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There is little research to suggest that weight training
for young children is unsafe ? in fact, most of it
confirms that weight training is one of the safest
exercises they can do. A child is much more likely to be
injured on the football pitch, tennis court or running
track than in the gym. In fact, strength training in young
children will thicken the bones by promoting increased
bone mineral density, and do nothing to hinder growth in
length as was previously thought.
However, it is very important that children follow
nutritional guidelines, which include getting enough
calcium. It is different from adult lifting because the
main goal of weight training is repetition and proper
form. Other goals which need to be concentrated on include
muscle dexterity, refining of simple motor skills, and
hand-eye coordination. But first the child needs to see a
doctor for a physical and a recommendation.
Research has shown that kids who begin strength-training
programmes have healthier hearts, stronger bones, and
lower risk of developing diseases as adults. It can also
help reduce body fat. Exercises, depending on the mental
and physical maturity of the individual child, can be
supervised squats, hamstring curls, sit-ups, push-ups, and
ankle strengthening. It is important to cover all the
major muscle groups. A 15-repetition minimum should be
made a rule and emphasised during the workouts. This will
alleviate any risk of damaging growth plates. A
youth-fitness certified trainer should be consulted before
any programme is started.
But don't start them with continuous long running. Kids
are physiologically different to adults. Before puberty,
children cannot keep up with adults. They have less muscle
glycogen leading to a decreased ability to perform
anaerobic tasks. They have a lower maximal and sub-maximal
cardiac output (amount of blood pumped every minute).
Their hearts are only 30 per cent the size of adults. They
carry less blood; therefore less oxygen is provided to
their muscles. Kids generally have low resting blood
pressure. Similarly, they have a low absolute VO2 maximum
(the amount of oxygen carried to the muscles per minute).
Guidelines for resistance training for an average kid
using grade level as approximate markers :
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