Parents naturally want to protect their children, even when their fears aren’t based on facts.

One 17-year-old was confident in his weight training abilities, but his parents constantly raised concerns over his safety.

So when they discovered he had continued his training in secret, it led to a frustrating confrontation for everyone.

Read on for the full story.

AITA: For not listening to my parents about weight training

My parents are quite uninformed about lifting and think that squatting any weight heavier than twenty pounds is going to hurt my back or something.

This teen thinks he knows his limits quite well.

I do single-leg squats with around seventy pounds, which is a weight that’s quite moderate for me (I’m able to do 8+ reps with it). But my parents think that’s too much for someone my age (17 years old).

His parents, on the other hand, disagree.

My dad thinks being out of breath from heavy weights would cause heart issues, and my mom believes it’s too dangerous for someone who isn’t a fully developed adult to squat heavy.

He thinks he deserves a lot more credit than what his parents gave him.

I spent a lot of time doing squats without them knowing, trying to wait until they were napping to do them, because I really felt like they were wrong about what constitutes a safe weight to train with.

So when they discovered he hadn’t heeded their advice, it led to a confrontation.

Eventually, though, they found out through some cameras they have in the basement (they put them up a while ago just in case I fainted or something), and they took the weights away.

What ended up happening was they kept talking to me about how they worry about me, how I kept making them anxious and fearful over my safety, and that I was being inconsiderate by not following their advice and listening to them.

Both parties continue to disagree on the best course of action.

They felt like I was stubborn and hard-headed, when really, I was just sure that they weren’t right about what constitutes safe vs. unsafe workouts.

I also do not have any heart issues, cardiorespiratory problems, osteoporosis, or anything of that sort. I have nothing that would limit me from strenuous exercise.

Now I’m here wondering if I really did anything wrong, or whether I was “stubborn,” etc. Thoughts?

Sounds like a classic clash between a teen and his parents.

What did Reddit think?

Maybe his parents are just basing their decisions around outdated medical advice.

At the end of the day, this teen should feel grateful his parents are looking after him.

It pays to be cautious — especially when you still have so much of your life ahead of you.

Maybe there’s a way all sides can meet in the middle.

This teen seems to know their limits when it comes to exercise, and his parent’s fears are just a sign of how much they care.

Teens are going to rebel and parents are going to worry — that’s just how life works.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.