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Scooby's Home Bodybuilding Workouts

Bodybuilding Myth - Bodybuilding Will Stunt Your Growth

I often get questions from teens asking if bodybuilding will stunt their growth, the answer is 'No!'.  As with all myths, there is a grain of truth in every myth which helps it get started.  It is true that the use of some steroids will stunt growth in teens who have not yet reached puberty but this has nothing to do with the bodybuilding itself, just the steroids.  I have never seen a study which has even hinted that bodybuilding in itself can stunt the growth.  I would guess that if you carried a 100lb plate on your head all day long every day you might compress your spine but you would have severe back problems long before you saw any measurable height loss. 

Although bodybuilding will not stunt your growth, I still dont recommend starting before age 19 but it has nothing to do with stunted growth.  In my opinion, it is much more important for teens to work on improving their coordination and balance while they are young because these skills are much harder to learn later in life.  You can add plenty of muscle in your 20's, no need to be lifting in your teens.  Some excellent sports would be soccer, basketball, tennis, skateboarding, and hockey - all of these involve lots of balance, running and coordination.