Six Pack Abs for Teenagers — The Truth!
Tuesday July 27, 2010 | Posted under Fitness | 36 comments
I get lots of emails and comments from people under the age of 18 asking about how they can get a six pack. This is a different issue than just my normal articles, which are usually addressed to adult men & women, so I’m going to be tackling it a bit differently.
The First Question – Should Teenagers Even Be Doing Weight Training?
This comes up a lot, mainly because it seems like there’s still a disconnect between the idea of serious strength training and the teenage years – that getting strong is something best left to the adults, that teenagers should be able to rely on their natural metabolism and just live their lives without worrying about the kind of stuff we concern ourselves with.
If that were actually true, though, then there’d be no teenage athletics, no high school sports teams, and so on – and we know that’s not the case. I have actually trained many young athletes myself and it is amazing what some 17 or 18 year olds can do in the weight room.
So yes – teenagers looking to get stronger, leaner, and develop a six pack can do weight training. It’s not going to kill you. But pay attention to form. Pay attention to doing things correctly. Don’t overtrain, don’t overdo it – you’re not yet an adult and need to make sure you take it slower. The good news though is that if you are into getting six pack abs, you don’t really need to be worrying about lifting heavy weights anyway!
The Perils of Getting “Too” Involved
The reason it’s tricky isn’t really the physical side of it – there’s nothing bad about teenagers lifting weights, as long as they don’t go overboard and do too much. Like I said above I have trained many young athletes but I have also helped many young people between the ages of 13 and 18 lose weight or just get back into shape.
It’s something else that gives pause – the fact that teenagers aren’t adults yet, that they don’t have a structure and a set of responsibilities to their lives as of yet. There’s no time like your teenage years for getting absolutely fixated on something, and I think parents have a (natural) sense of caution when it comes to their teenager going to the gym.
Think about it – we see adults becoming “fitness fanatics” all the time, and although it’s great, there’s something about it happening to a teenager that gives a lot of parents pause, and makes them wonder how their teenager should be approaching something like strength training.
Now That We Know the Problems, Where Can We Start?
If you’re a teenager reading this, there’s no reason you can’t start doing the workouts on my site. In fact many of my workouts are PERFECT for any teenagers as it focuses on using your body weight and developing over all fitness.
Don’t overdo it, and remember that – especially if you’re on the young side, ie. 13 or 14 – you’re not going to be able to build huge muscles and have these bulging, ripped bodies like the ones you see online or TV.
But that is ok and natural; after all, you’re still growing. You don’t want to bulk up too much and interfere with your growth, but a lifelong fitness habit is a great thing to start young and when you get closer to 16,17 and 18 you will start seeing those curves around your shoulders, chest and abs developed naturally anyway.
Use Metabolism and Your Situation to Your Advantage
There’s probably no other time in your life when you’re going to have the kind of natural energy that you have when you’re a teenager. Because you’re still growing, your metabolism is just naturally going to be higher than someone who has hit his/her peak. You are also in a great position at school or college where you are surrounded by 100’s of activities you can take part in for free. I mean why pay to take a gym class when you can go and join the track and field athletes for a free workout session after school that will help you burn more calories than any gym class ever will.
So at this stage you can really ease up on the “artificial” ways of getting in your workouts – if you’re plenty active already, walking and playing sports and generally burning off all that excess energy, don’t spend your teenage years on a treadmill. Take advantage of the natural benefits that being a teenager gives you – do some strength training ( mainly in the form of body weight workouts ), and get your cardio workouts elsewhere – avail yourself of all the free time that comes with not having to work 9-5 for a living!
So let’s Quickly Recap
1) Yes you can do weight training but don’t push it. Focus on body weight exercises and becoming stronger naturally.
2) Don’t waste time doing cardio at the gym, rather enjoy some of the activities you can find at your school or doing something else that is active and you enjoy like skateboarding, mountain biking etc.
3) Eat healthy food that allows you to grow, but not add fat. So stay away from too many sugary foods, fizzy drinks and fast food!
4) At this age you really want to focus on creating healthy habits for the rest of your life, so learn to eat well and enjoy your workouts.
I can promise you this, if you do the things I mentioned above then you will be in great shape throughout your teenage years and you will look amazing when you get a bit older and closer to 18.
I myself played sports at the highest level I could from the age of 13 and did sprinting from the age of 7 all the way through to 21. I trained pretty hard all my life but only really got into weight training at age 16 when I was given my first professionally designed gym workout. I have been in the gym almost every day since then and today I am better off for it! I have zero injuries, I am 1.82 ( which means the weight training did not mess with my growth ) and extremely healthy. So I can from personal experience and from helping many teenagers through the years tell you that you will be ok if you follow the steps above. It won’t hinder your growth and won’t cause any health problems as long as you don’t overdo it. Focus on doing some body weight training workouts and eat well. Do that and you are right on track to getting your own six pack abs!
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Recent comments
- Posted by Peter Lee
I'm 170cm and 62kg. My bodyfat was 25.9% 3 months ago, 18.6% 2 months ago - Posted by Wolverene
Ok, cool! We're all be watching out for your upcoming videos. Cheers!
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Hey umm I am doing boxing right now but I have been running for two months and I still haven’t lost any body fat and i want to get in shape, but I don’t know what to do can uyou help me, and also tell me what can I do to lose body fat and get in shape.
Thank You…
Hy there ! First of all , sorry for my english .
You’re website .. is .. the most exciting website i’ve ever seen .. beacuse .. you HELP people .. and I am thanking you for that.I’ve been doing the exercises from Tube , it worked .. i’ve seen the diference .. but .. not as much as i wanted to .. i am doing it constantly .. but .. nothing ..no more diferences .
I will be thankfull . Thank you for such of amazing website that .. GOD .. sent me 
.
If you could help me with this .. i don’t know .. with .. other exercises .. anything ..
Bye .
Wow Peter, thanks man! What an awesome article, you have really motivated me to workout but still enjoy my teenage years. Thanks!
Great! That was my goal!
Well if you want work on your chest and lower abs then try these tow workouts:
Chest:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg88_acs858
Lower Abs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U0HKBhpcfs
Good luck!
Well there is a lot you can do. You can eat better, you can train harder and also you can make sure you are doing both those things in such a way that it will help you get ripped. If you eating the wrong stuff and are doing the wrong workouts, then no matter what you do or how hard you try you won’t lose your last bit of fat. There are a lot of workouts and article on this site that will point you in the right direction! Good luck!
Hi there umm I just got through reading this article and my question is does this also apply if your 13 because this is the most helpful site I have been to I have had prblems loosing weight and getting my body fat into shape i saw your video on you tube and it was great so anyways THANKS !!
Hey Peter this article was awsome. and your website is just the best for workouts. i just wanted to say im 15 and i love going to go to the gym. i go to the gym about 4 times a week, which is Monday,Wednesday,Friday and Sunday. i heard that if you was to go gym everyday and do workouts you will not be able to build muscle or losse fat beacuse your body is not having a rest beacuse you are constantly doing workouts. am i right on this theory. what workouts do you recomend me doing at the gym?….i normall do alot of cardio workouts and some muscle building workouts too.
thankyou i hope u get back to me
Thanks for posting this artical,, cause it really gets to them. Your helping in MANY ways with this, cause i have a friend who was soo desperate to get a Ripped Body that he actually messed up his growth plates in his legs and arms!
Hi there,
Yes you need rest! Without it your body won’t do much! As far as what you should do, well, if you doing the right cardio and weight training workouts in the gym then that is fine. If you want to try something new then any of the full body workouts on my site will be great to do as well. Good luck!
Yip it applies to anyone from 13 to 18.
thankyou very much for you advise Peter
Hey Peter. First of all thanks for the awesome website that HELPS!!!
And I’m a 15 year old dude that does intense water polo 7 days a week, fits in some sprint kayaking/canoeing and rock climbes. I have no reason to be unhappy with my body, but I would really LOVE my chest to stick out more and my abdominals to have a more solid form… And I kind of want them before high school (since there is tons of chicks!) I know that is probably not possible, but to have a good start should I just keep up with your adult vids or do I need a “special/teen” workout??
If you could mention your answer to me in you comment that would be greatly apriciated!!!
Cheers
hey bro
loved the article, im new on ur website and this was a the first one i have read, and it was very helpful cause im 16 and really into doing exercise and i love being fit
so thanks
but one thing, i do weights a fair bit, and wat has happened is my forearms have become so much more defined than my upper arms. what are some good exercises for my upperarms, thanks
one other thing is, im trying to get a six pac, i am very close like i can see the outline, but there just not quiet there, and when i feel them, they are very hard, but maybe there is to much fat so u cant see them? im not sure, could u suggest anything. and its not like i have a huge tummy or anything its flat and under my rib line, so yh im really stuck.
thanks alot
Hi Hunter, well first of all you are in luck as I am uploading a new Arms ( Bicep )workout tomorrow. Secondly, yip it sounds like you just need to get rid of that last bit of fat on your abs. Add some cardio and also some of full body workouts on my site. Good luck!
Hi Sergei,
First of all almost all my workouts can be done by teenagers anyway as it focuses on body weight workouts. If you doingwater pole then you are pretty fit already as that is a very tough sport and you are probably in good shape already but you can maybe start to do some chest workouts ( I just added one few weeks ago so just search the site for it ). Good luck!
hey peter i am 13 and trying to get a six pack i have recently lost like 20 pounds i have been excersizing alot and going to the gym but im not getting great results. and suggestions
hey Peter i dont really ant to build muscles right noww just have great abs think you could help???
Just keep eating right, do those body weight workouts with some cardio and some ab workouts and you will be fine!
Hey peter i just watched your Begginers Six Pack Abs Workout and i was hoping if u could tell me if i could do them. i am 13. and if i can how many times do u have to do it, like per day or week.
Yes you should be fine .( Obviously I don’t know if you have any medical condition so please consult with your doctor before you start ant physical exercise or workout )
Ok thanx. but how many times a day and how many days a week?
Hey Peter my name is Ezra and I’m 14. I’ve been working on my Abs for a couple of weeks now trying several different workouts through this time and was wondering which one of your home workouts you would recommend for me that you think would get me close or all the way to some descent abs by the end of the month or somewhere around that time. Other than that I Love your website it has really helped to the point I’m at and hopefully you can answer my question.
Hello Peter
I need a recommendation; I recently lose 28 pounds but still have belly fat;
this is my profile
current weight: 73KG
height: 5ft8
age:19
I need 6-pack abs and get stronger
Which of your workouts do u recommend?
Thank you
Hello Peter
I started with the Beach Body Workout. the first day I only did Weight Training.
I spouse to do 3x the workout with 30 second each
today when I first start I only finished to the pushup and couldn’t continue with the workout; I immediately felt disappointed and going to stop doing the workout but no I couldn’t so at the beginning is it ok to start this way even thought every day I will try harder to do the full workouts?
Thanks
Yes, it is perfect! If you could do the full wokrout from day one THEN it woudl have been to easy! and useless!
So just do what you can and try and do better every time you do the workout! Good luck!
Once a day 3 times per week to start with.
IF you looking to lose some fat, focus more on something like my latest workout, the INSANE one.
Thanks for giving me hope
I’m thrilled to hear from you
Thanks
Make sure you also eat very clean and healthy!
Hey Peter im 16 years old and i started to hit the gym lik 2week ago and i think i mess up my workout routine because i go to the gym from monday thru friday but then my friend told me to workout on monday-Chest and Tricep wednesday-Back and Bicep friday-Legs and ABS ,is this a good routine because i want my body to get the cuts Also my cousin told me to eat alot because im skinny and he want me to workout on the fat to combine it into muscle
It’s not bad but you missed out SHOULDERS? Also as far as eating, well it depends on what you want to achieve. It is not just about eating more if you want to build muscle but also eating right! Hope that helps!
Hey Peter
its me and i was wondering how many weeks it takes to see results
I’m 17 and was worried about my growth . This Really Helped . Thanks
I Can Do 100 Push-Ups (Not In A Strech Though)
Np. 100 sounds good! Keep up the good work!
hi there apart from making teenegers six pack abs can they do weight-lifting i meant i am 16 can i make use of dumbells in my wokrout ??