Youth Training

Youth Strength Training There is a common misconception that strength training should begin at 16 years of age or later. Recent studies have looked at the credibility of such claims to see whether strength training should be stalled until teenage years. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, children at the age of 7 to 8 can benefit from strength training . The ACSM claims that if a child is able to participate in an organized sport, then they are able to participate in strength training programs. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that balance and postural skills mature between the ages of 7 and 8. Therefore, strength training programs should not be introduced until the child has achieved those skills. Goal of Youth Strength Training Improve musculoskeletal strength while exposing youth to safe and effective training methods. Benefits

• Muscular strength

• Enhance motor skills

• Enhance sports performance

• May decrease sports injuries by strengthening tendons, ligaments, and bone

• Effective weight loss strategies

• Build foundation for continued health and wellness

• May stimulate bone mineralization

• Increase bone density

What to consider

• Competent Supervision

• Qualified instruction

• Proper Technique

• Safe equipment

• Age specific training guidelines

Resistance training is being incorporated into weight-control programs for overweight children as an activity to increase metabolic rate without high impact. Focus on exercises that strengthen the trunk muscles, lower back, and gluteal muscles. Strength training enhances the muscle growth that normally occurs with puberty in boys and girls. BACKED BY RESEARCH Appropriate strength training programs have no apparent adverse effect on linear growth,growth plates, or the cardiovascular system. A study found that strength training 3 days a week can promote bone health throughout the developmental years. Suggested Exercises

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Begin with low-resistance exercises until proper technique is developed. Complete 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions.

• Body weight squats

• Lunges

• Supermans

• Cycling

Core exercises are also vital to a young athletes training.

• Crunches

• Reverse crunch

• Air bike

• Leg raises

• Plank

• Side plank

It is important to include multi-joint exercises that require balance, stabilization, and coordination.

• Squats

• Bench Press

• Weighted Lunges

Time 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, and continue to add weight and repetitions as strength increases. Increased reps with light weight improves muscle endurance for repetitive- motion sports (tennis and baseball). A strength training program should be developed and monitored by a certified personal trainer who specializes in youth training and sports performance. It is also critical to have your child be seen by a physician or family doctor to make sure they are physically able to participate in exercise. Faigenbaum, A. Micheli, L. American College of Sports Medicine.Youth resistance training. Vol. 32, Number 2, p. 28 Nichols, N. American College of Sports Medicine. “Exercise is medicine” for building strong bones in adolescent girls. ACSM: 2011. American Academy of Pediatrics. Strength training by children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008; 121(4): 835-840.