Resistance training for Youth athletes has been somewhat of a disputed and contended topic in recent years. Within strength and conditioning the everpresent growth of resistance training for youth athletes is continuing on the rise with more and more sporting organisations investing in the youth academy sectors of their clubs. But that doesn’t come without pushback from some coaches, parents, and athletes alike. The main reasons for these pushbacks for the implementation of youth resistance training are based on common myths spreading across the strength and conditioning landscape in recent years through various media outlets and by word of mouth. Those myths are; stunting adolescents’ growth, and in fact, leaving youth athletes at a higher risk of injury further into adulthood.
These myths are often unfounded by leading researchers within the Youth strength and conditioning field. A carefully well-thought-out long-term athlete development programme incorporating many facets of a youth’s athletic ability can often facilitate the natural development throughout their growth spurt and puberty into adulthood without injuries or stunting of growth. In fact, encouraging youths to participate in supervised, individualised and pre-planned resistance training programmes can be safe, effective, and extremely beneficial for all involved (Behm et al., 2017; Faigenbaum et al., 2016; Lloyd et al., 2014).
Time and time again, there is always this fear of something going wrong which can be justified in many scenarios. Even within my own personal job and the work I carry out, you will always have a small percentage of hesitant parents, guardians, and coaches with doubts and unsure if in fact, it is the right thing to do. Whilst from my point of view I fully support the implementation of resistance training for youth athletes, they may not have been made aware of the actual current research proving their opinions as false. But at the same time, you cannot fault them for believing such. At the end of the day, these people are parents, and do not want their son or daughter to get hurt whilst doing resistance training, which is understandable but more and more once the education is in place parents and adolescents alike or more aware of the benefits and see first hand the enjoyment some athletes can get out of it and the long term benefits it can have holistically for there child and athlete. For all that I know, some parents may have had bad experiences in the past with resistance training or may have had a non-qualified coach with which they had a bad experience that turned them off the thought of being involved in the gym. In most scenarios, it comes down to more and more education, especially for parents/guardians and sports coaches. At the end of the day, we all have a common goal, and that is the appropriate and adequate development of a son or daughter as an athlete. More often than not coaches are also parents of the athletes and are open to trying new things for the betterment of their child. Having the knowledge and personality as a strength and conditioning coach and being able to deliver education and awareness about the benefits are key, whilst also having frequent yet brief conversations about resistance training often work, just simply having an informal conversation where both parties are open and willing to listen may be all that is needed. Throughout the last couple of years, the pre-conceived notion of resistance training for youth athletes stunts growth and leads to injury was and still is everywhere but through present research and well-informed people educating coaches and parents alike is slowly changing the landscape for the benefit of the future generations of youth athletes coming through.
As mentioned above, more and more research is being carried out within the area of strength and conditioning for youth athletes by highly qualified practitioners who published credible and reliable papers and articles. The creation and implementation of long-term athlete development pathways have become more common within sporting bodies, and the effort and willingness to develop academy settings are becoming more standardised when wanting success further down the line. The pathways are taking a new approach and focusing more on the individual development of each athlete based on their biological maturation status (Cumming et al., 2017) rather than from a chronological point of view. From this, a more in-depth detailed programme based on the needs of the player can be implemented and carried out as an athlete is tracked and monitored throughout their growth spurt and whether they are pre-peak height velocity, circa-peak height velocity or post-peak height velocity. With this in mind the ‘Youth Physical Development model’ was created. This offers a comprehensive and detailed guided approach to the physical development of Youth athletes based on their biological age (Lloyd & Oliver, 2012). It is a must for coaches and mentors who are not entirely familiar with athletic performance and strength and conditioning as this is the gold standard of what aspects of athletic performance should be focused on and emphasis put on it from the age of 2 years old and continuing up until adulthood.
Resistance training benefits youths and helps them progress and develop into more well-rounded athletes. The biggest worry about stunted growth and an increase in injury rates is an understandable worry to have, but a myth. Growth plates shouldn’t be overly stressed by a well-designed strength and conditioning programme that adheres to appropriate loads, sets and reps suitable to that athlete’s age in accordance with the Youth Physical development model (Dahab & McCambridge, 2009; Malina, 2006). Other sports that entail a repetitive impact and torque such as gymnastics and baseball increase the risk of epiphyseal damage (Dahab & McCambridge, 2009). In many cases where things have gone wrong there is an adequate explanation. Rare case reports of epiphyseal plate fractures linked to strength training are thought to be the result of faulty equipment use, excessive weight lifting, poor technique, or training without skilled adult supervision. These elements highlight the requirement for qualified fitness specialists to instruct proper techniques and oversee a reasonable weight progression programme (Caine et al., 2006; Gumbs et al., 1982; Ryan & Salciccioli, 1976). In comparison, soft tissue injuries to the lower back also frequently come from improper technique or excess weight much like uncommon epiphyseal injuries. The majority of severe lower back injuries happen whilst lifting free weights (Jones et al., 2000). But like everything, this can be avoided. By taking part in a well-structured supervised resistance training programme with qualified professionals it can aid your athlete by raising their bone mineral density, therefore positively affecting the bone development and growth of that athlete and preventing future injuries (Dahab & McCambridge, 2009; Lloyd et al., 2014) rather than doing the opposite as first understood (Conroy et al., 1993)
In conclusion, when done in a secure, supervised setting, resistance training can help youth athletes of all athletic abilities safely increase their strength as well as improve their general health and well-being. Resistance training has many more positive health effects rather than negative ones, particularly in today’s world where childhood obesity rates are on the rise and the evergrowing pressure on how someone should look as a result of social acceptance. In collaboration with governing bodies and sporting organisations prior to starting resistance training, it is crucial for children and adolescents to establish a strong foundation of fundamental movements. This will assist the young people to grow more effective motor abilities whilst also lowering their chances of injury due to their increased body control and technique. From the foundation that is built, as said prior with adequate loading and supervision ideal progression and growth can be built upon into their late teenage and early adult years. The advantages of resistance training certainly outweigh the preconceived myths surrounding the area and outweigh any other possible hazards from both a sporting context but also a general public context.
Behm, D. G., Young, J. D., Whitten, J. H. D., Reid, J. C., Quigley, P. J., Low, J., Li, Y., Lima, C. D., Hodgson, D. D., Chaouachi, A., Prieske, O., & Granacher, U. (2017). Effectiveness of Traditional Strength vs. Power Training on Muscle Strength, Power and Speed with Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 423. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00423
Caine, D., DiFiori, J., & Maffulli, N. (2006). Physeal injuries in children’s and youth sports: Reasons for concern? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(9), 749–760. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2005.017822
Cumming, S. P., Lloyd, R. S., Oliver, J. L., Eisenmann, J. C., & Malina, R. M. (2017). Bio-banding in Sport: Applications to Competition, Talent Identification, and Strength and Conditioning of Youth Athletes. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 39(2), 34. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000281
Dahab, K. S., & McCambridge, T. M. (2009). Strength Training in Children and Adolescents. Sports Health, 1(3), 223–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738109334215
Faigenbaum, A. D., Lloyd, R. S., MacDonald, J., & Myer, G. D. (2016). Citius, Altius, Fortius: Beneficial effects of resistance training for young athletes: Narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094621
Gumbs, V. L., Segal, D., Halligan, J. B., & Lower, G. (1982). Bilateral distal radius and ulnar fractures in adolescent weight lifters. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 10(6), 375–379. https://doi.org/10.1177/036354658201000612
Jones, C. S., Christensen, C., & Young, M. (2000). Weight Training Injury Trends. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 28(7), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.3810/psm.2000.07.1086
Lloyd, R. S., Faigenbaum, A. D., Stone, M. H., Oliver, J. L., Jeffreys, I., Moody, J. A., Brewer, C., Pierce, K. C., McCambridge, T. M., Howard, R., Herrington, L., Hainline, B., Micheli, L. J., Jaques, R., Kraemer, W. J., McBride, M. G., Best, T. M., Chu, D. A., Alvar, B. A., & Myer, G. D. (2014). Position statement on youth resistance training: The 2014 International Consensus. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(7), 498–505. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092952
Lloyd, R. S., & Oliver, J. L. (2012). The Youth Physical Development Model: A New Approach to Long-Term Athletic Development. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(3), 61. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0b013e31825760ea
Malina, R. M. (2006). Weight training in youth-growth, maturation, and safety: An evidence-based review. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine: Official Journal of the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine, 16(6), 478–487. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jsm.0000248843.31874.be