Strength training is now recognised as an important component of youth fitness programmes and becoming more popular, despite the old myths that surround it being unsafe and unnecessary. With properly prescribed and supervised strength training programmes young athletes can benefit:- Increase muscular strength
- Increase strength in tendons and ligaments
- Increase muscular endurance
- Prevention of injury while participating in sports
- Improved performance
Strength or resistance training can be sports specific and can be utilised within the training, yet many people still believe that strength training is weight lifting, power lifting and body building, this is not what resistance training is all about.
Traditional beliefs have us to believe that strength training is dangerous for children and should be avoided, the American College of Sports Medicine has indicated “that a properly designed and competently supervised strength training programme can be safe, effective and may also help prevent certain sports-related injuries among young athletes.”
INTRODUCTION TO RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
The use of resistance training by children (6-12 years) and youth (13-18 years) has been an area of controversy for the past 30 years. Much research has been directed to this area during this time and a number of prestigious organisations such the America Academy of Paediatrics (APP); the US National strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the British Association of Exercise and Sports Sciences (BASES) have developed Policy Documents or Position Stands to summarise the research performed in the area and provide guidance for coaches parents and teachers.
The purpose of the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) Position Stand is to develop a document that provides for as much clarity and guidance as possible to assist coaches in designing resistance training programs for children and youth at various stages throughout their development. The article deals with each aspect of the training process including:
- The appropriate age to commence training – how young is too young?
- Training intensity – how heavy is too heavy?
- Program design for the 6-9; 9-12; 12-15; and 15-18 years of age groups including model programmes and recommended muscular function prerequisites prior to progression to more advanced programs
How young is too young?
“Although there is no minimum age requirement for participation in a youth resistance-training program, all participants should have the emotional maturity to accept and follow direction and should genuinely appreciate the potential benefits and risks associated with youth strength training.” (Faigenbaum, 2002p32).
Position of the ASCA on appropriate training age
“If a child is ready to participate in organised and structured sports such as cricket, football, rugby, basketball, then they are generally ready to perform a supervised resistance training program. As children typically enter formal school at the age of 6 years they may be ready to participate in an organised resistance training program at this time. However, the actual age will vary from child to child and will be largely based on their capacity to follow clear directions.”
The age of each young athlete starting out with strength training will vary from child to child it is the Position of the ASCA that the youngest a child should commence resistance training is at 6 years of age.
How heavy is too heavy?
Perhaps the most controversial questions pertaining to resistance training for children are how heavy is too heavy, what is appropriate training load, and what type of exercises and loadings are appropriate at various stages of childhood? The Policy Statement from the AAP is quite clear on this topic and recommends:
“Preadolescence and adolescence should avoid competitive weight lifting, power lifting, body building and maximal lifts until they reach physical and skeletal maturity.”
Nevertheless the NSCA overall recommendations suggest that:
“Depending on the goal of the training program (i.e., strength or local muscular endurance), 1 to 3 sets of 6 to 15 reps performed on 2 or 3 non-consecutive days a week is recommended.” (NCSA 1996 P71).
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in a Current Comment paper entitled “Youth Strength Training” stated:
“Strength training with maximal weights is not recommended because of the potential for possible injuries related to the long bones, growth plates, and back.” (Faigenbaum &Micheli, 1998 p2).
Safely estimating maximal strength
It is the position of the ASCA that young and less experienced , school aged resistance trainers can have their strength capabilities assessed by performing testing with lighter resistances and performing a “repetitions till fatigue” (RTF) test, from which 1-RM (or any RM up to 20 RM) can be extrapolated with reasonable accuracy (Baker , 2004). The RTF protocol involves performing the maximum number of repetitions of a specified exercise until the exercise can no longer be performed with sound technique. This testing may take place after a certain period of time has been used to develop sound technique (e.g. 1-4 weeks) but also should only take place if the younger athlete displays sound physical characteristics as proposed by Giles (2006). For example, it would seem futile to assess “squat strength” with any extra barbell resistance in a young athlete who does not possess adequate neuromuscular control in an unloaded version of the exercise.
The RTF testing procedure allows a coach to assess strength by using a standard light resistance (e.g., 40kg for the bench press for males and 15kg for females) that all or most athletes use and their individual strength scores are extrapolated based upon how many repetitions are performed with that resistance. If for example, one athlete lifted 40 kg for 9 repetitions when their estimated 1- RM would be 40 x conversion factor of 1.22 = 48.8kg. If another athlete lifted 40 kg for 12 repetitions then their 1-RM would be 52.4kg (40 kg x conversion factor of 1.31 = 52.4 kg).
%1-RM 100 96 90 88 86 84 82 80 78 76
Reps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
CF 1.0 1.04 1.06 1.08 1.11 1.13 1.16 1.19 1.22 1.25
%1-RM 78 76 74 72 70 68 66 64 62 60
Reps 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
CF 1.28 1.31 1.35 1.39 1.43 1.47 1.52 1.56 1.61 1.64
Position of the ASCA on training intensity
There is an abundance of the evidence to suggest that when appropriately performed resistance training is a safe and effective exercise to be engaged by children and youth. However, it would seem prudent for all children and most youth to avoid the performance of maximal lifts, especially maximal dead lifting. It is the position of the ASCA that the following training loading intensities and exercise selection strategies be adopted when training children and youth:
- Level 1: 6-9 years of age: modification of body weight exercises and light resistance (brooms and bands etc) work only for relatively high repetitions egg 15+reps;
- Level 2: 9-12 years of age: 10-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 60% maximum) using predominantly simple free weight exercises and machine exercises where the machine is an appropriate size for the child.
- Level 3: 12-15 years of age: 8-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 70% maximum) using progressively more free weight exercises but avoiding complex lifts such as cleans, snatches, deadlifts and squats etc unless competent coaching is available from a coach with at least level 2 strength and conditioning accreditation.
- Level 4: 15-18 years of age: 6-15 RM; (maximal loading approximately 80% maximum) progressively moving towards an advanced adult program involving split routines where appropriate and complex multi-joint movements provided sound technique has been developed under competent coaching by a coach with at least Level 2 strength and conditioning accreditation.
The ASCA does not advocate the use of one-repetition maximum (1-RM) testing to determine appropriate training loads or to monitor progression in training for Levels 1-3. Instead the repetition maximum (RM) method is recommended.
Program design and progression
In this section a number of sample programs will be presented and specific training recommendations be made for various age groups. This has been done to provide the reader with some clear direction in the development of youth resistance training programs. However it is understood that each athlete is an individual and hence the reader should not necessarily simply use the programs exactly as written but see them as models to be modified, within sensible parameters, to the specific requirements of the individual athlete(s).
The overlap in age between the 4 levels (i.e.,a 9 year old be in Level 1 or Level 2) reflects the fact that different children will mature at different rates and thus may well progress at various times. Further, in addition to chronologic age, the progression between levels is also muscular function dependent. For example, prior to progressing onto to Level 2: 9-12 years of age the athlete should be at least 9 years of age and able to:
- Hold plank in a horizontal position with feet, elbows and forearms touching the ground and straight back position for 60 sec.
- Perform 10 well controlled back extensions to horizontal.
- Perform 10 well controlled full range double leg squats with hands behind the head and feet flat on the floor.
- Perform 10 well controlled push ups off their toes chest to touch the ground and arms achieve full extension.
- Perform 5 well controlled lunges each leg with back knee touching the ground and good balance.
- Wall squat at 90 degrees for 60 sec.
- Touch their toes in the sit and reach test.
Hence an 11 year old just starting out with resistance training would be encouraged to commence in the 6-9 year old category i.e. Level 1 using modified body weight and light resistance exercises only until they can perform the above exercises and then progress to the 9-12 year old category i.e. Level 2 when this has been achieved. In this way the various categories are age related but also muscular function dependent, with the main emphasis of the training period between the being the achievement of the set physical competencies for that chronological age group. However, an 8 year old child who can fulfil all the above functional tests would still be encouraged to continue to perform body weight and light resistance training only until they turn 9 and then progress to level 2.
Prior to commencing Level 3: 12-15 years of age the athlete should be at least 12 years of age and able to:
- Satisfy the requirements for Level 2
- Hold plank in a horizontal position with feet, elbows and forearms touching the ground and straight back position for 90 sec.
- Perform 10 well controlled repetitions of barbell bench press using a load of 40 % of body weight
- Perform 10 well controlled repetitions of dumbbell rowing using a load of 15% of body weight in each hand
- Perform 10 well controlled pull ups with legs out straight using an underhand grip
- Perform 10 well controlled lunges each leg with back knee touching the ground and good balance holding a load of 10% of body weight in each hand
- Reach 5 cm beyond their toes in the sit and reach test
Prior to commencing Level 4: 15-18 years of age the athlete should be at least 15 years of age and able to :
- Satisfy the requirements for Levels 2 and 3
- Hold plank in a horizontal position with feet, elbows and forearms touching the ground and straight back position for 120 sec.
- Perform 5 well controlled full range single leg squats each leg
- Perform 10 well controlled parallel bar dips for boys and 10 bench dips for girls with legs out straight
- Perform 10 well controlled chin ups for boys and a 30 sec arm hang at 90 degree elbow angle foe girls (underhand grip)
- Perform 10 well controlled repetitions of barbell bench press using a load of 70% of bodyweight for boys and 50% of body weight for girls
To view the youth programmes designed according to the above guidelines, click here... The four levels are set out into 4 individual programmes, with recommended progressions.
