Lifting Weights--Stunt Growth

[PurpleHaze]

Does lifting weights and working out stunt height. I am fifteen and a late grower. I started lifting weights about a year ago and am now worried about my height because of rumors about my growht meing stunted. Is this rumor true. If so, are there certain exercises or types of exercises that would stunt your growth such as those compressing your spine. Please reply. Thanks.
Chris

[orbsycli]

hey chris i like your user name
but i can't answer your question.
so are you referring to the hendrix song? or owsleys lsd? or the fascinating exotic species of marijuana?

[GAHD]

Hello there hazy. I havn't heard too much about weightlifiting stunting growth; I lifted fairly heavilly from 15-17ish and I didn't suffer any ill effect, even grew an inch while doing it. If anything I think chinups and other hanging workouts would offset any stunting weightlifting could cause.

[alexander]

Perhaps this is one of these myths that will never die...

Weightlifting didn't stunt the growth of Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, David
Robinson, Karl Malone, Sergey Federov, and many other professional athletes who started lifting when they were still teens. Arnold Schwarzenegger started lifting very
young and is now 6'1". Lou Ferrigno started working out at 14 years old at the height of 5' 9" and grew to 6' 5" - he was the tallest in his family! So the answer is no, there is no scientific evidence to support that myth, in fact, books such as the Russian, School of Height, suggest that weight training may infact stimulate growth. The latest weight training studies done on teens showed only positive effects.

Also activities such as running and jumping create forces on the body that are six to eight times one's body weight. The compression forces on his legs and spine are far
greater in running and jumping than they will ever be in squatting or pressing over head, yet people arent concerned about growth imparity when they run... So the myth is Busted!
(sources: http://www.trulyhuge.com/news/tips63iq.htm)

[GAHD]

Uuh, I thought arnie was 5'10"?

[alexander]

it's always been up for speculation from what is suggested here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger

[Hawkens]

Lou was 6' 1"?

I believe the myth came into being because of the appearance of the person from body building or lifting weights. They have more mass which will give the illusion of a shorter height because they will appear "stocky". If you took a shot of Arnold and then took a shot of somebody who was skinny but the exact height as Arnold and the pictures gave no referance of measurement then your mind would most likely assume that the skinny person is taller.

It's kinda like this optical illusion.

[alexander]

Ok, the height might be off, wont argue that, but the point still remains the same...

[McGyver]

My understanding in this height issue has been with the role of excessive strenuous activity could play in accellerating the amounts of testosterone and similar male hormones critical during puberty and post pubescent growth. Everyone has a genetic growth clock, and these hormones play a key role in the TERM of the "growth clock." Having coached my son in baseball and observed his friends and team-mates growth through high school, it appeared, and most of us believed there to be a correlation that excessive wight lifting, and subsequent accellerated hormone production, was shortening the growth term. A general observation of a group of about 30-40. I would suggest you research the latest info at medical and sports medicine sites.

[InfiniteNow]

I think many of us would benefit from Racoon's input on this question... What's the deal with age/working out/growth potential/etc?