Does Lifting Weights Stunt Progress in Youngsters? What Dad and mom Have to Know

Just a few weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence health club with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me together with his personal little barbell. It was a kind of candy moments I can’t assist however share—I simply love these bonding moments.

Quickly after, a dad or mum messaged me: “Is that truly protected? I’ve at all times heard that weight coaching can stunt a toddler’s progress.”

And you recognize what? It’s a sound concern.

As a result of as mother and father, we wish our youngsters to be energetic and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be protected.

So let’s speak about that concern. The place it comes from, what the science really says, and what to look out for in the case of resistance coaching for kids.

The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Fable Come From?

Should you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early may “injury your bones” or “make you shorter,” you’re not alone. That perception has been round for some time.

However the place did it really come from?

A part of it’s linked to the worry of injuring one thing known as the progress plates—areas of growing cartilage close to the ends of kids’s bones, the place bone progress occurs. So naturally, the thought of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised considerations.

Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: quick, highly effective athletes who raise huge masses. It’s straightforward to imagine the game made them that means—however that’s not what occurred.

They’re quick as a result of that physique sort offers them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their progress.

Enjoyable truth: The all-time world report holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 ft 6 inches tall (197 cm).

The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what really causes progress points.

What the Science Really Says About Energy Coaching and Progress

Let’s begin with the large one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a toddler’s progress.

In actual fact, when executed correctly, resistance coaching has no unfavourable impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it will probably really improve bone density, coordination, and assist stop damage.

Particularly as your little one will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can cut back their danger of damage.

Right here’s what the analysis reveals:

• A overview printed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts progress plates or linear progress.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth power coaching packages, when correctly supervised, are protected and useful.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics helps power coaching for kids, so long as the main focus is on approach and never maximal weights.

• A examine within the Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis discovered that damage charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of common sports activities.

How Secure Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

Let’s check out damage charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout totally different sports activities:

Seems, resistance training is likely one of the most secure bodily actions your little one can do—when executed proper.

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Youngsters

So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s speak about when weight coaching really can be dangerous for teenagers.

Like something, it relies on the way it’s executed.

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Youngsters raise weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their kind or approach

• They’re pushed to raise too heavy, too quickly

• Gear isn’t suited to their dimension

• There’s no development or enough restoration

However let’s be trustworthy—that’s not simply true for teenagers. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we practice.

Tips on how to Make Energy Coaching Secure for Youngsters

Right here’s tips on how to hold it protected, good, and useful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in power coaching strategies and progressions
✅ Concentrate on approach—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Preserve it enjoyable, skill-based, and interesting—particularly for youthful youngsters

When these issues are in place, lifting weights turns into not simply protected—it turns into a basis for future motion abilities and lifelong physique consciousness.

Why This Issues So A lot for Dad and mom

As a result of all of us need our youngsters to be robust, energetic, and assured. However we additionally need to shield them.

As a substitute of avoiding power coaching or creating worry round it, let’s train them to do it proper.

As a result of when it’s executed proper, power coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.

And that’s one thing value lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene

References:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20201011/76942/Resistance-Training-for-Children-and-Adolescents

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3483033/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418954/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X20301903

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5538a1.htm