There’s no ID required for competitive sports. Children are being held to higher skill standards at earlier ages every year. Traveling sports teams with 2-18 year olds venture throughout the country. Like their older counterparts, young athletes are encouraged to do all they can to get an edge. I’m often asked, “At what age can my child begin weight training?” This article will address this question, and provide some effective and safe alternative tips to traditional weight training.
It seems an obvious point, but the capabilities of children are different than those of adults. Their bodies and motor skills are still developing. Kids under 12 generally have significantly less upper body and core strength, a natural developmental progression.
Children ages 4-8 should work on general activities such as running, jumping, skipping and balancing, and fine motor skills like catching, throwing and kicking. These can easily be done through game play. No formal, sport-specific skill training is needed. From ages 8-12, the focus shifts to general endurance, technique and refining skill development to improve running, throwing and kicking. After age 12 children begin to naturally build more muscle mass and bones begin to harden.
Before examining the appropriate strength building activities for children over age 12, we must be clear on the goals for training. Healthy objectives include improving speed, power, balance, and injury prevention. Developing increased body mass should not be the primary goal. In fact, it may not significantly change until the end of puberty. For boys this is around age 17 or 18, and for girls around 16 or 17.
On the next page, learn techniques for safe weight training.
For more common questions and expert answers on fitness and exercise, visit Sharecare.com.
