Help me out!

@Walter Miller45
-I’d suggest heading outside to get some sprints in on the school track or even just a local park field. Try hitting short bursts toward the downtown area—maybe about 30 feet at a time—then cover the full length of the field, repeating those sets 10 to 15 times with just a quick 5 to 10-second breather in between.

-When it comes to plyometrics, apply that same logic; whether you're doing tuck jumps, jumping from a standstill, or taking a running start, just keep the intervals brief and aim for a high volume of about 50 to 100 reps before calling it a day.

-As for all that noise regarding weightlifting philosophies and similar nonsense, I’d say just tune it out for the time being.

Paul Baker29 said:Basically, you face away from the wall—you’ll have to figure out the right distance as you go. Reach your arms up over your head. Then, start arching backward, kind of like you're dropping into a bridge position until your hands hit the wall. From there, you "walk" your hands down toward the floor as far as your strength and flexibility will allow. I guess it's okay to step your feet away from the wall (walking them out) if that helps. The main thing is that the movement should come from your lower back, not your shoulders. This means standing far enough away so your arms stay straight rather than bent, and keeping your knees as straight as possible. When you're moving back to the starting position, you can step back toward the wall. If you feel the strain in your shoulders, you're doing it wrong. Keep those arms straight, knees locked, and pull from the lower back.

Alright, let's see.
When I actually tried this just now, man... I felt so much tension I thought my muscles were going to pop right out of my skin. 🤣
How many reps am I supposed to do for this up-and-down thing???

It really comes down to you and what you’re actually trying to achieve, but let’s say your goal is to hit 10 reps. You’ll need to run some experiments to figure out exactly how much weight you can drop to while still being able to grind out those 10 repetitions; essentially, you'll be working with a much lighter load than if you were just testing your absolute one-rep max.

Paul Baker29 said:It really comes down to you and what you're actually trying to achieve. But, I guess if we're talking about aiming for a set of 10... you basically need to experiment. You have to find that specific threshold where you can push through enough reps to hit 10. It means you'll be dropping much less weight than if you were just testing your max for a single rep.

But is there any actual proof that this exercise even works??

Nothing in this world is ever truly certain, except for the one absolute fact that you’re eventually going to kick the bucket.

What does it actually do for you? Well, it strengthens your back, builds up more flexibility, and really teaches you how to master force through your posterior chain, much like a heavy deadlift.

Paul Baker29 said:Nothing in this life is certain, except for the fact that you’re going to die one day.

Helpful for what, exactly? It strengthens the back, improves flexibility, and teaches you how to manage force through the posterior chain, much like a deadlift.

I wonder if my back will end up looking like Stallone's😁

It won't work.

Paul Baker29 said:It won't happen.

I mean, he actually could have been pretty jacked.😁

If your actual goal is to get "jacked," then go out there and lift heavy. But you really need to ask yourself what you're actually aiming for here. You started this whole journey because you wanted to improve your vertical jump and your sprint speed, but somehow you ended up focusing on back strength, and now suddenly you just want "buff" shoulders and a wide back. What is the end game?

Paul Baker29 said:If you actually want to get "jacked," then go out there and lift. What's the real endgame here? You started this whole thing just wanting to improve your long jump and your sprinting, then somehow you pivoted to strengthening your back, and now suddenly you're chasing "bulky" back muscles. I guess you need to decide what your actual goal is.

That first part was my initial objective 😁
but I suppose you guys have managed to pull me toward this other thing in the process 😁

Which one should I tackle first? Plyometrics or sprinting?
You really can't have it all at once. If your goal is to look like a bodybuilder, you have to train like one. But if you're actually aiming for athletic performance, then you need to train specifically for that.

Paul Baker29 said:Which one comes first? Jumping or sprinting?
You can't have it all at once. If you want that bodybuilder physique, you have to train like a bodybuilder. If you're after athletic performance, then you need to actually train for that.

jumping and sprinting...
that's my main focus right now, though I'll probably pick up the other stuff along the way..
I've got this Leg Magic thing at home, does that actually do anything for building leg strength??

Walter Miller45 said:jumping and sprinting...

Well, then go ahead and focus on that.

Walter Miller45 said:That’s my main priority right now, though I'll touch on the rest as we go..

Honestly, don't approach it that way. I think the sooner you figure out what your actual specific goals are and start training specifically to meet them, the better off you'll be. Trying to be "bulky," "strong," "fast," and having "great cardio" all at once is just too broad—it's way too much to juggle simultaneously.

Walter Miller45 said:I have some Leg Magic equipment at home, does that actually help with strengthening legs??

No.

@Walter Miller45
Get out there and sprint through the schoolyard and everything else around it. Hit those short bursts—run to the center, cover about 30 feet, then blast across the entire field. Do 10 to 15 reps of each variation. Keep the rest periods tight, maybe 5 to 10 seconds max, and that’s it. Get to work.

Whether you’re doing reps from a standstill, jumping into them, or launching mid-air—it doesn't matter. The principle remains identical. Break them down into sets of 50 to 100 reps, take short breaks between rounds, and get it done. Period.

-Forget all that nonsense about weightlifting philosophies for now. Just ignore it.QUOTE]

What exactly do you mean by "philosophies" and "nonsense"? Care to elaborate?

@slydriver52/">@@slydriver52

Oh man, give me a break. This whole myth about not lifting weights if you're under 18 is just so deeply ingrained in our culture. It doesn't matter how much evidence you show them that it's completely baseless; people still act like a teenager touching a barbell is some kind of ultimate sin. They honestly behave as if there’s some kind of monster lurking inside the weight rack waiting to pounce on kids.🤷

slydriver52 said:What exactly do you mean by those "philosophies" and "nonsense"? Could you elaborate?

Well... to begin with, the kid is asking about sprinting and jumping, yet everyone seems to be pivoting toward weightlifting.
I suppose that logic holds water if we were discussing a semi-professional or elite athlete—someone who has already mastered their sprinting and jumping mechanics, possesses flawless technique, and is now focusing on fine-tuning their performance, perhaps aiming to shave a mere 0.01 seconds off a start time or looking to break through a plateau.

However, for a fourteen-year-old boy who likely hits the handball court maybe three times a week, standard sprint and jump drills will be more than sufficient...

Paul Baker29 said:Oh, come on, man. This myth about avoiding weights if you're under eighteen is so deeply ingrained that no matter how much evidence you provide against it, lifting weights as a minor is still treated like the ultimate sin. It’s as if people think a monster is lurking in the squat rack waiting to snatch up kids.

-I didn't bring that up to be difficult, but rather because I think people are missing the bigger picture here...
That said, I don't generally advocate for heavy gym work in sports; if someone truly needs hypertrophy or raw strength, most of that can be achieved far more efficiently using nothing but their own body weight. Of course, that applies to serious athletes rather than bodybuilders or casual gym-goers... but again, that's just my take...

Look, Paul Baker29, you grasp certain nuances quite well, but there are several points where you're missing the mark. You aren't wrong about everything, but you certainly aren't right about all of it either. The issue isn't that teenagers shouldn't step foot in a gym; it's that when you have very young athletes lacking proper technique, their bodies are significantly more vulnerable to injury. During puberty, physical development happens so disproportionately that their anatomical alignment can be temporarily disrupted, which makes heavy lifting potentially risky. That doesn't mean it *must* be dangerous, of course. I remember training in a gym myself for a short stretch when I was sixteen, only to realize after a few months that bodyweight exercises actually felt better and were much more engaging for me. I won't drone on too long, as the gym definitely has its place and purpose... but it certainly doesn't apply in this specific scenario. The kid simply needs to focus on his sprints and jumps, and leave it at that.
And honestly, I think there is a massive distinction between dynamic movements and static resistance—basically, between bodyweight training and free weights. They really shouldn't be lumped together in the same category.

For the most part, I’m on board with this. Personally, I don't focus much on heavy weightlifting; my world is gymnastics. In my view, gymnastics offers a more productive stimulus because the movements create closed kinetic chains, whereas lifting weights relies on open chains—but that's a whole different conversation entirely.

It’s also true that being younger makes you more prone to injury, but it also means you pick up motor skills much faster and your muscles adapt at a higher rate. The real issue we need to address isn't about avoiding weights or some other third option; it’s about ensuring exercises are performed with PROPER technique.

Comparing Bowsers to Deadlifts is like comparing apples to oranges. While the Deadlift is pretty self-explanatory, Bowsers engage the press muscles of the upper body and require tension throughout almost the entire physique. My main point was simply this: if a six-year-old can handle Bowsers (which are actually a more demanding movement than the Deadlift), then I see absolutely no reason why a fourteen-year-old shouldn't be doing Deadlifts.

Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics are two sports that condition the human body better than almost anything else out there. By training them, you develop nearly every athletic attribute imaginable, aside from a pure aerobic base. Furthermore, both disciplines allow children to start training without growing up with physical deformities or injuries—in fact, they often prevent them. Weights aren't some monster to fear, just like muscle contraction isn't something to fear; a muscle doesn't "know" whether it's contracting because of a heavy barbell or an awkward lever arm.

That said, yes, the kid should train the specific attributes he needs. If he eventually decides to pivot to a different sport, his first priority should always be mastering the correct form.

It brings me a sense of peace to see that at least one person recognizes that you don't necessarily need free weights to achieve greatness.

Look, we could certainly spend the next few days debating this back and forth, but my primary reason for stepping into the conversation was simply seeing how far off track the general consensus has drifted lately...

The kid is a young athlete, and he’ll find his greatest gains through focused sprint work and plyometrics rather than getting bogged down in unnecessary complexity. 👍

rustyowl4 said:Look, first off, the kid is asking about sprinting and jumping, yet you’re all lecturing him about weightlifting.
Sure, that logic holds up for a semi-pro or professional athlete who has already mastered his sprint and jump mechanics, perfected his technique, and is now working on the fine details—say, training an explosive start just to shave 0.01 seconds off a finish time, or breaking through a plateau.

For a 14-year-old who probably hits handball practice maybe three times a week, standard sprint and jump drills will be more than enough...

-I didn't bring that up to be difficult, I said it because you guys are missing the forest for the trees...
That said, I generally don't advocate for the gym in sports. If someone truly needs hypertrophy or raw strength training, they can achieve far more efficient results using their own body weight. Of course, this applies to serious athletes, not bodybuilders or weekend warriors... but that’s just my take.

Listen, Paul Baker29, you get some things right, but you’re missing the bigger picture. You think you're correct, and in some ways, you are, BUT in many others, you aren't. This isn't about saying kids under 18 shouldn't step foot in a gym; it's about the fact that with very young athletes, a lack of technical proficiency combined with the disproportionate physical development during puberty makes them highly susceptible to injury. Their anatomy is essentially in flux, which can make heavy lifting risky. That doesn't mean it's a hard rule—I actually spent a short stint in the gym when I was 16 before realizing that bodyweight exercises were much more effective and, frankly, more fun for me. Anyway, I won't drone on too long; the gym has its place, but definitely not in this specific scenario. The kid needs to focus on sprints and jumps, plain and simple.
And yes, there is a massive distinction between deadlifts and basic bodyweight movements. You can't lump those two categories into the same bucket.

Do me a favor and actually read my previous posts on this topic, because clearly, you haven't.
I see zero reason why a 14-year-old athlete couldn't incorporate some weights. No, I'm not talking about heavy squats, and certainly not deadlifts or other high-intensity lifts, but adding some foundational exercises with light resistance can be beneficial. Once the body matures sufficiently, introducing more challenging movements with controlled loads is fine. By the way, do you even know what plyometrics is?

rustyowl4 said:Look, first off, the kid is asking about sprinting and jumping, yet you guys are pivoting to weightlifting.
Sure, that logic applies to a semi-pro or professional athlete who has already mastered their sprint and jump mechanics, perfected their technique, and is now working on fine-tuning—maybe trying to shave 0.01 seconds off a finish time or breaking through a plateau.

For a 14-year-old who probably hits handball practice three times a week at most, standard sprint and jump drills will be more than sufficient...

I didn't bring it up just to be difficult; I said it because you lot are failing to see the forest for the trees.
Generally speaking, I don't advocate for the gym in sports. If someone actually needs hypertrophy or pure strength training, they can achieve much more efficient results using nothing but their own body weight. Now, that applies to serious athletes, not bodybuilders or weekend warriors... but again, that’s just my take. ...

Listen, Cretina, you grasp certain concepts, but you're missing the bigger picture. You think you're right, and in some ways, you are, BUT in many others, you're dead wrong. This isn't about whether under-18s should be barred from the gym; it's about the fact that with younger kids, lacking proper technique, the body is significantly more prone to injury. During puberty, physical development is disproportionate, which messes with their anatomy and makes heavy lifting a risky proposition. That doesn't mean it's impossible—I spent a short stint in the gym when I was 16 before realizing that bodyweight exercises were actually more effective and far more engaging for me personally. I won't drone on too long, but the gym has its place... it's just definitely not appropriate here. The kid needs to focus on sprints and jumps, plain and simple.
And yes, there is a massive distinction between DL and Bowers, or more broadly, between bodyweight movements and free weights. You can't lump them into the same category.

Go ahead, name one single sport where athletes don't utilize free weights to build explosive power, muscular strength, or endurance, depending on their specific discipline.