Thread: Youth strength training

I wrote this in my blog and think it applies well for your youth athlete:

Resistance Training For Youth Athletes « OSP Blog

Patrick

Thanks Patrick, your advice matches what I've read about getting kids started. I guess what I'm still unsure of is to what degree can he be pushed?

He's been doing high reps (12-15) along with 4 sets up to this year. We've always used his last set as the failure set (do as many as possible to failure). Once football season starts, all strength training stops.

What we started this year is 3 sets at 8 reps with the last set again being the failure set. We've also increased the amount of weight per exercise dramatically. I've noticed that fewer sets and reps have helped maintain focus.

This year, he's only trained for 3 weeks so far, but we're both happy with the results. We work 3 times a week and the total training time can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hrs. (depending on which muscle group is targeted and how motivated we are).

I'm nowhere near an expert, but I try to aquire as much information as I can to help with my decision. What I've read is age isn't as much a factor as is the individual's development. My son's development seems to be a little more advanced than most his age (atleast it seems so to me). But, when I mention his training routine to coaches or other parents, they look at me like I have 3 eyes. I guess I'm just trying to aquire a little more information here and make sure I'm doing the right thing.

I wouldn't stop lifting during football season. No need to regress.

Also, I would stay away from training to failure and instead leave 1-2 reps in the tank each set and try and make small, consistent, improvements every week.

Patrick

Originally Posted by P-funk

I wouldn't stop lifting during football season. No need to regress.

Also, I would stay away from training to failure and instead leave 1-2 reps in the tank each set and try and make small, consistent, improvements every week.

Patrick

Same here P.
Lifting through football season keeps strength level high, mainly when going into post season play. As P-Funk said, small improvements help mentally as well.
Ensuring proper form in all lifts are important to, its not how much wt your using, its how youre doing it. Sloppy lifting form IMHO means sloppy form on the field.

ps, love the article Patrick!!!!

Originally Posted by P-funk

I wouldn't stop lifting during football season. No need to regress.

Also, I would stay away from training to failure and instead leave 1-2 reps in the tank each set and try and make small, consistent, improvements every week.

Patrick

Agreed.

i really don't think its smart to train to failure for someone so young, specially not every workout.

I've never employed failure training. I mean, I occasionally HIT failure, but it's not my aim. If I set out to do five reps, I do five reps. I never, EVER do more than I said I was going to do. If I feel like I could have done more, I try to lift heavier next time.

I think that's been one of the keys to how I've been able to avoid burnout - I always look forward to hitting the gym, to see if I can hit my goals THIS time. I never dread it, because I know I can trust myself to only go as far as I promised myself I'd go.

Keeps me wanting more, yanno?

Thanks for the replies. The reason he stops strength training at home when the season starts is from August 1st until school starts, he practices 4 to 5 times a week and then has a scrimmage saturday. That's 5 to 6 days a week in high temps. I like pushing him, but that's getting carried away. This is youth football we're talking about. He's still a kid and likes playing with friends like all kids do. I really don't want him burned out, nor do I want him to hate training.

Now, about lifting to failure. I was under the impression, that lifting to failure with the help of a spotter was the correct way to go. Someone mentioned that it was not a good idea to do that with someone his age. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I read that age wasn't important as the individual's development. His development is beyond his age. Can someone tell me why lifting to failure is the wrong way to go? I have no problem changing up our routine if it could cause a problem, but it sure is easier to gauge his progress. Once again, thanks for all the replies and any other info/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I wouldn't stop lifting during football season. No need to regress.

Also, I would stay away from training to failure and instead leave 1-2 reps in the tank each set and try and make small, consistent, improvements every week.

Patrick

AGREED 100% on the training during season. I played professional basketball for 8 years after college and always had teammates tell me that they do not train during the season because it would throw their shot off. HORSE HOCKEY! I trained all year long, just on different levels. Off season was definitely different than on season. In season I might only lift 2 times a week sometimes 3 days, and it was to maintain not really build. During my eight seasons I played for 6 different teams. The teams in which I played on that allowed us time to get into the gym to train with weights had far fewer injuries once the season really started to grind on us.

I understand your son is still young, but take this advice to heart for the future and all the best!

Scale back lifting to two days a week (full body workouts) with very low volume during the season. I mean very low volume! But maintain intensity.

Lifting to failure just burns you out. The goal isn't to destroy yourself in one workout. It is to continually progress over many many workouts. If I fry myself out in 2-weeks lifting to failure, what is the point? If I leave 1-2 in the tank and each week make consistent gains, I can consistently improve. Also, technique tends to go to shit when lifting to failure. In addition, as you start to fail, you fatigue and your power out put and rate of force production begins to decline. This is not beneficial for an athlete, as you want to develop a strong power output. I would rather see an athlete Do 8 sets of 2 reps with a 5RM load and have explosive power on each rep, than do 2 sets of 8 reps to all out failure. Quality is the key. In addition, lifting to failure can get extremely hard on the joints.

patrick

Also, in failure-training, that is to say, in deliberately training to failure on a regular basis, your body will learn how to protect you - your central nervous system will stop your muscles short of muscular fatigue, much like a fuse or a circuit breaker will protect a device from overload. In this way, you will limit your development since your body will, over time, learn to stop short of muscular fatigue while letting your CNS take the beating.

Patrick, I'll trash lifting to failure for the the immediate future and see how things go. The last thing I want is to see him with joint problems.

Patrick and Highpockets, I hear what you're saying about lifting once the season starts and I'll suggest it to my son. But, I'm almost sure his response will not be favorable. He's spent once practice is over and his days off from exercise/practice is very important. Playtime, chores and homework also take up much of his time. Like i said, I don't want him to hate training. Once he reaches highschool and can see others in the weight room, his competitive juices will take over and I'm sure they'll have a hard time getting him out. Right now, I'm doing what I can to lay out a foundation for the future.

Thanks for the suggestions and explanations. I'll continue to lurk in here if you guys don't mind. I'm positive I'll pick up some pointers that both my son and I will add/change to our routine. If you get a chance, take a look at this video. This is his 1st year as running back. He also won the defensive MVP in the championship game. He was pretty small back then, but has grown considerably since.

Nomis, it's very cool that you're so interested in your son's development as an athlete and as a healthy young man. We'll be delighted to know you're lurking.

I'll add one more thing, having re-read your initial post: get him off machines. Machine work has its place - high rep stuff for certain types of rehab movements; glycogen-depletion in preparation for carbohydrate-loading… but machines should not form the mainstay of your or your son's strength-training. Full (below parallel) free squats, off-the floor, Romanian, sumo and other types of deadlifts, heavy pressing and pulling with free weights in natural, compound (multi-joint) movement patterns are appropriate for this type of work. Machines such as Smith are simply not suited to this type of work.

If you want to be able to perform natural movements your whole life, train natural movements.

Built, thanks for the reply. John's the last of 6 kids given to me by my wife. I'm very proud of all my kids, but John has natural God given talents that I hope won't be wasted. I get a kick from watching someone's face when he takes his shirt off.

I hear ya about the smith machine. I bought that for two reasons. The first is John had a hard time lifting with the olympic bars I had. He was a little over 60 lbs. when we started and had a hard time keeping his balance. He could lift so much more with the machine and it was great for his confidence.

The second is I'm no young man (55 yrs. old) and the only spotter I had was John. It made sense to me to make the buy. We do much with DB's and the easy curl bar. The only exercises we do on the smith is straight bar exercises. My plan was to make this his last year with the smith and prepare him for the next level after this year's football season was over by using nothing but free weights. I put together a routine that includes football moves and you'd most likely laugh if I posted it. One day, I'll ask you guys to develop something for him. Better yet, why don't I just send him to you and you can send him back when he's ready to play college ball?

nomis, you sound like a wonderful father.

Now. YOU get yourself off that damned Smith. I'm old too, and people like us, we're too old to use that thing. It forces you into an unnatural plane of motion.

Old people and machines don't mix.

Wow nomis your kid is great.

I wish I had a father like you (not that I don't appreciate my dad but he never encouraged me to do sports. I played for the Kenya under 15's cricket team aged 12 but he told me to focus on academics and instead and never acknowledged my skill in cricket, football and basketball. I could have made a career out of one of the three but my father's discouragement made me just the guy who's at them, but not good enough to make it into the proffesional leagues because he didn't let me train extra or get me equipment or take me to practices.

Keep encouraging your child, but don't start doing things that you want to and he doesn't. But I see a future in him and he looks like he enjoys it so all the better for him! Just make sure to bat off the ladies when he hits high school hehe.

If only you could wind back time eh?? I'm already 19 and wanting to change my past so much!

Originally Posted by nomis

Patrick, I'll trash lifting to failure for the the immediate future and see how things go. The last thing I want is to see him with joint problems.

Patrick and Highpockets, I hear what you're saying about lifting once the season starts and I'll suggest it to my son. But, I'm almost sure his response will not be favorable. He's spent once practice is over and his days off from exercise/practice is very important. Playtime, chores and homework also take up much of his time. Like i said, I don't want him to hate training. Once he reaches highschool and can see others in the weight room, his competitive juices will take over and I'm sure they'll have a hard time getting him out. Right now, I'm doing what I can to lay out a foundation for the future.

Thanks for the suggestions and explanations. I'll continue to lurk in here if you guys don't mind. I'm positive I'll pick up some pointers that both my son and I will add/change to our routine. If you get a chance, take a look at this video. This is his 1st year as running back. He also won the defensive MVP in the championship game. He was pretty small back then, but has grown considerably since.

I hear ya on being spent after practice.

What I propose is something low volume through training camp. Training 2x's a week (maybe monday and thursday) and very low volume. For example:

Mon
Warm up/Core work
1) Squat - 2x5
2a) Incline DB Bench - 2x8
2b) Chins - 2x as many as possible
stretch and done

Thurs
Warm up/core work
1) Bench press - 2x5
2a) 1-leg/1-arm DB RDL - 2x8
2b) Standing 1-arm cable row - 2x8
stretch and done


Patrick

Machine's almost always give me joint pain, free is the way to go. Much safer & effective.

Sorry for not getting back to you guys with your posts. I've been extremely busy with work and also have been playing catch up with home life responsibilities.

Patrick, I like what you're saying about keep lifting once his season starts and I agree with you completely. I will give that a try, but if he pushes back, I'm afraid I'll have to back off. Here's the problem. John doesn't yet understand how important training is towards getting an edge on competition and allowing you to be the best that you can be.

Excluding his first year, he's always started on both sides of the ball and also special teams. If an award was given out, he always got it whether it was player of the game, some type of end of season award or just praise from his coach. He hasn't had to work very hard to be one of the best when compared to his level of competition.

I've had to coax him into training and he's always on the fence with his decision to continue training. In his defense, I don't know of many, if not any kids his age that train to the degree he does. Once he reaches high school, that level of competition changes dramatically. At that point, he'll be training with kids his age and not his old man and I'm sure he'll see the rewards in training. Right now, I'm just trying to continue laying a foundation and keeping his interest.

T-Man, thanks for the compliments. Don't be too hard on Dad, he did what he thought was the best for you. Sometimes dad's look at their own lives and try to make sure their kids don't make mistakes that they did. He was/is steering you in a direction that he thinks will help you succeed.

Built, don't be too quick to annoint me father of the year just yet. I have to admit that I am also rewarded when watching him play. I may have some selfish reasons of my own towards his development . I'll take your advice and wean both him and I away from the machine.

You guys are great! I've learned much in a short time and please continue to let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions that might help us out. Thanks again.

Nomis, you've done a great job. I wish i could get my 13 year old son interested in weight training but he simply is not. He just want to be the skinny kid I guess. I don't give him a hard time about it i just wish he was a little motivated to train thats all

Nomis, you've done a great job. I wish i could get my 13 year old son interested in weight training but he simply is not. He just want to be the skinny kid I guess. I don't give him a hard time about it i just wish he was a little motivated to train thats all

Thanks Vader, I appreciate the vote of confidence. You have no idea how much citicism I've recieved from friends, family and others towards what I've tried to accomplish with my son.

It's been no easy task motivating John into training. Sometimes he's the willing subject and then there are other times when he mopes and drags his feet. As long as he continues to improve or maintain with each week, I'm a happy guy.

Just remember, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm sure that your son will at some time see what you've accomplished and ask for your help. Getting him interested in some type of sport is step one. The rest sort of falls into place.

I figure that when he starts wanting to date and notices that the girls like guys with pecs, then he will be motivated to pick up the weights.

I figure that when he starts wanting to date and notices that the girls like guys with pecs, then he will be motivated to pick up the weights.

That's probably the biggest motivational tool known to man.

I see parents who really have no idea in the wt room with their kids, both male and female. Its fustrating. Then on the other hand, I also know of parents who stick Playstation/XBOX remotes in their hands and never work with them. Congrates on working with your son, very cool!