Weight Lifting and Kids
Stephen D. Ball, Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences, College of Human
Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
Kids lifting weights? I know what you are thinking - strength
training is dangerous for children. Many coaches, parents, and
exercise professionals believe lifting weights is unsafe and not
beneficial for children, despite the overwhelming research to the
contrary. According to Dr. Avery Faigenbaum, a scientist who has
studied strength training and children, under proper supervision
there has not been a single case of a serious strength training
injury involving children. Faigenbaum reminds us that there are
risks associated with all types of physical activities but weight
lifting injuries are less common than many other types of
accidents. A properly designed strength training program can
improve the strength of children, increase cardiorespiratory
fitness, increase flexibility, improve motor fitness performance,
improve body composition, increase resistance to injury, decrease
the time for rehabilitation, enhance mental health and well
being, increase sports performance, increase adherence to
physical activity, and stimulate a more positive attitude toward
fitness conditioning.
Strength training programs for children are safe and offer many
benefits as long as they are specifically designed. Obviously,
children should not be participating in a workout designed for
the St. Louis Rams. The problem is that often college coaches
obtain workouts from professional teams and high school coaches
get their programs from the college coaches. Junior high coaches
use the high school programs as so on. Before we know it, we
might have young children performing an elite athlete's workout
without any adaptation. We must be careful to properly adapt
programs specifically with children in mind.
Exercise professionals, coaches, trainers, teachers, and parents
should familiarize themselves with the following important
guidelines to ensure the safety of children involved in strength
training. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests:
1.All strength-training activities should be supervised and
monitored closely.
2.Remember that children are physiologically immature.
3.The primary focus, at least initially, should be directed at
learning proper techniques for all exercise movements and
developing an interest in resistance training.
4.Proper techniques should be demonstrated first, followed by
gradual application of resistance or weight.
5.Proper breathing techniques (i.e., no breath holding) should be
taught.
6.Exercises should be performed in a manner in which the speed is
controlled, avoiding ballistic (fast and jerky) movements.
7.Power lifting and body building should be avoided.
8.Full-range, multi-joint exercises (as opposed to single-joint
exercises) should be emphasized.
9.Children need to be able to understand and follow directions.
There is no recommended minimum age for children to be introduced
to strength training. Children as young as 5-6 years old have
participated in Dr. Faigenbaum's programs.
In addition to following the American College of Sports
Medicine's Guidelines, several other things should be noted. It
is important that strength training be part of a total
conditioning program that also includes cardiorespiratory
fitness, flexibility, and agility exercises. Although there is no
minimum age required to begin a strength training program, it is
important that children have the emotional maturity to follow
directions and appreciate the benefits and risks associated with
exercise before they are ready to begin. The first few training
sessions should focus on technique, safety issues, and correct
lifting form without inducing undue fatigue. Close supervision
cannot be stressed enough. There should be at least one
instructor for every ten students. Individuals administering the
programs must also have a thorough understanding of strength
training principles and they must be able to communicate to
children in a way that they can understand. It is wise to slowly
progress when increasing the intensity and duration of program
variables. Start with one light set of 12-15 repetitions on about
6 exercises performed 2 times a week. It is always best to
underestimate when it comes to strength training and start out
slow with little or no weight at all. For example, when teaching
the bench press, start out with a broomstick instead of using the
normal bar. When increasing the intensity use very small
increments of about 1-2 lbs. Remember a 10 lb. increase for a
child is the equivalent to a 50-100 lb. increase for an adult on
many exercises. Obviously, this is a huge jump in intensity. A
typical program might consist of 6-15 repetitions on 6 to 8
exercises performed 2-3 times a week.
Remember that with any type of physical activity there are risks.
However, the benefits of being active and fit greatly outweigh
these risks. Weight training offers no greater risk than other
forms of physical activity, as long as children are properly
supervised and the aforementioned guidelines suggested by the
American College of Sports Medicine are adhered to. Teaching
children to be active at an early age is crucial if they are to
continue living an active lifestyle in adulthood. Weight training
is another option that parents, teachers, and professionals
should consider when promoting physical activity for youth.