please help me help my brother

[JDid23]

hey guys.. my brother is extremely weak to say the least... He has ADHD and some motor skill problems, and he is as skinny as bones. He is maybe around 5 feet, maybe a bit more and i think he weighs maybe 96 pounds.. I want to start taking him to the gym and doing really simple DBs/machines with him (i know he can't do squat/deadlift with this strength). We have 5 and 6 pound dumbbells at home, so i want to do some work with him on these. Does anyone have any good routines i can do with him to improve his basic strength even a little bit? He is completely bones, and i really want to see him be proud of his body. Oh, he is also 13 years old, so i don't want to do too much, but just some basic strength for him to help his confidence.

any advice is greatly appreciated. It's probably more diet for him, but i think that his pills that he takes don't make him as hungry. Thanks!

 

[djeclipse]

hey guys.. my brother is extremely weak to say the least... He has ADHD and some motor skill problems, and he is as skinny as bones. He is maybe around 5 feet, maybe a bit more and i think he weighs maybe 96 pounds.. I want to start taking him to the gym and doing really simple DBs/machines with him (i know he can't do squat/deadlift with this strength). We have 5 and 6 pound dumbbells at home, so i want to do some work with him on these. Does anyone have any good routines i can do with him to improve his basic strength even a little bit? He is completely bones, and i really want to see him be proud of his body. Oh, he is also 13 years old, so i don't want to do too much, but just some basic strength for him to help his confidence.

any advice is greatly appreciated. It's probably more diet for him, but i think that his pills that he takes don't make him as hungry. Thanks!

Why does his current strength have anything to do with his ability to do deadlift or squat?

Start with just the bar if you have to, add 5lbs a week. Squat and deadlift should be the staple of his program. Don't waste his time with other shitty isolation exercises, teach him proper lifting form the start, while he is young and he will thank you for it later in life.

 

[grubd]

deja vu of your 1st post ever, lol

 

[djeclipse]

deja vu of your 1st post ever, lol

Really?

So I just wasted my time?

 

[JDid23]

Why does his current strength have anything to do with his ability to do deadlift or squat?

Start with just the bar if you have to, add 5lbs a week. Squat and deadlift should be the staple of his program. Don't waste his time with other shitty isolation exercises, teach him proper lifting form the start, while he is young and he will thank you for it later in life.

i was really thinking about that, but his fine motor skills are terrible and his strength is extrememly minimal. My dad doesn't want me to do any of big stuff with him (cautious as he is already).. and he has a problem lifting 5 pound dumbbells with good form. That's why i am thinking of just starting him out with some extremely light DB work and then moving up to just the bar with some of the better exercises.

 

[djeclipse]

i was really thinking about that, but his fine motor skills are terrible and his strength is extrememly minimal. My dad doesn't want me to do any of big stuff with him (cautious as he is already).. and he has a problem lifting 5 pound dumbbells with good form. That's why i am thinking of just starting him out with some extremely light DB work and then moving up to just the bar with some of the better exercises.

You can get those smaller bars that weigh 20lbs.

But I guarantee you that your brother can dealift a 45lb olympic bar. And do body weight full squats.

Why waste his time with useless crap, get him lifting proper right form the start.

Don't coddle him to much, treat him like an adult, let him grow up on his own. Lifting weights proper is not something you need to shelter him form.

You won't put on any size with lame dumbell crap.

 

[grubd]

Really?

So I just wasted my time?

yup
hey guys.. i have just started to get serious about lifting.. i am 17, and my brother is 13. He has ADHD, tons of motor skill problems, and has had a lot of social issues up to this point in his life -- it is hard for him to write legibly, and i even tried doing some 5 pound dumbbell exercises with him at home and he could barely do a few reps without getting tired. he really wants to get stronger (he plays basketball), so i told him i would do my best to come up with a routine for him at the gym as long as he was dedicated and ate what i told him. I was thinking of doing machines for at least the first month or 2, and then when i think he is ready, gradually start him on light free weights and so forth.

does anyone have any ideas on how i can help him? he barely eats, but he does like the shakes that i make and loves to drink milk. are there any machines that would really benefit him opposed to others? like the assisted dips/pullups and so forth? thanks a lot

 

[SaiBoT]

Send me a pm Josh.

 

[Jocques Straap]

Their is a squat and deadlift variation for everybody. Sounds like body weight squats and lunges, add in some Single leg RDLs, or a DB deadlift, step ups, whatever, just stay away from the machines.

 

[SaiBoT]

You can get those smaller bars that weigh 20lbs.

But I guarantee you that your brother can dealift a 45lb olympic bar. And do body weight full squats.

Why waste his time with useless crap, get him lifting proper right form the start.

Don't coddle him to much, treat him like an adult, let him grow up on his own. Lifting weights proper is not something you need to shelter him form.

You won't put on any size with lame dumbell crap.

Check all stuff about ADHD... you will find out that most people with have enormous dificulties trying to perform everyday tasks, so i'm not so sure if full squats and deads with 45lbs bb would work @ first.

 

[JDid23]

Check all stuff about ADHD... you will find out that most people with have enormous dificulties trying to perform everyday tasks, so i'm not so sure if full squats and deads with 45lbs bb would work @ first.

100% true..

hell, he tried doing 5 pound DB Presses today, and besides the fact he has a tough time doing them with proper form, it was real hard for him to lift. I think machines are actually good in his case because it is very hard for him to do anything with moderately light DBs. Doing some machine work won't allow him to mess up form, and even though i NEVER advocate using machines, i think that in his case (not your everyday noob at the gym) it will be best. Also some assisted dips/pullups

 

[Jocques Straap]

No, machines aren't a smart choice for him. It would simply be an easy way out that will result in him having to take steps back in the future. He's 13 right? kids that age who haven't been physically active are the worst. Their like a fish out of water, so mechanically imbalanced and uncoordinated.


Keep squatting, deadlifting, rowing, pulling, pressing, pushing, lunging. with him stick to free weights, and body weight. Keep the loads low so he can concentrate on his form.

If five is too heavy, then use 2.5s

He's young and has his whole life ahead of him, do it right. Don't worry about the weights, get form perfect before you even think of increasing the load.

 

[JDid23]

100% the bar is too much for him to use for anything besides deadlifting..

Guys, i appreciate the advice, but the extent of his weakness is really much more than you think... He can barely press 5 pound DBs

Also, he is pretty physically active. He plays a lot of basketball, hell pretty much everyday.

However, his fine motor skills are almost non-existent. He can't write legibly, and due to the fact that his motor skills/functioning isn't perfect, i wouldn't feel as comfortable teaching him compounds as i would someone who could actually use the bar for weight on all the lifts. His form on the DBs isn't even that great for any exercise, which is why i feel that in his case, doing some machines to boost confidence/some minor strength gains will be helpful. He isn't going to have a future in lifting unless it's quite minimal, and as you said jocuqes, he is only 13 and even if he has to take steps backwards in a little while from now, he's still young as hell and i don't want to mess him up as i am not too experienced. Also, none of the PTs at my gym know jack shit about anything.

 

[SaiBoT]

I agree with Jocques he needs t learn it right from the beginning, sure he can use a couple of machines like assisted dips, assisted pull ups, leg press, but apart from those nah, he is better off working with 2-5lbs than using cables and stuff like that, exactly because it's proven that dumbells help increase neural efficency and motor skills, so it's not a question of gaining strength right away, the thing is he needs to prime his balance and there is nothing better than dumbells for that even if they are 1, 2 or 3lbs dumbells just having him doing it, if he feels embarrassed just get a dumbell set and a light barbell and do it at home until he gets on the groove and feels more confident to join the gym.

 

[djeclipse]

Check all stuff about ADHD... you will find out that most people with have enormous dificulties trying to perform everyday tasks, so i'm not so sure if full squats and deads with 45lbs bb would work @ first.

If he is playing basketball I assume he should be able to do Body weight squats, and deadlift with just the bar. If the 45lb bar is too heavy , he can get those thinner non olympic bars, I think they weight 20lbs.

 

[SaiBoT]

If he is playing basketball I assume he should be able to do Body weight squats, and deadlift with just the bar. If the 45lb bar is too heavy , he can get those thinner non olympic bars, I think they weight 20lbs.

Yeah that's something that makes no sense to me either, i mean basketball requires certain motor skills, jdid said he does it al the time and yet he also says that he is really and can't perform other things right... it's all very confusing...

Yet i keep my words regarding dumbells being needed to develop superior skills.

 

[JDid23]

Yeah that's something that makes no sense to me either, i mean basketball requires certain motor skills, jdid said he does it al the time and yet he also says that he is really and can't perform other things right... it's all very confusing...

Yet i keep my words regarding dumbells being needed to develop superior skills.

to be honest, i have no idea!! What i am thinking is that he got it from a young age.. I used to play basketball year round, and he would shoot around with me ever since 1st or 2nd grade so i guess he's just so used to it. Also, he's nothing special whatsoever, he can shoot quite well, but that is honestly about it.

In terms of motor skills/strength, (i said some of this) he can't write legibly, he has 0 muscle and you can almost see his bones, can barely carry heavy groceries, can't press 5 pound DBs without compromising form.. He does them in a weird way, like his hands kind of go off on their own.

 

[SaiBoT]

to be honest, i have no idea!! What i am thinking is that he got it from a young age.. I used to play basketball year round, and he would shoot around with me ever since 1st or 2nd grade so i guess he's just so used to it. Also, he's nothing special whatsoever, he can shoot quite well, but that is honestly about it.

In terms of motor skills/strength, (i said some of this) he can't write legibly, he has 0 muscle and you can almost see his bones, can barely carry heavy groceries, can't press 5 pound DBs without compromising form.. He does them in a weird way, like his hands kind of go off on their own.

Nah no worries, he is just an original ectomorph, everybody has trouble balancing dumbells and barbells at first and him being skinny and so has nothing to do ADHD. We will get him in shape if he wants that, it's all about eating and resting with the proper routine.

 

[musketeer]

I believe in your brother's case, a martial art is most suitable.

NOT judo, where you are in constant contact with opponents, getting the the hell banged out of you and dumped on the floor, but a martial art where you are not required any contact until you compete (after a few years of learning/training). Think karate/aikido/tai chi; this will teach balance, coordination, timing and during the course of the class the BODYWEIGHT exercises they do will develop some strength, flexibility and speed and stamina. This will also give him some confidence and if he want's to get stronger as his skill improves then that is a good time to add the weights.

 

[JDid23]

musk- that makes sense..... My dad actually wants this guy who did kickboxing with me when i was in 2nd or 3rd grade (lol) to train me. I wouldn't mind having this guy train me (he knows his shit) but i would rather he train my brother as i have been doing well on my own so far and i know he needs it more than i do. My brother actually used to to some sort of Karate with this guy, but he stopped. Anyways, i will put up that suggestion!

Thanks for all the advice everyone!