90's. I had similar build, and still do to some extent, 6' and it was a struggle to get above 150 but being a soccer/distance runner, this was no problem. But when I had use it my experience was the same, gain 10-15 pounds after a long time then once I went on vacation over the summer I pee'd it all out.

It'll help a bit to use creatine, but at that age he should have the time/energy/facilities to do lifting 5-6 days a week (rotating muscles obviously), so he should be doing that for a few months before anyone develops any gripe about not seeing results.

 

[no_one_]

Seemed like everyone was using this in the 90's. I had similar build, and still do to some extent, 6' and it was a struggle to get above 150 but being a soccer/distance runner, this was no problem. But when I had use it my experience was the same, gain 10-15 pounds after a long time then once I went on vacation over the summer I pee'd it all out.

It'll help a bit to use creatine, but at that age he should have the time/energy/facilities to do lifting 5-6 days a week (rotating muscles obviously), so he should be doing that for a few months before anyone develops any gripe about not seeing results.

I have to say it makes sense to do everything besides creatine (see my prior post) for about 3 months and then when he plateaus add in the creatine with more water. The creatine will push him to another level. Yes the gains will diminish somewhat when he eventually stops the creatine.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Here’s a question for all of you giving advice for massive weight gains. How much bad weight did you gain after you stopped playing?

One thing to be leery of is developing bad eating habits that are hard to kick. All to often I’ve seen athletes balloon up after their playing days end and they have to get a desk job with no time to exercise but they still consume 3000+ calories because that is a hard habit to kick.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Creatin worked for me in h.s when I had high motabolism 20 years ago. That and taco tuesday. I knew some folks that did the roids. Short term answer. I would suggest a ton of walking with 8 bowls of cereal

 

[SoDakHawk]

Here’s a question for all of you giving advice for massive weight gains. How much bad weight did you gain after you stopped playing?

One thing to be leery of is developing bad eating habits that are hard to kick. All to often I’ve seen athletes balloon up after their playing days end and they have to get a desk job with no time to exercise but they still consume 3000+ calories because that is a hard habit to kick.

Ah, hell yeah. Didn't want anything to do with working out either because I'd been busting my butt training for as long as I could remember. Took a few years and many pounds before I fixed that and lost a bunch of that weight. Then got older and gained it back, then lost it, then gained it, and the cycle continues.

 

[artradley]

No joke - my son was in a weight restricted football from grades 3 to 8. Maximum weight to play, maximum weight to carry the ball, so every kid weighed in at the start of the season and mid season. All teams published their rosters with their weights.

My guy was so tiny he wore his shorts to the weigh ins, and put weights in the pockets so it wouldn’t look quite as ridiculous on the roster.

 

[Bearhawk0505]

Protein shakes AFTER he eats a good meal. Many make the mistake of having the shakes be the meal. It takes discipline as he may need to put it down when he is not hungry.

 

[Fan In Black]

I am an advocate of creatine. It has helped me so much. Just my 2 cents, but I wasnt playing HS football doing it. Honestly I might just take @FAUlty Gator s advice if he wants to be a better football player. Exciting time dude...as a dad. Best of luck.

 

[Hawnkee]

Tell him that if he doesn’t put on weight, gain speed and earn a college scholarship that he is an embarrassment and blight on his entire family’s legacy. That should add plenty of weight on his already fragile shoulders.......... (I hope the sense of humor was detected in this response).

 

[BigDelHawk]

Creatine increases DHT, which causes hair loss.

 

[OrlandNole]

"Eat more" is the simple answer.

First question - any medical issues or intolerances that you are aware? No one should be prescribing anything until this has been answered. Specific things I am looking at would be some sort of kidney or liver issues, lactose or gluten intolerances...

Second, let's define the goal a bit. He's 61 kg. What does "add some weight" from a measurement perspective mean to him? Another 20 lbs? 40? How concerned is he with having visible abs? This is a question he needs to answer - it's his physique.

I'll fill in more once these are answered.

This. Everything else ITT is broscience.

As Monzon said, his BMR, target weight, time frame and physique goals will determine the caloric surplus.

 

[B1GDeal]

My soph has gained about 10 pounds the past 3-4 months since he began to lift 5 times per week. I can see his body getting stronger and gaining mass. He's using creatine in cycles, drinks protein and goes through chocolate milk like no other. I think the biggest thing is lifting consistently and diet. He's cut out a lot of the soda/cookies/candy he used to eat often. He's gone from a skinny kid who ate poorly to a kid getting stronger who's eating better and actually lifting consistently.

 

[ClarindaA's]

Creatine increases DHT, which causes hair loss.

Only if you are genetically predisposed.