Confirming and disconfirming myths about weight-training for children (1 of 7)

1
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (1 of 7)

• Myth no. 1
• Training with weights inhibits children's
  growth
• Wrong
• - Physiological arguments nor research or
  investigation show this
• But
• - It is seen among elite-trained children from
  aesthetic disciplines with focus on weight
  limits. They often have delay in their growth.

2
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (2 of 7)

• Myth no. 2
• Training with weights harm childrens bones
• Wrong
• - Anything but. Weight-training make the
  bones structure stronger and improves the density
• - Research on junior weight-lifters shows that
  they have a higher bone density compared to other
  children how also do sports.

3
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (3 of 7)

• Myth no. 3
• Training with weights harm the bones epiphysis
  growth-plate
• Wrong
• - The heavy but controlled weight loads are not
  dangerous
• But
• - Acute fractures in the bones can turn into
  continual damage. Those damages are rarely seen
  in weight training. It is more frequently seen in
  sport where children interact with each other,
  for example football or handball.

4
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (4 of 7)

• Myth no. 4
• Weight-training overloads the
  tendon-attachments in the greater muscles
• True
• - This is an actual fact, but it is not more
  prevalent than in other sports.
• Be aware of
• - Tendon-attachment in big muscle-areas
  especially in the patella area - avoid strenuous
  leg extensions

5
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (5 of 7)

• Myth no. 5
• There is way to high overload
• Wrong
• - Weight-training does not generate more power
  than the muscle it self can generate
• - Contrary to gymnastics and football

6
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (6 of 7)

• Myth no. 6
• Weight-training has to simple exercises and low
  transfer to everyday life
• True
• - A potential risk when children are left along.
• - Need for a great various of training
  possibilities.
• Beware of
• - Needs well educated trainers

7
Confirming and disconfirming myths about
weight-training for children (7 of 7)

• Myth no. 7
• Weight-training is unhealthy for children
• Wrong
• - It may not bee as rewarding to cardiovascular
  chances in the body as aerobic exercise, but a
  child which exercise is fare more healthy than a
  inactive child.

8
Why shouldnt children only use their own
bodyweight?
9
Why shouldnt children only use their own
bodyweight?

• It can be too easy for some children and to
• strenuous for others.
• Signals that it is not allowed to use weights,
  
• which is a shame for the children, who could have
  had a
• lot of succes with weights-training, because they
  maybe
• dont have talent for many other sports and some
  can feel
• unpleasant socially among other children.

10
Are there no problems then?

• - Potentially there is a lot of problems, the
  point is that it
• isnt much different from other sport
  activities.
• - Especially knee and back are often in an
  exposed position.
• - Children can be spontaneous and out of control
  in their
• movements, and a wrong position/movement under
  load involves a risk.

11
PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS (1 of 2)

• Starting point
  
  
• - 8-15 repetitions eventhough the RPM is more
  likely
• to be 18 using the x kg. weights
• Subsequent
• - When the child has increased strength and
  improved to a higher technique level, it should
  work closer to its RPM.
• - More than 15 rep. is often borring and
  demotivating (!)
• - Various kinds of movements. Different
  movements in the same joint is important.

12
PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS (2 of 2)

• Free weights
• Weight machines especially made for children
• Body weight
• It is not the chosen way of training that is
  critical. It is the way it can be used
  wrong.
• Ideal to supplement with other kinds of sports.
• It is important to motivate children to exercise
  without old myths interference.

13
Reference Children and Strength training by
Morten Zacho