Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:17:49 EST From: Mcsiff@aol.com Subject: Weights and Children Yet another person sent me some more useful information about weight training for children. The article below summarises Western research, which confirms Russian research that has been translated over the years producing much the same findings. It is a pleasure now to have West and East agreeing on some controversial training information. Formely, those of us who ventured to cite Russian work were always criticised because it was felt in some quarters that Russian science is of a less rigorous nature than that in the West. You will find that this article adds more support to all the articles that I have written on the value of weight training for children and the grossly exaggerated statements made by various sports, medical and teaching authorities in the West. Maybe, since this article was published in a physiotherapy journal, more people will start to revise their attitudes towards weight training and weightlifting for youngsters. This article, however, failed to offer anything more than personal opinion on 1RM and Olympic weightlifting or powerlifting for youngsters, so that work on this topic still remains very much in Russian journals. As it stated: "....while weight training is appropriate for younger kids, competitive power lifting and weightlifting based on one repetition maximums should be put off until post-puberty when the bones are nearing skeletal maturity, usually at the tail end of kids' high school experience." As usual, the medical experts seem to be sadly unaware of biomechanical research which shows that one does not need to lift heavy weights to impose large forces on many parts of the body. As I stressed before, have they totally forgotten what they should have learned about Newton's laws and levers in Physics 101 or high school? It scares me no end to think that there are orthopaedic 'experts' out there who are making categoric statements about the effects of stresses and forces acting on the musculoskeletal system and they don't seem to remember or appreciate some of the most basic physics that every doctor and therapist should know. Some of these folk happen to be those authorities who insert artificial joints, carry out spinal fusions, surgically restructure bones and carry out many procedures which actually do require a very solid grasp of basic physics and mechanics. Someone please tell me that I am wrong and that those medics who do not know these fundamentals are very much in the minority! Anyhow, this lack of knowledge and understanding means that there will still be those who are violently opposed to competitive lifting for children, even though the forces involved in that type of sport happen to be less than those involved in the simple actions of running, jumping and striking, as I showed in my previous articles. As that folk ballad about the futility of war said, "When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?" Ah well, on to the article. At least SOME progress is being made! ----------------------------- Weight Training for Kids Proper form, appropriate equipment and adequate supervision can help kids who are able-bodied and those who have disabilities reap the benefits of weight training By Mike Le Postollec (Editor's Note: While current research shows that a properly supervised weight training can increase strength among even prepubescent kids, lifting is typically a recreational activity for this population. For older adults who're subject to muscle wasting, however, weight training could be necessary just to maintain their current level of function. To learn about the current research on geriatrics and how to structure a weight training program for older adults, read "Pulling Their Own Weight" in the March 26, 2001, print version of ADVANCE). Among physical therapists and other health care practitioners, conventional wisdom was that children and weight-training don't mix. After all, kids in their pubescent and prepubescent years have not yet reached physical maturation, and damage to their growth plates could potentially impact long-term development. Add in the fact that many in the medical community doubted that pre-adolescent boys and girls have the circulating hormones to benefit from strength training, and the perceived risks of working out seemed to outweigh the potential benefits. "Part of it was that [the medical community] thought young kids wouldn't benefit from weightlifting, and the other part was that some thought it could be dangerous", explained Steven Tippett, MS, PT, SCS, ATC, professor at Bradley University, Peoria, IL, and president of the Sports Pediatric Special Interest Group, part of the APTA's Sports Physical Therapy Section. "And because of the danger issue, it was really tough to do a study on the effects of weightlifting on children. [The medical community] thought that the possible risks are not worth the information you could gain." Since that time, however, a number of published studies have indicated that an appropriate weight training program can not only be beneficial for prepubescent children, but that with appropriate equipment and adequate supervision, kids in such programs run minimal health risks. Weight Training Research For example, in 1986 Tippett was involved in a seminal study that assessed the physical benefits of strength training among prepubertal males. In the study, 16 boys with an average age of 8 years participated in a closely supervised, 14-week strength training study, consisting of three 45-minute sessions of concentric work using hydraulic resistance equipment each week. Ten control subjects did not strength train but did participate in sports activities and normal ADLs. Results indicated that the strength training subjects experienced significant increases in isokinetic strength, flexibility, vertical jump and maximum oxygen consumption. Musculoskeletal scintigraphy revealed no evidence of damage to epiphyses, bone or muscle, and only one strength training injury was reported.(1) Other studies have mirrored these results among able-bodied and disabled populations. Researchers at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, found that 14 ambulatory children with spastic diplegia showed significantly increased strength in the quadriceps and at all three angles of knee flexion following a six-week weight training program.(2) Boys and girls who participated in twice-weekly sessions of resistance training for eight weeks showed significant strength increases in leg extension and chest press exercises, particularly those who completed high-repetition, low-weight workouts.(3) Yet another study showed that a moderate intensity, progressive resistance training program can be an effective part of a multidisciplinary weight management program for obese pre-adolescent children. (4) These and other studies have shown that prepubescent children can benefit from a weight training program, but equally significant is that research suggests such programs are relatively safe. "What it comes down to is good supervision, appropriate equipment and stressing proper form", Tippett explained. "Those [points] are really the heart and soul of position statements on kids and weight training made by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations." Designing a Program That's not to say that weight training is appropriate for children of any age, and Tippett noted that kids should not begin lifting weights until their motor skills are developed to the point where they are able to follow supervisors' instructions and maintain proper form. "That's not to say that they're too young to reap the benefits of exercise—strengthening, flexibility and endurance", he said. "But programs are typically geared toward developing gross motor skills [through] activities like kicking, swimming or climbing." Furthermore, while weight training is appropriate for younger kids, competitive power lifting and weightlifting based on one repetition maximums should be put off until post-puberty when the bones are nearing skeletal maturity, usually at the tail end of kids' high school experience. Instead, Tippett recommended a high-repetition, low-weight program that focuses on the major muscle groups. "Adults traditionally work out at eight to 10 to 12 repetitions [per exercise], and that's usually based on a one repetition maximum; you do a maximum lift, and then work out at 'X' percentage of that weight", the PT explained. "But we discourage kids from one rep maximums, so I'll typically have them aim for a weight where they will be fatigued but still maintain appropriate form while completing three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions." Typically done three times per week, a well-rounded weight training program usually includes: Bench Press Military Press Biceps and Triceps Curls Leg Press Squats Knee Extensions Knee Curls These exercises should be part of a global fitness program, including flexibility and cardiovascular exercise, both aerobic and anaerobic. And when structuring a program to a younger population, it's important to include some 'free play' activities (soccer, basketball, etc.) to help build balance, coordination and body-awareness. Tippett added that the benefits of this kind of training program aren't limited to the able-bodied-kids with disabilities could also benefit. "[The medical community] used to think that abnormal muscle tone was a contraindication to weight training, but there's a decent amount of literature that shows that weight training for children with disabilities can be both advantageous and safe", he said. "And this is an area where PTs can really shine, because ATCs and other professionals don't have our training to effectively deal with issues in this population." For example, PTs who treat kids with disabilities may need to design a program with exercises that can be performed with limited range of motion, and frequent measurements of heart rate and blood pressure are particularly important when working with kids who have cardiopulmonary or respiratory conditions. The key, said Tippett, is for PTs to contact the child's physician to discuss any medical concerns before launching a program. "But as long as kids are medically stable from a cardiovascular standpoint, have a musculoskeletal system that's intact and are able to comprehend directions, weight training programs are OK", he said. Getting Involved Unfortunately, few manufacturers provide exercise equipment designed for children, and even fewer gyms and exercise facilities are properly equipped, much less accessible, to this population. For this reason, Tippett stressed the need for more PTs to get involved with universities and organizations to meet this growing need. Although physical therapists are already actively involved in structuring exercise programs for patients with limiting conditions, bringing these services to the community at large could be the next step. "For example, Bradley University, in conjunction with Easter Seals UCP, helped develop a workout facility in Peoria with the appropriate equipment in an accessible facility", said Tippett. "I think this is an area that's wide open for PTs, especially if they work with a large rehab institution or a university that has experience in disabled sports." References 1. Weltman, A., et al. (1986). The effects of hydraulic resistance strength training in pre-pubertal males. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 18(6): 629-638. 2. Damiano, D.L., et al. (1995). Muscle response to heavy resistance exercise in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol, 37(8): 731-739. 3. Faigenbaum, A.D., et al. (1999). The effects of different resistance training protocols on muscular strength and endurance development in children. Pediatrics, 104(1): e5. 4. Sothern, M.S, et al. (1999). Inclusion of resistance exercise in a multidisciplinary outpatient treatment program for preadolescent obese children. South Med J, 92(6): 585-592. Mike Le Postollec is on staff at ADVANCE and can be reached at mlepostollec@merion.com. -------------------------------- Dr Mel C Siff Denver, USA http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/