Kid's Weight Training Workout—
Getting Started with Bodybuilding
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I occasionally wonder how many kids are reading this newsletter. A few I presume because I am conscious of the word "kids" as I write and question the acceptance of the loose reference to their ears. Hey, my young friends, I apologize, but I like kids and the brightness that accompanies the expression "kids." Kids are alive, vital, curious and wonderful. I mean no disrespect or deference when I say "kids." I think you guys and gals are a great, open space; a broad and fertile land of promise; a new, living fine thing, un-pummeled, unbroken, yet to be realized and in the making. You’re the future and you are the present. Be cool, but not too cool.
I was a kid once. How many times have you heard that one before? But I was a dumb kid. No one could tell me what to do. Not because I didn’t listen, not because I didn’t hear or was stubborn and rebellious. It was something different, slightly or entirely. What was said of any importance went over my head, around my body, under my feet and off to the moon. I, myself, lived in a place that was insulated by approximately one inch of hand-me-downs and leftovers. Everything I knew was second-hand, everything I was given was used, and I spent my time hunting for something that was different, fresh, unworn, something new and original.
That’s it, something original.
I remember one day looking down at my sneakers that were a size too big, had holes in the toes and knotted laces. Kid’s sneakers. My pants were pulled up high because they were way too long and they were strapped to my body by a leather belt in which I had gouged two or three holes to adjust to my skinny waist. The end of the belt hung down like a straggly, misplaced puppy’s tail and the pants gathered at my middle, the top of a sack drawn tight to keep the potatoes from spilling out and rolling in the street. I saw myself for the first time. I was mortified. I was 18… no, no… I’m jokin’. I was about eight or nine. Still, it was unacceptable and I wanted things to be different. I ran down the block to Joe’s, the corner market, and got me an ice cold fudgesicle. That did the trick, every time, till I got my weights a year later.
Like all the other stuff I acquired, the weights were used, yet everything I did with them was new and original. I learned by myself along with a child’s best teacher -- curiosity -- and mankind’s foremost instructor -- logic -- America’s inherent strength – invention -- and a kid’s faithful companions -- practice and play. It gets sillier; what I learned then is what I pass on today as wisdom and expertise.
I
offer wildflowers and honey and pure spring water; hard work, discovery
and collected experience; childhood trust and uncontainable innocence
with no chemical additives and free of technological improvement.
Scoop it up and ingest it, bath in it and wallow in it. The secret
essence of things such as exercise and health and strength is not
in the new-age mind, the stars, science, research and development
or pharmacology. It’s in you, kids, most of all, and in your
out-of-condition parents who are untangling their ignored past and
faithfully attending the present to make tomorrow right.
While you’re here, my young friends, I suggest you do this:
Glean through the basics in eating, exercise and application, follow
the fundamentals in training direction, achievement and expectation,
and cling to the essentials of character and personal growth. You
have only simple information to evaluate and to absorb, all of it
ageless, none of it strange, all of it true. It’s at your
fingertips; it’s in your hands and in your heart.
There
are wonderful exceptions, but it’s hard to reach the younger
generations. Indoctrination is swift and continual with the sight
and sound of TV, immoral artists of every medium with cheap talk,
sick messages and freedom of speech, you-first advertising, Hollywood
artificiality, freaked-out activists, spineless politicians with
an agenda, cowards and terrorists. Kids have to grow up fast or
be eaten alive.
I’m trying hard, the kids are cool, but the gap is wide and
I’m short on identification and thin on finesse.
"Quiet. Knock it off. Listen up or I’ll tear your eyes out." Nope, too strong.
"Hello, young man, young lady. How are you today? Good, good. I was wondering, may I possibly have your attention if you’ve got a spare moment?" No, no, no -- too weak.
"Hi there, Dude. Got a sec? Cool. There’s some stuff I wanna pass by your head."… uh-uh. Too casual.
"Yo, Bro... waz’ happnin’, man? Me n’ you, we gotta put down some words."... this is a little touchy.
"Hey,
pencil neck. If I were you this is what I’d do. Get your skinny
butt over to the squat rack." I don’t think so, little
condescending, almost demeaning.
"Hi, sweetheart. You come here often? I’m the Bomber,
the Blond Bomber, and I think it’s time you and I got acquainted."...
She actually rolled her eyes. An old coot in wolf’s clothing.
What can I say that will gain your attention and add to your lives? I’ll leave out the political and spiritual messages 'cuz this is no place for stuff like that. Nothing sadder than a lonely guy on a soapbox ranting and waving his arms before a vacant corner as the sun goes down on a cold, wet evening and nobody cares if he’s warm, dry or hungry. I’ve got it. I’ll make a list of stunning principles for a happy and productive life and present them like a scout leader or a coach, an uncle or a parole officer -- not nearly as pathetic, and the message will be solid. Kids love solid.
Yo. Trouble from the start. I want to say from the beginning, "Behave, listen to your mom and dad," but chances are today they don’t have a mom or dad. Or, what if their mom or dad is a wreck? How about, listen to your guardian, or teacher or priest? See the ramifications there: Does the guardian collect state funds for personal gain, is the teacher a compassionate educator or an adult supervisor in charge of crowd control in an over-crowded classroom, and the priest, well, heaven knows they have their own issues? I’ll take a gamble.
TIPS FOR THE 16-YEAR-OLD IN TODAY’S WORLD OF SURVIVAL
1) Be nice. It’s smart to behave right, to do good and not wrong. Listen to your parents and the trusted, adult loved ones in your life. Be good to others as you would have them be good to you (an original thought). It sounds corny, but it works.
For those who don’t get it, let me put it another way: Don’t be a jerk, nobody likes a jerk; you can spot a jerk a mile away. They’re loud, rude, arrogant and obnoxious. They are bullies and think they know it all. Besides that, they are weak and insecure and shallow and friendless. Ugh.
If you’re interested in goodness, happiness and peacefulness, consider gathering and developing the following strong qualities (I’ll just mention a few):
Humility is a rare, fine attribute and is outstanding, yet barely visible, in only the best of men and women.
A sense of humor is absolutely priceless. It can’t be bought, borrowed or stolen and is better than medicine for what ails you.
Compassion -- understanding and love for the broken and down-hearted -- makes sad people hopeful and gives them the spirit to press on when life is cold and dreary.
Selflessness, giving of yourself on behalf of others, is tough 'cuz we naturally tend to be quite the opposite: selfish. A generous spirit is not unlike a compassionate spirit. It adds to others at its own expense with no guarantee of repayment... except for that thrill.
Wisdom. Now this is a gem. Listen hard before you speak and speak carefully after you think. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and be sure you learn from the experience. They’re expensive, don’t waste them and don’t hate yourself for making them.
These treasures are everywhere. Be alert, they’re like opportunities, don’t let them pass you by or slip through your hands. One of the smartest and surest ways of discovering cool qualities is to jog.
Jog around the block once a day. Go.
2) The Tube. Beware of the TV and video games. They are a source of enjoyment, but even a little too much will weaken your body, mind and soul -- too much false experience, too little physical activity, not enough original and personal thinking, too much confusion and mind-zapping energy and unfiltered ethical trash and moral pollutants. As enough water will nourish you and satisfy your thirst, too much will make you all wet, if not drown you, take your life away.
Exercise
today.
3) Super Chow. Watch what you eat. It’s like this, dude: "Garbage
in, garbage out. You are what you eat." In other words, stay
away from sugar and junk food and fast food -- that is, soda pop,
candy, cake, ice cream, fries, chips, gooey-fatty hamburgers, hot
dogs… that stuff. Now, you are a kid and not perfect, so you
can have some… a little bit, hardly any. Why? You are putting
junk, unhealthy ingredients, into your system and it causes weakness
and poor functioning, and eventually leads to serious illness. You
will get soft and fat before long and you might get diabetes, heart
disease and gastric problems. Most every adult is very sorry he
or she didn’t eat right when they were your age because they
now have distressing problems and can’t easily fix them.
Eat right, right now.
4) Making a plan. Without knocking yourself out or becoming an adult too soon, sit down alone or with a friend occasionally and consider what you want to do with your life. Chances are you’ve done this before. Good. Do it again and from time to time. Keeps you sharp, aware of your surroundings, in touch with the real world of responsibility and independence. Get a head start, start with your head.
Set a goal.
5) Health is wealth. Whatever you do or want to do, you will do it better if you are strong and healthy and energetic. Nothing is more valuable than life, and your life is nothing without good health. Everyone knows this, yet only a few people practice the rule. Achieving and maintaining good health takes work, discipline and intelligence and the rewards of vigor and fitness are extraordinary and priceless. You think better, last longer, jump higher, lift more, smile and laugh easily, can say "no" when you should and "yes" when you need to and people listen 'cuz you speak nicely and with smarts.
Be strong, courageous and kind.
6) Join a gym. Lift weights. Learn what life is really about. Now that might suggest bias and heaven knows I don’t want to imprint such a depraved quality as prejudice on the young mind, but I feel compelled to make the point. When I said "Exercise today" in number two on the list, I didn’t mean jumping jacks. We’re talking iron here, kids, barbells, dumbbells, cables, supersets, deadlifts and squats. Just kidding. No, I’m not.
Push that iron, lift that steel.
7) Disciplines. You’re 16 and you need to nurture your disciplines, your determination, perseverance and willingness to sacrifice. The timing is perfect. The tools of the mind and personality are developed as you develop the tools of your body, your muscles and might. That’s convenient. Find a balance between exercise and recreation, work and play, and keep your thoughts on what you are accomplishing in the good time you spend at the gym.
As you build strong bones and attractive muscles, high energy and physical ability, you are learning to apply yourself to a task with fortitude and focus, to care for yourself and develop personal responsibility and respect. You are doing what is best for you and those around you, and what so few people have the guts or intelligence to do. There are more doctors and lawyers and chiefs in the world than there are healthy, strong and responsible people. Take good care of yourself. Train hard and eat more protein and less sugar.
Fortify yourself, chill out and rest.
8) The no-brainers. Are you ready? Don’t drink alcohol, do drugs or smoke. The temptations are strong and rooted in social pressure, dying curiosity, common imitation, senseless boredom and the weak promise of fun and pleasure. The consequences are huge and unforgiving. Death is at the top of the list, lost quality of life in the middle and shame throughout.
One by one we are led astray by nasty little lusts. The facts are clear, there are no doubts, yet the lessons aren’t learned until we fail the tests: blackened lungs, struggling hearts, destroyed families, frayed minds, broken bones and lost lives.
Climb a mountain and overlook the valley alive with wildflowers, taste the smooth honey and drink the cool waters. There’s nothing like the real thing. And while you’re up there, young friend, find a tree that has a sturdy limb and do a set of chins for the ole Bomber.
Heavenly.
Now, pick up a northwesterly, spread your wings and fly with God’s speed.
Dave Draper
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