| You should Google this topic, as it's somewhat controversial to say the least. From what I've studied, it IS possible to have a negative effect on the growth plates if you weight train at an early age, but to be honest, I've made it irrelevant with my own son.
I'm not going to let him train with anything above light dumbells until he's made his final growth spurt. I'm not going to risk damage (even if it's minimal) for very small gains in strength for him.
Until your body matures, weight training and bench pressing and all that stuff isn't the best way to build a solid foundation. Doing the "manly" exercises that most people do as much for showing off as they do for gains will NOT help you as much as they will once your body is mature.
Until then, I strongly recommend that you master your core muscles and become an athlete within your own body. Bodyweight exercises, such as the ones gymnasts perfom, will teach you control over your entire body AND give you the solid foundation you'll desire for when you can finally blast away in the weight room.
But that's my 2 cents......the studies on whether or not weight training will stunt your growth are out there, as are the rebuttals. You'll find a ton of stuff if you Google it. | 
Linear Mode
