Can youth athletes (6th-8th grade) lift weights?
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I’m calling BS on this as well. Im not that terribly old and I never saw an 8th grader-on my team or any other team who could get anywhere close to 300 on a bench press.
A 300 pound bench press is a pretty big deal once a kid surpasses it in HS-but they aren’t doing that at 13-14 years old.
Yup I powerlifted at a big áss 5a school. Nobody was benching 300 until their sophomore/junior year. And most of the big *** fat lineman never got there. Short stocky tree stumps that weighed 200-225ish lbs and played linebacker or fullback were the best bench pressers.
Nobody in my high school ever hit 400 that I recall in the late 90's and we had a dozen dudes go d1 in football over my 4 years. If I benched 300 in 8th grade, i would have benched 650 as a senior.
Not scientific, but some physical therapist friends of mine would not let their kids lift weights until high school. Said it would probably be fine in hr high if done right, but didn’t trust the coaches to know how to do it right, didn’t trust them to adequately supervise that many players even if they did know, and more importantly, said it’s unnecessary.
Said their sons friends were trying to max squats in 7th grade and struggled to do a proper plank for one minute. Said no way they were lifting weights safely with a core that weak and that with a core that weak, there was no real benefit they could get from lifting weights that they couldn’t get from a body weight exercises.
Said their sons friends were trying to max squats in 7th grade and struggled to do a proper plank for one minute. Said no way they were lifting weights safely with a core that weak and that with a core that weak, there was no real benefit they could get from lifting weights that they couldn’t get from a body weight exercises.
Yeah, I mean, we had a few guys over 300 on the varsity team, and we sent a few players to D1, but no one was anywhere close to 300 before 10th grade.
This is fantastic advice. I trust physical therapists opinions. And I do not trust most jr high coaches to teach form properly.
Anecdotal and maybe tangentially related. I ran my *** off every day from about 5th to 8th grade long distance for track. Never seemed to really improve my endurance or breathing. Wasn't until much later that I started seeing results. This is probably because our track "coach" never really taught me to pace or how to run. It was pretty much, you're tall and skinny, go run around the field until practice is over. That was the extent of his coaching.
Edited to add that my son had similar experience. When running with me when he was in middle school, he could not keep up with my slow pace. Fast forward a year or so to early 10th grade, and we'd run about 3 miles, he would be on the patio drinking a gatorade 20 minutes before I got back.
He meant they did 1 lb 300 times. Congrats, you just lifted 300 lbs. Boom.**
This sort of thing is concerning to me......I didn't do ANY school sports until 7th grade. Before that, it was all regular youth stuff where the practices weren't that intense. And our 7th grade sports weren't that intense either.
But nowadays, in like 5th/6th grades, parents are having to haul these kids to like 6 am practices every day, running their *** off. Not to mention travel sports. And then you have club soccer, which has 'training' basically every day of the week. Just like pitching too much can hurt an arm, all that running theoretically would hurt the knees, right?
Here's your answer. Listen to Rip.
startingstrength.com
startingstrength.com
Why Your Kids Should Be Lifting Weights | Mark Rippetoe
The media has been interested in strength training recently, although they don't know that's what they're actually interested in. A study published in the British Medical Journal Open – Leisure time computer use and adolescent bone health —findings from the Tromsø Study, Fit Futures: a...
startingstrength.com
Can You Put Your Kids on a Strength Training Program? | Mark Rippetoe
We do seminars all over the country, every month...Every time, without fail, someone asks the question: Can my kids train for strength? Can they do the squat, press, and deadlift with me when I go to the gym?
startingstrength.com
What I take from that, and all the previous replies, is that you should basically start lifting in the teenage years, and lean towards 14/15 over 13. Seems like it’s best to ‘play’ and develop movements until that point. Once the body has developed somewhat into adult area, turn loose on the lifting. Any earlier than that, you’re damaging the ability for the growth plates to develop properly, and maximize height/length/etc.Here's your answer. Listen to Rip.
Why Your Kids Should Be Lifting Weights | Mark Rippetoe
The media has been interested in strength training recently, although they don't know that's what they're actually interested in. A study published in the British Medical Journal Open – Leisure time computer use and adolescent bone health —findings from the Tromsø Study, Fit Futures: a...
Can You Put Your Kids on a Strength Training Program? | Mark Rippetoe
We do seminars all over the country, every month...Every time, without fail, someone asks the question: Can my kids train for strength? Can they do the squat, press, and deadlift with me when I go to the gym?
After all, 11/12 year olds weren’t out there throwing hay bales. Mainly because they just can’t do it. But it’s still all good for coordination.
Cliffs notes, don’t lay around doing nothing, but don’t start stressing yourself until you’re actually a ‘man’.
Thanks for the articles @Shane of Pisgah
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