Strength Training for the Little Ones

I briefly addressed strength training for children in my very first post on this blog, but a recent article in the Tampa Tribune got me thinking about it again.

Muscular strength and muscular endurance are two of the five health-related fitness factors we want to work to promote in young children. Muscular strength is fairly self-explanatory but is described as the ability  to exert force with a single maximum effort. Strong muscles are necessary not only for performing certain tasks, like throwing for distance, hanging and swinging, climbing, and carrying heavy books and groceries, but also for preventing injury and maintaining proper posture. An added bonus is that increasing muscle strength also increases strength in tendons, ligaments, and bones.

Strength training -- also known as resistance or weight training -- is the best way to build muscular strength. But we have to view things differently than if we were discussing strength training for adults! While there's a lot of debate over the appropriateness of involving young children in strength training, there are some points on which the experts agree.

First, it's never a good idea to modify an adult strength-training program for children. Adults' bodies are fully developed; children's are not. Adults have long attention spans and the motivation to endure the monotony of repetitive exercises; children do not. For these reasons the best "strength training" for children involves the use of their own weight in physical activities they'd be performing anyway, like jumping, playing tug-of-war, and pumping higher and higher on a swing.

The experts also agree that children under the age of 8 shouldn't be using weights or machines -- child-sized or not. The general rule of thumb is that only children mature enough to follow specific instructions and understand the risks and benefits of such training should be handling strength-training equipment. It's recommended that children wait until they're 10 or 12 to use apparatus, as before puberty children may not have the judgment necessary to use it safely.

There's a good deal of interest in children's fitness right now and plenty of programs cropping up to take advantage of that interest. These programs will heartily endorse the benefits of strength training, convincing parents that it will prevent their children from injury and improve their sports skills. And, yes, if children are participating in organized sports without the requisite strength, strength-related activities may help prevent sports-related injuries. But strength training, handled improperly, can do more harm than good, particularly in children under 6, who are most prone to injury. And the truth is, the best way for children to improve their sports skills is to learn and practice their specific sports skills.

If you're considering the pros and cons of strength training, here are some things you should know:

• Children should always begin by using the resistance of their own body weight. In addition to the examples cited earlier, this could include such formal exercises as heel raises, curl-ups, leg lifts, and wall push-ups. (But you'll have to make them fun and exciting for children...because these can be boring!)
• If your older (6- to 8-year-old) child is going to participate in some sort of formal regimen, that regimen should include a warm-up (for example, jogging lightly in place to circulate blood throughout the body) and a cooldown (gentle stretches held for 10 to 12 seconds). Stretching shouldn't be used as a warm-up because "cold" muscles shouldn't be stretched.
• Once children do begin to use apparatus, they should do so without any added weight or resistance. When a child can perform 8 to 15 repetitions of an exercise, weight can be added in small increments. Children should never lift the maximal weight!
• A knowledgeable adult should constantly monitor children participating in strength-training programs.
• Children benefit more from additional repetitions of moderate weight than from fewer repetitions of heavy weights.
• Strength training may further elevate the blood pressure in children with hypertension.
• The National Strength and Conditioning Association cites improper training techniques, lifting heavy or maximal weights, improper equipment, and lack of qualified adult supervision as the most common reason for injuries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that gains in strength, muscle size, and power are lost after only six weeks once strength training is stopped. So, if your child is to improve muscular strength, "strength training" must be continuous. And, honestly, the only way that's going to happen for young children is if it's part of what they naturally do -- and it's fun.

Comments

[Frank Trane]

You would not believe how many parents want their children to start heavey weight training so early. I have been a hare core gymrat, now turned author, for over 26 years. So much growth development is stunted because of parents pushing children too early and not allowing their young bodies to develop naturally. Great post. Cool site! I have been researching high and low for some of the "best bodybuilding routines"? This post has helped me a great deal.

[Rae Pica]

Frank, you're right; I probably wouldn't believe how many parents want their children to start heavy weight training early! No matter how many years I've lived and how much I see I never cease to be amazed by people.

I'm so glad my post was of help to you! Thanks for being a "gymrat" who understands what is and isn't developmentally appropriate for children!