Apologies for the lack of posts been very busy but I am back now :)
Youth Training: Why weights are your friend!
There has always been the common question posed to coaches and parents when should a child start weight training?
This has been debated quite a bit as some people believe a child shouldn't weight train until their 18 when they are finished puberty (for the majority of kids puberty would of stopped). Some people say due to their sport they are introduced to weight training (at whatever age) so they can compete at a higher level/improve their performance. Others when they hit a certain age such as 14 or 16 I have heard before.
Early information on Resistance Training from the American Academy of Paediatrics (1990) quoted saying "Children and adolescents should avoid the practice of weightlifting, powerlifting, and body building, as well as the repetitive use of maximal amounts of weight in strength training". One of the early strength studies by Falk and Tenenbaum, 1996 performed the following;
- Meta Analysis of 9 studies of pre or early pubescence's.
- Majority showed a gain of between 13% and 30%
- Demonstrates that twice per week sufficient to induce strength gains in children
- Improvements in strength for children are similar but are rarely accompanied with muscular hypertrophy and therefore attributed to neurological adaptations.
- However there are lots of limitations though; boys mostly where used in the study, too little information on the type, volume and intensity of training/ lack of control group.
Just because a child or individual becomes a certain age they can just automatically be able to lift weights is just silly. This is part article/part rant as I can't understand why more people take part in exercise to further increase their lives and live a better/easier life!!!!
Our bodies are excellent machines and are designed to become even better machines through physical activity. If a child does no weight training or physical activity then their "machine" (body) will not move or produce forces effectively/efficiently.
The reason why we use weight training as it is an outside resistance to our bodies to work against. We use this resistance to increase our muscle mass and our strength, endurance or power. No matter what you are training for by doing some form of resistance training will reduce the chance of getting injured as it helps to improve our biomechanics.
Research for injury prevention
- Strength Training programme been shown to reduce injury rate in male college soccer team (Lehnard, Lehnard & Young, 1996)
- Weight training programme incorporated into preseason American Football reported a reduction in Knee injuries over the course of 4 seasons (Cahill & Griffith 1978)
More recent strength training studies found the following;
In 2010 a study conducted by Eiholzer, Meinhardt, Petro, Witassek, Gutzwiller & Gasser.
- Resistance training may increase unplanned physical activity in children.
- Investigation use of resistance training to combat obesity
- 12 weeks of 2 sessions per week (7 exercises)
- Demonstrated that resistance training group performed more unplanned exercise and physical activity than control group
Another study done in 2010 by Lubans, Sheaman & Callister;
- Study investigating exercise adherence and intervention effects of two school based resistance training programmes for adolescents
- It had a control group
- 2 sets of 10 reps on 10 exercises for 8 weeks using free weights or resistance bands
- Body composition improved/significantly improved upper and lower body strength
- 76% completed free weights programme and 78% completed resistance band programme.
1st Point:
Weight training doesn't stunt growth period!
In fact it does the opposite:
- strengthens ligaments and tendons
- increases bone density
- reduces the chance of osteoporosis in later life
- increase muscle mass
- improved muscle tone/definition
- improved balance
- improved coordination
- improved functional movements/biomechanics
- reduce chance of injury
- increased strength of posterior chain
- increased muscular strength and power
- decreased bodyfat percentage
- Improved motor patterns
I have done weight training since 13 and swam since I was 7. I grew taller than my Dad and the majority of my family. I have gone on to do well in a range of sports and in each sport what was present some form of resistance training being water, body weight or barbells. Bering in mind the weight training I did at 13 was nothing like what I am doing now. At 13 I was doing some bodybuilding style training for my throwing events (shot putt/Javelin) such as bench press, shoulder press, pull-ups, press ups and biceps. Hahah the classic 3 sets of 12 reps. I was 13 don't hate me I didn't no any better at the time.
Then as time went on I was introduced to barbell squats and deadlifts at rugby/rowing training. This was when I had a sports specific weight training programme. At this moment my training has evolved to increasing hip drive and increasing maximal force production. It isnt just weight training that promotes physiological/psychological benefits but regular physical activity does the following:
- improved sleep patterns
- increase self confidence
- increased life expectancy
- reduced chance of CHD (coronary heart disease)
- increase metabolism
- reduce body fat percentage and increase in lean muscle mass
This is just to name a few of the health benefits of exercising so why wouldn't we allow our children to exercise and to use the weights room?
Reasons why people are against kids using the weights room?
- Fear of injury well anyone who does sport or training there is always the risk of injury. The likelihood that you will injure yourself in the gym is smaller than playing any contact sport. You are more likely to injure yourself in a competition scenario as you are pushing yourself to your own physical limits. Whereas in the gym you are unlikely to reach that.
Limitations to Resistance Training with Children
- Physical Maturity levels and size may limit use of certain machines and equipment
- Mental maturity levels; if are able to follow protocols and direction, then maybe ready to follow some type of strength programme.
- More injuries in gym linked to accidents rather than strains, sprains or fractures with 10-12 year olds (Myer & Wall, 2006).
- Weight Training Stunts Growth as I have mentioned above in my case it does not. Take a look at the Chinese and Russians. Serious training being done at a young age (think at primary school p6 and above) such as the Chinese and Russian weight lifters. Here is the successful Dimitri Klokov weight training in the sport of Olympic Weight Lifting. Here is a video of him training when he was a kid
http://youtu.be/2N1jvOQXoeo
Then their are extreme examples:
Which I have mentioned such as the Russian and Chinese lifters. Take this one of a Chinese lifter aged 8 doing a 75kg clean and jerk. Excellent technique!
http://youtu.be/8A-m9W-3_9M
Another form of weight training is body weight training and this is done at a young age through the sport of gymnastics. Gymnastics is generally a younger age group of athletes especially for girls. This sport requires the athlete to have incredible balance, flexibility, mobility and strength to do such holds like the crucifix position or to swing from bars whilst somersaulting.
Swimming is body weight training but you are pulling against the water to move yourself. If you where to do one of the three (weights, gymnastics and swimming) pick swimming as it has great cardiovascular benefits, increases flexibility, increases strength and endurance. Can be tailored to a sprinter or a endurance athlete.
How to Combat this fear of Weight Training?
- Children should be educated on the fundamental movements such as squatting, dead lifting , pulling, pushing, jumping and running. All through primary school and continued/advanced upon in secondary school. This will set themselves up to have a good range of motion, good flexibility, reduced chance of injury, decent levels of muscular strength and endurance. To sum up makes the long term of living easier and more enjoyable. By exercising young they know the benefits of it and are more likely to continue to exercise throughout their life.
- Parents should also be told why their child needs to have good range of motion so their son/daughter can live until their old without having poor flexibility and not being able to move.
- More children should be doing physical activity. We live in a soft society we have fast foods, instantly stream films, cars to take us places. Little manual labour anymore. The less physical activity a child does through their childhood/puberty sets their bodies up for a difficult future as they haven't been stressed to adapt and function they way they where meant to.
- Government needs to take action and primary schools/secondary schools/ fast food. Encourage healthier meals which aren't boring and are good value for money. Tax fast foods and reduce the cost of sports supplements to encourage more people to get involved in to fitness.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article.
I would like to Thank Ally Cooper for allowing me to reference his work in this article a lot of the references where taken from Ally's MSC looking at weight training on adolescent youths.
Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog
I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University.
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019.
I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.
My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.
My most recent publications:
My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning.
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering.
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness.
I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes.
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships,
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge.
Contact details below;
Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)
Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness
Twitter: @arichie17
Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting
Snapchat: @andypowerlifter
Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Richardson7
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