Just a few weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence fitness center with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me together with his personal little barbell. It was a kind of candy moments I can’t assist however share—I simply love these bonding moments.
Quickly after, a guardian messaged me: “Is that truly protected? I’ve at all times heard that weight coaching can stunt a toddler’s progress.”
And you realize what? It’s a sound concern.
As a result of as dad and mom, we would like our children to be energetic and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be protected.
So let’s discuss that concern. The place it comes from, what the science truly says, and what to look out for with regards to resistance coaching for kids.
The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Fable Come From?
When you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early may “injury your bones” or “make you shorter,” you’re not alone. That perception has been round for some time.
However the place did it truly come from?
A part of it’s linked to the concern of injuring one thing known as the progress plates—areas of growing cartilage close to the ends of kids’s bones, the place bone progress occurs. So naturally, the thought of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised issues.
Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: brief, highly effective athletes who raise large hundreds. It’s simple to imagine the game made them that manner—however that’s not what occurred.
They’re brief as a result of that physique sort offers them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their progress.
Enjoyable truth: The all-time world file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 ft 6 inches tall (197 cm).
The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes progress points.
What the Science Really Says About Power Coaching and Progress
Let’s begin with the massive one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a toddler’s progress.
In reality, when executed correctly, resistance coaching has no unfavorable impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it could actually truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist stop harm.
Particularly as your little one will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can cut back their danger of harm.
Right here’s what the analysis exhibits:
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A overview printed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts progress plates or linear progress.
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The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth energy coaching applications, when correctly supervised, are protected and helpful.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics helps energy coaching for kids, so long as the main target is on method and never maximal weights.
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A research within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis discovered that harm charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of fashionable sports activities.
How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?
Let’s check out harm charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout completely different sports activities:
Exercise | Harm Charge |
Supervised Weight Coaching | ~0.7 accidents |
Gymnastics | 0.5 – 1.3 accidents |
Soccer (Coaching) | 3.7 – 11.1 accidents |
Soccer (Video games) | 9.5 – 48.7 accidents |
Basketball | 14 – 22 accidents |
American Soccer | 5.7 – 6.8 accidents |
Seems, resistance training is without doubt one of the most secure bodily actions your little one can do—when executed proper.
When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Children
So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s discuss when weight coaching truly can be dangerous for teenagers.
Like something, it relies on the way it’s executed.
Weight coaching turns into an issue when:
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Children raise weights unsupervised
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Nobody checks their kind or method
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They’re pushed to raise too heavy, too quickly
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Tools isn’t suited to their measurement
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There’s no development or sufficient restoration
However let’s be sincere—that’s not simply true for teenagers. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we prepare.
The best way to Make Power Coaching Protected for Children
Right here’s preserve it protected, sensible, and helpful:
✅ Supervision by somebody educated in energy coaching methods and progressions
✅ Deal with method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Tools that matches their physique
✅ Hold it enjoyable, skill-based, and fascinating—particularly for youthful youngsters
When these issues are in place, lifting weights turns into not simply protected—it turns into a basis for future motion expertise and lifelong physique consciousness.
Why This Issues So A lot for Mother and father
As a result of all of us need our children to be sturdy, energetic, and assured. However we additionally need to shield them.
As a substitute of avoiding energy coaching or creating concern round it, let’s train them to do it proper.
As a result of when it’s executed proper, energy coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.
And that’s one thing price lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3483033/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418954/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X20301903
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