Youth Strength
Training: Why and How
Wayne L. Westcott, PHD, CSCS
As
our society becomes more sedentary and young people spend more of their
time in non-physical pursuits (television, video games, movies,
computers, etc.), we see progressively lower levels of physical fitness
in increasingly larger numbers of boys and girls. Over a 15-year period,
childhood obesity has increased over 50 percent and super obesity has
more than doubled. As a result, Type II diabetes, formerly called adult
onset diabetes, has become prevalent in teenagers and even
preadolescents.
Body Composition
Research has shown that strength training is
the best means for improving body composition in youth, as it addresses
two major problems in many preadolescents, namely, too little muscle and
two much fat.
Public School Study
In one of our public school studies, the
underfit and overfat fifth graders who participated in a basic and brief
strength training program gained significantly more muscle and lost
twice as much fat as a matched group of students who did not perform
strength exercise. Perhaps most important, the strength trained students
made such noticeable physical improvements that the strength exercises
were subsequently included in the standard physical education program.
Bone Development
The most critical time for developing strong
bones is during the childhood years. Recent research indicates that
strength training is about six times more effective for building bone in
preadolescent girls that it is in young, middle-aged or older women.
Contrary to the myth that strength training is detrimental to young
bones (no such medical report has ever been documented), it is actually
the best way to develop a strong musculoskeletal system.
Physiological Response
Because children have low levels of
testosterone, some people assume that they cannot increase their muscle
strength or that any strength gains are temporary. Our studies have
consistently shown significant strength gains (15 to 100 percent) in
preteens who complete a two-month training program. Moreover, after two
additional months of no strength exercise, the strength trained youth
retained 50 percent of their strength gain and were still significantly
stronger than their non-training peers. Children, like women and seniors
who also have low levels of testosterone, respond most favorably to
strength exercise.
Performance Enhancement
In our most recent study, female figure
skaters (average age 10 years) did one or two brief strength workouts a
week. After 10 weeks of training, the preadolescent participants
increased their overall strength by 67 percent, their vertical jump by
13 percent, and their skating performance by major proportions according
to their coaches.
Training Guidelines
The skaters performed one set of 10 basic
strength exercises for 13 to 15 repetitions each. We recommend using
higher repetitions with moderate weightloads, as we have found
significantly greater increases in children's strength and endurance
when training with 13 to 15 repetitions compared to training with 6 to 8
repetitions.
After 15 years of youth strength training
programs with no injuries, we are confident that this activity is safe
and beneficial (physically and psychologically) for children. A sensible
strength training program enhances musculoskeletal development,
encourages self-confidence and elicits a physically active lifestyle.
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., is fitness director at the
South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, and strength training
consultant for IDEA, the American Council on Exercise, the International
Fitness Institute, and the YMCA of the USA. Dr. Westcott is the author
of the college textbook Strength Fitness, and the professional textbook
Be Strong.
