Does Lifting Weights Stunt Progress in Youngsters? What Mother and father Must Know

A number of weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my dwelling health club with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me along with his personal little barbell. It was a kind of candy moments I can’t assist however share—I simply love these bonding moments.

Quickly after, a guardian messaged me: “Is that really protected? I’ve at all times heard that weight coaching can stunt a toddler’s development.”

And you realize what? It’s a legitimate concern.

As a result of as mother and father, we wish our youngsters to be lively and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be protected.

So let’s speak about that concern. The place it comes from, what the science truly says, and what to look out for in relation to resistance coaching for kids.

The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Fantasy Come From?

Should you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early may “injury your bones” or “make you shorter,” you’re not alone. That perception has been round for some time.

However the place did it truly come from?

A part of it’s linked to the worry of injuring one thing known as the development plates—areas of creating cartilage close to the ends of youngsters’s bones, the place bone development occurs. So naturally, the thought of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised issues.

Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: brief, highly effective athletes who raise huge masses. It’s straightforward to imagine the game made them that method—however that’s not what occurred.

They’re brief as a result of that physique kind offers them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their development.

Enjoyable truth: The all-time world file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 ft 6 inches tall (197 cm).

The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes development points.

What the Science Truly Says About Energy Coaching and Progress

Let’s begin with the massive one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a toddler’s development.

In truth, when carried out correctly, resistance coaching has no destructive impact on bone improvement. Quite the opposite, it might probably truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist stop damage.

Particularly as your baby will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can scale back their threat of damage.

Right here’s what the analysis reveals:

• A assessment printed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts development plates or linear development.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth power coaching packages, when correctly supervised, are protected and helpful.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics helps power coaching for kids, so long as the main target is on method and never maximal weights.

• A examine within the Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis discovered that damage charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of well-liked sports activities.

How Secure Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

Let’s check out damage charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout completely different sports activities:

Seems, resistance training is without doubt one of the most secure bodily actions your baby can do—when carried out proper.

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Youngsters

So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s speak about when weight coaching truly can be dangerous for youths.

Like something, it relies on the way it’s carried out.

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Youngsters raise weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their kind or method

• They’re pushed to raise too heavy, too quickly

• Gear isn’t suited to their measurement

• There’s no development or sufficient restoration

However let’s be trustworthy—that’s not simply true for youths. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we practice.

Find out how to Make Energy Coaching Secure for Youngsters

Right here’s tips on how to preserve it protected, sensible, and helpful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in power coaching methods and progressions
✅ Concentrate on method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Maintain it enjoyable, skill-based, and interesting—particularly for youthful children

When these issues are in place, lifting weights turns into not simply protected—it turns into a basis for future motion abilities and lifelong physique consciousness.

Why This Issues So A lot for Mother and father

As a result of all of us need our youngsters to be robust, lively, and assured. However we additionally need to shield them.

As a substitute of avoiding power coaching or creating worry round it, let’s educate them to do it proper.

As a result of when it’s carried out proper, power coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.

And that’s one thing value lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene

References:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20201011/76942/Resistance-Training-for-Children-and-Adolescents

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3483033/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418954/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X20301903

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5538a1.htm