Just a few weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my dwelling fitness center 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 dad or mum messaged me: “Is that truly secure? I’ve all the time heard that weight coaching can stunt a baby’s development.”
And you understand what? It’s a legitimate 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 truly says, and what to look out for on the subject of resistance coaching for kids.
The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Delusion Come From?
In case you 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 truly 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 youngsters’s bones, the place bone development occurs. So naturally, the thought 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 simple to imagine the game made them that means—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 file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha talakhadzeis a towering 6 ft 6 inches tall (197 cm).
The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes development points.
What the Science Really Says About Power Coaching and Progress
Let’s begin with the massive one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a baby’s development.
The truth is, when executed correctly, resistance coaching has no adverse impact on bone improvement. Quite the opposite, it may possibly truly enhance bone density, coordination, and assist stop damage.
Particularly as your little one will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can scale back their threat of damage.
Right here’s what the analysis reveals:
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A evaluation printed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts development plates or linear development.
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The Nationwide Power and Conditioning Affiliation (NSCA) states that youth power coaching packages, when correctly supervised, are secure and useful.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics helps power coaching for kids, so long as the main target is on approach and never maximal weights.
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A research within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis discovered that damage charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of in style sports activities.
How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?
Let’s check out damage charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout completely different sports activities:
| Exercise | Damage Price |
| Supervised Weight Coaching | ~0.7 accidents |
| Gymnastics | 0.5 – 1.3 accidents |
| Soccer (Coaching) | 3.7 – 11.1 accidents |
| Soccer (Video games) | 9.5 – 48.7 accidents |
| Basketball | 14 – 22 accidents |
| American Soccer | 5.7 – 6.8 accidents |
Seems, resistance coaching is likely one of the most secure bodily actions your little one can do—when executed 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 truly can be dangerous for youths.
Like something, it relies on the way it’s executed.
Weight coaching turns into an issue when:
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Youngsters raise weights unsupervised
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Nobody checks their kind or approach
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They’re pushed to raise too heavy, too quickly
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Gear isn’t suited to their measurement
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There’s no development or satisfactory restoration
However let’s be trustworthy—that’s not simply true for youths. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we prepare.
The right way to Make Power Coaching Protected for Youngsters
Right here’s the right way to hold it secure, sensible, and useful:
✅ Supervision by somebody educated in power coaching strategies and progressions
✅ Deal with approach—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Preserve it enjoyableskill-based, and interesting—particularly for youthful children
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 wish to shield them.
As an alternative of avoiding power coaching or creating worry round it, let’s educate them to do it proper.
As a result of when it’s executed proper, power coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidenceand lifelong wholesome habits.
And that’s one thing price lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene
References:
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20201011/76942/Resistance-Coaching-for-Kids-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
