I have a 12 yr old and 9 yr old (almost 10) son. Both very active. We homeschool so they get to spend much of their day outside burning energy and just being boys. My 12 yr old just wrapped up his little league season and did great on the mound in terms of control but would like to add velocity and just start 'working out' in general.

We have a full set of dumb bells (5lbs and up) that I'm interested in getting him started on but wondering what is advised for this age? I've bounced around and have never been consistent or regimented on weights myself but want to encourage and start him off on a better path.

TIA

I would consider starting on some lighter resistance bands and working up from there before any dumbbells for the 12yo. I have a 9 yo who we homeschool as well, and I have introduced him to some bands as well.
(I have no issue with weight training in kids this age, but it needs to be rooted in solid fundamentals)

That's a good idea, I hadn't considered that. He really is a bean pole. He's several inches taller than his brother but they are only a few lbs apart in weight cause his younger brother just has a bigger frame even though he's thin himself. He used to do just a couple sets of push ups so maybe more calisthenics vs actual weights? Would definitely keep it light and focus on form over any sort of 'heavy' lifting.

There is good stuff here already, and I want to go in a bit of different direction. I know that you didn't ask about this specifically, so forgive me if it is unsolicited to the point of being undesired.

At his age, focusing more on balance (video link below), mechanics, and a correctly structured throwing program is going to lead to gains in velocity as much as anything. Coupling that with developing command of multiple pitches, particularly multiple fastballs and a changeup, will set the foundation for velocity to be "unlocked" as he continues to grow and fill in over the next few years.

Every pitcher at every age has chased the radar gun for a long time now (I know that I did), but I think it's even more prevalent now. There is so much stuff on the internet at the moment that is focused on velocity and it could be really difficult for someone his age to navigate. Being focused on the foundational things and trusting that velocity will come as a product of those things (with the added bonus of lessened injury risk and increased pitchability) should set him up for the long term, even at the expense of a couple of mph now.

And by all means, play every sport possible (organized or not) and take multiple months per year off from any structured or stressful throwing.

waco_aggie05 said:

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I have a 12 yr old and 9 yr old (almost 10) son. Both very active. We homeschool so they get to spend much of their day outside burning energy and just being boys. My 12 yr old just wrapped up his little league season and did great on the mound in terms of control but would like to add velocity and just start 'working out' in general.

We have a full set of dumb bells (5lbs and up) that I'm interested in getting him started on but wondering what is advised for this age? I've bounced around and have never been consistent or regimented on weights myself but want to encourage and start him off on a better path.

TIA

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There are really no restrictions regarding kids their age and weight training. The biggest issue is making sure they have very good technique. Focus on the basics and don't be afraid to let them do compound movements (squats, dead lifts et), or at least work up to them. At this age, strength alone will give them a huge advantage over their competition. Get them strong and that will help so much and let their coaches coach them with their sport specific stuff. I'm honestly not a huge fan of exercises in the gym that are "specific to their sport. The use the gym to train for strength and the field and the coach to teach the sport skills. For the exercises Find a good strength coach if you can.

10andBOUNCE said:

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I would consider starting on some lighter resistance bands and working up from there before any dumbbells for the 12yo. I have a 9 yo who we homeschool as well, and I have introduced him to some bands as well.
(I have no issue with weight training in kids this age, but it needs to be rooted in solid fundamentals)

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My only issue with bands is that they are not really optimal for training. They have the least resistance in the most important part of a lift or movement, which is the stretched position. While many still think that the most important part of a movement is the concentric portion (the shortened portion), an overwhelming amount of evidence is showing that the stretch position is the most growth producing portion.

waco_aggie05 said:

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I have a 12 yr old and 9 yr old (almost 10) son. Both very active. We homeschool so they get to spend much of their day outside burning energy and just being boys. My 12 yr old just wrapped up his little league season and did great on the mound in terms of control but would like to add velocity and just start 'working out' in general.

We have a full set of dumb bells (5lbs and up) that I'm interested in getting him started on but wondering what is advised for this age? I've bounced around and have never been consistent or regimented on weights myself but want to encourage and start him off on a better path.

TIA

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Do what Nolan Ryan did growing up, find a big field and throw the ball as far as you can. Run to get the ball and repeat.

Like Hoosegow said they have their entire lives to push iron, don't rush into it now. My 9 year old loves to climb ropes and do ring work. Do something fun. I always found working out fun so I worked out a lot

Focus on bodyweight and mobility exercises. You have to have mobility to have strength and will also keep you from getting injured as easy later in life. I focused on strength over mobility and have been hurt a lot in my life

Pre-puberty there likely isn't much muscle that they'll be able to put on.

If their school is anything like mine was, 7th grade (when school football started) was when you got introduced to weights and that was where the pecking order was sorted out amongst a lot of kids. I think knowing the proper technique going into that, versus having maybe a meathead coach who doesn't know what he's talking about, is important and can add weight to the lift just from having good technique vs. not.

Rogue sells multiple smaller barbells that I think can help a kid get familiar with the form while having minimum weight. They have a 5 pound Oso bar and a 17 pound (I think) junior barbell. The junior barbell has enough space between the collars to allow it to be racked on a proper squat rack.

Obviously, you don't have to ONLY do barbell work. But I think if you know what good technique is, it's never to early to get them exposure to it under your watchful eye vs. a coach who may have to be trying to supervise 50 kids at once.

P.U.T.U said:

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waco_aggie05 said:

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I have a 12 yr old and 9 yr old (almost 10) son. Both very active. We homeschool so they get to spend much of their day outside burning energy and just being boys. My 12 yr old just wrapped up his little league season and did great on the mound in terms of control but would like to add velocity and just start 'working out' in general.

We have a full set of dumb bells (5lbs and up) that I'm interested in getting him started on but wondering what is advised for this age? I've bounced around and have never been consistent or regimented on weights myself but want to encourage and start him off on a better path.

TIA

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Do what Nolan Ryan did growing up, find a big field and throw the ball as far as you can. Run to get the ball and repeat.

Like Hoosegow said they have their entire lives to push iron, don't rush into it now. My 9 year old loves to climb ropes and do ring work. Do something fun. I always found working out fun so I worked out a lot

Focus on bodyweight and mobility exercises. You have to have mobility to have strength and will also keep you from getting injured as easy later in life. I focused on strength over mobility and have been hurt a lot in my life

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Nolan Ryan was my principal inspiration for lifting weights as a kid (yes, even around puberty). It was inspirational to see a guy in his 40s lift weights so he could sustain his pitching prowess. I also wanted to pitch fast like he did, but have good core mobility and strength to sustain it. I credit my sustained physique in my 40s with starting to lift weights at this time in my life

Check out the training routines of Austin Schultz. It's better on Instagram, but his stuff makes me laugh all the time. You won't learn anything, but you'll see a lot of "modern" training type stuff and typical coach stuff.

Haven't seen it mentioned but battle ropes are fantastic for youths. A great low impact workout that helps with conditioning and full body strength. Great for your core which will do wonders for his balance. A good 10-15 minute workout is all it will take to wear them him out. So many different exercises that they'll never get board. And don't forget the long toss.

8am to noon: ride bikes throughout the neighborhood, jumping ramps and riding trails

Noon: peanut butter and jelly sandwich with buddies under a mulberry tree, which they promptly climb after lunch

3pm to dark: haul hay and stack in barn

Repeat for 90 days

Look up Knee Over Toes guy and subscribe to his ATG program. Lots of stretching and body weight stuff to bullet proof the body. IMO it would be great foundational work for any pre-teen to reduce the risk of injury as their body matures.

CC09LawAg said:

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If their school is anything like mine was, 7th grade (when school football started) was when you got introduced to weights and that was where the pecking order was sorted out amongst a lot of kids. I think knowing the proper technique going into that, versus having maybe a meathead coach who doesn't know what he's talking about, is important and can add weight to the lift just from having good technique vs. not.

Rogue sells multiple smaller barbells that I think can help a kid get familiar with the form while having minimum weight. They have a 5 pound Oso bar and a 17 pound (I think) junior barbell. The junior barbell has enough space between the collars to allow it to be racked on a proper squat rack.

Obviously, you don't have to ONLY do barbell work. But I think if you know what good technique is, it's never to early to get them exposure to it under your watchful eye vs. a coach who may have to be trying to supervise 50 kids at once.

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your first paragraph triggers my scrawny 12 year old self. I've always been long and lean and therefore was always one of the weakest in junior high athletics.

Body weight exercises and healthy eating habits.