“Weight Resistance Training For Adolescents “
When can you begin weight resistance training for adolescents and children?
Weight training or resistance training in children has been a controversial subject in the past. Clinicians and exercise scientist now agree the resistive exercise can be a sage and an effective method of conditioning for children.
Current public health objectives aim to increase the number of children age 6 and older, who regularly participate in physical activities, to enhance and maintain muscular strength and muscular endurance.
Children who are less than 12 years old or prepubescent (before puberty) are considered pre adolescent. Teenagers roughly 12 to 19 years of age are considered adolescent.
Children under 12 years old can begin resistance training at a level that is commensurate with their maturity level, physical abilities and individual goals. Children are not miniature adults. Adult programs and training philosophies are not appropriate for children. An adult program is often to intense and the volume to severe, which makes the recovery period of muscles inadequate for a child’s fitness level.
Much of the controversy surrounding youth resistance training stemmed from the issue of children’s training ability, that is, children’s responsiveness to stimulus of resistance exercise.
Whenever a child participates in strenuous activities, in jury is always a concern. A particular concern in children is the vulnerability of the growth cartilage to trauma and overuse. Trauma from falls or repetitive stress may result in an epiphyseal plate fracture in a child. The growth cartilage in a child is located at the epiphyseal plate, the joint surface and the apophyseal insertions. Damage to the growth cartilage may impair the growth and development of the affected bone.
Children who lift weights must be monitored closely as with all moderately physical activities. The regimen must be carefully supervised with emphasis on correct form, not on maximum weight or number of lifts.
Resistance should not be increased until the child has demonstrated and learned proper form and technique for each exercise.
The American Orthopedic Society For Sports Medicine recommends 2 or 3 training sessions per week consisting of 20 to 30 minutes of training with warm-up and cool-down periods of stretching exercises. Olympic style weight lifting such as the power clean , or clean in jerk, are very dangerous and should be avoided entirely in preadolescent age groups.
Children and adolescents can start with weight resistance that allows three sets of 8 to 15 repetitions. Once a child can perform three sets of 15 reps with appropriate form and technique, the weight can be increased. This process can be repeated each time the child performs three sets of 15 correctly.
Adolescence can begin altering their sessions, repetitions and resistance level depending on their goals. For example; increasing resistance and lowering repetitions would be aimed at increasing strength and power. Higher repetitions of 8 to 15 reps are aimed more at increasing endurance.
Strength gain in preadolescent children has been noted; however, much of the improvement comes from neurogenic adaptation, recruitment or adaptation of muscle fiber rather than an increase in lean muscle mass.
An increase in strength and muscle mass can be achieved easier in adolescents. Hormonal differences during puberty are responsible for acceleration in the strength and development of boys and a continuation at approximately the same rate in the strength development of girls during the preadolescent years.
Peak strength is usually attained by age 20 in untrained women and between ages 20 and 30 in untrained men.
Research shows that resistive training probably has a favorable influence on growth at any stage of development as long as long as appropriate guide lines are followed.
Resistance training has been shown to increase bone mineral density in adults and recent evidence suggest that it may have positive effect on bone density in children as well. Prior to starting any sport participation, including resistive training, it is recommended young athletes be evaluated by their physician.
Parents and children educated in fitness and nutrition related to their activity or sport, will greatly reduce the risk of injury and enhance their benefits.
John L. Daigle, P.T., OCS, COMT
Daigle Himel Daigle Physical Therapy Center and Rehabilitation, Inc.
