Does Lifting Weights Stunt Progress in Youngsters? What Dad and mom Have to Know

A couple of weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my house gymnasium with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me together 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 father or mother messaged me: “Is that really protected? I’ve at all times heard that weight coaching can stunt a baby’s development.”

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

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

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

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

In the event 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 referred to 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: quick, highly effective athletes who carry large hundreds. It’s simple to imagine the game made them that means—however that’s not what occurred.

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

Enjoyable truth: The all-time world report 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The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes development points.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 Really Says About Energy Coaching and Progress

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

In truth, when finished correctly, resistance coaching has no destructive impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it could actually truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist forestall harm.

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

Right here’s what the analysis exhibits:

• A overview revealed in Pediatrics concluded there’s no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts development plates or linear development.

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

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

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

How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

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

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

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Youngsters

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

Like something, it depends upon the way it’s finished.

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

• Gear isn’t suited to their dimension

• 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 practice.

Make Energy Coaching Protected for Youngsters

Right here’s preserve it protected, sensible, and useful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in energy coaching methods and progressions
✅ Deal with method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Hold 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 expertise and lifelong physique consciousness.

Why This Issues So A lot for Dad and mom

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

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

As a result of when it’s finished proper, energy 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