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A supervised weight-training program should teach the proper technique for doing squats, and please make sure that you follow it. This minimizes the chance of an injury to your back, wrists or knees. No lift is perfectly safe and squats can damage your knee meniscal cartilage, especially if you don't keep your thighs parallel to the floor.
The chance for damaging a growth plate results from both a breakdown in good technique, and the amount of weight lifted. If the weight can be lifted six or more times, then the growth plates should be safe. This rule applies to anyone who is still growing, especially during the peak growth spurt around age 14-16. Since you are 16, your growth spurt may be over and a call to your doctor can confirm this. The rule then no longer applies, and you can safely move into supervised power lifts with weights that can only
be lifted three to five times. These power lifts are important in a contact sport like football where moving people around is a premium. However, do not move into power lifts unless you are ready for it. This means that you've built a strength and endurance base and you've mastered the techniques. Most experts suggest increasing weight by 10 percent a week at most, to give your body time to adapt and to minimize the chance of an injury that could set you back weeks or even months.
For additional information, check out this article:
Conditioning Your Body Properly
Posted 7-25-01
Do you have a question?  As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Please read our full  .
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