Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Exercise Programs » 10 Guidelines for Youth Strength Training – ChicagoNow (blog)

All kids should be involved in a fitness or exercise program. Although many kids participate in sports, their practices and games do not guarantee that they are exercising for the recommended 60 minutes a day. According to American College of Sports Medicine, kids should be working out at a moderate to high intensity on a daily basis. To develop a well-rounded young athlete they should be performing the following during their workout sessions:

Most parents and coaches agree that Americas youth needs to participate in more fitness conditioning. Surprisingly, youth strength training is still considered controversial. It is a myth that strength/weight training is unsafe or dangerous for kids. Strength training is another great way to improve your childs overall sports performance, build their confidence and mitigate injuries.

Full length of young woman lifting barbell in gym

For so many decades, it has been believed that children 7 years and older should not partake in traditional strength training programs. However, push-ups, burpees and jump training are a big part of most competitive youth athletic programs. These basic total body exercises will enhance a kids overall fitness level and even develop some strength; but a structured strength training program is far more likely to improve a childs overall muscular development, coordination and fitness level. Despite this widespread myth, there is tremendous research and support from the sports sciences community encouraging parents to enroll their children in some form of a strength and conditioning program. If your kids are dedicated athletes and/or playing their sport for the majority of the year, strength and conditioning classes can have a positive impact on athletic development and help to mitigate injuries.

Myth-busting

It is a myth that strength training will damage a childs growth plates. It was originally thought that the gravitational pressure of weights would lead to damage of the soft growth plates located at the end of the bones. This damage would occur after the bones healed, leading to pre-mature fusing, which in turn would stunt growth. This is not true.

How does a kids body develop strength?

The bodys muscles can not differentiate between resistance that is being applied by a dumbbellor stress applied from aggressive playing, manual labor or sport specific movements like pull-ups, rope climbs, leaping and landing off the monkey bars. A childs body in many ways is more amazing than an adults. While it is growing it is constantly adapting. In fact, the muscles will contract and create force to counter the weight it is experiencing in an effort to enhance strength. It becomes stronger because it is forced to adapt. Consistent and regular strength training will increase the strength of a childs muscles and joints. Other benefits include improving the neuromuscular connection between the body and the brain essentiallyenhancing the neuro-mechanical coordination. The brain and the body communicate by sending signals. The goal is that the signals sent tell the appropriate muscles to fire or contract. When the body experiences structured strength training it recognizes how to recruit and contract these muscles more efficiently and when it is thenneeded to respond to a dynamic or explosive movement (i.e. sports movements).

Pee Wee Conditioning Class

10Guidelines for Youth Strength Training

See original here:
10 Guidelines for Youth Strength Training - ChicagoNow (blog)

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Exercise Programs » 10 Guidelines for Youth Strength Training – ChicagoNow (blog)