When is a good age for adolescents to begin strength training?
Research indicates that adolescents can safely begin strength training as early as 5 years of age. It is important to remember that when performing weight lifting activities at a young age like this, it is imperative the adolescent is under the direct supervision of someone knowledgeable, with the emphasis on practicing proper form of the exercise. This direct supervision is important to ensure that injury does not occur. If starting at a young age, it is also important to consider whether or not the athlete is mentally capable of focusing on a workout program. Many young athletes are not ready, thus making it difficult for them to concentrate long enough to obtain any benefit from the exercise.
Will weight training too early stunt the growth of a pre-adolescent?
The simple answer to this is no. Research shows that there is no damage that is done to the growth plates of young athletes who weight train. There are rare cases that do involve damage to the growth plates but these involve an athlete who is performing exercises that are too intense for them or someone who is not practicing proper form of their lift. This is why it is so important to focus on the form of the exercise and not how much weight an individual is capable of lifting.
What should be the goal of the strength training program?
It is important to remember that the purpose of strength training should not be to improve muscle size. Instead, the goal should be improving some aspect of performance in the sport or activity the athlete is involved with (such as core stability and proximal motor control) or to decrease the likelihood of repetitive overuse injuries. Examples of this would be to improve leg strength to take the stress off the shoulder during overhead throwing, or to perform hamstring strengthening to help prevent injuries during running. Many pre-adolescents will not see a change in the cross-sectional size of their muscles or decrease in body fat percentage. This would indicate that the main benefit this age group will get from strength training is neurological (Improved nervous system control of the muscles).
How many times per week should a pre-adolescent lift weights?
A time guideline in pre-adolescent strength training is to perform 2-3 days of lifting per week with the minimum of 1 day in between each session. Another approach is to gauge the amount of soreness the athlete is experiencing. If the athlete is still sore from the previous lifting session then it is not advised to have them go through another session until that soreness has resolved. Duration of soreness is also an excellent gauge as to whether or not the exercises a young person is performing are too difficult for them or not. If it is taking an extended period of time to recover from the soreness it would be in the best interest of the athlete to decrease the intensity of the exercises.
How much weight should a pre-adolescent weight train with?
A general guideline to the amount of weight a young athlete should lift is determined by the number of repetitions they can perform with one set. The athlete should be able to properly lift the weight between 12-15 repetitions without much difficulty. Once this can be accomplished with proper technique and with minimal post-exercise soreness, weight can then be added; but it should be done in small increments. Again, if the athlete is having problems with recovery from soreness, then the amount of the weight should be decreased.