How Young is Too Young for Strength Training?

We are frequently asked, “Is my child too young/old enough for strength training?”

Research now agrees and supports that resistance exercise can be safe and effective for children.  If the child is old enough to listen, pay attention, and follow instructions, he or she is probably capable of participating in a strength training program.  However, it’s important to remember that children are not miniature adults, and should not be trained, as such.

Although preadolescent boys and girls have the potential to significantly improve their strength with resistance training, these gains are less attributable to muscle hypertrophy (growth) and more so to neurological (neuromuscular) factors — improving motor unit coordination, recruitment, and firing.

Potential benefits of strength training for children include increased muscular strength and endurance; improved anatomic and psychosocial parameters; reduced injuries in sports and recreation activities; improved motor skills and sport performance; positive effect on bone density.

Parents should be educated about the benefits and risks of competitive sports and should understand the importance of general fitness for the young athlete.

Children should participate in a year-round strength and conditioning program to enhance fitness, strength, and flexibility.  The program should vary in volume and intensity throughout the year and meet the specific needs of each athlete.

The nutritional status of young athletes should be monitored to ensure that their diets are adequate.

Youth sport coaches should participate in educational programs to learn more about strength and conditioning, sport skills, safety rules, equipment, the psychology of children, and the physiology of growth and development.

A competent — qualified and experienced — strength and conditioning professional can assist in the development of youth strength training programs that stress quality instruction and appropriate rate of progression.

YOUTH RESISTANCE TRAINING GUIDELINES (adapted from Faigenbaum et al. 1996)

• Each child should understand the benefits and risks associated with resistance training.
• Competent and caring fitness professionals should supervise training sessions.
• The exercise environment, including equipment, should be safe and free of hazards.
• Appropriate warm-up should be performed before resistance training.
• Carefully monitor each child’s tolerance to the exercise stress.
• Begin with light loads to allow appropriate adjustments to be made.
• Increase the resistance/intensity gradually (e.g., 5% -10%) as strength improves.
• Depending on individual needs and goals, one to three sets of 6 to 15 repetitions on a variety of single- and multi-joint exercises can be performed.
• Advance multi-joint exercises, such as modified cleans, pulls, and presses, may be incorporated into the program, provided that appropriate loads are used and the focus remains of proper form.
• Two to three nonconsecutive training sessions per week are recommended.
• When necessary, adult spotters should be nearby to actively assist the child in the event of a failed repetition.
• The resistance training program should be systematically varied throughout the year.
• Children should be encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

How Young is Too Young for Strength Training?

I am frequently asked, “Is my child too young/old enough for strength training?”

Research now agrees and supports that resistance exercise can be safe and effective for children.  If the child is old enough to listen, pay attention, and follow instructions, he or she is probably capable of participating in a strength training program.  However, it’s important to remember that children are not miniature adults, and should not be trained, as such.

Although preadolescent boys and girls have the potential to significantly improve their strength with resistance training, these gains are less attributable to muscle hypertrophy (growth) and more so to neurological (neuromuscular) factors — improving motor unit coordination, recruitment, and firing.

Potential benefits of strength training for children include increased muscular strength and endurance; improved anatomic and psychosocial parameters; reduced injuries in sports and recreation activities; improved motor skills and sport performance; positive effect on bone density.

Parents should be educated about the benefits and risks of competitive sports and should understand the importance of general fitness for the young athlete.

Children should participate in a year-round strength and conditioning program to enhance fitness, strength, and flexibility.  The program should vary in volume and intensity throughout the year and meet the specific needs of each athlete.

The nutritional status of young athletes should be monitored to ensure that their diets are adequate.

Youth sport coaches should participate in educational programs to learn more about strength and conditioning, sport skills, safety rules, equipment, the psychology of children, and the physiology of growth and development.

A competent — qualified and experienced — strength and conditioning professional can assist in the development of youth strength training programs that stress quality instruction and appropriate rate of progression.

YOUTH RESISTANCE TRAINING GUIDELINES (adapted from Faigenbaum et al. 1996)

• Each child should understand the benefits and risks associated with resistance training.
• Competent and caring fitness professionals should supervise training sessions.
• The exercise environment, including equipment, should be safe and free of hazards.
• Appropriate warm-up should be performed before resistance training.
• Carefully monitor each child’s tolerance to the exercise stress.
• Begin with light loads to allow appropriate adjustments to be made.
• Increase the resistance/intensity gradually (e.g., 5% -10%) as strength improves.
• Depending on individual needs and goals, one to three sets of 6 to 15 repetitions on a variety of single- and multi-joint exercises can be performed.
• Advance multi-joint exercises, such as modified cleans, pulls, and presses, may be incorporated into the program, provided that appropriate loads are used and the focus remains on proper form.
• Two to three nonconsecutive training sessions per week are recommended.
• When necessary, adult spotters should be nearby to actively assist the child in the event of a failed repetition.
• The resistance training program should be systematically varied throughout the year.
• Children should be encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Should Children do Strength Training?

Should kids lift weights?

Ultimately, the answer can be both yes and no.

There are several factors that should be considered to determine the appropriateness of strength training for children.

There is plenty of research supporting the safety and potential benefits of youth strength training.

Please check out my article, Should Children do Strength Training?, published recently by WatchFit (London, UK).

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Youth Fitness: Get Your Kids Moving

Over the past few years, I’ve published a few articles about youth strength training and fitness, including Youth Strength Training and How Young is Too Young for Strength Training?

Here’s an article from Elisabeth Fouts of Power Systems titled, Get Your Kids Moving. which discusses the importance of physical activity for children:

While it is important for adults to be active each day, it is also important to set that example for our next generation. A study completed by the University of Surrey, Guildford in conjunction with the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation found “rising levels of obesity among children are contributing to an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an incurable and life-threatening condition.” All the more reason for health clubs to add age appropriate programming for children to participate in while their parents workout.

While we all agree that daily physical activity is just as important for kids as it is for adults, many parents still have questions when it comes to their children and exercise such as:

“What are some workouts for kids?”

“At what age should I get my children involved with a kid’s fitness class?”

“How old can kids start weight training?”

“Does lifting weights stunt growth in children?”

These are just a few of the common concerns you might hear from a parent enrolling their child in a health & fitness program for the first time. Here is a little bit of research from the professionals that you can share to ease their minds.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), it is appropriate for school aged children to participate in an hour or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. That covers walking or riding a bike to & from school, playing a pick-up game during recess or after school, or completing daily chores around the house. But what about strength training for kids – is it safe? There are both physical and psychological benefits to weight training for kids.

With qualified supervision and age-specific instruction, resistance training for kids is no different from any other sport or activity. The only pre-requisite is that the child has reached an emotional maturity level to accept and follow directions. American College of Sports Medicine’s current comments on Youth Strength Training suggest that children as young as seven years old can begin to experience some of the physical benefits of a properly designed and competently supervised kids strength program such as:

• Increased muscular strength & support structure (i.e. tendons, ligaments, and bones)
• Enhanced motor fitness skills (i.e. sprinting and jumping)
• Decreased incidence of some sports injury

Despite the benefits, many parents are rightfully cautious to ask ‘does weight lifting stunt growth?’ According Dr. Avery D. Faigenbaum, Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, “a growth plate fracture has not been reported in any research study that was competently supervised and appropriately designed.” Parents can rest assured that age-appropriate program design led by qualified professionals such as coaches, P.E. teachers, and fitness instructors will minimize any such risk.

In addition to the physical benefits, strength training has been linked to psychological benefits in overweight or obese children. Deconditioned children and adults both avoid physical activities that could expose their lack of physical fitness such as running or playing an aerobic sport. However, strength training can be the most successful form of exercise for overweight or obese children. According to the American Council on Exercise,

“… body weight has a positive correlation with the amount of weight an untrained individual can lift. Therefore, the weight room is a place where an overweight child can feel successful because of his or her ability to lift heavier weights. This builds confidence in the child and positive reinforcement about fitness training.”

Check out ACE’s full article for a sample beginner resistance training program you can do with your child at the gym.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

How Young is Too Young for Strength Training?

We are frequently asked, “Is my child too young/old enough for strength training?”

Research now agrees and supports that resistance exercise can be safe and effective for children.  If the child is old enough to listen, pay attention, and follow instructions, he or she is probably capable of participating in a strength training program.  However, it’s important to remember that children are not miniature adults, and should not be trained, as such.

Although preadolescent boys and girls have the potential to significantly improve their strength with resistance training, these gains are less attributable to muscle hypertrophy (growth) and more so to neurological (neuromuscular) factors — improving motor unit coordination, recruitment, and firing.

Potential benefits of strength training for children include increased muscular strength and endurance; improved anatomic and psychosocial parameters; reduced injuries in sports and recreation activities; improved motor skills and sport performance; positive effect on bone density.

Parents should be educated about the benefits and risks of competitive sports and should understand the importance of general fitness for the young athlete.

Children should participate in a year-round strength and conditioning program to enhance fitness, strength, and flexibility.  The program should vary in volume and intensity throughout the year and meet the specific needs of each athlete.

The nutritional status of young athletes should be monitored to ensure that their diets are adequate.

Youth sport coaches should participate in educational programs to learn more about strength and conditioning, sport skills, safety rules, equipment, the psychology of children, and the physiology of growth and development.

A competent — qualified and experienced — strength and conditioning professional can assist in the development of youth strength training programs that stress quality instruction and appropriate rate of progression.

YOUTH RESISTANCE TRAINING GUIDELINES (adapted from Faigenbaum et al. 1996)

• Each child should understand the benefits and risks associated with resistance training.
• Competent and caring fitness professionals should supervise training sessions.
• The exercise environment, including equipment, should be safe and free of hazards.
• Appropriate warm-up should be performed before resistance training.
• Carefully monitor each child’s tolerance to the exercise stress.
• Begin with light loads to allow appropriate adjustments to be made.
• Increase the resistance/intensity gradually (e.g., 5% -10%) as strength improves.
• Depending on individual needs and goals, one to three sets of 6 to 15 repetitions on a variety of single- and multi-joint exercises can be performed.
• Advance multi-joint exercises, such as modified cleans, pulls, and presses, may be incorporated into the program, provided that appropriate loads are used and the focus remains of proper form.
• Two to three nonconsecutive training sessions per week are recommended.
• When necessary, adult spotters should be nearby to actively assist the child in the event of a failed repetition.
• The resistance training program should be systematically varied throughout the year.
• Children should be encouraged to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?