A number of weeks in the past, I shared a brief video of me deadlifting in my residence gymnasium 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 mother or father messaged me: “Is that truly secure? I’ve all the time heard that weight coaching can stunt a baby’s development.”
And what? It’s a sound concern.
As a result of as mother and father, we would like our youngsters to be energetic and wholesome—however we additionally need them to be secure.
So let’s speak about that concern. The place it comes from, what the science truly says, and what to look out for with regards to resistance coaching for kids.
The place Did the “Lifting Stunts Progress” Fantasy Come From?
Should you grew up listening to that lifting weights too early might “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 worry of injuring one thing known as the development plates—areas of growing cartilage close to the ends of kids’s bones, the place bone development occurs. So naturally, the concept of loading weight onto a rising skeleton raised considerations.
Then there’s the picture of many Olympic weightlifters: quick, highly effective athletes who carry huge hundreds. It’s simple to imagine the game made them that manner—however that’s not what occurred.
They’re quick as a result of that physique kind offers them a mechanical benefit within the sport. Not as a result of lifting stunted their development.
Enjoyable reality: The all-time world file holder in snatch and clear and jerk, Lasha Talakhadze, is a towering 6 ft 6 inches tall (197 cm).
The unique concern comes from outdated assumptions and a misunderstanding of what truly causes development points.
What the Science Truly Says About Energy Coaching and Progress
Let’s begin with the large one: No, lifting weights doesn’t stunt a baby’s development.
In actual fact, when completed correctly, resistance coaching has no damaging impact on bone improvement. Quite the opposite, it may possibly truly enhance bone density, coordination, and assist stop harm.
Particularly as your baby will get older, combining resistance coaching with different sports activities can scale back their threat of harm.
Right here’s what the analysis exhibits:
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A overview revealed in Pediatrics concluded there may be no proof that youth resistance coaching negatively impacts development plates or linear development.
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The Nationwide Energy and Conditioning Affiliation (NSCA) states that youth energy coaching packages, when correctly supervised, are secure and helpful.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics helps energy coaching for kids, so long as the main focus is on method and never maximal weights.
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A examine within the Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis discovered that harm charges in youth weight coaching are considerably decrease than in lots of widespread 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:
| Exercise | Damage Fee |
| Supervised Weight Coaching | ~0.7 accidents |
| Gymnastics | 0.5 – 1.3 accidents |
| Soccer (Coaching) | 3.7 – 11.1 accidents |
| Soccer (Video games) | 9.5 – 48.7 accidents |
| Basketball | 14 – 22 accidents |
| American Soccer | 5.7 – 6.8 accidents |
Seems, resistance coaching is likely one of the most secure bodily actions your baby can do—when completed proper.
When Weight Coaching Can Be a Concern for Children
So now that we’ve busted the parable, let’s speak about when weight coaching truly can be dangerous for teenagers.
Like something, it is determined by the way it’s completed.
Weight coaching turns into an issue when:
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Children carry weights unsupervised
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Nobody checks their kind or method
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They’re pushed to carry too heavy, too quickly
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Tools isn’t suited to their measurement
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There’s no development or sufficient 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.
The way to Make Energy Coaching Protected for Children
Right here’s the best way to preserve it secure, sensible, and helpful:
✅ Supervision by somebody educated in energy coaching strategies and progressions
✅ Give attention to method—not the quantity of weight
✅ Age-appropriate programming with correct relaxation
✅ Tools 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 abilities 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 sturdy, energetic, and assured. However we additionally need to defend them.
As a substitute of avoiding energy coaching or creating worry round it, let’s train them to do it proper.
As a result of when it’s completed proper, energy coaching doesn’t simply construct muscle. It builds resilience, confidence, and lifelong wholesome habits.
And that’s one thing price lifting for. Wouldn’t you agree? —Marlene
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3483033/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418954/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X20301903
