Youth Strength Training — Is It BAD?

Now obviously, there is a tad bit of bias for this subject because I am a strength coach who trains youth athletes. However, this is something that recently has been really bugging me when it comes to parents’ view of training.

The goal of this blog is to break down for you what the scientific research says and also my observations as a coach and athlete myself.

Most Common Claim: “Strength Training Stunts Your Growth”

This is a statement that has been heavily debunked, as many research articles state:

“There is no evidence that resistance training stunts growth in children or damages the growth plates when age-appropriate training guidelines are followed.”
(Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010)

“Participation in a supervised strength training program has no adverse effect on growth plates.”
(AAP Clinical Report, 2008 & reaffirmed 2020)

“Injuries associated with resistance training in youth are primarily due to improper technique or lack of supervision, rather than the act of lifting itself.”
(Journal of Pediatrics, 2008)

The Common Themes: Supervision, Form, and Guidelines

Supervision

Supervision is important. However, you can most of the time tell a good strength coach from a bad one by simply observing half a session.

If you as a parent are worried about this part, then stay to watch part of the session to see if the coach is properly supervising your kid. This doesn’t mean that they have to be staring at your child's form the entire time, but as long as your child is placed in a safe environment, that will mitigate most injuries.

Form and Guidelines

When it comes to form and guidelines, I believe as a certified and experienced strength coach that it all depends on each athlete.

However, no athlete is too young to start doing slow and controlled exercise movements. The rule of thumb is simple: if you can do it with proper technique and you’ve mastered all the basics before it, then there is no problem moving forward.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to proper progressions.
If your son or daughter has mastered the simplest form of movements, then there’s no reason why you can’t progress them to the next harder version.

Example progression:
Bodyweight Squat → Bodyweight Squat + Hold → Goblet Squat → Back Squat

It’s important that athletes are constantly challenged, but also given time to master their current progression.

The Bottom Line

When it comes to youth strength training, as long as it is properly progressed and supervised, there is nothing wrong with it.

This is supported by both strength coaches and the research community.

If you have further questions about your child and their ability to strength train at a young age, feel free to contact me below:

📧 tsmithperformance@gmail.com