You can find the first part of this
article on when the time is right to begin your child in a strength andconditioning program here.
The decision
has been made, the sessions have been bought and planned out, and your child is
ready and rearing to go. This second
part of the article is going to take a look at what a strength and conditioning
program should look like.
But first,
let’s dispel some common myths about kids and strength training.
Myth #1: Lifting Will Make Kids Short
This is a
very common myth and it is one that has been repeatedly busted in the
scientific literature (Ratel). The fact
of the matter is that the body, and growth plates in particular, are subjected
to much higher load and shearing forces when running, jumping, and changing
direction than when they are performing lifts, bodyweight and otherwise, in a
controlled and safe manner.
Myth #2: Kids Will Get Bulky
For females and kids that compete in weight class divided sports in general this is a legitimate concern. It’s a highly unfounded myth that is propagated by the media but legitimate nonetheless. The fact of the matter is that these athletes are not hormonally capable of huge increases in muscle mass. Before a male goes through puberty he isn’t producing a lot of testosterone. If you are a normally functioning female you aren’t either.
The literature shows that females and pre-pubescent males have about a tenth of the testosterone production as normal males. Testosterone is a requisite compound to build muscle. If you don’t have a lot of it you won’t build a lot of muscle. You can get stronger, faster and more coordinated without it. You just won’t get a lot bigger.
For females and kids that compete in weight class divided sports in general this is a legitimate concern. It’s a highly unfounded myth that is propagated by the media but legitimate nonetheless. The fact of the matter is that these athletes are not hormonally capable of huge increases in muscle mass. Before a male goes through puberty he isn’t producing a lot of testosterone. If you are a normally functioning female you aren’t either.
The literature shows that females and pre-pubescent males have about a tenth of the testosterone production as normal males. Testosterone is a requisite compound to build muscle. If you don’t have a lot of it you won’t build a lot of muscle. You can get stronger, faster and more coordinated without it. You just won’t get a lot bigger.
Myth #3: Kids Won’t Get Stronger
This goes back to number two. It’s true that kids won’t see strength gains because of gains in muscular size. But they will see strength gains due to an improvement in neurological function. Your muscles and the nerves that send them the signals to move will become more efficient. This means you will be able to use all or most of the muscle fibers that you have instead of a smaller percentage. This means stronger, faster, and more coordinated athletes.
This goes back to number two. It’s true that kids won’t see strength gains because of gains in muscular size. But they will see strength gains due to an improvement in neurological function. Your muscles and the nerves that send them the signals to move will become more efficient. This means you will be able to use all or most of the muscle fibers that you have instead of a smaller percentage. This means stronger, faster, and more coordinated athletes.
Now that
we’ve dispelled the common myths let’s take a look at what the major points of
emphasis should be in a youth’s strength and conditioning program.
Point of Emphasis #1: Mobility and
Soft Tissue Work
Mobility and
soft tissue work should not just be a corner stone of training programs for
youth athletes, but for all trainees regardless of age, sex, or
sport/activity. The fact of the matter
is that often times improving one’s mobility through soft tissue techniques
will make trainees stronger. This is
because with improved mobility comes less resistance to put the body into
postures and through ranges of motion that will lead to athletic success. I.e. it makes moving easier. When moving is easier you spend less energy
on repetitive motions like running and jumping.
Mobility and
soft tissue work is especially important for athletes that are growing. Bones will often grow faster than the muscles
can keep up. This can lead to tight and
weak muscles especially along the long bones such as the hamstring, quadriceps,
calf muscles, and biceps brachii. Using
soft tissue techniques such as foam rolling, stretching, and activation drills,
one can help the muscles elongate with the bones and keep them strong as they
grow in length.
Point of Emphasis #2: Bodyweight
Movements
The number
of kids I see on a daily basis that start out not being able to do a push up or
a proper bodyweight squat, let alone a pull up, is no longer surprising, but
still disheartening. At the same time I
hear kids talk about how they either hate gym class or don’t even have to take
it. Needless to say kids need to learn a
thing or two about their own bodies and how to handle them.
If a youth
athlete is brand new to strength training, regardless of perceived athletic
ability, they should first work to master their own body weight and then master
free weights. There is no reason why
every kid in America shouldn’t be able to do ten perfect pushups, five perfect
chin ups, and an unlimited amount of bodyweight squats.
The ability
to do these things is NOT something that is gained as we age. It is something we lose. Watch any three year-old horse around for ten
minutes and you will see perfect bodyweight technique on squats, pushing
themselves off the ground, and if an apparatus is available being able to hold
themselves up on a chinning bar. The
other day I saw my girlfriend’s three year-old son put himself into a picture
perfect RDL position. And he was just
watching TV! The hip hinge of an RDL is
something that if a kid doesn’t automatically get it can be very frustrating to
teach.
At the end
of the day body weight movements and lifts should be the cornerstone of any
beginning program and should, at a minimum, be kept up to maintenance levels as
the trainee ages and progress.
Point of Emphasis #3: Proper Lifting
Technique and Selection
Proper
lifting technique must always be paid attention to, to ensure safety and proper
muscular development. It is beyond the
scope of this article to describe proper technique of different lifts. The coach in charge of training young
athletes should not only know how to perform each lift but should be able to
properly teach the lift.
When
performing different lifts, whether they are with body weight, free weight, or
machines, young athletes should never work with maximal or near maximal
weights. Using repetition ranges from
5-15 will ensure a manageable load and proper technique. Most weight room injuries in young athletes occur
when attempting near maximal loads before the athlete is ready. Zatsiorsky and Kreamer recommend the three
year rule when it comes to attempting maximal lifts. That is an athlete should have at least three
years of proper weight room instruction doing the basic lifts before attempting
a maximal or near maximal lift. This will
ensure that the musculature needed to attempt such poundages will be properly
developed to handle the load placed upon them.
Young
athletes should stick to basic multi-joint exercises such as pushups, pull ups,
squats, lunges, dead lifts, and presses.
A good mix of these will in each session will ensure that athletes to
not acquire overuse injuries by doing the same things repeatedly for each
session. Single joint exercises (except
for possibly hamstring curls) such as bicep curls and calf raises will not lead
to any type of athletic enhancement and should be reserved for later in the
athletes progression.
Point of Emphasis #4: Muscles to Be
Trained
The sooner
athletes begin to pay attention to different muscle groups the better. This musculature includes, from top down, the
upper back, the spinal erectors, the abdominal wall and obliques, and the
muscles that attach to the hips (gluteals, hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings,
and adductors).
When
athletes attempt to “play themselves into shape” -only participating in sport
practices to get ready for competition- certain muscular imbalances will
occur. Many times the muscles of the
upper back, the gluteals, and the hamstrings will be underdeveloped, tight, and
weak while the muscles of the upper chest and shoulder, the quadriceps, hip
flexors, and calf muscles will be overactive and tight. These imbalances will lead to improper
postures and ranges of motion during practice and competition and will
ultimately lead to a decrease in performance.
Proper execution
of the exercises listed above, along with attention being paid to soft tissue
and mobility work will help to decrease the imbalances and bring the body back
into proper postural alignment. Proper
postural alignment makes movement much more smooth and efficient and leads to
an increase in performance.
Point of Emphasis #5: Being Able To
Stop
Many coaches
tend to only focus on getting kids to be able to run fast, but few teach the
proper way to decelerate and stop once the athlete has started running or is
coming down from a jump. This point of
emphasis ties into all of the above points in that without proper mobility,
body awareness, and proper muscular development this skill will be severely
lacking.
Very few
sports happen in a straight line with no deceleration component. Track and field, cross country and swimming
are the only ones that come to mind.
Most sports require athletes to change direction, run at different angles,
and stop on a dime. Being able to
properly control your body weight and put it in the proper posture during the
deceleration phase and the subsequent acceleration phase will lead to greater
efficiency when changing direction and ultimately a fast athlete. When athletes lack this skill the movements
are very inefficient and often times place undue stress on the ankle, knee,
hip, and low back.
Summary
The design
and implementation of strength and conditioning programs for the youth athlete
should be built on the basics. Basic
exercises used to develop proper movement patterns and solid body weight
strength are the best way to build a solid foundation for athletic development
as the athlete ages. Do not have youth
athletes attempt maximal strength attempts until they have a solid foundation of
strength and have shown the ability to maintain correct posture throughout the
entire movement. Always teach and strive
for efficiency and proper mechanics during movement training, especially when
it comes to changing direction and stopping.
A well thought out plan and progressions are vital to enhancing athletic
ability while at the same time ensuring the safety of the athlete.
Sources:
High-intensity
and resistance training and elite young athletes. Ratel S.
Med Sport Sci. 2011;56:84-96.
Epub 2010 Dec 21.
Science and
Practice of Strength Training.
Zatsiorsky, V., Kreamer, W. Human
Kinetics, 2006.
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