When is it Safe for Youth Athletes to Strength Train?

I’ll never forget seeing the mystical sign outside the weight room at our local YMCA that said “Must be at least 14 years old to enter”. I would watch my older brother go in there and wonder what all he was allowed to do that I couldn’t see. This fascination of mine went on for four years while I waited for the magical day when I was 14 and could go in to that room to lift weights. Instead, I took the much more hazardous route and lifted in our basement using the sand weight set from Sears when no one was home. I still remember the basement routines as well as most of the times I couldn’t complete the repetition so I carefully slid weights off one side at a time. That was 25 years ago and by now I’ve worked with youth athletes for 15 years. Most of the parents I speak with still want to know the same few things such as:

“When is it ok for my kid to lift weights?”

“If they lift weights, will it hurt them?”

“How heavy should they lift?”

And many other questions like these. 

Let’s dive into some research, some observation, and some practical steps parents can use for their children’s strength training. 

At Showtime Strength & Performance, we follow the American College of Sports Medicine stance that was published in Volume 32 of their research which states “ Generally speaking, if children are ready for participation in organized sports or activities such as little league baseball, soccer, or gymnastics, then they are ready for some type of strength training”. This position makes total sense in practical application. At this stage, strength training is nothing more than injury prevention and coordination training. The goal at this stage is to make training fun and age appropriate. Soccer for example, is a sport where kids run, change direction, and have accidental contact with each other. If we don’t prepare for these realities, then we’re not preparing them to participate safely. 

From the Mayo Clinic paper titled “Tween and teen health”, it states that done properly strength training can:

• Increase your child’s muscle strength and endurance
• Protect your child’s muscles and joints from sport related injuries
• Strengthen bones
• Help children maintain a healthy weight
• Improve confidence and self esteem

What’s most interesting about these benefits above is that most of them have spiraled out of control to a much bigger issue than in previous decades. This isn’t to say that strength training will 100% eliminate youth athlete injuries, but it will certainly reduce the risk. 

The National Strength & Conditioning Association states in their article “Why Youth Strength & Conditioning Matters” “Youth athletes must not be trained past the point of physiological benefit (making athletes vomit isn’t appropriate). The optimal balance of challenge and success leads to youth embracing the benefits of strength and conditioning programs. This article highlights the various benefits of youth strength and conditioning and how coaches should adjust their technical and non technical strategies to achieve success with this group. At this age, it’s not about the max amount of weight lifted or pushing athletes to the brink, it’s about creating a positive environment for them to feel successful in. 

Our recommendations will help parents make a sound choice on their child beginning a strength training routine. 

• Seek a Coach who specializes working with youth athletes. This is a skill set that not everyone has. It takes someone who can relate to their emotional, mental, and physical needs. 
• Use age appropriate techniques. Maxing out on exercises has no place in a youth training plan. 
• Have a list of progressions and regressions for every exercise. 
• Stack the odds in their favor. Let them see and feel success every session. 
• Fun. The training has to be in a fun environment. Kids aren’t training to get better at training, it’s just a vehicle. 
• NEVER EVER criticize or demean. Making fun of youth athletes for trying and struggling or not being able to perform an exercise is a sure fire way to get them to hate exercise all together. Always encourage and build up, never tear down. 

We are here to help develop youth athletes to transform into great adults. If you’d like more information on how we can help your kids with their fitness, email me at nick@showtimestrength.com

Nick Showman

Showtime Strength & Performance