14-Year-Old Can Lift More Than 300 Pounds
Stirring up a lot of controversy, Jake Schellenschlager, the 14 year old from Maryland, can lift more than twice his body weight. He currently holds five world records from the International Powerlifting Association for his age and weight class. But it also raises concerns that powerlifting and bodybuilding too young is damaging to the body and causes health-related issues.
Jake is just one of thousands of teens who compete across America, according to USA Powerlifting, an organization responsible for sanctioning local and regional powerlifting events. The youngest competitive powerlifters are 14, and there are several high school powerlifting associations with several thousand members. But there are also youth programs, where children start as young as eight to lift for fun.
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics supports strength training for teen athletes, it strongly cautions against powerlifting too young while their bodies are still growing.
Another 14-year-old that is making waves in competitive bodybuilding is Cosmo Taylor from Inverness, Scotland. Training since he was 11, he spends an hour each day lifting weights, in addition to a regular cardio workout before school. Taylor is now known as Britain’s youngest competitive bodybuilder.
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In a recent article in About.com, by Hugo Rivera, a bodybuilding expert, he explains the most common mistakes teens make when first becoming interested in the sport. “One of the most frequent mistakes I see teen bodybuilders make is to have unrealistic expectations,” said Rivera. That in addition to a lack of consistency, not having a planned workout, using the wrong exercises and trying to follow a champions routine can cause teenagers undesirable results and injury.
Bodybuilding can be a very unforgiving sport, and every muscle in your body must be developed to demonstrate size, symmetry and condition. And let’s not forget proper nutrition. As with any sport, eating right can make all the difference in the world.
One of the myth’s often heard about teen bodybuilding is that it can stunt your growth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, bodybuilding will not stunt your growth, but they do mention three things that will – steroids, some supplements, and poor nutrition.
To learn more about weightlifting and youth from a medical standpoint, you can visit Aap.org.
