Youth resistance training is not as simple as running kids hard and modifying set, rep, and load schemes. Training young people, whether pre-adolescents or teenagers, is different from training an adult population. Assessment and health background are just as important as modifying programs because bones are still growing and the growth plates have not yet fused. This doesn’t mean children shouldn’t train or that doing so will stunt growth, cause injury, or decrease bone strength. Rather, if well taught and supervised, youth resistance training can be fun, help prevent sports and recreational injuries, support self-confidence, and prepare kids to be healthy teenagers and adults.
All kids should exercise, but that doesn’t mean they should all do the same kind of exercise. Resistance training is one option as a primary mode of exercise, and it’s an excellent addition to sports practice because training can improve coordination, develop neuromuscular strength, and help prevent injury. Youth trainees and athletes have structural balance issues just as adults do, and training can help prevent chronic pain, while optimally rebalancing muscle groups. Plus, kids often have restricted flexibility or mobility issues that need to be addressed and improved so they can perform at their best.
There are some discouraging statistics regarding youth health and physical fitness which is one of many reasons children need to exercise. To make it fun and effective they need distinct programming, and luckily there’s a large amount of research-based evidence to guide these programming and activity decisions for our children. Here, I review thirteen (in pt.1 & pt.2) critical issues in youth exercise and training.
1) Fun—It Has to be Enjoyable!
Amazingly, in a review of the research literature regarding youth resistance training practices and recommendations, fun or enjoyment are almost never mentioned. There is evidence that youth enjoy training programs and sports, and that exercise can support psychological and social development, and self-confidence in addition to strength and coordination. For example, a 2008 study of overweight children aged 8 to 11 in a 6-week resistance training and diet program found that they improved self-perception, feelings about endurance, and lean mass—resulting in a better body composition. The combined training and diet program was more effective than a diet-only group.
A 2009 study in Canada of youth aged 7 to 12 years old who participated in a games, strength, and nutrition program resulted in improved body composition, strength, and self confidence. Researchers said that resistance training improves mental well-being. Additionally, they concluded that socialization and mental discipline can improve in children who strength train in a similar way as those who play team sports.
Even though there’s little mention of the word “fun” in these studies, take my advice and find an enthusiastic coach, trainer, or program that is well informed about how to train youth. Research shows that the injuries that do occur from resistance training are directly related to improper programming and lack of supervision.
2) Injury Concerns Are Unfounded With Proper Coaching
Current data indicate that resistance training is a low-risk activity if age appropriate guidelines are followed. In the past, resistance training has been discouraged for youth due to faulty statistics and a subsequent presumption of high risk of injury associated with training.
A research review from the NSCA’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research noted that in the past, injury data was compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which uses data from emergency room departments to make projections of total injury rate. The data was based on patient reports of injury from resistance training. The problem was that the injuries were self-reported and there was no data on exercise lifted, load used, experience, supervision available, or technique used. Further investigation into the data found that many of the reported injuries were actually caused by inappropriate training techniques, excessive loading, poorly designed equipment, and lack of supervision. And of course such issues will cause injuries in youth and adults alike—proper programming, technique, and supervision are critical for safe training.
Indeed, three published studies of a total of 97 youth who performed resistance training found three incidences of minor injuries: a shoulder strain that resolved within one week of rest, a shoulder strain that resulted in one missed training session, and a nonspecific thigh pain that resolved with five minutes of rest. Interestingly, another study of all resistance training injuries from 1990 to 2007 that included youth and adults found that the main reason for injury (65 percent of the injuries) was weights dropping on the patient. Also, the main injury in the youth population was hand injuries (38 percent of youth injuries).
Another study that compared the rate of sports-related injuries over a 1-year period found that resistance training led to 0.7 percent of the injuries, whereas football led to 19 percent, basketball to 15 percent, and soccer to 2 percent. Additionally, among high school athletes, resistance training injuries are typically related to improper technique or overly aggressive training load increases.
A comparison of injury rates in resistance training and weightlifting found a higher injury rate in resistance training, likely due to the fact that youth weightlifters are generally trained by well-informed coaches and receive a high level of supervision, while youth in resistance training programs may be supervised by uninformed sport coaches who offer a wide variety of exercises to select from.
The NSCA review notes that there’s no evidence that weightlifting is riskier than other youth sports, but they do point to the potential for injury during performance of multi-joint free weight exercises. Plus, it does take a considerable amount of time to teach the Olympic lifts and there are appropriate progressions from basic exercises, such as the front squat, to skill transfer exercises, such as the overhead squat, that should be followed. Power movements, such as the snatch and clean and jerk, should only be taught after the previously mentioned lifts are mastered and strength and structural balance is achieved.
3) Improve Bone Strength: Training Doesn’t Damage Bones or Stunt Growth
Assuming age-specific training and nutrition guidelines are met, strength training in childhood can maximize bone mineral density during childhood and adolescence. A 2003 research review of the effect of training on growth found no evidence of a detrimental effect on linear growth in youth.
Researchers note that training increases IGF-1 in youth, a hormone that triggers protein synthesis and supports the effects of growth hormone—a key substance for growth and development in children. A second review from 2006 supported this conclusion, noting “resistance training programs did not influence growth in height and weight of pre- and early-adolescent youth, and changes in body composition were quite small.”
There is a large amount of evidence that youth resistance training stimulates bone growth. Youth weightlifters had bone mineral density well above values of non-trainees of the same age. A 10-month study of a high-impact exercise program that included resistance training in pre-adolescent girls led to significant bone density improvements, as did a 20-month study of boys.
4) Prevent Soft-Tissue Injuries: Avoid Training at Home
In adolescent youth over age 13 the most common soft tissue injury area is the low back and trunk. Researchers suggest this is due to excessive loads, improper technique (rounded back when lifting), and lack of coaching. Technique and supervision are critical for children under age 13, and the low back only appears to be an area of concern when these factors are not accounted for.
For example, exercising at home without supervision is the primary risk factor for children. Evidence shows that low back and other soft tissue injuries most commonly occur in children who use exercise equipment without a coach and proper training. Researchers stress that well-trained coaches be involved in hands-on training of kids. Don’t substitute an experienced coach for siblings or parents who don’t have the knowledge to teach appropriate techniques or progressions.
5) Resistance Training is Preferable to “Cardio-Type” Exercise
Resistance training is your best bet for youth. Evidence shows that strength training is a good alternative to cardio because it includes short periods of activity in between rest periods, which is similar to how youth play. It also uses a variety of activities and exercises that provide constant stimulus and challenges to help trainees avoid boredom. How many kids do you know who will voluntarily perform even 20 minutes of cardio exercise?
Plus, with skyrocketing youth obesity rates, resistance training is an excellent option to improve body composition. Obese youth have traditionally been encouraged to do aerobic activities, but excess body weight hinders performance and puts stress on joints, increasing the risk of injury. Researchers point to lack of confidence to be physically active, lack of motor skills, and general dislike of exercise in obese youth as deterrents to sports and aerobic-type exercise.
6) Resistance Training Can Be the First Step to Good Nutrition
Starting a resistance training program is the perfect time to talk about nutrition because kids will want to excel, and a good dose of protein, the right carbs, and limiting junk foods will support their success. They’ll perform better, have more energy, and lay the groundwork to be healthy eaters as adults. You’ll have the opportunity to teach your kids about the importance of protein for muscle synthesis and the need to balance energy output with energy intake.
For overweight kids, or those at risk of becoming overweight, resistance training is the ideal context to discuss what happens to different macronutrients in the body and how it processes them. You can teach them about the effect of insulin on the body and the fact that resistance training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes. Further, it’s the perfect chance to start the breakfast negotiation—are your kids eating a healthy breakfast with a good dose of protein? If not, read this article on
Getting Your Kids to Eat Right.
7) The Dangers of Youth Resistance Training
It’s best to acknowledge the dangers up front to avoid getting into a bad or damaging situation. Excessive pressure from coaches or supervisors can have a harmful effect. Or progressing a young trainee too rapidly can also be detrimental and cause injury.
It’s critical that you be aware that there are unethical training practices out there, such as inappropriate emphasis on leanness, which can lead to overtraining, eating disorders, or the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs.
Take note that another concern for youth who participate in sports and perform resistance training as part of a preseason conditioning program is that it can place additional chronic, repetitive stress on the developing musculoskeletal system. While such a program may help prevent injury if the volume and recovery are appropriate, excessive or inappropriate training schemes may cause stress fractures or other overuse injuries.
Of note is the fact that resistance training plyometric programs have significantly reduced knee injury rates in adolescent female athletes, who are significantly more likely to suffer a knee injury.
References #1
Carter, C., Micheli, L. Training the Child Athlete: Physical Fitness, Health and Injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine. August 2011. 45, 880-885.
Behm, D., Faigenbaum, A., Falk, B., Klentrou, P. Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Position Paper: Resistance Training in Children and Adolescents. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. June 2008. 33(3), 547-561.
Dobbins, M., DeCorby, K., Robeson, P., et al. School-Based Physical activity Programs for Promoting Physical Activity and Fitness in Children and Adolescents Aged 6-18. Cochrane Database System Review. January 2009. 1, DC007651.
References #2
Faigenbaum, A., Kraemer, W., Blimkie, C., Jeffreys, I., et al. Youth Resistance Training: Updated Position Paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2009. 23(Suppl 5) S60-S79.
Kerr, Z., Collins, C., Comstock, R. Epidemiology of Weight Training-Related Injuries Presenting to United States Emergency Departments, 1990 to 2007. American Journal of Sports Medicine. April 2010. 38(4), 765-771.
Reference #3
Falk, B., Eliakim, A. Resistance Training, Skeletal Muscle and Growth. Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews. December 2003. 1(2), 120-127.
Reference #4
Faigenbaum, A., Myer, G. Resistance Training Among Young Athletes: Safety, Efficacy and Injury Prevention Effects. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010. 44, 56-63.
Reference #5
Carter, C., Micheli, L. Training the Child Athlete: Physical Fitness, Health and Injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine. August 2011. 45, 880-885.
Reference #6
Hoyland, A., Dye, L., Lawton, C. A Systematic Review of the Effect of Breakfast on the Cognitive Performance of Children and Adolescents. Nutrition Research Review. 2009. 22(2), 220-243.
Vermorel, M., Bitar, A., Vernet, J., Verdier, E., Coudert, J. The Extent to Which Breakfast Covers the Morning Energy Expenditure of Adolescents with Varying Levels of Physical Activity. 2003. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 57, 310-315.
References #7
Malina, R. Weight Training in Youth-Growth, Maturation, and Safety: An Evidence-Based Review. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. November 2006. 16(6), 478-487.