A deep dive on kids lifting weights.
My 2-year-old daughter lifts weights. That’s not a typo.
I know, I know. It sounds crazy. You’re probably thinking; “You must be one of those crazy dads who’s living vicariously through his child and pushes her way too hard.”
But, that’s not the case at all. Hear me out.
She thinks it’s the coolest thing in the world to “eckersize” with mommy and daddy.
She holds a 5 lbs dumbbell and does some goblet squats. She does some landmine presses with a PVC pipe.
We’re not making her do them. We’re not even asking her if she wants to do them. There are no sets and reps. She’s not picking up really heavy weights. She just does it on her own, because she thinks it’s cool to mirror what we do.
I don’t discourage it, because she’s subconsciously building a positive association with exercise. To her, strength training is fun. The more she enjoys it, the more likely she will be to stick with it as she grows up into an adult.
There is a lot of misinformation surrounding kids and lifting weights. Today, I want to answer some of the most common questions I get on that topic.
TL;DR
- Lifting weights, when supervised and coached by a professional, is safer than the sports your athlete is already playing.
- Lifting weights does not stunt a child’s growth.
- Athletes can start lifting weights when they are eager and excited to do it, not when they’re forced to.
- Lifting weights can sometimes be safer and easier than bodyweight exercises.
- Exercise selection, sets and reps, and weights should match their physical and emotional maturity.
Will lifting weights stunt my athlete’s growth?
No. This is a myth.
Here’s what is true: fracturing growth plates can sometimes sometimes lead to stunted growth (even this is rare).
However, your kid is way more likely to fracture a bone when playing sports than when lifting weights with coaching and supervision from a professional.
In fact, lifting weights helps develop stronger bones that are less likely to break in the future.
Will lifting weights injure my athlete?
Your athlete can get injured stepping out of bed in the morning. Actually, I’ve treated athletes who have hurt themselves before they got out of bed in the morning.
Injury risk always exists in every activity.
Lifting weights, however, has a much lower injury risk than the sports that your kid is already playing. Furthermore, lifting weights can help them be more resilient and get injured less in the future.
When should my athlete start lifting weights?
The quick answer: when they want to.
When they start showing interest and are excited to try it out, that’s when they’re ready to start.
You don’t want a hostage in the weight room. Don’t force it.
This comes with a huge caveat: what exercises they do and how they do them matters a lot.
No, your 9 year old shouldn’t hit a one-rep max back squat. But, if they’re excited to try out the weight room, they can hold some light dumbbells and do some reverse lunges.
What exercises should my athlete do then?
It really depends!
For our 9-12 year old group, strength training makes up a smaller part of our program.
We’re mostly focused on exposing them to a bunch of different movement patterns, ramping up the vestibular system, exposing them to sprint mechanics and speed work, getting a lot of jump reps in, and playing agility games.
At the end of the session, though, we get strength reps in. We pick one squat, one press, one hinge, and one row each day.
Some parents have expressed that they only want their kid to do bodyweight strength exercises, because they don’t want the “wear and tear” from the weights.
I get the sentiment, but consider this.
- Let’s say your athlete weighs 90 lbs.
- If they do a bodyweight push-up, they’re lifting 90 lbs.
- If they lay on their back and do a DB Bench Press with 5 lbs dumbbells, they’re lifting 10 lbs.
Lifting weights, in this situation, is exponentially easier and safer than the bodyweight alternative.
How many reps should my athlete do? How heavy should they lift?
The weights should never be so heavy that they’re sacrificing form to get the weight up.
For athletes who have not yet hit puberty, we’re keeping them in Strength Levels 1 and 2. We’re really never going below 6 reps on a movement.
Once they’ve gone through some hormonal changes and have mastered Levels 1 and 2, then we start to progress to heavier loads and less reps.
A quick thought on the type of running you should stop.
My most frequented exercise is going for a run on the hedonic treadmill.
If you’re like me, here’s your reminder to stay present in the here and now.
You have enough and life is good. Keep working hard and chase goals, but don’t sacrifice the present for a future that still won’t fill that void.
A couple important things…
- This newsletter is completely free. I spend many hours each week researching, writing, and illustrating (okay, maybe the drawings don’t take that long). The best way you can support it and allow it continue is to share it with people you know. You can just send them to gtperformance.co and they can subscribe there!
- Everything in these newsletters and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or you athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.
Thanks so much for your help in spreading the word about athlete development!
Be >,
Zach
Dr. Zach Guiser, PT, DPT, CSCS