Supps For Teen Boy

HI Guys

My son is 17 and into rugby (backline player), very lean almost skinny, into weight training for 6 months. Has good speed and endurance. Have encouraged him to focus on training form over weight increments.

He has become keen on researching nutrition and workouts, but looking at the first team boys its obvious that they are not naturals.

Looking for advice on bulking him up using supplements eg. creating; mass builders etc.

Thanks

Warrior wrote: HI Guys

My son is 17 and into rugby (backline player), very lean almost skinny, into weight training for 6 months. Has good speed and endurance. Have encouraged him to focus on training form over weight increments.

He has become keen on researching nutrition and workouts, but looking at the first team boys its obvious that they are not naturals.

Looking for advice on bulking him up using supplements eg. creating; mass builders etc.

Thanks

If he is clashing with kids that are not only genetically bigger, but also using anabolics....
I guess you have to consider if it is safe enough for him to play the sport (or worth it)

Otherwise, rib-eyes, creatine and a lot of carbs post workout.
If he is not gaining any weight, add something palatable, like pizza post workout.

I'm afraid this is the reality of most sports, even at school level.
Some hard decisions unfortunately

I hate doping in sport but I played some very competitive sports and saw that it was almost all but impossible to get around the fact that if you didnt use performance enhancing, you were very unlikely to get far. I didnt use and I started to lose to guys who I knew had less talent. The guys who had more talent than me obliterated me once they starting enhancing.

If he is enjoying this for the love of the game and nothing else, then dial in the nutrition, training and add the standard supplements like creatine, BCAA's, proteins etc. There is still a lot to be said for correct training and how far it can take you.

The problem with a physical sport is that the difference is going to becoming quite large and eventually dangerous and disheartening.

Lastly, if he has talent there is likely to be pressure for him to be better either from himself or his team mates and PEDS are going to find their way. Have open discussions about this, and if he is going to do something, at least get bloods and control the dosages.
I wish my folks had those kinds of talks with me but all I got was pressure from coaches, back then there was no real internet and I decided not to do anything because of a "moral highground".

Looking back I always wondered though how good would I have been if I had done what everyone else did.
What I can say is that without a doubt, the top guys in my age group, every single one, used an illegal enhancer.

No teen should be under such pressure to perform. If you gifted and have the genetics you will succeed at whatever it is you doing. If you don't and having to use things to help you, you not doing something you naturally good at / should be doing.

As a teen your testosterone and growth hormone levels are sky high. You will change your wiring just like I did to the point you cannot produce testosterone without therapy. My free testosterone is 64, when I PCT my body does not understand what "normal" is, so sending signals to the leydig cells to produce testosterone means nothing, it has no idea how to even get as high as 300, this is 100 percent related to using steroids from a young age ...

Life is so much more than being ever so slightly genetically enhanced. You can take any supplement you want you not going to all of a sudden become the fastest backline player. Maybe recovery will help a bit, but at what cost.

There is no place bar the odd medical condition for a kid (because that is what a teenager is) which requires the use of growth hormone or help puberty with a gene disorder and needing HCG, but that's it. Live a long healthy life.. As you get older go on TRT, hormone deficiency ages you, I'm talking around your 40s if you haven't cocked up your life with bad lifestyle choices..

As I grow older and learn more, I don't believe you should be messing with hormones until you around 26 and this goes for woman too unless there is a medical reason.

Thank you Syntax for your input, really appreciate it.

Shot alot Pump, I have to keep comms open with him as I do fear him get influenced by peers at school and as teenager you know that 1 can be easily dared to do.

I have the old Mick Hart underground handbook that I was thinking of going through with him.

I am cool that at 21 he should be free to choose chemical enhancement as an option, just dont want him to mess up his body too early.

You get someone like Empire on the forum as a coach to help him (can't provide details for him) put on mass and understand nutrition to the T, he will do extremely well.. Its soooo much easier to just take some juice and get 'some results" however you could have achieved most of those early results without anything and just really getting to understand your body and work with it. Get the nutrients it needs and the rest it needs. Right now you get that right I'm 99 percent certain there isn't another person on the team who has their diet dialed in 100 percent.. Getting this right will give him a real edge over others..

Good luck with what ever you decide

AAS is not the answer. Nutrition, proper training and recovery is all that is needed as far as physical development is concerned. If he doesn't have the genetics or natural talent to be a top rugby player then he should accept that and rather do it for fun or find something else he is good at. Life is full of disappointments and those that learn to deal with it and find and develop their natural talents are the ones that get to the top.

00pump wrote: No teen should be under such pressure to perform. If you gifted and have the genetics you will succeed at whatever it is you doing. If you don't and having to use things to help you, you not doing something you naturally good at / should be doing.

As a teen your testosterone and growth hormone levels are sky high. You will change your wiring just like I did to the point you cannot produce testosterone without therapy. My free testosterone is 64, when I PCT my body does not understand what "normal" is, so sending signals to the leydig cells to produce testosterone means nothing, it has no idea how to even get as high as 300, this is 100 percent related to using steroids from a young age ...

Life is so much more than being ever so slightly genetically enhanced. You can take any supplement you want you not going to all of a sudden become the fastest backline player. Maybe recovery will help a bit, but at what cost.

There is no place bar the odd medical condition for a kid (because that is what a teenager is) which requires the use of growth hormone or help puberty with a gene disorder and needing HCG, but that's it. Live a long healthy life.. As you get older go on TRT, hormone deficiency ages you, I'm talking around your 40s if you haven't cocked up your life with bad lifestyle choices..

As I grow older and learn more, I don't believe you should be messing with hormones until you around 26 and this goes for woman too unless there is a medical reason.

I agree with the sentiment, but from my experience in sports and discussing this at similar levels with others, PEDS are used relatively early to gain the competitive edge.
You would have to be supremely gifted to be able to compete against other athletes who are enhanced.
Something like EPO I believe gives something like a 8 or 10% advantage for tour de france athletes where like 2% separates the worst and best athlete competing in the race.

It is easy to say dont do it and hard work will pay off but in most cases I think it is unrealistic, especially in a sport as physical as Rugby. This is the sad nature of doping. I hate it, I dont agree with it, but in most cases the reality is if you want to compete at a professional level in most sports, you would need to use PEDS.

The difficulty as a parent here is making the right decision based on general morals, health and wellbeing and possible future of your kid. I know what my stance is, but I also dont believe my kid will ever be athletic enough to have this be a consideration anyways.

I am passionate about this subject and I'll try help as much as I can given that it's a public forum (although it is the BEST forum ). The reason the first team boys use steroids is because they have no knowledge of proper nutrition or gym or supplements themselves so i.m.o they have to juice or they will fall behind anyone who does know this. Unfortunately this being South Africa, there is very little proper focus on dieting, supps etc. for people in school. Most people in the country are not even aware if it's number one importance. :dry: Thing is there are so many aspects to look at and all of them need to be in place or it works like a tripod where if the one leg is weak the whole thing tumbles.

You will need to guide your son to do his research and guide him through it. Some important questions for you to start your research is:

Does he need to bulk or gain strength? (his training must reflect this. Atrophy vs strength training)
Based on his weight and bodyfat %, What is his total daily energy expenditure and how many calories should he be consuming per day?
Mass gainer supplements are shit.
Which supplements work and which are a waste of money?
What vitamins work and what are a waste of money? Does he have vitamin deficiencies?
Whenever I coach people the first question I always ask is if they have any chronic medical conditions or chronic medication?
Cholesterol levels?
What training program is he following based on his goals?

Most importantly he must PLEASE stay off the juice until he is older. If you use steroids what happens is your growth plates fuse and he will be permanently inhibited from his peak natural stature.