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

Just a few weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence fitness center with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me together with his personal little barbell. It was a type of candy moments I can’t assist however share—I simply love these bonding moments.

Quickly after, a mum or dad messaged me: “Is that truly secure? I’ve all the time heard that weight coaching can stunt a baby’s progress.”

And you already know what? It’s a legitimate concern.

As a result of as dad and mom, we wish our youngsters to be energetic and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be secure.

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

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

For those who grew up listening to that lifting weights too early may “harm 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 concern of injuring one thing referred to as the progress plates—areas of growing cartilage close to the ends of youngsters’s bones, the place bone progress occurs. So naturally, the concept of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised considerations.

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

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

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

The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes progress points.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 baby’s progress.

Actually, when completed correctly, resistance coaching has no unfavorable impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it might truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist forestall damage.

Particularly as your youngster will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can cut back their danger of damage.

Right here’s what the analysis reveals:

• A overview revealed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts progress plates or linear progress.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth energy coaching applications, when correctly supervised, are secure and useful.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics helps energy coaching for youngsters, 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 totally different sports activities:

Seems, resistance training is likely one of the most secure bodily actions your youngster can do—when completed 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 teenagers.

Like something, it will depend on the way it’s completed.

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Youngsters carry weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their kind or method

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

• Tools isn’t suited to their measurement

• There’s no development or enough restoration

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

The best way to Make Energy Coaching Secure for Youngsters

Right here’s maintain it secure, sensible, and useful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in energy coaching methods and progressions
✅ Give attention to method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Tools that matches their physique
✅ Preserve it enjoyable, skill-based, and interesting—particularly for youthful youngsters

When these issues are in place, lifting weights turns into not simply secure—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 sturdy, energetic, and assured. However we additionally need to shield them.

As an alternative of avoiding energy coaching or creating concern round it, let’s educate them to do it proper.

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

And that’s one thing price 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