Kids and Lifting

[Whiteboy84]

Interested to hear what everyone thinks a good age is to have your son start hitting that iron.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[way2tense]

shoot...im no expert but id say when he starts getting some armpit hair.

 

[PitbullTank]

interested in this as well, good Q...

 

[SAGE74]

My dad brought me to the gym when I was about 9 years old. I learned the fundamentals over the next several years. I was years ahead of everyone when I got to high school. Age doesn't really matter I guess. U can only lift so much when ur 9.

 

[AFstud066]

I work with a lot of youth and pretty much the cardinal rule is proper technique and instruction from there you increase weight. It is said to not max out such a 1rm at 9 10 11 but I benched 250 when I was 12 after starting at age 11. Each person is different and body structure is different, but the whole growth plate thing is BS unless you snap a femur your growth isn't going to be compromised by training

 

[ToroPharmaRep]

I started at 11. I've never actually seen a legitimate case study on children and resistance training stunting growth. I think it's another media pushed myth similar to "Steroids make your dick shrink". Which is laughable, I've seen world champion gymnast families get their children into hardcore gymnastics from 4 on up. I knew a national champion swimmer that had his 5 year old swim competitively and train 5-6 hours per day. I've seen world champion BJJ guys get there daughters into hardcore MMA training at 3-4 years old. Yet there is a negative thought process to getting kids involved in lifting. I don't get it, honestly get kids in the gym if that's your passion or watch them get addicted to playing WOW and Xboxlive, choice is yours.

 

[Google&Pubmed]

Maybe, just maybe, things like squats could have some effects. I know gymnasts end up short because of continuous pressure on their body but legs for a kid would be once a week kind of deal. Idk. Football players don't end up short though and they left from early on.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4

 

[ThinkTank]

I would say puberty. Keep it reasonable.

FWIU, it will negatively affect growth if the growth plates are damaged. Heavy lifting and bad technique would be the likely culprit.

 

[ToroPharmaRep]

Honestly not to start a debate, but this is similar to asking asking "should kids really eat organic". We are nit-picking a strong and discipline earning habit. Lets compare it to the masses, is having an obese child that sits in front of a TV all day a better alternative? Even better lets add context, obviously there are better choices of activities over power lifting, but if that helps the child bond with the parent then I believe that the potentially avoided social issues that stem from not being close to your paternal figure would be significantly more grave than being an inch shorter, which is again something that I'd like to see scientific evidence of. I've also never heard of children being shorter from gymnastics, I have however heard that children can only compete on an Olympic level until they hit puberty because of higher collagen levels earlier in life allowing their joints to take more of a beating. I'm not advocating pushing children into competitive lifting, I'm simply saying that in moderation especially with a parent its a wonderful hobby and shouldn't be avoided simply because its a common thought that it stunts growth.

 

[burst]

I work with a lot of youth and pretty much the cardinal rule is proper technique and instruction from there you increase weight. It is said to not max out such a 1rm at 9 10 11 but I benched 250 when I was 12 after starting at age 11. Each person is different and body structure is different, but the whole growth plate thing is BS unless you snap a femur your growth isn't going to be compromised by training

you started age 11 and within a year benched 250?!

what was your approx height/weight?

i find this incredibly difficult to believe to be honest.

 

[burst]

Interested to hear what everyone thinks a good age is to have your son start hitting that iron.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

olympic lifting ia taught to kids in china from age like 7-8

i would have thought around 12-13.

 

[flexdurden]

I would think that some resistance training started at a young age would be beneficial in motor development. I'm not saying like heavy squats and stuff, but push-up, bodyweight squats, lungs, pull-ups, some Db and exercises alternating with machines each workout for the particular bodypart would all help in developing coordination.

I used to run kid's fitness classes at my old gym and we would use pneumatic machines so the harder kids pushed the greater the resistance and would do a lot of hand-eye coordination exercises with light medicine balls and work on agility with cones and ladders. We never did things that put a lot of stress on the joints and focused mainly on things that would help kids with athletics. In the end I think it is all relative. You can't take a kid who is underdeveloped for his/her age and have them doing progressive weight training, while others develop faster and can handle some heavier resistance.

 

[flexdurden]

I meant to post this as some food for thought showing that strength training is actually beneficial to children's development when done properly. Think resistance training focusing on proper form and technique and using moderate weights, not trying to hit one rep maxes or do widowmakers lol

Go ahead, let those kids lift weights - Los Angeles Times

 

[anarchocapitalist]

I don't think playing basketball makes you grow taller it just so happens that tall people do well in the sport. No different than gymnastics short muscular people do well in those events.

My son is four years and he loves lifting my weights. Of course he's only doing deadlifts with a 10lbs kettlebell and 10 minutes into my garage gym workout he wants to go grab a wrench and work on my Jeep XJ pretending to take off the tires lol.

During supper though if mom made some good mass food like lasagna I've taught my boys to do a double biceps and yell out PACK ON THE MASS MOM!

 

[aufootballar9911]

Should start with agility, stabilization/ bodyweight exercises until about 8th grade on average. Then introduce weight training with emphasis on compound movements. Form over weight is always stressed. Once they hit high school sport specific training will be most beneficial.

 

[ToroPharmaRep]

I don't think playing basketball makes you grow taller it just so happens that tall people do well in the sport. No different than gymnastics short muscular people do well in those events.

My son is four years and he loves lifting my weights. Of course he's only doing deadlifts with a 10lbs kettlebell and 10 minutes into my garage gym workout he wants to go grab a wrench and work on my Jeep XJ pretending to take off the tires lol.

During supper though if mom made some good mass food like lasagna I've taught my boys to do a double biceps and yell out PACK ON THE MASS MOM!

This is quality parenting. Your creating a lifelong bond with your son.

 

[Krunkkid13]

I take my little boy to the gym n he is 9. All I let him do is work on proper form n technique with light weight. He loves it. We look pretty funny together cuz he is long and lean and I am square shaped lol. The most fun I have had in awhile is both of us with shirts off flexing in the mirror. I think some of the other patrons were thinking wtf is that scary tattooed most likely ex con teaching that sweet little blond haired blue eyed kid.