The impact of strength training on the child's body

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2012-10-30

Currently, recruitment in sections for weightlifting and powerlifting starts from the age of 8-9. Many parents are concerned that this may negatively impact the child's further development. In this article, I will try to shed light on this issue. I will begin with the most established, widespread, and ridiculous myth:

Weightlifting hinders a child's growth!

This myth is based on the idea that the barbell resting on the shoulders puts pressure on the spine and prevents it from growing. It all seems simple and clear. But let's think logically.

When a person actively engages in weightlifting, they dedicate about 8 hours of their week to training. During this time, the barbell is actually on their shoulders for a total of about 30 minutes per week. This constitutes 0.3% of the entire week (10080 minutes / 30 minutes). Thus, 99.7% of the time the child lives and develops without a barbell on their shoulders, and nothing interferes with their spine's growth. One doesn't need to be an expert in human physiology to understand that such a short period of time cannot have any significant impact on growth.

But where did this myth come from? After all, there’s no smoke without fire! The fact is that elite weightlifters and powerlifters (the ones you see on television) are mostly of shorter stature. This is a fact. But they are not this way because the barbell "prevented" them from growing. It's simply that in these sports, shorter individuals have an advantage over taller ones. Since their leverages are shorter, they need to lift the barbell to a lesser height. Thus, top-class athletes in strength sports are typically shorter individuals.

Now, hopefully, you understand: the barbell does not hinder children's growth. I would even go so far as to say:

Weight training promotes bone growth both in length and thickness!

The thing is, physical exertion in general, and strength training in particular, stimulates the production of growth hormone. In childhood, a large portion of this hormone is used for bone growth in length, thereby contributing to overall height increase.

From my personal experience, I can say that during the first two years of my training at the gym, I grew 20 cm. When I joined the gym, I was 14 years old.

Another similar myth: weightlifting contributes to the development of flat feet.

The reasoning here is similar to that regarding pressure on the spine: the barbell exerts pressure on the foot, causing it to flatten. I don’t want to repeat myself, just read the refutation of the myth about inhibited growth once again.

Alright, it's clear about the bones. But the impact of strength training doesn't end there. Among other things, weight training contributes to earlier (by one or two years) sexual maturation.

This is neither good nor bad. It is normal and represents a natural adaptive response of the body to stress. Under their influence, the body begins to produce more testosterone. And this, in turn, triggers the process of sexual maturation. The more testosterone there is, the earlier maturation begins.

In general, the athlete's body tries to achieve maturity as quickly as possible. And then maintain that maturity for as long as possible. Thus, athletes at 20 look 30, and at 50 also look 30. )

And finally, a masterpiece of human folly: weight training hinders intellectual development!

There is absolutely no connection between weightlifting and your child's intellectual development. I assure you, and any physiologist would agree. If your child's intellectual development is lacking, do not blame the barbell. ))

I hope I have explained everything clearly and understandably. Share this article with your friends and subscribe for more. Good luck!