At your age...VERY. You are still growing. You do not want to tear a muscle that is still growing. this can be very hazardous to your continuing development. I do not recommend the 6 to 8 rep workout for somebody your age, but I am not an expert. You may wish to consult www.drweil.com. Dr. Weil is a highly respected physician and one hell of a nice cat. I was the skinny kid in school. Yes, it does suck. but in time you will fill out. Trust me...I did. Mix in REASONABLE exercise and you'll be ahead of the game later.
At age 16, my dad went into a gym cold, not warmed-up, knowing that he could lift the weight on the bar... the guys in the weightroom challenged him to clean and jerk the bar for a dare... since he knew he could do it he did it... He shook uncontrollably for 30 minutes after he lifted it, being unwarm, because he'd crushed 3 vertebrae in his spine... it wasn't a heavy amount of weight either in porportion to what he normally lifted... So I got grow up with a dad that couldn't play sports with me. Don't ruin your future. Know what you're doing. Take it slow. Just partly why I'm being so cautious.
Due to some of my coaches, I grown to slightly dislike weights. Every once in a while, we would do testing to see what our max is at the squats, bench, and incline. After that, our coach devised a plan where we would do about 75% of our max with 8 reps. This doesn't make much sense to me. Wouldn't it be harder to lift 75% of a 200lb max lift than a 400lb max? I could barely do 4 or 5 of 75%. I wouldn't mind lifting weights if my coaches weren't so in control. I also want more of a lean look than a bulky look. I think my coaches are to geared for a football workout than a basketball workout.
Rocketkid, your main focus should be on your diet if you're looking to gain mass. Go to www.skinnyguy.net to find out some good info for "hardgainers". The site is by Anthony Ellis, he has a program that he sells but there is plenty of useful free info on gaining mass. Hope it helps.
Couple more questions - - What are some good exercises for my pecs? I'm especially trying to get those bigger and stronger. So far, I've been doing butterflies laying down which also works my biceps/triceps. Are there any exercises that concentrate on the pecs? - Good exercises for my calfs? I don't really prefer doing squats or anything standing up. Thanks again!
At 16 definitely stay away from the heavy stuff-- think low weight high reps-- If you want to build up pecs/ upper body get with a trainer for a day to show you all the flys you can do-- the list is long-- my fav right now are on the cables: low weights high rep with isometric flexing (you can do this with good ole push ups- and then stand in front of a mirror and flex your pecs for a 10/20 count- it will burn -- 3 or 4 sets. When you get older and your bones have finished growing then you can get into heavy benching, but be careful I started doing a pyramid workout that was getting me well over 100lbs. above my weight-- problem was I was smashing all the tiny bones in my wrists. Now i'm all into the low weight thing i'm not as bulky but it is a much better/ healthier way for my personal workout. My point is match your workout to your body type don't just go for bulk- unless your body is made for that type of workout. Also be whole body strong--- alot of posts have mentioned triceps etc. and thats key along with keeping your back strong (Rows) and stomach.
The only thing I can think of for calves are calf raises. You just stand on the edge of a stair and go up on your tip-toes and back down. If you do these fast, it helps your vertical as well. You can hold dumbbells in each hand if you want also.
