What i wish my parents told me when i was a kid.
The Truth Behind Resistance Training And Growth.
Let's finally put an end to the myth...
Since the beginning of time, whispers from one parent to another would spread concerning young kids and lifting weights in a gym. "It stunts your growth". "It's bad for you". "There's no benefit". Maybe the beginning of time was a slight exaggeration, however this myth has been validated for far too long.
As humanity becomes more educated, this fallacy has been exposed as nothing more than a tale that continues to snowball, gain traction and become a common belief amongst parents, sport teachers and society as a whole. But now, thanks to science, we know better.
How do we know this?
There is zero evidence to support this claim. Period. In fact, research into athletic performance for youth athletes has compelling evidence that suggests the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
In particular, research from the Clinic Journal of Medicine published this particular article, stating that resistance training did not influence growth and weight of pre and early adolescent youth(1). In fact a lot of research suggests that the correct program can improve not only strength, but bone density balance, lipid profiles, fat-free mass and self-esteem (2).
The research in this area is overwhelmingly strong and supports the participation in gym programs. However, this is still a huge difference between the right and wrong program. The tricky part is figuring out if the program is designed and implemented to a high standard.
A youth athlete program should be run by a Strength & Conditioning company or individual that specialises in athlete development. The program should centre around education of sustainable habits around exercise, health, movement and nutrition.
Where there's an apparent increase in risk, is when the program is unsupervised, unstructured and run by unqualified people. This may be partially to blame for the common fallacy that "weight training stunts growth" and that it's "dangerous" for young kids!. Before signing up your child to a program, be sure to do your research surrounding the gym and/or athlete program.
So what age should you begin? Many programs in North America see talented youth athletes starting at ages as young as 9-10 years. Don't get me wrong. This is young. However the good programs, like the one I was involved with at Field House Pirates Organisation, centres around movement, education and having lots of fun! If it's the right program and if the athlete is the right fit for the program, I believe that ages from 10 up is appropriate to start. As always, it depends.
Besides obvious improvement in strength, coordination, speed and power, the main benefit of an athlete development program typically goes unrecognised. The power of being in a culture rich environment enables young athletes to grow a wealth of confidence. Not all programs and gyms are able to provide an environment that nurtures confidence.
To me, this is one of the most rewarding aspects of coaching youth athletes. For this alone, get your child involved in a program like our Athlete Development Program. The investment will pay you back tenfold.
If you have any questions surrounding our athlete development program, be sure to reach out.
Happy training,
Jayden Clay
References
1. Scudder A, Herschell A. Building an evidence-base for the training of evidence-based treatments in community settings: Use of an expert-informed approach. Child Youth Serv Rev. 2015;55:84-92. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.05.003
2. Dahab K. Strength Training by Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008;121(4):835-840. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-3790
