Does Lifting Weights Stunt Progress in Youngsters? What Dad and mom Have to Know

A number of weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence health club with my 3-year-old toddler subsequent to me, copying me along with his personal little barbell. It was a type of candy moments I can’t assist however share—I simply love these bonding moments.

Quickly after, a mother or father messaged me: “Is that really secure? I’ve all the time heard that weight coaching can stunt a toddler’s progress.”

And you realize what? It’s a legitimate concern.

As a result of as mother and father, we would like our youngsters to be lively and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be secure.

So let’s discuss that concern. The place it comes from, what the science truly says, and what to look out for relating to resistance coaching for youngsters.

The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Fantasy Come From?

In case you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early might “injury your bones” or “make you shorter,” you’re not alone. That perception has been round for some time.

However the place did it truly come from?

A part of it’s linked to the worry of injuring one thing referred to as the progress plates—areas of growing cartilage close to the ends of kids’s bones, the place bone progress occurs. So naturally, the thought of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised issues.

Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: brief, highly effective athletes who elevate large masses. It’s straightforward to imagine the game made them that approach—however that’s not what occurred.

They’re brief as a result of that physique sort provides them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their progress.

Enjoyable truth: The all-time world file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 toes 6 inches tall (197 cm).

The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes progress points.

What the Science Really Says About Power Coaching and Progress

Let’s begin with the massive one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a toddler’s progress.

In reality, when achieved correctly, resistance coaching has no unfavorable impact on bone improvement. Quite the opposite, it might truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist stop harm.

Particularly as your baby will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can cut back their danger of harm.

Right here’s what the analysis exhibits:

• A evaluate printed in Pediatrics concluded there’s no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts progress plates or linear progress.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth energy coaching applications, when correctly supervised, are secure and useful.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics helps energy coaching for youngsters, so long as the main target is on method and never maximal weights.

• A research within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis discovered that harm charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of fashionable sports activities.

How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

Let’s check out harm charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout totally different sports activities:

Seems, resistance training is likely one of the most secure bodily actions your baby can do—when achieved proper.

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Youngsters

So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s discuss when weight coaching truly can be dangerous for teenagers.

Like something, it will depend on the way it’s achieved.

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Youngsters elevate weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their type or method

• They’re pushed to elevate too heavy, too quickly

• Gear isn’t suited to their measurement

• There’s no development or satisfactory restoration

However let’s be sincere—that’s not simply true for teenagers. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we prepare.

How you can Make Power Coaching Protected for Youngsters

Right here’s methods to preserve it secure, sensible, and useful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in energy coaching methods and progressions
✅ Concentrate on method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Preserve it enjoyable, skill-based, and fascinating—particularly for youthful children

When these issues are in place, lifting weights turns into not simply secure—it turns into a basis for future motion expertise and lifelong physique consciousness.

Why This Issues So A lot for Dad and mom

As a result of all of us need our youngsters to be sturdy, lively, and assured. However we additionally wish to shield them.

As an alternative of avoiding energy coaching or creating worry round it, let’s train them to do it proper.

As a result of when it’s achieved proper, energy coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.

And that’s one thing value lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene

References:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20201011/76942/Resistance-Training-for-Children-and-Adolescents

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3483033/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418954/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X20301903

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5538a1.htm