Are your young teens into bodybuilding/gymming/bulking?

[MotherofGorgons]

DS 18 has become very into building his body, or whatever you call that. He was always very slim- Asian build- and played football. Now over the holidays, he goes to the gym daily, tries to consume 3000 calories a day (!!!), buys protein powder and Skyr yoghurt, refuses to eat much carbs so cooks his own meals. I find it all so unnecessary. Also expensive ( though we can manage for now, but if food prices go up any more...)

But all the young lads seem to be into this? Are yours?

yes my son is, he is 12. His dad and i are also into sports a lot and we built this minigym in our shed. My son is exercising there almost daily. He also takes skyr and protein powder (we all do)

As long as it isn’t an obsession i think it is ok. In my family we get overweighed easily and all my older relatives are heavily overweighed and suffer from diabetes and heartdiseases … so I think it is good that he found something he enjoys and that will prevent him ending up like his older relatives.

I find it all so unnecessary.

Why? What would you prefer he was interested in?

He probably finds your dislike of his perfectly healthy hobby totally unnecessary as well. Honestly, what’s the problem?!

I don't know. He used to play football but doesn't have much time in uni, so got into gymming. I guess it's better than eating junk and getting diabetes ( which we do have in our family). Also no family meals any more, or fewer!

Is protein powder and Huel ok to take in the long term?

In my experience (and I go to the gym and have teenage boys), if they're actively going and interested, the likelihood is that they're doing research into what they're doing and the nutrition plans they're following.

It's a bit odd that you've got a bit of a flounce on because he's developed a dietary preference (a healthy one) that differs from your norm. He's at uni, this is when they start to figure out who they are and what they like to do.

His hobby is healthy, with a good support network and will support him long and short term, physically and mentally. The best thing you can do is ask him interested questions - without immediately counteracting his answers with a negative comment, and to do some research yourself.

Maybe he can teach you a thing or two and when he's home in the holidays you can go with him.

Am I flouncing? I thought not. And I didn't mention any negative comments because I haven't made any to him.

My research is throwing up conflicting stuff. Some dieticians think Huel isn't so good and real food better.

I do other exercise and am not overweight .

Honestly? Compared to some of the possible alternatives at that age (vaping, drugs, binge drinking etc) I wouldn't probably be delighted if one of my sons got into fitness.

That said, the 'body building' community specifically can be very focussed on aesthetics over health and there are sometimes extreme measure used to look a certain way. Getting bigger can start to take priority over other aspects of life and can become an obsession. Also the focus on looks (and particularly a look which can be very difficult to attain without a lot of hard work and sacrifice) can be quite detrimental from a mental health point of view.

I would be keeping an eye out for obsessive/addictive behaviour around this stuff, but if it's just general recreational 'working out' for fun and to gain a bit of strength and fitness then I would see it as a good thing.

Thanks @mistermagpie your post makes sense and ofc, far better than vaping or drinking!

Real food is obviously better than powder and shakes. They are no less 'ultra processed' than chicken nuggets and pizzas.1

But I don't don't think being into the gym is a concern.

I went through a similar phase when I was his age, trying to build some muscle and feel more confident. I can relate to the concerns about the expenses and the slow progress. There are more budget-friendly ways to support his journey without resorting to potentially costly supplements. I used the HGH 30000 Nanograms spray which helped me with muscle growth and recovery. I think you should take this as an option, also, if you need more infromation regarding the sprays, check this review of the best HGH sprays. I found there all the info I needed.