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

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

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

And you understand what? It’s a sound concern.

As a result of as dad and mom, we wish our youngsters to be lively and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be secure.

So let’s speak about that concern. The place it comes from, what the science really says, and what to look out for in the case of resistance coaching for youngsters.

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

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

However the place did it really come from?

A part of it’s linked to the worry of injuring one thing known as the development plates—areas of creating cartilage close to the ends of kids’s bones, the place bone development occurs. So naturally, the concept of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised considerations.

Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: brief, highly effective athletes who raise large hundreds. 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 development.

Enjoyable truth: The all-time world report 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The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what really causes development points.

What the Science Really Says About Power Coaching and Progress

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

The truth is, when completed correctly, resistance coaching has no destructive impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it might really improve bone density, coordination, and assist forestall harm.

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

Right here’s what the analysis reveals:

• A overview revealed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts development plates or linear development.

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

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

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

How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

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

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

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Youngsters

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

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

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Youngsters raise weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their kind or approach

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

• Gear isn’t suited to their measurement

• There’s no development or satisfactory restoration

However let’s be trustworthy—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.

The way to Make Power Coaching Protected for Youngsters

Right here’s find out how to hold it secure, sensible, and helpful:

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

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 need to shield them.

As a substitute of avoiding energy coaching or creating worry round it, let’s educate them to do it proper.

As a result of when it’s completed 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