Many young athletes want to increase their muscle strength and endurance as well as their cardiovascular fitness. Weight training is a form of exercise called resistance training that enables children and adolescents to build muscle strength. Starting a child or adolescent in a weight-training program is also a good opportunity to teach lifting principles and proper techniques.

 

Getting started

 

Athletes can begin a weight-training program at any age as long as they are mentally and emotionally mature enough. Youngsters must understand that rough play in the weight room can be dangerous to themselves and to others. When beginning a weight-training program, athletes should adhere to the following basic guidelines:

 

1. The athlete needs an annual physical examination and the doctor's permission to participate in a weight-training program. The doctor can recognize whether the athlete has any physical condition that may put him or her at risk for injury through program participation.

 

2. A knowledgeable adult supervises the weight-training activity and spots the lifter during bench presses.

 

3. An athletic trainer, physical therapist, or coach helps create a training program appropriate for the age and goals of the athlete and for the sport in which the athlete participates.

 

4. The athlete wears clothing that cannot be caught in the equipment and wears shoes with a firm toe box and nonskid soles.

 

5. The weight-training program includes at least 10 minutes of warm-up exercises, such as jogging and calisthenics, followed by stretching and concludes with at least 10 minutes of cool-down stretching.

 

6. Before starting the program, the athlete successfully completes a 4- to 6-week period of exercises including pushups, pullups, and situps. An adolescent who sticks with this exercise program will likely commit to a weight-training program. The athlete should continue to do these exercises throughout the weight-training program for general conditioning.

 

7. Flexibility and cardiovascular exercises are important for preventing injuries. The athlete should include some form of low-impact aerobic workout in the program.

 

Avoiding injury

 

Young people must be careful when lifting weights because their bones have not finished growing. Therefore, they risk damaging their growth plates, a layer of cartilage near the end of a bone where most of bone growth occurs. Trying to lift the heaviest weight can lead to a serious injury. For this reason, children and adolescents should not set bulking up as the goal of their weight-training program. They should tone their muscles using a low amount of weight and a high number of repetitions rather than lifting a heavy load one or two times. Only after they have passed through puberty should athletes begin to concentrate on adding muscle bulk. To prevent injury to growing bones, athletes should follow these guidelines for a weight-training program:

 

1. The routine should last no more than 30 minutes.

 

2. The program should include eight to 15 repetitions per set, two to three sets per exercise, and a maximum of 2 exercises per body part.

 

3. The athlete should not work out more than 3 times each week. He or she must include one or two days of rest between workouts. This time allows the muscles to rest and recover from the strain put on them during weight training. Muscle soreness that occurs after a workout should be gone before the next workout.

 

4. Do not increase the amount of weight used by more than 5 pounds each week.

 

5. The dead lift, squat, military press, power clean, snatch, and clean and jerk should be avoided until the athlete has developed secondary sexual characteristics, including heavy facial hair for men and genitalia that is adult in size and shape for both men and women. These characteristics signal that the athlete has passed through the biggest "growth spurt," during which time the growth plates are more vulnerable to injury.

 

6. If possible, the athlete should use free weights rather than weight machines because most machines are sized for adult frames.

 

7. Do not limit the program to weight training. Resistance exercises can also be done with a partner, the athlete's own body weight, and a Thera-Band. Check with a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or coach to find out how to set up a program using these types of resistance exercises.

 

Following an appropriate fitness program that includes weight training as well as flexibility and cardiovascular exercises can help prepare a young athlete for sports participation.

 

Michael Axe, M.D.

 

Newark, Delaware