As more and more women embrace strength training, we see an increased openness to youth participation in strength sports like Olympic weightlifting. If you’re a parent, you might wonder what youth strength training looks like and how to get your child involved.
A 2021 review by Pierce et al. stated that “Age group–appropriate weightlifting training and competition that is properly supervised by well-qualified coaches is considerably safe and efficacious."
When we look at age appropriateness, Pierce et al. (2021) conclude that ten years old is an appropriate time to begin organized strength training. Assuming sufficient developmental maturity, this is an optimal age to teach young athletes basic strength exercises like barbell squats, deadlifts, and presses, while gradually introducing more dynamic movements like snatch, clean & jerk. Before ten years of age, children should be introduced to fundamental athletic movements like jumping, sprinting, crawling, pulling, throwing, and balancing to build physical literacy. This is why I recommend all young children (under the age of 9) participate in gymnastics to help develop the types of general motor skills that will set them up for athletic success in any sport they choose. This does not mean that before ten years old kids shouldn't learn how to do a push-up, air squat or deadlift a kettlebell. On the contrary, to safely introduce barbells once kids reach double digits, basic shapes, and movements must be established in the years prior.
The initial 2-4 years of strength training should be about general physical preparation (GPP), with no more than 40% of the activity being specialized weightlifting work (Pierce, et al., 2021). That means they're learning the difference between squatting and hinging, they're practicing holding weight overhead with things like handstands, and they're sprinting and jumping in different ways. Once kids reach 12-14 years of age, specialized weightlifting training can increase to 60-70% of the total training time, to take advantage of the hormonal gains that occur during puberty. This is when we can apply the snatch, clean and jerk with a little more frequency, like twice per week. This will set them up to be strong and active teenagers and young adults.
If you as a parent are reading this and thinking, “Oh sh*t, my tween never got that formative development when they were younger, should I still get them involved in strength training?"
Absolutely.
While early development is crucial for elite athletics, every kid can benefit from the flexibility, coordination & strength gains that strength training promises, whether or not they have a future in sports.
I recommend young athletes participate in two organized strength training sessions per week. Kids not involved in other sports may be able to engage in some age and skill-appropriate strength program 3-4 days/ week.
Coaching is key here and parents need to research their child’s perspective coach and program to ensure a methodological approach to long-term athletic development.
I'll be running two different youth programs (ages 10-14) this fall. One will be on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays in Queens at CrossFit Sunnyside and the other will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Brooklyn at Brooklyn Training Hall. For more details on either program, drop me an email at Julia@tribestrengthlab.com
Reference
Pierce, Kyle C., et al. “Weightlifting for Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review.” Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, vol. 14, no. 1, 2021, pp. 45–56, https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381211056094.
Coach Julia
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