The early teenage years are when you start to become really aware of how a strong and healthy body can impact your life. It’s the age where you want to start improving it so you can become stronger, fitter and more capable. But it can be daunting when you aren’t sure what you’re doing and the internet is full of conflicting training advice. To help young teens, and their parents, to decide on a plan that will develop strong foundations without the risk of gimmicky or overly complex movements, we’ve created the ultimate 13-year-old workout.
A 13-year-old’s workout should include natural functional movements that challenge their body through different planes of motion. It should utilise their own bodyweight or light weights to begin with so that they can build a good foundation and a strong mind-body connection. Intensity and volume should increase steadily to avoid over-training and promote progressive overload.
- Why should a 13-year-old boy work out?
- Is 13 too early to start working out?
- What to incorporate into a 13-year-old’s workout
- Does a 13-year-old even need a training programme?
- The ultimate 13-year-old boy’s workout
- How can a 13-year-old stay motivated to work out?
- The correct fuel for a 13-year-old
- How to stay safe when working out
- Summary
Why should a 13-year-old boy work out?
Working out is a vital aspect of staying healthy and fit, especially for 13-year-old boys who are growing and developing at a rapid rate. Exercise helps to build strong bones and muscles, boost endurance, and improve overall fitness levels.
In what can be a stressful phase in life, exercise has been proven to be a fantastic mood-boosting activity. It is known to reduce stress and anxiety and inspire an overall more positive outlook on life. Exercise releases chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that boost your sense of well-being and suppress depressive symptoms. It also reduces the activity of hormones associated with stress and anxiety, such as adrenaline and cortisol (1). Additionally, exercise can promote better sleep, which is essential for maintaining good mental health.
Regular exercise in early adolescence can serve as a foundation for lifelong healthy habits. The benefits of fitness are numerous and undeniable, making it crucial for young boys to incorporate it into their routine. Learn more about how to guide your teenager as he starts to exercise with this article.
Is 13 too early to start working out?
In short, no.
There are several myths relating to training- especially resistance training- during early adolescence. Read our article “Does weightlifting stunt growth? What your teenager needs to know” to quell any worries.
Let’s be clear. We aren’t talking about brutal sessions lasting multiple hours. Even training at a low intensity with only body weight can have long-lasting benefits. Regular exercise can help teens maintain a healthy weight, build strong bones and muscles, and increase cardiovascular health. Furthermore, participating in physical activity can also promote self-confidence, reduce stress, and improve mental health(2).
13-year-old’s bodies are still growing and developing so learning the control and coordination that exercise allows is extremely beneficial. Exercise improves posture and balance as they grow and also promotes better sleep- further adding to their health and overall physical and mental maturity (3).
Children that work out regularly experience greater cognitive development. Their brain blood flow increases which boosts the creation of new neurons. These neurons improve learning and memory and help maintain overall brain health (4). Teenagers that exercise regularly will experience greater self-esteem than non-exercisers. This will help them navigate the myriad of social minefields that teenagers experience with greater confidence and success.
What to incorporate into a 13-year-old’s workout
A 13-year-old boy should concentrate on varying his exercise to incorporate all of the general components of fitness. A good programme works on body composition; flexibility/mobility; muscular strength; muscular endurance; and cardiovascular endurance(5). As he gets older he might find a sport or a style of training that he prefers and wants to specify, but keeping it varied at first is optimum for his health and overall well-being. Varied movements that work all parts of the body will also help develop his posture and defend against imbalances due to the amount of time teenagers have to sit in school.
The best thing about a teen spreading their training across the different components is that the benefits will translate into whatever sport or activity they choose. This varied style of training is known as General Physical Preparedness (GPP).
General Physical Preparedness
GPP is a form of general training that covers as many different fitness components as possible. It might have a fancy name but it’s been used for millennia to prepare athletes and soldiers for their more specific events and tests. A Spartan warrior trained to fight as part of the phalanx where his army pushed against the phalanx of the enemy army. To become the greatest in the world at this though they spent years running, wrestling, throwing and fighting. They used GPP to prepare them for the specific stresses of battle.
GPP today usually consists of big, compound lifts that incorporate different muscle groups and functional movements that work the body through different movement planes. Alongside this, it also increases work capacity. This is the amount of arduous exercise that you can tolerate, recover from and adapt positively to (6).
To maximise your GPP, you should conduct some of the training in arduous or uncomfortable conditions. Instead of going for a run on the treadmill in an air-conditioned gym while watching TV, get outside and run on trails and up hills. The added effort will pay dividends not only physically, due to the terrain, but mentally as well.
Progressive Overload
The principle of progressive overload is vital for any training programme. This concept involves gradually increasing the difficulty of your workouts over time, resulting in greater stress on your musculoskeletal and nervous systems (7). By applying this weightlifting progression, you can enhance your strength, encourage muscle growth, and build endurance.
It works for all types of exercise and is the reason why the most effective training programmes may seem fairly easy to begin with. By starting with lighter weights and simpler movements you can improve steadily and efficiently over time.
Progressive overload is the principle behind all good exercise routines. For example, in strength training, stress causes muscle fibre breakdown. Repairing during rest then leads to stronger muscles. This cycle of damage and healing is crucial for building muscle so that you can go slightly heavier or harder in the next session.
Does a 13-year-old even need a training programme?
Creating an effective training programme can make it easier and more efficient to achieve your fitness goals. The key is to plan out the routine beforehand and make sure it incorporates all the key components mentioned above. This prevents you from getting weaker in one area- usually, the one you enjoy the least. The programme below also addresses movements that will improve the posture and strengthen the muscles that are weakened from hours of sitting in a chair at school.
The plan below is designed to be low volume and low intensity. Perfect for the teenager that’s just starting to get into working out. The beauty of it is that once it becomes comfortable, there’s plenty of space in the programme to add more sessions. The programme is 3 months in total which allows for progressive overload and means that you can build up slowly, avoiding injury and over-training.
It’s worth noting that this programme isn’t meant to be rigid. It’s more of a guide on what movements to incorporate in different sessions and doesn’t take into account any specific sports. The idea is to ease somebody into training so that they develop correct body control and a mind-body connection that allows them to perform more complex movements well. Whether you’re 13 or 30, if you’re new to training then this programme will give you a solid foundation- and physique. This is the initial stepping stone. Enjoy!
The ultimate 13-year-old boy’s workout
Guidelines
- Start all weights light. There’ll be time to increase them once you’re happy with the movement. It’ll benefit you in the long run.
- Don’t rush into any of the exercises for the first month. Be slow, controlled and mindful as your perform them. Focus on keeping good posture and noticing which parts of your body you feel the exercise in. Focus on correct technique above everything.
- Don’t push through pain. If something hurts, stop! Also if certain exercises feel like they strain your neck, back or hips then you might be doing them wrong. Find somebody you know that can show you how to do it properly or can at least compare you to a pro on the internet.
- I’ve included descriptions of each of the exercises but it’s worth having a look on YouTube to make sure you understand them fully.
- Really try to get outside for the cardio and go barefoot for the lower body workouts. There’s so much benefit to working all the little muscles in your feet that get neglected when you wear shoes. Read here for more detail.
- Increase the weights as you feel comfortable over the course of the programme. Try to do it every week. We’re after that progressive overload!
- Don’t feel like you can’t use the mobility movements on their own. I would recommend the dead hangs, bodyweight squats, bear crawls, duck walks and Hindu press-ups for after a day in school. Just a few reps of each daily will save your posture from being destroyed by chairs.
Month 1
Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Dead Hang | 3 | 30 secs | 1 min | Hang straight armed from a bar. Relax and let your shoulders come to your ears |
| Scapula Pull up | 3 | 10 | 1 min | From a dead hang. Bring your shoulder blades down so that your head moves up. Keeping your arms straight the whole time. |
| Overhead medicine ball throw | 5 | 3 | 2 mins | Stand over a light medicine ball, hinge forward and grip it then throw it over your head and behind you. Start gently but once you’re comfortable with the movement try to explode and throw it as far as you can. Look behind you before you throw! |
| Pull up | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | |
| Incline Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Lie chest down on a bench set to 45 degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand straight arm. Bring your elbows back and bring the dumbbells to your stomach. Try not to bring your elbows up and shrug the dumbbells so you feel it in your neck. |
| Farmers Walk | 5 | 20m | 90 secs | Hold a relatively heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk slowly. |
Wednesday
| Exercise | Time | Effort |
| Outdoor run/ cycle/ swim | 20-30 mins | Easy (so you can talk/ breathe through nose) |
Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Downward Dog to Upward Dog | 3 | 6 | 1 min | Adopt the yoga pose downward dog, hold for a couple of seconds and then push your hips towards the floor for upward dog. Keep knees off the floor. |
| Press Up | 5 | 10-20 | 2 mins | Keep your body in a straight line throughout. Elbows at 45 degrees. Keep it slow and controlled |
| Alternate Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10 (each arm) | 2 mins | Sitting on a bench with a light dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Press one arm overhead until straight, the lower and do the other arm. Keep slow and controlled |
| Box Jumps | 3 | 5 | 2 min | Start low! Go barefoot if you can and don’t squat before you jump. A slight bend of the legs or hinge forward at the hips. Start gently then once you’re comfortable explode into it. |
| Paused Bodyweight Squat | 5 | 10-20 | 2 mins | Barefoot if possible. Feet shoulder width apart, back straight and chest up. Push your hips back as if you’re trying to sit on a chair thats too far behind you. Keep feet flat on the floor throughout and push your knees out. |
| Bear Crawl | 3 | 10m forward, 10m backward | 1 min | Slow and steady! Keep your back horizontal and your bum down. |
| Duck Walk | 3 | 5m forward, 5m backward | 1 min | Sink onto your heels and try to walk. Don’t worry about speed. |
Month 2
Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Dead Hang and Swing | 3 | 30 secs + 10 swings | 2 mins | During the dead hang try to gently swing from side to side just enough so that one hand comes off the bar for a moment. |
| Scapula Pull Ups | 3 | 10 | 1 min | |
| Overhead Medicine Ball Throw | 5 | 5 | 2 mins | |
| Pull Up | 3 | 8-10 | 2 mins | |
| Incline Dumbbell Row | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | |
| Dumbbell Upright Row | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Stand up straight with a light dumbbell in each hand at hip height with palms facing you. Push your elbows out and bring the dumbbells up to shoulder height, dragging them up your body but not touching.. |
| Mountain Climbers | 5 | 30 secs | 30 secs | Start in press up position and dynamically bring one knee to your elbow at a time. Keep the pace steady but be dynamic! |
| Knees To Chest | 3 | 10 | 1 min | Hang from a bar and slowly bring your knees up to 90 degrees and then pull your hips up so they touch your chest. |
Wednesday
| Exercise | Time | Effort |
| Outdoor Run/ cycle/ swim | 30 mins | Easy enough to be able to breathe through nose |
Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Plyometric Press Ups | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | Press Ups where you explode up so your hands leave the floor |
| Hindu Press Up | 3 | 8-10 | 90 secs | Flow in-between downward dog and upward dog |
| Dumbbell Chest Press | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Keep it light and focus on full range of motion and control of the dumbbells |
| Single Arm Shoulder Press | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Keep it light and focus on full range of motion and control of the dumbbell overhead. Don’t let the core collapse |
| Explosive Lunge | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | Just bodyweight. Get as high as you can! |
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 8-10 | 1 min | Use enough weight to feel the burn in your thighs at the end of each set |
Month 3
Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Dead Hang and Swings | 5 | 30 + 10 swings | 1 min | |
| Overhead Medicine Ball Throw | 5 | 5 | 2 mins | Throw as explosively as you can! |
| Kettlebell Deadlift | 5 | 5 | 2 mins | Start light at first and focus on keeping a straight back and puffed out chest |
| Pull Up | 3 | 8-10 | 90 secs | |
| Incline Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Light weights and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together |
| Dumbbell Upright Row | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curls | 3 | 20 | 1 min | The weight should be light enough that you can finish all 20 but heavy enough for it to burn towards the end. Try not to swing your arms. |
Tuesday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Mountain Climbers | 8 | 20 secs | 10 secs | As many reps as possible |
| Box Jumps | 8 | 20 secs | 10 secs | As many reps as possible |
| Goblet Squats | 8 | 20 secs | 10 secs | As many reps as possible |
| Monkey Run | 8 | 20 secs | 10 secs | As many reps as possible |
Thursday
| Exercise | Time | Effort |
| Outdoor run/ cycle/ swim | 30 mins | Easy enough to breathe through nose throughout |
Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
| Explosive Lunge | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | |
| Goblet Squats | 3 | 8-10 | 90 secs | |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 20 (each leg) | 60 secs | Bodyweight |
| Plyometric Press Ups | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | |
| Med Ball Throw | 3 | 5 | 2 mins | Hold the ball to your chest and throw as hard as possible forwards |
| Alternate Arnold Press | 3 | 12 (each arm) | 90 secs | Seated on a bench. Arms bent so dumbbells are by your shoulders and palms are facing you. Press one overhead and rotate so palm end up facing outwards at the top. The other arm stays in position at the bottom. Alternate. |
| Lateral Dumbbell Raise | 3 | 12 | 90 secs | Light weights. Arms straight with a slight bend at your sides. Raise them outwards to shoulder height and lower. Keep slow and controlled |
| Single Leg Press Ups | 4 | To failure | 60 mins | Swap legs each set |
How can a 13-year-old stay motivated to work out?
Staying active can be a challenge, especially when feelings of lethargy and indifference creep in. However, it’s vital to stay motivated to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. One tip is to set achievable goals and track your progress. Positive visualisation is useful for reminding you why you are training and what benefits you’ll receive if you stick with it. Nothing worth having comes easy. Click here to read our article on encouraging perseverance in your son.
Another tip is to find a workout buddy, someone who can encourage and motivate you when you’re feeling low. This will make it more difficult for you to skip training sessions because you have to answer to somebody. And the competitive atmosphere will propel you to greater gains at a faster pace. Win-win!
Try not to put exercise on a pedestal and see it as a negative thing that you have to do. Instead, just view it as being as normal as brushing your teeth or making your bed. And maybe slow things down. If you’re finding that you need to psyche yourself up every time you want to work out then try to make your sessions slightly more chilled. If you find it hard to go on runs then listen to a podcast or audiobook that you’re interested in and run slowly enough to be able to digest it. Running slower but more frequently is better than fast but never!
The correct fuel for a 13-year-old
It’s never too early to start thinking about nutrition. 13 is a great age to really take it seriously as over the next few years what you eat can seriously affect how you develop. Puberty is one of the biggest changes of your life and proper fuel is essential. Click here to read our article on the 10 best foods for a teenage boy to eat.
If you are working out, then your nutrition needs to be even more swept up. A 13-year-old shouldn’t follow a diet plan as there’s no need to be rigid with your eating at an age when you should embrace freedom and flexibility. What’s most important is getting enough nutrient-rich foods so that your body can adapt and grow effectively.
Eat natural whole foods as much as possible. Eat a variety that always includes good-quality animal products. Meat and its associated fat is the food that humans evolved to thrive on. They’re full of essential nutrients that we need to survive, especially when working out. Make sure to eat plenty of grass-fed red meat, eggs and full-fat yoghurt to get enough protein and fat-soluble vitamins. For carbohydrates, choose the least-processed options you can. Options like potatoes, sweet potatoes and white rice. Avoid most grains and seeds as much as possible, especially when they’ve been made into products like bread and pasta.
Steer well clear of fizzy drinks- even ones that claim to be diet or sugar-free. An excessive intake of dietary sugar in regular fizzy drinks induces inflammation and can cause metabolic disorders(8). Artificial sweeteners in “diet” versions are identified as toxins by your body and stored as fat. And both of them cause the body to store more water. This excess ‘water-weight’ can give the illusion of extra body fat.
Stay Flexible: The battle-winning nutrition programme
The first in the ‘Warriors Guide’ series outlines how to calculate the amount of each macro-nutrient that is optimal for you, whatever your current situation and goals are. It takes into account, sex, weight, body fat and body type to assess how much food you need to eat per day. Then judging on your current activity rate and what you want to achieve, it outlines how to portion out your protein, carbohydrates and fats to help you reach your goal.
Whether you decide to fully invest and weigh out everything you eat or not, it will give you an idea of how much you should be eating for maximum success. It also contains a 2-week reset that will get your body into its natural state before you start. So that the measurements you take are accurate and not skewed by inflammation and water retention etc. Not only will you feel amazing, but you’ll be more motivated than you ever thought possible!
Stay Flexible is available here!
How to stay safe when working out
For 13-year-olds, understanding safe exercise practices is vital. Pushing too hard too often can result in over-training. Over-training occurs when exercise is too frequent or intense to allow proper recovery (9). Symptoms include exhaustion, injury, and burnout(10) as well as dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and an increased risk of stress fractures(11). At 13 the body is already working hard to accommodate for all the changes that are happening during development. Exercise should be used to benefit this development and not hamper it. Read our article on how teenagers can avoid overtraining here.
Injury is a common worry among parents and teenagers but training mindfully and progressively can mitigate the dangers. The programme above starts with basic body movements that anybody should be comfortable with before moving to more complex movements. The aim is to be able to move well first. It can be easy for young men to get competitive and want to train harder and lift heavier than they are able to sustain. Take your ego out of it and work out to better yourself and not to show off.
Summary
Exercising can benefit mental and physical health, while giving them more energy throughout the day. With the right workout program, correct technique, and necessary precautions during physical activity, 13-year-olds can make real strides towards body transformation and improved health. Regular exercise is a good way to prevent health problems now and down the road. Teaching young kids healthy habits early on will not only benefit them physically, but emotionally too. By encouraging exercise as they get older, they may be able to take advantage of its many benefits for years to come!
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References
- https://www.athletico.com/2018/04/09/exercise-really-make-happy/
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/facts.htm#:~:text=Regular%20physical%20activity%20can%20help,developing%20health%20conditions%20such%20as%3A&text=Heart%20disease
- https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/general-health-advice/leading-active-lifestyle/exercise-children-and-young-people/
- https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/how-physical-activity-and-exercise-enhance-childrens-cognition#:~:text=Exercise%20leads%20to%20changes%20in,%2C%20%26%20Kramer%2C%202008
- https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/cg111/docs/HPM/Exercise-Guidelines.pdf
- https://medium.com/@fromzerotoathlete/building-the-foundation-6a63ddadd146#:~:text=%C2%B4Be%20general%20in%20your,endurance%2C%20flexibility%2C%20and%20skill
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/progressive-overload-guide
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822166/
- https://www.hss.edu/article_overtraining.asp
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intolerance/art-20045506
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6441609/#:~:text=Over%2Dexercising%20could%20result%20in,damage%2C%20and%20hormonal%20imbalances
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