‘New levels of strength’: Why teenage Lara loves to lift

For many parents of teens, getting them out of bed on time for school is a daily challenge. But for Melbourne teen Lara Jones, waking up before the sun rises is just part of her routine, a way to do what she loves: work out at the gym.

Before school, four days a week, the 16-year-old, competitive powerlifter hits the gym at 6.30am, undertaking a 55-minute session that combines programs with various stretches, activation exercises, weightlifting and cardio that tailor to specific areas of her body.

“Over the past month, my training has shifted slightly as I’ve begun preparing for a Hyrox competition [an indoor fitness competition that combines running and various functional workout stations] in December,” she says. “Before starting this new phase, my focus was entirely on powerlifting, where I trained four strength-based sessions per week.”

Jones first attended her local gym, Lioness Performance, at 13, after observing the positive effect it had on her mum, as well as her own desire to build strength. But as time went on, Jones says she was hooked.

“I fell in love with the process of lifting, setting goals and pushing myself to improve, and driving myself to new levels of strength, both physically and mentally.”

Large national surveys, including the AUSPLAY sport participation survey and the National Health Survey from the ABS, show that “fitness/gym” was the top-ranked activity for 15 to 17-year-olds in 2024, with a participation rate of about 30 per cent.

These figures have been consistent over the past decade for 15 to 17-year-olds. The demographic is participating in gym programs in various settings, including at school as a part of physical education, or competitive sports training, at home using available equipment, or at commercial gyms, some of which have tailored programs for teens.

While there is no set legislation or minimum age for minors to access the gym in Australia – ages generally vary from 12 to 16 years nationwide – Dr Jordan Smith from the School of Education at the University of Newcastle says there are guidelines that most gyms in NSW follow, which stem from guidance released in 2004 by the NSW Department of Tourism, Sport, and Recreation: ‘Kids in Gyms’.

Some of these recommendations include anyone under 16 being supervised by an adult to ensure their safety, and restrictions on resistance training for anyone aged 13 or under.

Following these recommendations can help mitigate some of the risks associated with kids and teens working out at the gym, which specialist sports and exercise physiotherapist Dr Loretta O’Sullivan-Pippia says can include poor technique, and use of non-age-appropriate equipment such as weights that are too heavy.

“The negatives are usually due to a lack of adequate supervision and a program developed by appropriately qualified health and sports science professionals,” she says.

For Jones, having her mum supervise her, as well as working with her trained coach, has allowed her to exercise safely, she says.

“One aspect that both my coaches and I have always made a top priority in my training is the importance of bracing …[which] is essential when lifting, especially when working with heavier weights like I do.”

Aside from injury, Helen Bird, head of prevention at the Butterfly Foundation, says that other risks with teens exercising at the gym can include body comparison, as well as possible issues with body image and self-esteem.

“The gym environment can invite comparison and self-objectification, leading people to feel that they aren’t fit, strong, lean or muscular enough,” she says.

Smith believes that social media can exacerbate this.

“From a commonsense perspective, it’s hard to believe that social media is having no influence on teen gym usage,” he says. “Appearance matters a lot to young people, and there is no shortage of fitness influencers online that many young people will follow, and these did not exist prior to social media.”

Scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, it doesn’t take long to see videos of teens comparing biceps or posting workouts with hashtags such as #shredded, some of which have been viewed millions of times. Bird says that much of the messaging in our society, including on social media, uses weight and body shape as motivators for physical activity and exercise, warning that this can be an unhealthy reason to exercise.

“Studies show that focusing on weight can negatively impact a person’s relationship with exercise, their self-esteem, body image and mental health,” she says.

Salim Sarkis, 17, from Sydney, who started going to the gym aged 15, says social media is a “double-edged sword” when it comes to teens working out.

“On one hand, it can promote extreme behaviour like bulking up and wanting to be like Arnie [Arnold Schwarzenegger ] but on the other had it can encourage self-improvement and make people happier and healthier,” he says.

Sarkis says it was the latter – an innate desire to improve his appearance – that was initially his “main motivation”.

“Ever since I was a kid, I was really overweight,” he says. “I was never really taught the value of exercise, sport or eating healthy, so I asked my friends what sorts of exercises I could do to help get fit.”

Sarkis began by using hand weights in his grandparents’ backyard and teaching himself how to use them by watching YouTube tutorials.

“At first, it sucked. I just thought, oh my gosh, it’s just painful. I get sweaty, I get uncomfortable, but then over time I started to see results, and I started to feel more confident.”

Two years in, Sarkis says it’s the positive effects working out has had on his overall health that he values the most and what motivates him to undertake three sessions of weight training and cardio per week at commercial gym franchise Planet Fitness.

“You gain that extra confidence when you see the results on your body physically, but most importantly, the mental health aspects of working out, that’s something I really, really appreciate.”

O’Sullivan-Pippia, Bird and Smith all agree that exercising, when done appropriately and for the right reasons, is one of the best things for the health and wellbeing of teenagers and can have a tremendous positive impact on mental health. But there’s another benefit, which both Sarkis and Jones say was a pleasant surprise: the community.

“I love being part of the gym community, connecting with people who share the same passion,” Jones says. “They have become like family.”

For confidential & free support for eating disorders call the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or visit www.butterfly.org.au to chat online or email.

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