Can..........??????

Question

I am 13 years old and I play basketball at my school. The problem is that I can shoot very well but not from long distances. My teammates told me to free weight. I know what free weight is and I don't know if I want to start. Can free weights stunt someone's height? Can it affect differently if you are standing,lying or sitting down? myth or fact?

Answer 1

Screw the idea all together.
Learn to shoot from your thighs/knees, not from your arms.

Answer 2

Darrell,

Don't worry about any exercise stunting your growth. It won't happen. Growth doesn't stop because of exercise.

Growth occurs because of certain hormones. Human Growth Hormone, of course, but also others like Insulin-Like Growth Factor, too. These are affected by your genes (not your activity level) and, to a lesser extent, by your diet. If you eat right and get plenty of sleep, you can exercise till you drop and it will not slow your growth. It might make you really tired, it could even give you some sports injury or other like tendonitis, but the cure for that is just rest and an anti-inflammatory. It's not a big deal and it won' t make you stop growing.

Lifting weights is a good thing to do as long as you don't overdo it. Start light, with enough weight that will allow you to lift it 10 times. Work up to 15 times, and then go to a slightly heavier weight. These weights and exercises will make you stronger but not shorter.

As for affecting you differently if you're in different positions, yes and no. No in that it will not harm you in any way. Yes in that it will make different muscle groups work and therefore grow differently--faster or slower differently, not bulgy or wierd differently. If you stand and lift weights over your head, you'll work the triceps, deltoids (shoulders),and trapezius (the upper back). If you lift weights while lying on your back, you'll work the triceps, deltoids, and pectorals (chest). Same weight, different position, different muscle groups. Good, just different.

Starting with working with your own weight before you go on to free weights is a very good idea. Pushups, pullups, crunches, lunges, and, later,plyometric exercises would be very good for you at this stage. Don't do plyometrics now. Get a bit stronger first.

["Plyometrics" is a kind of exercise that slightly stretches a muscle, getting it ready to contract, and then contracting it as fast as you can. An example is a kind of jumping squat (remembering to NEVER bend your knees beyond 90 degrees, or you could do serious damage to them. Bend them to 60 or 70 degrees only). Squat with your hands on your hips, then launch yourself up as high as you can go, and when you come down go smoothly into the squat position again and immediately launch yourself up. Do that a few times (not many) in your routine. It will strengthen your legs.

The "clapping" pushup is similar. Push yourself up fast enough to be able to clap your hands together, and repeat that a few times (not many) in your routine. Then return to standard pushups. A very high and exaggerated skipping is a plyometric exercise which feels really silly till you see the whole track team do it.]

Mixing in a few plyometrics with your strength training would be good for you. Don't to it too much, though at first. Train first.

But do not ever think that free weight training is a substitute for practice. If you have to, when you shoot from a distance, jump and "push" the ball. You'll have to unlearn this technique when you are older and stronger and should shoot from the overhead position, but it may be good for you now.

But practice. Train, certainly, but practice. Get out and start shooting from slightly longer distances, stretch yourself. Get out as far as you can, and shoot from there. Then try it from a step or two farther out. But whatever you do, practice that shooting.

And good luck on your game and your growth.

Answer 3

Any sport is great keep it up.
Free weights for strength training is great and providing you don't try and lift too heavy no problem.You train in a variety of positions to target different muscle groups and no it won't stunt your growth. Get your mates to help with your technique and practise practise and a little bit more practise and you'll be hitting those 3 pointers in no time.

Answer 4

im 15 and i am a trully dedicated basketball player. I had the same problem you have all i did was do push up's (that helps your arms gain strength) then i practiced, i shot three - pointers all day until i made 100. if you really wanna get better you have to be dedicated, i did and im really, really good at basketball,( lol right now im focusing on my football (soccer) skillz)

Answer 5

it meant for your extra weight