I am 16 and 5,10. hopping to grow some more till 5 11 or even 6 feet tall. I would like to start working out my legs, and was wondering if it would be safe for me. Since most leg exercise are pulling u down.

if you squat with heavy heavy weight for prolonged periods, your spine will compress to bear the load of the weight, if your plates are still open you will prematurely cause a fusing of your spine reducing the chance of growth in your torso.

legg press is a good alternative to squats while you are still growing but not perfect.

I have never seen support for squat reducing height. Hell, gravity compresses your spine through out the day too. Your spine becomes decompressed while you sleep.

Don't worry, squats won't stunt your growth. But if will make you feel better, just go ahead and hang upside down from a bar after your squat workout.

****, if anything, squats will probably make you taller, being that when you workout hard like that you are circulating a lot more growth hormone.

I lifted weights all throughout my teen years, and I ended up 6-2 at nineteen.

Differing Oppinions

This is definatelly a touchy subject and there are many different views and oppinions when it comes to stunting your growth but what i've grown to believe is: no it does not stunt your growth.

All the tests that have been conducted leave no evidence that lifting stunts your growth, but then again, finding evidence of such a thing is a very difficult process.

There has been studies which attempt to say that lifting (especially compound movements) have the tendancy to prematurely fuse your bone plates, which ultimately leaves you smaller then if you never lifted.

Personal trainers told me this, but still i believe it doesn't stunt your growth b/c of the lack of evidence to support their claims.

I think it's best not to go too heavy, too fast if your young.

Lifting absolutely does not stunt your growth. There are an abundance of scientific studies out there that support this statement.