Am i old enough?

[mrcurlylocks]

Hi im real keen to get bigger i was wondering how old you have to be to start full on gym im only 15 and a competitive swimmer i train 7 times a weak but im still skinny and little.My coach has said i need to do weights but i am not sure on how to get started on all of this etc...any help would be appreciated.

[lazyone]

When you say you're training 7 times a week, is that in the pool? Or at the gym? If you ARE at the gym right now, what is your workout split like? Whats your diet like? 7 times a week is overkill imo.

Oh, and you need to EAT more to get bigger.

[Tehhaxorr]

Hi im real keen to get bigger i was wondering how old you have to be to start full on gym im only 15 and a competitive swimmer i train 7 times a weak but im still skinny and little.My coach has said i need to do weights but i am not sure on how to get started on all of this etc...any help would be appreciated.

12 is old enough haha, go to a gym and ask them to show you the basics.

[ExpensiveUrine]

Ask your coach. You'll probably have to truncate the volume or frequency of your swimming to fit the weights in. Although, I'm not sure IF getting bigger is the right choice for swimming (I'm not a swimming expert or know a lot about the sport) but you can certainly use weights to condition yourself for swimming with different type of training, like muscular endurance for example. Talk to your coach first and see what he says, with respect to weights and how/when/how much/what, ect. Is he a high school coach that coaches your average high school swim-team or a high performance coach that coaches national athletes?

[Pseudonym]

Hi bro. I think the most important thing for you is going to be diet. At your age, your metabolism is likely to be sky-high, and especially if you're training 7 days a week, you'll be burning through the calories faster than you can shovel them down your throat!

In terms of weight training, there's no problem with your age, but be aware that you'll be doing even more exercise - which means you need even more food! As the others say, your coach is probably the best person to design a weights routine around your current training.

EU - I guess it depends on the type of swimming MrCurlyLocks does, but I'd imagine for most events, the explosive fast-twitch fibers gained through weight training would be a significant advantage for him. Think of the physiques of sprinters compared to marathon runners. Swimmers tend to keep a higher body fat level than other athletes, too - I suppose this makes them more bouyant, and keeps them higher in the water. Guess what that means for you, MrCurlyLocks? MORE FOOD! :grin:

[deegee]

I agree with EU I am sure your coach has experience in this area and can taylor a weight regime suited to compliment your swimming and current training schedule.

[mrcurlylocks]

What food are you ment to eat to get bigger? and i havent started gym yet im only swimming 7 times a week on average 5ks a session.My coach said i am currently to weak to keep up with the other guys i need to build strength mainly in the shoulders and stomach.

[Tehhaxorr]

What food are you ment to eat to get bigger? and i havent started gym yet im only swimming 7 times a week on average 5ks a session.My coach said i am currently to weak to keep up with the other guys i need to build strength mainly in the shoulders and stomach.

Eat alot of red meat and food that is high in protein, heaps of beef, tuna, salmon, chicken e.c.t

Also eat alot of simple carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread.

If you are unsure on what exactly to do for now just start with pressups, chinups and crunches, do them frequently untill you get a real programme started.