Texans strength and conditioning coach Dan Riley has compiled a ...

With the same amount of work and effort, a teenager will generate better gains from
one year to the next. They will lift more weight and gain more lean weight when they
turn sixteen than when they turned fifteen, simply because they are more mature.
Overeat
Over fatness and obesity are currently huge health concerns. Having a teenager gain
twenty pounds of fat over the summer to make his parents and coach happy is
criminal. Young teenagers are preoccupied with bodyweight. They must be taught
weight (on a scale) is not the issue. The only issue is how much is lean bodyweight
and how much of the weight increase is fat.
If anyone (to include a young teenager) consumes more calories than he burns off, it
will be converted to fat. Adding any extra fat is foolish. He will soon become a fat
teenager and eventually a fat adult. He will then join a large group of fat adults who
have health problems and are currently trying to lose weight (fat).
Strength Training
As a parent or coach it may be difficult to tell a frustrated young teenager he may
never weigh more than 150 pounds in a lean muscular condition. We encourage all
young athletes to work hard but they must realize everyone has physical assets and
limitations. We can’t change our genetic profile. Very few people have great potential
for adding a significant amount of muscle, especially young and physically immature
teenagers. We can’t make our body add ten pounds of muscle if it is genetically
limited to adding five pounds of muscle.
When we give advice to young athletes we ask them, “Are you doing everything
necessary to generate the physical gains you are capable of making” Many young
athletes want the best results but aren’t willing to sustain the long-term discipline
needed to reach their physical potential. We stress the following:
1. Balanced Nutrition
2. Balanced Strength Program
3. Adequate Rest
Balanced Nutrition
Seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian. Have a food analysis done to determine
any deficiencies and to also determine the number of calories needed daily to
generate the best muscular gains.
We have observed many young athletes that have poor and inconsistent eating
habits. They skip meals, don’t eat breakfast, sleep in on weekends (miss meals),
don’t eat a balanced diet, and consume fewer calories than are needed to generate
potential strength gains. They complain about not making good gains yet are not
willing to sustain the discipline to stimulate maximum gains.
We have used a formula to help young athletes establish a starting point regarding
how many calories need to be consumed daily. For some it may be too much and
others not enough. It is a starting point until you can have your resting metabolism