Should young athletes wait on weights?
Date: 18-08-2010
Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States |
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There are times when Mark Dantzler looks at his son, 6-foot-3 rising Damascus High junior Connor, and is overcome with a sense of relief.
"When he first started powerlifting, my wife joked, ‘If he ends up short, I'm going to be so mad at you," Mark Dantzler said. "I'm not an authority, but I'd heard if you do heavy lifting, it can cause the growth plates to close early."
The younger Dantzler entered his first lifting competition six years ago, at the age of 10. He came across a pop-up advertisement online, while looking for information about upcoming Judo nationals, where he is a six-time national champion.
Dantzler is also now an accomplished competitive powerlifter, with no evident side effects from his early start. He holds two national records in the 16-and-under age group: dead lift (300 pounds) and strict curls (95).
Nonetheless, weight training at a young age remains a controversial topic. Dantzler's success raises a long-standing debate in youth sports: What is an appropriate age to start weight training?
There is no easy answer, but one commonality exists among all studies; Correct form is imperative while working with weights. Breathing techniques, posture and weight control are all crucial.
According to both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, children under the age of 13 are capable of safely engaging in resistance training, with certain limitations.
Seventh-year Good Counsel wrestling coach Skylar Saar is well-versed in the topic. A 1998 graduate of the Olney school, he also has a Master's Degree in exercise physiology from California University of Pennsylvania.
Saar is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist. As such, he works with all Falcons athletes, not just wrestlers, to ensure proper training techniques.
Saar runs daily training sessions throughout the summer for Falcons athletes, boys and girls, of all ages and sports. He separates the incoming freshmen at the beginning of each summer to make sure they know the right way to lift before joining the upperclassmen.
He has worked with more than 120 students this summer.
"The risk goes up exponentially if things are not done correctly," Saar said. "Sports in general are normally higher impact than anything we do in the weight room. You can have an 8-year-old kid jump off the back of the couch and land with more force than a squat. If things are done correctly, it's 100-percent safe. ...
"It can really help you grow, as far as becoming a better athlete. And that's what we're trying to do — make these kids better athletes, not better weightlifters."
Athletes are injured, however, often in the gym rather than on the field. Each of the bones in the body has growth plates, Saar said, and working with heavy weights can be risky for younger children.
To ensure their safety, Saar teaches his pupils the right movements, which they must perform with their eyes before even loading the bar with weights.
It is hard for adolescents in group settings to accurately gauge their limits and not be overzealous. Aside from perpetuating proper form, preventing athletes from overworking themselves could be Saar's most important job in the gym.
The biggest challenge is the foundation, Saar said. It is extremely important to take things step by step. Core strength is of primary concern to prevent muscle imbalances, with workouts including training with stability balls.
While Saar barely varies exercises for girls and boys, he does have regimens that cater to individuals and their respective sports.
"You go through phases and cycles to get them ready to go," Saar said. "The fall sports right now focus on power, the winter sports focus on strength and the spring sports are focusing on stability and core strength."
Saar also discussed the changing landscape for youth sports over the past 10-20 years. More of the county's top athletes are focusing on one sport from a young age.
"I think kids are definitely pushed harder these days, and sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not," Saar said. "We see college coaches at Good Counsel all the time. Every football coach you could imagine has walked through our hallways. The scholarship is the big thing the kids and parents are going after."
David Robson, an active martial artist, bodybuilder and accredited personal trainer, writes for athletes.com and Muscle Training Illustrated, among others. He recently wrote on bodybuilding.com that weight training for children can result in increased muscle strength and endurance, sports performance improvement, and can actually help protect a child's muscles and joints from injury.
"A lot of the sports really helped out each other for awhile," Connor Dantzler said. "When I was doing wrestling, Judo and weight lifting at the same time, they would help each other out muscle-wise and speed-wise. I just think it's kind of funny; people all along say if you weight-lift when you're really young, you can end up short. But it didn't happen to me."
