Strength training for kids:
ElizabethKalmbach
Posts: 1,415 Member
Hey, all.
In the spirit of "Monkey see, monkey do," my 9-year-old daughter is interested in doing some strength training with me.
I tend to do heavy lifting with a lot of compound movements - 5x3x1 or 5x5.
They're BORING, and while I'm certain my kidlet could do them with lighter weights, I doubt they'd hold her interest. I picked those regimens because I can do them efficiently, on my lunch break, with my headphones in and an app to keep me on track. My child, on the other hand, probably won't have access to a gym with a squat rack until high school, and that's a bit of a way off at her age.
I've downloaded the YAYOG app to get us started with some calisthenic style exercises that she should be able to do without a spotter and without hurting herself or her friends if they decide to exchange notes.
Does anyone have any suggestions of things their kids have enjoyed doing with them? She has tried yoga with my sister and does that too, off and on, and we walk the dogs together every day, so she's already got decent endurance and cardio options.
In the spirit of "Monkey see, monkey do," my 9-year-old daughter is interested in doing some strength training with me.
I tend to do heavy lifting with a lot of compound movements - 5x3x1 or 5x5.
They're BORING, and while I'm certain my kidlet could do them with lighter weights, I doubt they'd hold her interest. I picked those regimens because I can do them efficiently, on my lunch break, with my headphones in and an app to keep me on track. My child, on the other hand, probably won't have access to a gym with a squat rack until high school, and that's a bit of a way off at her age.
I've downloaded the YAYOG app to get us started with some calisthenic style exercises that she should be able to do without a spotter and without hurting herself or her friends if they decide to exchange notes.
Does anyone have any suggestions of things their kids have enjoyed doing with them? She has tried yoga with my sister and does that too, off and on, and we walk the dogs together every day, so she's already got decent endurance and cardio options.
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Replies
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Don't jump to the conclusion weights will bore her...you might be surprised. Give it a try. Some kids really love the predictability, the repetitiveness, etc. Just be careful not too much too often.1
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kenyonhaff wrote: »Don't jump to the conclusion weights will bore her...you might be surprised. Give it a try. Some kids really love the predictability, the repetitiveness, etc. Just be careful not too much too often.
Well, the other problem being that I don't have a squat rack at the house, and she's not old enough to join my gym.
;-) I can probably get her started with a bit of dumbbell work or perhaps something with kettlebells. I haven't personally done too much with kettlebells, but they do look pretty fun.
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Oh, OH! The *other* reason I picked callisthenics to start was that my kid is a bit competitive and doesn't seem to have an entirely appropriate grasp on scale and experience level. With callisthenics, the level of difficulty is built into your own body weight. I don't want her to see me with 155 on the bar and then want to try it out of the gate. I can explain this to her conceptually, and she'll understand mathematically, but it's going to take possibly *months* for her to internalize some of these things. I'd rather she measure her success in reps than in numbers on the plates.2
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I have a 6yo who really wants to be doing weights with me but my trainer has told him he needs to weight till he's 14.
Instead he does the bodyweight exercises and stretches that I do. So he does body weight squats, lunges etc. Plus he goes to gymnastics and does piyo and yoga stances. Oh and he runs with me.3 -
I have a 6yo who really wants to be doing weights with me but my trainer has told him he needs to weight till he's 14..
It's my impression that isn't a hard and fast rule as it once was considered and more trainers/coaches are having kids starting with olympic lifts as early as 8-9 and I've seen some statistics that suggest it's a safer sport for kids to do than most in terms of risk for concussions and/or significant injuries like torn ligaments. I've not done extensive research on this yet as my son is not even 11 months old yet but I'd say it's worth looking into; I've never met anyone who says "I wish I'd started lifting later".
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It's my impression that isn't a hard and fast rule as it once was considered and more trainers/coaches are having kids starting with olympic lifts as early as 8-9 and I've seen some statistics that suggest it's a safer sport for kids to do than most in terms of risk for concussions and/or significant injuries like torn ligaments. I've not done extensive research on this yet as my son is not even 11 months old yet but I'd say it's worth looking into; I've never met anyone who says "I wish I'd started lifting later".
I agree to a certain extent. I started lifting at 14 or 15 after an injury took me out of the ballet. I don't think I could have really started lifting earlier with any kind of effective result, and as it was, we (the pack of kids I lifted with) made a lot of dumb mistakes that caused a few injuries. (That's not even counting the fact that I didn't hit puberty until about 16 - possibly due to overtraining.)
I think there are a couple mental developmental markers I want to see my daughter reach before I put a weight in her hand. Like, at 9, her logic circuits are advanced for her age, but still not done. She does archery and I deliberately do NOT because anytime I try to show her something, she expects to be as good as I am *immediately.* Experience and practice don't make sense to her yet, though I've explained them a thousand times.
Until she's really internalized gradual improvement and failure as a learning mechanism or even a *goal* (as in - reps to failure), I feel like I should keep her to body weight, form, flexibility, and balance style training that should grow at the pace of her body - more or less.4 -
So, to tighten up this thread - I would be interested to know what kinds of strength training workouts or programs you think might be fun and educational for a kid. Youtube videos, books, apps, that kind of thing! Extra points if your own kids or kids you work with enjoy them.1
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ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »kenyonhaff wrote: »Don't jump to the conclusion weights will bore her...you might be surprised. Give it a try. Some kids really love the predictability, the repetitiveness, etc. Just be careful not too much too often.
Well, the other problem being that I don't have a squat rack at the house, and she's not old enough to join my gym.
;-) I can probably get her started with a bit of dumbbell work or perhaps something with kettlebells. I haven't personally done too much with kettlebells, but they do look pretty fun.
One of the safer methods for strength training for kids is simply do not use heavy weights, and depend more on using body weight to develop strength. (For example, push ups, burpees, chin ups, planks, rock climbing, much of yoga.)1 -
My understanding was 12 and older can use weights without causing issues any younger than that should just use body weight only which still leaves plenty of options.1
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I have a paper calendar that I keep on the fridge with daily exercises to be performed...each day is a little different and we build up more reps, etc. It's all bodyweight stuff...my kids are 9 and 7 and I won't likely have them start lifting weights until they are 13 at the earliest.
We do them together when I get home in the evening. It doesn't take long...maybe 15 minutes or so. They love doing it together. Usually 4 different exercises per day...things we do:
mountain climbers
burpees
push-ups (narrow, wide, regular)
leg raises
wall sits
jumping jacks
squats
jump squats
triceps bench dips
Also on the calendar, I keep 2x per week "off"...but on off days they are required to do things like help mom or dad make dinner and stuff like that.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I have a paper calendar that I keep on the fridge with daily exercises to be performed...each day is a little different and we build up more reps, etc. It's all bodyweight stuff...my kids are 9 and 7 and I won't likely have them start lifting weights until they are 13 at the earliest.
We do them together when I get home in the evening. It doesn't take long...maybe 15 minutes or so. They love doing it together. Usually 4 different exercises per day...things we do:
mountain climbers
burpees
push-ups (narrow, wide, regular)
leg raises
wall sits
jumping jacks
squats
jump squats
triceps bench dips
Also on the calendar, I keep 2x per week "off"...but on off days they are required to do things like help mom or dad make dinner and stuff like that.
THANK YOU! This is exactly the kind of suggestion I was looking for. We already cook together on weekends to handle the nutrition/food handling skills portion of general health maintenance, but she sees me and her dad working out and the "but we don't have gym class twice a week..." excuse isn't cutting it anymore.1 -
ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I have a paper calendar that I keep on the fridge with daily exercises to be performed...each day is a little different and we build up more reps, etc. It's all bodyweight stuff...my kids are 9 and 7 and I won't likely have them start lifting weights until they are 13 at the earliest.
We do them together when I get home in the evening. It doesn't take long...maybe 15 minutes or so. They love doing it together. Usually 4 different exercises per day...things we do:
mountain climbers
burpees
push-ups (narrow, wide, regular)
leg raises
wall sits
jumping jacks
squats
jump squats
triceps bench dips
Also on the calendar, I keep 2x per week "off"...but on off days they are required to do things like help mom or dad make dinner and stuff like that.
THANK YOU! This is exactly the kind of suggestion I was looking for. We already cook together on weekends to handle the nutrition/food handling skills portion of general health maintenance, but she sees me and her dad working out and the "but we don't have gym class twice a week..." excuse isn't cutting it anymore.
I'm also an avid cycling enthusiast...my 9 year old has taken to that as well. My youngest likes riding his bike, but just around the neighborhood and to his friends house and such...he always complains when we go on a family ride that it's too long (it's totally not and he can do it easily, but he's my lazy one).
Did 15 miles with my 9 year old a couple weekends ago on the road. He did pretty good and maintained an average of 10MPH on his 20" 7-speed Scott...he was pretty tired when we were done. I tried to take him on an easy trail ride in the bosque with my mountain bike (area along the Rio Grande running through ABQ) and he's not quite ready for that as there are a lot of sandy patches and some little techy stuff that he struggled with and had to walk his bike a lot.1 -
@cwolfman13
We walk our dogs together and do a lot of hiking and trail walking and camping stuff. She's used to being included and keeping up and helping, and then I want to take a pole fitness class with my sister and things get really awkward. Most kids would probably really enjoy the heck out of pole fitness, but they're REALLY not the target audience of most of the studios...0 -
In gymnastics we did a lot of squats, plies, handstands, handstand pushups, pushups(wide and narrow) situps/v ups and hollow holds, pull ups and chin ups, running and jumping drills, and lots of stretching. We did some hamstring exercises (don't know how to explain them) and back extensions and bridges as well. I was quite strong for my size back then.1
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ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »@cwolfman13
We walk our dogs together and do a lot of hiking and trail walking and camping stuff. She's used to being included and keeping up and helping, and then I want to take a pole fitness class with my sister and things get really awkward. Most kids would probably really enjoy the heck out of pole fitness, but they're REALLY not the target audience of most of the studios...
I was thinking maybe a dance class, zumba, salsa, something quite fun and relaxed.
Is there anything you're not familiar with, that you could both take up as beginners? It would help her to see the learning process. My husband and I play tennis together because we are equally rubbish, so we play and have fun but don't get competitive!2 -
Kids triathlon!🏊🏻♀️🚴🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️1
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Barbell medicine has a series of articles about strength trainings s kids/ young people. It isn’t ‘dangerous’ was the takeaway. I don’t know how to link here but their website is pretty well organised1
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When I was a child my parents enrolled us in sports instead they told us"if you work out and lift weights at a young age you can Stunt your growth"
I whole heartedly Stand by that.0 -
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When I was a child my parents enrolled us in sports instead they told us"if you work out and lift weights at a young age you can Stunt your growth"
I whole heartedly Stand by that.
I started lifting weights at age 11. I was doing squats to get stronger legs for skating since I was a skinny little thing.
I'm 5'8". I'm pretty sure my growth wasn't stunted but I have awesome strong legs and a live of fitness that has been instilled since that age1 -
My son does some of the P90X workouts - not the weightlifting stuff, but the body weight stuff like abs and plyometrics. That's a pricey program to buy new, but you can sometimes find it used for around $30 for the full set...P90X3 has more of the body weight or light weight workouts than the original.
There are a lot of "convict" style videos that are just body weight in a small area, so something like that might be fun and would also keep to the body weight only.0 -
I rock climb/boulder with one of my boys. We also used to take aerial (silks, trapeze, lyra). I think calisthenics is perfect for her age and honestly at her age she can probably beat you at most skills in a short amount of time (since you said she is competitive). Kids strength to weight ratio is phenomenal.
Oh - we've also done some tumbling together too.0 -
I have a 6yo who really wants to be doing weights with me but my trainer has told him he needs to weight till he's 14.
Instead he does the bodyweight exercises and stretches that I do. So he does body weight squats, lunges etc. Plus he goes to gymnastics and does piyo and yoga stances. Oh and he runs with me.
Trainer is wrong.
Assuming good load management is practiced (just like any age group), there is nothing to be concerned about other than the eccentric movements that sometimes need more attention and with correct load management are usually not a issue any more than a 14 year old.
Most trainers at least commercial gyms have a poor idea of load management and train to exhaust someone. This would be a issue.
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AliNouveau wrote: »When I was a child my parents enrolled us in sports instead they told us"if you work out and lift weights at a young age you can Stunt your growth"
I whole heartedly Stand by that.
I started lifting weights at age 11. I was doing squats to get stronger legs for skating since I was a skinny little thing.
I'm 5'8". I'm pretty sure my growth wasn't stunted but I have awesome strong legs and a live of fitness that has been instilled since that age
I started out training about age 10 along with drinking coffee regularly. At 6'3" I would doubt either myth holds true but would love to read evidence stating otherwise.0 -
As someone who rock climbed competitively for a small portion of my youth, I agree that kids who climb are crazy strong. I mean climbers in general are strong, but kids are strong, generally have less fear, are light, and can get very good. I was the leanest I've ever been when I was climbing and was very muscular, despite not being a cisgender male. I was also very healthy at least in relation to various medical tests. Enough so that when I had to have back surgery when I was 14 (for tethered cord syndrome) the anesthesiologist was astonished when he looked at the results of various blood tests that had been done prior to surgery. Outside of the strength component, your kid will also maintain and likely gain a fair amount of flexibility and it'll do a lot for their kinesthetic awareness.
I'll never forget the one time when one of my best friends who was on my team, who was probably 5' (if not shorter) at the time and weighed who knows how much, came up from behind and picked all 5' 8" and 155lbs of me up with a fair amount of ease. As in, wrapped his arms around my legs and lifted me off the ground.1 -
To all those posters who have said weights are bad/ dangerous for kids, do you have any studies to back you up? I’m not sure there are any. I’d like to read them if you can direct me to any published scientific literature though.
I have 14 year old daughter who wants to lift with her mum. She’s not allowed to use free weights in the commercial gym I’m a member of as ‘ weights are dangerous for kids’
I may have to join a specialist strength gym. But I don’t really want to as my current gym is handy and I’ve been going there years.2 -
I dont let my boys strength train with weights. Ligament tears are permanent damage.
I actually know that PROGESSIVE training is good at ANY age. But it's tough to tell young boys about progressive .... more is better, they think.
So no barbells. If you cant do 25 body weight squats (min) then you.have no business picking up a weighted bar anyway.
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I know you mean well but would refrain from making these type of blanketed statements. There are many variables involved for individuals. I think it's wrong to exclude a proven way of training for strength based on the ability to perform another movement that might not have bearing on their current capabilities.jeffjeff85 wrote: »I dont let my boys strength train with weights. Ligament tears are permanent damage.
I actually know that PROGESSIVE training is good at ANY age. But it's tough to tell young boys about progressive .... more is better, they think.
So no barbells. If you cant do 25 body weight squats (min) then you.have no business picking up a weighted bar anyway.
We see this type of "screening" for example by most physical therapists too much, too often. We have to be more specific to the individual and their strength/capabilities along with adaptations they respond to specific movements not necessarily a varient.
I for one probably can't do 25 body weight squats at depth in one set currently, but can squat 400 belt less for several reps with a couple in the tank once warmed up with a weighted barbell.
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I know you mean well but would refrain from making these type of blanketed statements.jeffjeff85 wrote: »I dont let my boys strength train with weights. Ligament tears are permanent damage.
If you cant do 25 body weight squats (min) then you.have no business picking up a weighted bar anyway.
We see this type of "screening" for example by most physical therapists too much, too often.
I for one probably can't do 25 body weight squats at depth in one set currently, but can squat 400 belt less for several reps with a couple in the tank once warmed up with a weighted barbell.
Isnt saying physical therapists say things 'too much too often" one of those blanket statements?@!
Uh, no matter.
I likely can NOT squat 400, certainly not for 'reps'. But I can squat 200 ALL DAY LONG, which for me n my boys is a far more useful skill.0
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