Strength training, strength training in childhood, bodybuilding in childhood
Introduction
Again and again questions of worried parents emerge, whether a purposeful weight training is meaningful in the child and youth, or even contains dangers. These concerns are not unfounded, since strength training on equipment not only causes adaptations to the active musculoskeletal system, but also numerous adaptations to the passive musculoskeletal system (joints, ligaments, tendons etc.). The fact is: While overweight children were a rarity in the past decades, the number of overweight children is now reaching alarming levels.
In addition to this obese tendency, more and more children and adolescents suffer from serious postural, coordinative and conditional deficiencies. The increasing mechanization and the associated inclination to computer games, the poor quality of teachers in schools, especially elementary school, cause this lack of exercise for German children. Another problem is the lack of cooperation between schools and sports clubs.
Most overweight children are increasingly losing their connection to sports and thus a way out of the problem, which is getting worse and worse as they develop. However, it is precisely childhood and adolescence that is particularly suited to adapt to training stimuli. In these so-called “sensitive phases”, the child’s musculoskeletal system is particularly suitable for strength training stimuli.
A child-oriented, adequate strength training in childhood enables children to make additional coordinative progress, since the increased strength potential enables movements with more dynamic use of force. In many play sports, one-sided movements occur, which in the long term lead to muscular imbalances. Here, compensatory strength training offers the compensation and prevention of these imbalances.
However, strength training in childhood should not be used to develop little model athletes, but rather to make targeted use of the urge to move that all children possess in order to prevent later deficits. Strength training in childhood is viewed rather critically in Germany. Too great are the fears of injuries and impairments that could accompany the young athletes for the rest of their lives.
In addition, the amount of building hormones is still too small to allow muscles to grow and thus justify strength training. Especially in America, studies now prove the opposite. There, strength training for children under supervision is even recommended.
In contrast to strength training in adulthood, the focus in children is not on maximum muscle mass and not on lifting the highest possible loads. Strength training for children is intended to train general fitness and improve mental well-being. It is also intended to improve performance in physical education and effectively prevent injuries.
Strength training with bands, free weights, machines and one’s own body weight can therefore lead to significant success. The exercises with your own body and bands are the most gentle. Strength exercises on machines and with dumbbells, however, are more suitable for more complex movements or movements where the strength is not yet sufficient.
For push-ups or chin-ups the strength is in some cases not yet sufficient, so that dumbbells and machines become interesting here. Strength training before puberty does not yet produce significant muscle gains. However, the musculature becomes significantly more powerful, since muscle strands that were previously “broken” are now activated and trained.
This comes from the increased coordination within the muscle. Strength training in childhood primarily trains coordination within a muscle so that as many muscle fibers as possible are activated. It also improves the interaction between muscles and nerves, so that the muscles in general work more effectively.
The performance of the muscles increases without building up additional muscle mass. This can protect and stabilize a twisted foot and thus prevent injuries. Scientists in the USA found out that after a few months the concentration of muscle-building hormones also increases, so that after a certain time an increase in muscle mass is also possible.
The maximum strength is the basis for explosive strength, strength endurance and explosive power. These strength characteristics are required to varying degrees in different sports. Therefore it is only advantageous for children to start with appropriate strength training at an early age in order to be able to better develop their strength abilities afterwards.
Strength training for children should therefore not be generally excluded.Age-appropriate training does not damage bones, cartilage or joints. Just the opposite happens, additional bone substance is built up, ligaments and cartilage get used to the higher loads and are also strengthened. Therefore, strength training begins in childhood to counteract bone loss in old age.
Further studies indicate that tendons and connective tissue also benefit from strength training in childhood. Already two units per week are sufficient to achieve significant effects in strength and endurance. In general, training for children should include a maximum of eight exercises, of which two to three sets each should be performed.
The movement should always be performed slowly and in a controlled manner. In a strength training session, children should always first strengthen their abdominal and back muscles and then train their shoulders, arms and legs. In addition, there should always be at least one day’s break between training sessions to ensure sufficient recovery.
Studies show that even children’s body composition is changing. The amount of fat in children’s bodies has been increasing steadily over the last 30 years. Strength training improves body composition, reduces fat tissue, builds muscle mass and even has positive effects on the cardiovascular system.
If you still don’t want your child to do classic strength training, you can opt for other sports activities such as fighting, wrestling and brawling instead of athletic training. The children can playfully complete similar exercises and also benefit from the positive effects. Arm wrestling is another example of how children can be introduced to strength training through play. They can also push each other away, pull each other back and forth or try to knock each other over. Strength training in childhood can, if properly dosed, play a significant role in a healthy and athletic development.
