hey guys my boy is 7 yrs old and i have him doin push ups, sit ups, and wt less squats..........4 sets of 10 but i want to know at what age should i incorperate wts into his trainin? he plays pee-wee football and his season is over right now so i figured now would be a good time to start his post season trainin i just wanted to know if i should have him moving steel or not???
how young is too young to lift???
- Thread starter adidamps2
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MUSTACHErides
New member
From what I understand, his growth will stunt if he uses weights to supplement his workouts, and around 13 (depending on his genetics) he could probably start lifting, but he can use his own body weight for now..
tman55
New member
This is a very debated subject and I have been doing some research on this and have found conflicting information. Seems old school thought was that resistance programs could close growth plates prematurely in young kids. New school thinking debated that and states it may be safe when done properly.
Lots of info on the internet about this. try this site and go to the bottom of the page and do a search for growth plates. www.niams.nih.gov
Anyway I have found information stating that it is safe when done with a good trainer who knows what he is doing (most of us qualify). I read somewhere that compound movements such as deads and squats are not as safe as some other exercises like bench, leg extension etc..
Anyway let me know what you think.
My son is 7 years old. He is in competitive gymnastics and they have him practicing 5 hours a week. half that time is spent doing pushups, situps, L Hangs, rope climbs, pullups, hand stands etc. The other half is spent doing the rings, floor routine, P Bars, High Bar etc....
I also work him out at home a couple times a week doing pushups, situps etc. no squats or deads. When you think about it, light weight high rep work is easier on the body than pullups and pushups. I have not started my son on weights yet until I learn more but i have thought about starting him on a high rep routine on my old Bowflex that is collecting layers of dust. That would be perfect for a kid I believe because there is no momentum involved and it is safer than freeweights.
More thought? Any docs around?
Lots of info on the internet about this. try this site and go to the bottom of the page and do a search for growth plates. www.niams.nih.gov
Anyway I have found information stating that it is safe when done with a good trainer who knows what he is doing (most of us qualify). I read somewhere that compound movements such as deads and squats are not as safe as some other exercises like bench, leg extension etc..
Anyway let me know what you think.
My son is 7 years old. He is in competitive gymnastics and they have him practicing 5 hours a week. half that time is spent doing pushups, situps, L Hangs, rope climbs, pullups, hand stands etc. The other half is spent doing the rings, floor routine, P Bars, High Bar etc....
I also work him out at home a couple times a week doing pushups, situps etc. no squats or deads. When you think about it, light weight high rep work is easier on the body than pullups and pushups. I have not started my son on weights yet until I learn more but i have thought about starting him on a high rep routine on my old Bowflex that is collecting layers of dust. That would be perfect for a kid I believe because there is no momentum involved and it is safer than freeweights.
More thought? Any docs around?
Mudge
Community Veteran
I started at 11, my brothers started even younger. To me its not the age as much as its the weights you give them. At 7 coordination is possibly also not too developed just yet as far as muscular control goes. I was giving them a dumbell with litterally 2.5 pounds on each side to do "barbell curls" with.
Little weights, high reps, not a lot of volume IMO. Having a kid do deadlifts for 2 hard ass reps, not smart. Let them grow up, and get the feel for things first. Some kids may have it, some wont.
Little weights, high reps, not a lot of volume IMO. Having a kid do deadlifts for 2 hard ass reps, not smart. Let them grow up, and get the feel for things first. Some kids may have it, some wont.
hornedfrogs07
New member
I wouldn't start a kid on weights until they at least have the coordination and neuromuscular control to do it properly. Now, each kid will develop at different rates, so that's a VERY subjective quality to base the proper age to start lifting on.
Personally, I started when I was 11-12.
Also, I think that if you start your kid too early or push him too much then he will not enjoy the activity and won't take it seriously or, more importantly, continue it later in life. Same reason I quit baseball when I was a badass 12 year old, my dad had pushed me too much and it got to where it just wasn't fun.
Personally, I started when I was 11-12.
Also, I think that if you start your kid too early or push him too much then he will not enjoy the activity and won't take it seriously or, more importantly, continue it later in life. Same reason I quit baseball when I was a badass 12 year old, my dad had pushed me too much and it got to where it just wasn't fun.
