Weight lifting for pre-teens

Had this discussion with my wife the other night. I think 12 is too young, but not by much. We agreed that the earliest our kids would start lifting...if they wanted to, and one of them does, SHE is 9, was when they started the 9th grade. I'm with judd, that I beleive that starting them too early will have adverse affects on their growing potential.

but, that's not to say body weight exercises aren't a suitable alternative.

I don't know if it was right, but my dad waited for my voice to drop and the peach fuzz to sprout before taking me to the gym (about 13-14) I think that's a really good age. Hopefully he turns into an iron junky!!!

Good question. I wanted to know the answer to this, too and did some research and this was the most legit article:

http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=404

I wanted my daughter (she'll be 12 in September) to start strength training but after plenty of research found that it's best to wait till she's an older teen. Most I found was b/c they aren't done growing, sexual health, etc.

My son is 14. He has been working out on the weight machines for at least a year and a half. So he started when he was 12 +. However, our gym has an instructor and a program designed for pre-teens and teens. So I think he has learned to us the equipment in a safe manner. This program has done wonders for his overall health and endurance. If it had not been for the instructor, I would not have allowed my preteen on the weight machines.

I had to laugh at the pecs vs abs

If the gym allows the kid in the workout area under supervision, then there shouldn't be a problem with it. I don't really see the huge difference between letting a 12 year old use equipment compared to a child who is a year older in high school where weight lifting a PT class option.

My personal suggestion, and this comes from what my parents did when I was finally old enough to go into the YMCA workout area, is see if there is a class available at the gym for kids who are ready to start investing in fitness. The YMCA had a 4 week course, one class a week, where they taught how muscles worked, why lifting helped them, gave a basic nutrition information, and then your last class you broke up into groups of 2 and learned how to properly use the equipment with one of the instructors. You weren't allowed in the free weight area until you were 16, and then you had to go through another class.

If something like that isn't available, then perhaps look into paying for one PT session, so that they can go through with your son and teach him the proper form and use of each piece of equipment there.

You're going to find plenty of credible evidence either way..stunts growth/doesn't stunt growth...I can only offer my anecdotal experience.

I started lifting when I was 13. My dad enrolled me in a teen strength class at his gym. I basically did a lot of body weight exercises and the big 4 compound lifts (Squat, Bench Press, Dead-Lift, Over Head Press) with minimal weight as to basically work on form and get used to the movements. It was a lot of class-room type work as well.

As I progressed, they had additional classes, but by and large it was form, form, form and learning various exercises more than it was trying to push and pull a bunch of weight. Heck, a lot of the time we were just using broom sticks and fake foam barbells for some lifts. Most of my actual work was body weight stuff and general conditioning type stuff...like pushing the sled, etc.

I was an athlete and did track and field...sprinter, jumper, and pole vaulter as well as a swimmer, so all of this really helped me. That said, I didn't get into a real, progressive lifting routine where I was trying to progressively overload until I was 15 and a freshmen in high school.

My previous couple of years of training were extremely beneficial to me though, as I already knew and had good form and already knew what exercises did what, the importance of compounds over isolation movements, etc. While a lot of my buddy's were busy busting out as many dumbbell curls as they possibly could, I was rocking power cleans like a boss.

My $.02...if you can get him into a class now or in the next couple of years that will really teach him how to lift...not just going in and trying to lift all the weights...it can be an invaluable experience. Done incorrectly though could have possible consequences. From the research I've looked at, a lot of the issues arise when kids are just left to their own devices and don't learn to lift properly and are just trying to show off and lift all the weights (which wouldn't be uncommon for a 12 y.o.).

Whether they learn now or later in their teen years, they're still going to need to learn proper form and how to lift.

By the by, I'm the tallest person in my family going back 3 generations.

I think 12 is a bit young. 13-14 would be about right for weights.

At 12 he should be doing a lot of body weight exercises. Pushups, pullups, free squats, etc.