Training and Exercise for Children and Teenagers - Part 4

Training and exercise for children and teenagers. This article is huge! So huge it has been split into a 4 part series. You can see the 4 parts below or click the continue link at the bottom of each part.

• Part 1: Introduction & body composition and development of tissue
• Part 2: Physiological responses and adaptation to exercise & training
• Part 3: Guidelines for exercise
• Part 4: The workouts

Part 4: The Workouts

Please Note: As this forum is mainly concerned with building muscle and strength, then the exercise prescriptions given below will only include routines for strength and muscle growth and not aerobic training or fitness training. If you want advice on aerobic training or fitness training then post your questions on the forum and they will be answered.

The 3 routines given below are for complete beginners to weight training and give some progression as more experience is gained. Move onto the second routine after completing the 12 weeks of the first routine. Only move onto the split routine after at least six weeks of the 3 days week routine. It is important that the exercise technique is given more importance than the weight that will be lifted. Only increase the intensity when exercise technique is perfected.

Workout 1: 12 Week Notice Training Program

Weeks 1- 6: Total Body Circuit Workout

Workout Notes:

• Thoroughly warm up 5-10 mins and stretch before working out.
• Complete the following on two non-consecutive days per week.
• During the first three weeks, do each exercise for one set of 15 reps: during the last three weeks, do two sets of 12 reps for bodyparts indicated (using a slightly heavier weight on all sets).

Weeks 7 – 12: Split Workout with Increased Intensity.

Workout Notes:

• Divide your body into two parts (upper and lower), increasing weight training days to three non consecutive days per week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
• Alternate between the two exercise routines. In the first week, you’ll end up doing Workout 1 twice, while in the second week you’ll do workout 2 twice etc.
• Do sets and reps as indicated.
• Rest 60-90 seconds between the sets.
• Choose exercise alternates on occasion to work the muscles a little differently

Workout 2: 3 Day Full Body Routine

This routine is completed three days per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Warm up 5-10 minutes, perform full body stretches, and cool down 5-10 minutes at the end of the routine.

Workout 3: 3 Day Split Routine

This routine is completed three days per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. (Splitting the body into three training sessions).

Warm up 5-10 minutes, perform full body stretches, and cool down 5-10 minutes at the end of the routine.

Got any questions? Are you a teen and want to build some big muscles? Drop them in the comments section below and we'll try to answer them.

References:
Physiology of Sport and Exercise; J. Wilmore, D. Costill
Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription; V. Howard
ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 6th Edition