Kids Can and Should Strength Train
The question I hear the most frequently over the last 10 years: Is it safe for kids to strength train?
The answer: A resounding, yes.
Authors of a brand-new meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health summarize the current state of the science around the benefits (and safety) of strength training for prepubertal children. The meta-analysis included 604 children, a mean age of 10.
The authors concluded:
Strength training resulted in neuromuscular benefits in children including:
Improved jumping and sprinting abilities.
Increased muscle strength.
Enhanced agility and coordination.
Increased flexibility.
Strength training also resulted in morphological changes (meaning, their bodies actually changed) including:
Increases in lean muscle tissue.
Decreases in body fat (regardless of the overall level of activity).
In addition, previous meta-analysis show that strength training improves academic performance and cognitive function in kids; the benefits go far beyond physical.
The two most prevalent myths around strength training for kids:
Myth: Strength training will stunt bone growth in kids.
Reality: On the contrary, strength training for kids as young as 6 years of age improves bone health.
Myth: Kids can strength train but should focus on bodyweight exercises and should avoid free-weights and machines.
Reality: Nothing could be further from the truth! Body-weight exercises are often a poor choice for kids as a body-weight exercise such as a push-up, pull-up, or lunge may represent a weight that is far too heavy for the individual (imagine a slightly overweight 10-year old trying to do a chin-up; this would be the equivalent of doing a lateral pull-down machine and asking the child to lift a weight far exceeding their 1-repetition maximum. Machines and free weights have the advantage that they can be adjusted to the child’s current level of strength.
