Some blummin weird answers there! Anyway, as I said earlier, he will be using dumbells - so forget the 100s of pounds rubbish. :woo: The dumbells are currently 'loaded' with 6Kg each. He has agreed that he won't go near them unless I am there to supervise. Someone mentioned my ego, blah blah - What's all that about. :woo: Somebody else mentioned he should take up a MA - jeepers! did you actually read my post? So, back to the original question please ......
I think he should do bodyweight exercises, weights, and (possibly) resistance bands. First off, doing a pushup (pressup to ya'll across the pond) is lifting anywhere from 40-66% of one's bodyweight. Consider that his kid weighs about, let's say 80 lbs (shot in the dark, haven't been 9 for 7 years....). 40% of that is 32 pounds. 66% of that is 52.8 pounds. So, doing light dumbbell work with say two 10s would be decent for him to use, even 5s, and do higher reps. The more reps you can do with a given weight, chances are that weight is pretty dang easy which means less of a load on the joints and muscles. As my PE coach says, light and right first. 10 or 20 lbs. total doing squats, bench, cleans, etc. is not going to be enough to injure him unless he's taught the wrong way (doubt johnny X will let that happen), is unsuperivsed, and handles too much for his body (which again, I doubt johnny X will let happen). Mmmmmk, so the point of this post, resistance training, whether it be weights, bodyweight, resistance bands, wrestling a gnome, etc. have benefits for children, but the most important things in my opinion are to make it fun for them, and to watch them very closely. I think all children can benefit from weights, or some form of resistance training. I wish I would've started weights at a much younger age to build a strong base for sports, heavier weights in the future, and help keep me in shape as a youngn'.
Step ups, lunges, Bulgarian squats, single leg Romanian deadlifts, shoulder presses and single arm rows. You could do something like this: Day 1 Dumbell step ups 3x8 Shoulder press 3x8 Single arm row 3x8 Hanging pike 3x8 Day 2 Lunges 3x8 Single leg Romanian deadlift 3x8 Shoulder press 3x8 Single arm row 3x8 Should be easy to teach him these exercises and they should help get rid of any strength imbalances he has.
What happens to the bones. Imagine a thick pole of rubber, pushing down hard on one end so it bends outwards, same can happen to bones, it happens from your own bodyweight in rickets. Also joints may not be able to handle the stresses
Get this into your head; weight training for young people is not dangerous. We are NOT talking about squatting hundreds of pounds, the kind of stuff that would be necessary to have the kind of effect you're talking about.
I personally recon better safe than sorry. You've proved yourself some bodyweights can get someone quite a build, why not suggest those
First I doubt Johnny wants his son to get quite a build. I'm gonna guess he wants his son to get a strong base for future training. Second, bodyweight exercises are, in some ways, no different than weights. You're still moving a form of resistance, but it just happens to be your own body, instead of some iron. Weight training light and safe won't screw up a kid. If it did, then ALL kids would be screwed up from running around, jumping, hanging from monkey bars, pulling themselves up, pushing themselves around, etc (all forms of hauling themselves around, or plyometrics, which, if anything, would stress bones and joints a great deal, but kids do all that stuff still, and are fine). To each their own opinion though, that is, after all, what forums are for...
because he would be bigger (and taller due to GH release) , stronger, and faster? I guess other kids might get jealous and be cruel to the poor athletic kid.
Generally, kids get enough physical activity form just playing and sports. If you're looking to strength train to benefit those sports, more power to you. The bulk of the workout should revolve around bodyweight movements, with some DB moves to compliment them. Biggest rule is (and the one which will all but guarantee you don't "disfigure and misshape the poor lad's spine"): No muscle failure. He should always be able to do another 2 or 3 reps. It's your job to convince him, though, that he'll get stronger if he stops when you say. Another general rule, at his age (and I'd say, until his hits 12-13), every set has at least his age in reps. That's just a handy way to remember it. As for exercises, stick with the big compound lifts. And teach him the technique. DB squats/deadlifts, chest press, standing shoulder press, bent rows, pull-ups, push-ups, bodyweight lunges. He'll probably find some O-lift variations fun and challenging. That's a good thing. With all that swimming, be sure to include some prehab shoulder work (rotations, presses, all sorts of high-rep raises). I'll have to double check my files to find some helpful links, so everyone can stop speaking myth and conjecture.
Everyone lifts stuff........... even kids !! To do it in a controlled and safe fashion is quite cool ! Did anyone ever see that 9 yr old boy who was ripped to the St.Mary???? I have an 11 year old daughter myse;f who's been training boxing and acrobatics and ma and qigong and so on since she was old enough to move. She's in awesome shape and has a mean mean power jab ( iron fist ) you wouldn't believe! For kids that age, particularly if they're skinny ( meaning they do loads of cardio ) just add some extra carbs to their diet as often as possible ( 4-6 x a day is perfect) and try to get them to do it with a protein ( and a glass of milk / some ham or cheese or a yoghurt or custard or meat / chicken / fish / bacon / legume / etc etc ) for at least three of those times! With all those carbs though, just make sure you also up his vit b intake ( to metabolise it all ) , don't neglect his cold clear fluids ( with or without glyco - & a good cordial is fine ) and he'll be on his way. Remember with lifting though ( including bwe ) , anything over 6 reps / set and youre no longer hypertrophing ( growning extra muscle ( after 6-8 -10 weeks max) but doing musculature ( as opposed to cardio ) endurance instead! Together with an already high cardio load, and you're burning body parts. cheers Blooming Lotus
It's a good thing that Shaq started lifting in his pre-teens because if not the guy would've been at least 9 feet tall (you know, since lifting weights stunts growth).
My god I cant believe some of the dark age answers here... Be Water, KE and a couple of others have it spot on... stick to compound, not heavy exercises... Dont force weight but let him progress to his level... also let him have fun but also find out how fun it can be to "push" ones self (and by push I dont mean lifting the sort of poundage he might do when older (100s of lbs honestly anyone who thinks that is... well) I mean by finding his limits and perhaps wanting to extend them)... A few points... Richard Sandrak is an incredibly special case... not because he was so cut or could lift so much but because of what his parents put him through to get him there... also he was 8 for about 4 years and then 10 for another 3... I worked with NZ strongest man, and he was that at 18... he had been lifting for years hard... he stood at about 6'6 and had arms as big as my legs... poor bugger, obviously stunted as BS comments on... There is NO evidence to support the idea that weight lifting is bad for kids... in fact the reverse is usually true... common sense just needs to be applied...
Yup theres some dark ages answers here. We should avoid the witchcraft of weightlighting People really shouldn't make statements when they have no knowledge or evidence to back them up. Saying kids will end up deformed or stunted is just rediculous when this is clearly not the case. If I had kids I'd be more than happy to have them lift weights!
Prior to puberty (13 or 14 years of age), most youngsters lack the muscular and skeletal development required to safely participate in a vigorous weight training program. This does not mean, however, that they should not engage in strength training activities. Children as young as seven who can follow directions, use correct exercise technique and have discipline, can improve muscular strength and endurance by doing callisthenic-type exercises. Regardless of age, the first year of formalized training should be to learn correct exercise technique and develop a general fitness base. Exercises should be fun and include activities for the total body using only body weight as resistance. Children should workout three times per week and do 1x 10-15 reps of jumping jacks, push ups, pull-ups, dips, sit-ups, squats, lunges, step-ups, step-downs, etc. to strengthen the body core (legs, hips, abdomen and back). They should also learn basic running mechanics and play simple games involving starts, stops, relays, shuttles, hopping, jumping, skipping, swinging and throwing to improve agility, balance and coordination (ABC). Keep the volume low. Over training can cause a loss of interest and/or injury. At 9-10 years of age, most children are physically ready to begin training with light external resistance. Start with DBs. Do 1x 10x5 lb for the hips and legs and 1x 10x2 lb for the upper body. Keep the exercises simple and monitor how the child tolerates the stresses of training. Do a total body program using DB squat, step-up and lunge for the legs; DB bench press, arm curl, triceps kickback and forearm exercises for the upper body and MD ball swings and twists for the trunk. Gradually build to 2x 10-15 with 1-10 lb resistance. Introduce squat and touch (SAT), push up plus, simple plyometric drills (tuck, pike and split jump), backward skips, backward runs and moderate intensity games and relays for ABC. The 11-13 year-old group should continue the basic exercises using light resistance and be introduced to more advanced exercises (lat pulls, leg press, leg curl, leg extension, calf raise, rows and shrugs) with little or no resistance. Add MD ball throws and sit-ups for the trunk. Run forward and backwards and laterally, do plyometrics (hops and jumps), play games and run relays for ABC. Start with 2x10 and build to 2x15). Add sport-specific exercises and increase the volume of training at 14-15 years of age. Start with 2x10 and build to 3x10. Introduce walking, lateral and crossover lunges, power step-ups and box crossovers for the legs. Do bench, incline press and/or flys for the chest, rows for the back and back squats and lunges for the legs. Hop 1-2 times before doing MD ball throws to strengthen the trunk. Do agility ladders, run 1.5 miles and do sprints and interval runs on alternate days. By age 16, most athletes are ready for entry level adult programs, but only if they have gained a basic level of training experience. Start with higher volume - lower intensity work and gradually build to lower volume - higher intensity work. Begin with 3x10. Gradually add resistance and build to 3x6. When they can do 3x6, reduce the weight until they can do 3x10 and gradually build to 3x6 with a heavier weight. Avoid max or near-max lifts until age 18 or older. For max safety, avoid training with loads that cannot be lifted at least six times. Continue to do distance, sprint, interval, plyometric, abdominal and ABC work. Children are not miniature adults and therefore should not use programs designed for adults. They lack the physical development, emotional maturity and training background to safely perform adult- orientated programs. The goal of a youth resistance training program is to develop total fitness, not to look like Jeff Bagwell or Mark McGwire. Youngsters need a comprehensive program designed to establish a sound fitness base and improve basic motor skills. Bob Note: DB = dumb bells
Yes, we've all read the textbooks. They are, however, wrong. Weight training is an excellent addition to even a very young child's exercise program.
