should kids under 12 workout?

[CenturionHRT]

this was posted on another board and i think its great. I was one of the believers that youngsters should never workout with weights.

The Benefits of Weight Training for Kids - NYTimes.com

 

[TonySuicideKing]

quite interesting. I always heard the opposite from people.

 

[KingCrane]

as a kid I lifted light weights, but moastly all cardio.

 

[miz2680]

I honestly believe the best thing for kids are calesthenics and body weight exercises (pushups, situps, dips, chins, etc.). With all those hormones running in their system as teenagers they are going to grow no matter what. I don't think I want my son to touch a weight until he's 18. I think he can get so much more from bodyweight exercises. As far as kids under 12 they should be doing what kids do; going outside playing hide and seek, tag, kick the can, running bases, things of that nature. But unfortunately these kids now all they want to do is sit in front of the xbox or ps3 all day. Sad

 

[THE-DET-OAK]

did you read the study miz? it talks about strength training increase the number of neurons that fire the muscle..................after reading that i would say strength training is imperative for kids 7-12. bodyweight exercises would be great, but playing outside is just not going to accomplish what we are discussing here.

 

[RJ]

I honestly believe the best thing for kids are calesthenics and body weight exercises (pushups, situps, dips, chins, etc.). With all those hormones running in their system as teenagers they are going to grow no matter what. I don't think I want my son to touch a weight until he's 18. I think he can get so much more from bodyweight exercises. As far as kids under 12 they should be doing what kids do; going outside playing hide and seek, tag, kick the can, running bases, things of that nature. But unfortunately these kids now all they want to do is sit in front of the xbox or ps3 all day. Sad

x2 for kids at any age. Bodyweight exercises (calesthetics) will provide as much 'strength' as they need until they're older IMO.

 

[mason95]

I enjoyed this article and have wondered about this since I saw one of my coaches teaching his 7yr old how to deadlift.

As a behavioral neuroscience major(not an expert by any means), I can definitely recognize the enourmous potential positive results from this.

Building of the neural networks is a huge part of gaining strength. When adults start lifting weights this is what is happening for a decent amount of time before actual hypertrophy starts. People start to get stronger but wonder why they havn't gotten any bigger, its because they are training their ability to control the muscle up to a certain point and not exhausting the entire muscle.

Like anything else we learn, it is easier to learn at a young age when the nervous system is at its most plastic state. Having the neural networks already hardwired in place could make a huge difference in a young adults ability to pack on muscle or increase strength.

If I ever have kids you can bet I'll have them lifting with just the bar, broomsticks, etc. Even more importantly they'll learn the fundamentals of playing Defensive Line as early as they can. Stance, start, hand placement, etc. After all, I need a retirement plan right?

 

[SenseiMiagi9494]

agreed...bodyweight exercise only under 12 IMO

 

[stonecold1976]

Agreed

 

[Mrs P]

agreed...bodyweight exercise only under 12 IMO

Agree, I would never have my 9 year old do anything else.