Common misconceptions and the benefits of Youth training

Have you ever heard the sayings "you have to wait till you're 13 to lifts weights" or even that "weight training is dangerous for kids" as well as "weight training will stunt a youth's growth". Well I have throughout my life. For many of us we have most likely heard a similar thing curving us away from using weights or exercising in general as kids. We heard it from our teachers, coaches, and parents.

 

The point of when I started questioning these ideals was during college. My personal fitness  program offered an in depth look at all aspects of fitness ranging from nutrition, mind body applications to even youth and adolescent training. What caught my attention was that even though these chapters of our text books were short compared to the rest of the manuals provided by NASM and ACE there were benefits listed  regarding youth fitness training. This of course includes weight training as well. Another big or even prominent advocator for youth training is CrossFit. This is apparent with their push for CrossFit classes at a local box near you.

 

The myth of a child resulting in not growing normally from weightlifting is false. In fact it can help improve their ability to accelerate and decelerate their own body effectively. This in return helps them become safe and strong with great movement mechanics. Furthermore the early adoption of exercising can help define their future and guard against obesity, diabetes, and other negative conditions.

 

A program such as CrossFit that introduces the 3 main modalities such as gymnastics, weightlifting, and conditioning can reinforce excellent movement patterns. The goal is to provide a fun, safe, and interesting class for them. If they are participating in sports, they will notice the transferability of movements learned in these type of courses. One of the big things that many trainers look out for is the growing pains in adolescents and the awkward movement patterns generated from this. Since a teen for example can grow a few inches in just a month or less. Their proprioception will in result be changed, but their understanding of the movements will not. They may need specific training to adjust to their recent body growth however, this just further shows how important it is for an adolescent to have a coach. I recommend checking out "Game Ready Fitness" if you are in the Thornton/Westminster area. Coach Mary and Coach CJ are experienced leaders and are ready to help young individuals find their athletic potential. Feel free to contact a coach at: gamereadyfit@gmail.com

Game Ready Fitness (Youth Sports Performance)
Class Schedule:
Tuesdays: 7pm
Thursdays: 7pm
Saturdays: 10am
Sundays: 10am

 

http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/myths-and-facts-about-youth-training-3953

 

Take a look at the link above to see another article regarding youth fitness. For a further in depth discussion on this topic, feel free to check out our latest podcast episode below.

 

http://www.podcasts.com/level-up-711ac0ce6/episode/Episode-3-Talking-Fitness-w-Coach-Mary-807a