Strength Development
Youth Strength Development...what research has proven
Strength Development is perhaps one of the most misunderstood topics within the ranks youth wrestling today. While you will find ubiquitous agreement amongst coaches on the advantage strength plays in the sport, the underlying confusion centers around the risk/reward of focused strenght development amongt pre-adolecense children. The spectrum of opinions spans from the need to abstain from dedicated musculoskeletal execise due to fears of damaging bone plate growth within prepubescent children to the other end of the spectrum which encourages a focused and supervised strength training regimine for youth.
So with such a large latitude of opinions, what do the experts really say based upon fact-based clinical research? And by experts, I mean the medical institutes who run controlled studies in order to provide unbiased information for the public to use: Instutitions such as as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine.
What I found was quite surprising, and in fact, radically changed my thinking on the topic.
I'll summarize the findings discussed in these reports through a Myth/Fact dialogue, however I encourage you to read the reports for yourself.
Strength Training by Children and Adolescents, American College of Pediatrics, June 2001.
Youth Strength Training, American College of Sports Medicine, December 2005.
- Myth 1: Strength training will stunt my children's growth
- Fact: Scientific findings indicate no evidence of a decrease in stature in children who regularly perform strength exercise in a controlled environment.
- Myth 2: Children will experience bone growth plate damaage as a result of strength training
- Fact: A growth plate fracture has not been reported in any prospective study that was competently supervised and appropriately designed. Interestingly, some clinicians believe that the risk of a growth plate fracture in a prepubescent child is actually less than in an older child because the growth plates of younger children actually may be stronger and more resistant to shearing-type forces.
- Myth 3: Children cannot increase strength because they do not have enough testosterone
- Fact: Testosterone is not essential for achieving strength gains, as evidenced by women and elderly individuals who experience impressive gains in strength even though they have little testosterone. When compared on a relative or percent basis, training-induced strength gains in children are comparable to older populations.
- Myth 4: Strength training is unsafe for children
- Fact: With appropriate supervision and
instruction, the risks associated with strength
training are not greater than other activities in which children regularly participate.
These findings tee up a discussion around what approach we should follow in order to develop strength in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides the following guidance:
"If children or adolescents undertake a strength training program, they should begin with low-resistance exercises until proper technique is learned. When 8 to 15 repetitions can be performed, it is reasonable to add weight in small increments. Exercises should include all muscle groups and be performed through the full range of motion at each joint. To achieve gains in strength, workouts need to be at least 20 to 30 minutes long, take place a minimum of 2 to 3 times per week, and continue to add weight or repetitions as strength improves. There is no additional benefit to strength training more than 4 times per week."
Based upon this guidance, a proposed 30 minute workout, 3 days per week is as follows:
Abdominals:
situps (regular): 3 sets of 15 reps
situps (obliques): 3 sets of 15 reps
Chest (Pectorals)
pushups (regular): 3 sets of 10 reps
pushups (fingertips): 3 sets of 10 reps
pushups (diamond): 3 sets of 10 reps
Shoulders (Deltoids)
Hand stand pushups: 3 sets of 5 reps
Back bridge pushups: 3 sets of 5 reps
Neck (Sternocleidomastoid)
Resistance: 3 sets of 20 secs (each way)
Upper Back/Lateral/Arms (Laterals, Biceps, Brachioradialis)
Pull Ups (palms facing away): 3 sets of 5 reps
Pull ups (palms facing toward you): 3 sets of 5 reps
Ropes: 2 to 3 rope climbs
Hips/Legs (Hamstring, Quadracepts, Gluteus)
Dead Lifts: 3 sets of 10 reps
Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps
Sprints: 5 sprints of 20 yards
Click here to access a Strength Development Plan which you can use to manage your child's development efforts.