Does Lifting Weights Stunt Development in Children? What Mother and father Must Know

A couple of weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence health club 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 father or mother messaged me: “Is that really secure? I’ve at all times heard that weight coaching can stunt a baby’s progress.”

And you realize what? It’s a legitimate concern.

As a result of as mother and father, we wish our youngsters to be lively and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be secure.

So let’s discuss that concern. The place it comes from, what the science truly says, and what to look out for in the case of resistance coaching for kids.

The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Development” Fable Come From?

In case you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early may “injury 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 concern of injuring one thing referred to as the progress plates—areas of creating cartilage close to the ends of youngsters’s bones, the place bone progress 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 carry huge hundreds. It’s straightforward to imagine the game made them that manner—however that’s not what occurred.

They’re brief as a result of that physique kind offers them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their progress.

Enjoyable reality: The all-time world file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 toes 6 inches tall (197 cm).

The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes progress points.

What the Science Truly Says About Power Coaching and Development

Let’s begin with the massive one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a baby’s progress.

The truth is, when performed correctly, resistance coaching has no adverse impact on bone growth. Quite the opposite, it might truly improve bone density, coordination, and assist forestall harm.

Particularly as your little one will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can cut back their threat of harm.

Right here’s what the analysis exhibits:

• A overview printed in Pediatrics concluded there’s no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts progress plates or linear progress.

• The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) states that youth power coaching applications, when correctly supervised, are secure and helpful.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics helps power coaching for kids, so long as the main focus is on approach and never maximal weights.

• A examine within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis discovered that harm charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of fashionable sports activities.

How Protected Is Youth Weight Coaching, Actually?

Let’s check out harm charges per 1,000 hours of participation throughout totally different sports activities:

Seems, resistance training is among the most secure bodily actions your little one can do—when performed proper.

When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Children

So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s discuss when weight coaching truly can be dangerous for teenagers.

Like something, it is dependent upon the way it’s performed.

Weight coaching turns into an issue when:

• Children carry weights unsupervised

• Nobody checks their kind or approach

• They’re pushed to carry too heavy, too quickly

• Gear isn’t suited to their dimension

• There’s no development or ample restoration

However let’s be trustworthy—that’s not simply true for teenagers. That’s how adults get injured too. It appears lifting weights safely isn’t about age—it’s about how we practice.

Make Power Coaching Protected for Children

Right here’s the way to maintain it secure, sensible, and helpful:

✅ Supervision by somebody educated in power coaching methods and progressions
✅ Deal with approach—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Gear that matches their physique
✅ Preserve it enjoyable, skill-based, and fascinating—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 Mother and father

As a result of all of us need our youngsters to be robust, lively, and assured. However we additionally need to defend them.

As an alternative of avoiding power coaching or creating concern round it, let’s train them to do it proper.

As a result of when it’s performed proper, power coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.

And that’s one thing value lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene

References:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/6/e20201011/76942/Resistance-Training-for-Children-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