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Guide to Sensible Strength Training for Young Adults
Guide to Sensible Strength Training for Young Adults*
Young athletes strive to achieve their personal best. As
coaches, parents and physicians, we need to be able to guide
them so they can reach their goals without injuring themselves.
One way to prevent injuries is by having young athletes increase
muscle strength, flexibility and bone density through proper
nutrition and a supervised strength training program.
With every child, the question eventually arises: What is the
appropriate age to start strength training?
Before answering this question, let's define strength training:
It's a method of conditioning designed to increase an
individual's ability to exert or resist force. The goal is not
to see who is the strongest, but to improve muscular-skeletal
strength, speed, agility and endurance. Strength training can
involve the use of weights, physio-balls, resistance bands,
rubber tubing and plyometrics, or it can mean doing body weight
exercises like sit ups, push ups, dips, squats and lunges.
Despite previously held beliefs that strength training is unsafe
and ineffective for youths, health organizations such as the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning
Association (NSCA) now support children's participation in
appropriately designed and competently supervised strength
training programs.
What's the Right Age to Start a Strength Training Program? Here
is a good rule of thumb: If 7- or 8-year-olds are ready for
participation in organized sports or activities such as little
league or gymnastics, then they are ready for some type of light
resistance (balls, bars and bands) strength training program.
For older children, the real question is what type of program?
The answer to this really depends upon individual growth and
maturity factors (see guidelines below for further detail). In
all cases, lifetime fitness and proper exercise techniques
should be emphasized. Adults designing training programs should
provide a motivating environment that helps children develop a
healthier lifestyle
Where Do You Begin? Before beginning a strength training
program, children should have a healthy, balanced diet, to make
sure they are getting enough carbohydrates, protein and dietary
fat to maintain energy for exercise. This well-rounded approach
is part of the healthy lifestyle image that will foster young
adults to remain physically fit throughout their adult years.
When teaching proper techniques for strength training, keep in
mind that children learn best by doing. Show the child the
correct technique, then closely supervise them to make sure they
understand how to do it. Push ups and sit ups are great for
beginners, but as they advance, young athletes should
incorporate weight machines or free weights to challenge
themselves and enhance their work out routines, so long as an
adult is available for teaching the correct lifting techniques
and to supervise the athlete's progress.
Start With The Basics Warming up and stretching should be
performed before, during and after each workout to maintain
flexibility and decrease muscle soreness. Since youths are more
prone to heat illness than adults, they should be encouraged to
drink plenty of water throughout the workout. For a beginning
program, start with one
set of 10-15 repetitions of 6-8
exercises that focus on the major muscle groups of the upper and
lower body. Start with light weight and high reps and increase
the load and decrease the reps as strength improves.
Youth Strength-Training Guidelines Based on the research
findings, the following are recommendations for safe and
productive youth strength-training programs:
1. Select basic exercises for the major muscle groups. This
could be as few as four multiple-muscle exercises, such as leg
presses, chest presses, pull-downs and shoulder presses. The
program could also consist of as many as 12 single-muscle
exercises, such as leg extensions, leg curls, hip adductions,
hip abductions, chest crosses, back pullovers, lateral raises,
bicep curls, tricep extensions, abdominal curls, low back
extensions and calf raises.
2. Have the youth perform approximately 12 exercise sets per
training session. For example, three sets each of a
four-exercise program, two sets each of a six-exercise program
or one set each of a 12-exercise program.
3. Have children use a resistance that permits between 10 and 15
properly performed repetitions to muscle fatigue.
4. Increase the weight load by 1 to 3 pounds whenever 15
repetitions can be completed in good form.
5. Make sure young people perform every repetition through a
full range of joint movement, from a position of comfortable
muscle stretch to a position of complete muscle contraction.
6. Have them perform every repetition with controlled movement
speed, taking approximately two seconds for each lifting action,
and two to three seconds for each lowering action.
7. Train youth two or three non-consecutive days per week. For
children actively involved in weekday and weekend sports, two
weekly training sessions should be sufficient.
8. Progress gradually and consistently. This can be facilitated
by recording every training session on simplified workout cards.
9. Include aerobic activity and flexibility exercises in every
training session, multi-movement exercises (such as a bent over
row with tricep kickback, or lunge with bicep curl), whenever
possible to enhance mental involvement and enjoyment.
10. Provide competent instruction and supervision by qualified
adults throughout the training session.
Strength training should be one part of a total fitness program.
Teaching young athletes the benefits of a healthy lifestyle,
proper nutrition and strength conditioning can give them the
strong base on which to incorporate total fitness into their
adult lives.
*This guide was prepared by Len Glassman, a Certified Personal
Trainer and owner of Personal Best Fitness Center in Garwood,
New Jersey. Len specializes in sports specific, goal-oriented
training of young athletes of all ages and abilities. Len can be
reached at 908-789-3337, or you can check out Personal Best's
Website at www.pb-fitness.com.
About the author:
Len Glassman, a Westfield, New Jersey resident, is a Certified
Personal Trainer with over 20 years of physical fitness
experience. Prior to entering the fitness profession full-time,
Len practiced law in the health care sector. His passion for
fitness and teaching others lead to the creation of Personal
Best Fitness & Pilates Center in Garwood, New Jersey.
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