The P90X program seems to be spreading like wild fire across the US, even among teenagers. Recently, the number of young people that have approached me about the program has been increasing. There is no doubt that it’s good to start working out and eating healthy during the teenage years, but what age is too young to do an intense program like P90X?
The cut-off age for P90X should be 14 years old. Why? Most boys hit puberty at 13 years old, and at that time their muscles and bones are still not quite developed. However, when people say that weight lifting stunts your growth, it’s actually a myth. The theory behind the myth is because, like I mentioned above, most childrens’ bones aren’t completely developed at that age, and they have growth plates at the end of most bones, which are more fragile than other bones. The reason I believe P90X should not be done at that age is because of the extreme intensity, not the weight lifting aspect. Weightlifitng will not effect the growth as long as there is no injury to the growth plate, but with the proper safety precautions and measures, that should not happen. What are the safety measures?
(1) Make sure you have a spotter when lifting heavy weights. It’s never safe for anyone, let alone young teenagers, to lift heavy weights without someone there to help.
(2) Focus on proper technique. Many injuries from weightlifting come from using the wrong technique during the exercises. When doing P90X, make sure you pay close attention to Tony’s form. When doing regular weight lifting, make sure you ask someone who knows or do research on the internet for proper technique.
(3) Always warm-up before working out. When you warm up the muscles, they loosen up and are able to expand further than if they were cold. This helps prevent pulled muscles.
Other benefits of P90X for teenagers:
I believe P90X is great for teenagers who are in sports. The reason being is because it increases athletic performance by improving your balance, strength, flexibility, core strength, and quickness. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have done this program in high school if it was around back then.
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@Ben. Talk to your parents and doctor.