FACT: Resistance training is safe for young kids
A well tailored and supervised gym program aiming to increase muscular coordination and overall movement capacity in today’s youth has been shown to be very safe, and now being encouraged due to the increasing trend in sedentary behavior.
It’s the movement skills and potential increases in required joint mobility gained from strength training that are
FACT: Early sport specificity is increasing injury risk
Early specificity of sport within our youth programs has shown some great progressions within sport performance, however, young athletes are missing the overall benefits of global strength for injury reduction, and the statistics are showing an increasing trend in overuse injuries.
Overall strength increases are the ideal way to allow young athletes to withstand the high loads of sport specific movements.
FACT: Resistance training will reduce my kids risk of injury
A holistic approach to training better movement patterns, movement skill, and overall strength, will not only assist in how young athletes are performing on the field, but reducing the likelihood of injury while doing so.
FACT: Increasing reduction in ‘free play’ is making kids fragile
With quite a few modifications to recess games (eg. no tackling) and a reduction in overall ‘playtime’ within our youths week, the level of exposure to falling down, contact, running, throwing etc is progressively decreasing.
If youth aren’t exposed to these things in their sport, their tolerance to anything resembling these basic components of human movement are going to be quite low.
All movements of which can be explored and improved via a well tailored resistance training program.
MYTH: Weights will stunt growth
This is quite an old myth, and for the most part, has been put to bed.
But to set this record straight, there has never been any indication of resistance training affecting the growth of humans at any age, with multiple studies finding only positive health effects from supervised training.
MYTH: Our strength program has to include weights
Whether an adolescent, or a fully developed adult, an initial introduction to strength training should always focus solely on gaining/improving proper movement patterns, and training a good level of stability through our entire system. This is to be achieved via body weight exercises before graduating to load. Once we are moving well, and really solid in required positions, we are safe to add load (child or adult)
MYTH: Lifting weights is unsafe for my child
After visiting and discussing all previous points, we hope that it has become clear that this is simply not true. Anything can be deemed dangerous when done in a reckless and uncontrolled manner.
As times are changing, and the levels of screen time and sedentary behaviour is increasing, the necessity for regular scheduled training programs is becoming greater and greater
