DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son recently turned 12. He is an excellent baseball pitcher, but he is somewhat small for his age. I would like to start him on weightlifting using light weights. My wife talked to the doctor, who said lifting could fuse his growth plates. Now my wife is concerned for our son’s long-term well-being. What are your thoughts? — S.P.

ANSWER: Not so long ago, weightlifting was considered a waste of time and possibly harmful for children who had not reached puberty. It was thought to be a waste of time because these children lacked the hormones that encourage muscle growth. It was considered a danger because young bones are not fully mature. They have sections of cartilage in them. Those sections are growth plates, which permit bones to lengthen. They’re also points of weakness. Damage to the growth plate could stunt the bone’s growth.

Neither of these objections has proven to be true. Prepubertal children do grow stronger by lifting weight, and damage to growth plates doesn’t happen with supervised training. Your son is either starting puberty or is close to starting. Most boys begin producing male hormones toward the end of age 11 or in the first months of 12.

You are your son’s instructor. If you know little about the subject, go to a local bookstore, where you’ll find all the information you’ll need. Your son should start with a weight he can lift eight times in a row; that’s eight repetitions. Each week, he can increase the repetitions by one until he’s performing 12. At that point, he can drop back to eight and do two sets of eight repetitions. Repeat this procedure slowly until he’s performing three sets. When he can do three sets of 12 repetitions, increase the weight by one to three pounds, and go back to one set of eight reps.

He shouldn’t do much weightlifting once baseball season arrives, just enough not to lose the gains he’s made.

Your son needs nutritionally balanced meals. He’s not going to gain muscle size or growth without it.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I work out regularly at our town’s fitness center with no supervision. I am in good condition. The day after my 76th birthday, something happened while I was using barbells for biceps exercise. I have a sunken place in my arm and an occasional pain in my shoulder. I cannot see a doctor for a month or more. What can I expect for the future? — G.B.

ANSWER: Your description of what happened makes me think you tore your biceps tendon. The biceps is the muscle on the front of the upper arm, the one Popeye loved to flex. It has two upper tendons that anchor it to the shoulder and a lower tendon that anchors it to the forearm. The biceps muscle bends the elbow and turns the hand from a palm-down position to a palm-up one.

Rupture of the upper tendon produces a pop in the shoulder and pain there. It happens mostly to men older than 60. The torn tendon weakens the ability to bend the forearm and to turn the palm.

Don’t wait a full month to see a doctor. Although nonsurgical treatment often is suggested for an upper biceps tendon tear (the remaining upper tendon is intact), surgery might be suggested and should be done sooner rather than later. Or the doctor can put you on a program of rehab so you can regain much of what is lost from such an injury. Since there are two upper tendons, you’ll probably be able to do as much as you did prior to the tear.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read about the 89-year-old man doing all his record-breaking exercise. I am 75, and I hate to exercise. I find exercise unpleasant. What can I do to make it more pleasant? — J.G.

ANSWER: You’re not alone. If you exercise with someone else, that makes it more a social event. Or if you get a radio or CD player, you can listen to either, and it becomes more enjoyable.

Some exercise is boring and a drag. Walking is a great exercise, and, with a friend, it can be stimulating. You should be able to find someone to join you.

Other things are exercise that you might not consider as exercise. Dancing, for example, can be as good for you as any exercise.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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