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Home YOUTHSports are that strength training may stunt the growth of children and that children should not lift weights until they are 12. There is simply no evidence to support either of these statements. In fact, all of the major fitness and medical organizations in the United States (such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association) recommend strength training for youth, assuming that basic guidelines are adhered to and that appropriate leader- ship is present. Children can begin to train with weights as soon as they are able to accept and follow directions—usually around the age of 7 or 8." Even in competitive weightlifting, the age of participants has steadily gone down as experience and research have indicated it is no more dangerous—and actually sta- tistically less dangerous—than several other youth sports, said Pete Roselli, high performance director for USA Weightlifting, the national governing body for competitive weightlifting. "For many years, the practice was that young athletes should not be involved in competitive weightlifting until their late teens," he said. "Now, athletes around the world are competing in this sport at 8 and 9 years of age." Method Matters According to Debi Pillarella, an ACE- accredited master trainer and director of Fitness Points, a medical fitness facility in Indiana, studies show no correlation between weight training and injuries to growth plates. "We are seeing that sports- related injuries are mostly due to the way training is done rather than the type of training," she said. "Any physical training can be potentially harmful if it is done too intensely or too quickly." ACE's position, said Pillarella, is based on more than 20 years of research con- ducted by Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D., and Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., authors of "Youth Strength Training." Faigenbaum, a pediatric exercise scientist and professor at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J., asserts that weightlifting will not stunt a child's growth. He contends that children old enough to participate in sports are old enough to lift weights, and that it could make it safer for them to play sports and improve sports performance. Benefits Of Youth Strength Training Done properly, strength training can: ■ increase a childʼs muscle strength and endurance; ■ help protect a childʼs muscles and joints from sports-related injuries; and Roselli said all types of sports training must be tailored to the age of the child. "In swimming, for example, young kids are trained in more rudimentary skills and are limited in the time they train," he explained. "The same is true in weightlift- ing. Children start out gradually with the basics for limited periods of time, with trained and certified coaches." Roselli, who works with junior and senior ■ improve a childʼs performance in nearly any sport, from dancing and figure skating to football and soccer. Even if a child isn't interested in sports, strength training can: ■ strengthen a childʼs bones; ■ help promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels; ■ help a child maintain a healthy weight; and ■ improve a childʼs confidence and self-esteem. —Source: The Mayo Clinic 34 July 2012 Olympic athletes, added that young children and pre- teens have different physical capabili- ties than adults, so coaches and par- ents should be careful about the amount of time and the intensity levels to which a young athlete is exposed. Definitions Bodybuilding: The objective is to sculpt the body. Power Lifting: A sport related to developing absolute strength, regard- less of the speed of movement. Resistance Training: Involves using apparatus, such as barbells, dumb- bells, tubing, machines and oneʼs own body weight. Subscribe Contact S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012 Building Strength Safely The Mayo Clinic staff advises parents to check with their children's doctor before beginning a strength training pro- gram, especially if a child has a known or suspected health problem—such as a heart condition, high blood pressure or seizure disorder. Pillarella recommends a fitness assess- ment to make sure a child has proper pos- ture, alignment and good body control before using weights, resistance bands or even one's own weight to build strength. Additionally, she said, kids must be able to process many instructions at once. "In summer camps or pre-season train- ing, have each young athlete go through an orientation program before getting into any type of weight training," Pillarella suggested. "Examine their posture and alignment, thoroughly discuss safety issues and then develop a program designed to help them with specific sports. Each sport has differ- ent muscle areas that require strengthen- ing. Above all, supervision by a trained adult is essential," Roselli said. "No matter what your age, basic safety dictates that you should not be training by yourself. The best practice is for young athletes to work with a trainer who is edu- cated and experienced in working with teens and pre-teens," Roselli added. Pillarella said that weight training equip- www.sportseventsmagazine.com ▼