Iron Kids

Young Athletes Can Start Reasonable Weight Lifting Much Earlier Than You Think

   I get a question a lot. One that comes with an answer that sparks tons of praise or anger: “When should my child start to lift?”

   My typical responses is, “as early as possible.” At first read that answer seems odd, right? It’s in fact the correct answer though. With a heavy assumption that you’re teaching the child to lift right. 

   Keep in mind that when I say lift I’m also talking about lifting things as simple as their own body weight. You see that is where many people drop the ball. They don’t realize that lifting can be something as light as a shoe or resistance bands. 

   What usually happens is that kids turn 14 or 15 and then mom, dad, or coach think it’s all of a sudden OK to put them under heavy weights because they’ve come of age. 

   They’re then forced to lift weights being unstable, weak and inexperienced. It’s a perfect recipe for disaster. The reason I say as early as possible is to counter those exact problems, allowing the young athlete to be competent and ready to take on a heavier load by the time they progress into heavier weights. 

   This equates to less injuries, and in time, much stronger and more coordinated athletes because they will have been preparing for years. They’ll understand how their bodies move, and will be more more coachable on mechanics than athletes who haven’t done any prep. 

   So get your kid started now with body weight and proper biomechanics of movement, and you’ll have a powerhouse of an athlete later when it really starts to count.