Correct me if im wrong but can getting into weightlifting to early stunt growth.then again maybe that would be a benefit.
The idea of strenous activity stunting growth is LUDICROUS. Show me 1, just one study that shows it…that is assinine. (And do not trot out that old study of Asian kids who did not reach full height…the author blamed it on carrying loads on their backs/heads everyday only due to cultural ignorance of that method. He ignored the fact that the kids in the study were DIRT poor and ate sparingly to say the least.)
Do people (obviously some do) REALLY believe that a kid who is getting adequate nutrition is not going to be as tall as GENETICALLY predetermined because he lifts some heavy shit? PLEASE.
I bet those same people would let there kid run around playing the most dangerous sport in the world without a second thought. Lots of collisions, UNSCALEABLE loads placed on the body by running and jumping and sliding. But GOD FORBID they do something under the tutelage of someone who cares about what they are doing and controls things in a safe scaleable environment like a well run weightroom. Soccer, by the way is the sport.
If the kid is having fun and spending time with adults who care about him and this is something everyone likes…go for it!
it is just weird. How can a 5year old kid can find powerlifting fun?
[quote]horsepuss wrote:
Correct me if im wrong but can getting into weightlifting to early stunt growth.then again maybe that would be a benefit.[/quote]
No worse than slamming into other children full force playing soccer, or football, or any of the other millions of contact sports that we have our children play everyday with absolutely no concern about their health and wellbeing.
Seriously, look up how many kids get injured playing soccer every year, and how many kids get hurt in the weight room. The numbers are nuts.
Edit: mopar_nocar beat me to it, great post.
[quote]brauny96 wrote:
dude that kid aint an infant, but if it were my kid, he wouldnt be maxing out on lifting till at least 6th grade, guz i dont know bout yous, but i enjoy bein 6’, i dont wanna be like my powerlifting buddy vince and bein 5’1". if my boy wants to work out with me, i will let him when hes old enough, that kid definately aint[/quote]
So why would 6th grade per se be ok? Just because someone said it was? Well why did they say that? Because…its just common knowledge.
Spouting ideas without empirical evidence is silly at best and downright counterproductive most of the time.
My dad is 6 foot 5. I am 6 foot 1. Is that because I lifted weights as a kid? Or dug ditches or mowed yards? Or played football? Well, no. Its because my mom is 5 foot 4, and all the people on my maternal side are under 6 foot.
Now my kid is unlikely to make it to 6 foot. Is that because he will probably play a lot of sports and since I lift weights, he probably from an early age? Nope. It IS because his mom is 5 foot 4.
The mistake people make is looking for external reasons for not being as tall as they would like. For some unfathomable reason that FEELS better than looking at what actually determines height…your heritage.
Additionally, the injury rate in weightlifting is ridiculously low…in fact most of the cases in the studies I have read actually involved horseplay in the weightroom, not injury from lifting. Theoretically growth plate damage causes long bones to stop growing, and weights cause that all the time…not really. But running and skating and footabll and soccer and hockey do, but those are not castigated for stopping growth. Incidentally, growth plate damage does not always cause a disruption of long bone growth, otherwise I would have one arm 6 inches shorter than the other since I busted the growth plate in my right arm 3 times before I reached my adult height…but my arms look pretty much the same length.
sb
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Edit: mopar_nocar beat me to it, great post.[/quote]
Thanks. I have fight this battle A LOT as a freshmen/middle school coach. I kinda’ went on a rant in my second post after re-reading the thread. I will cool my heels a bit and see how this unfolds.
sb
Not competing until they are in their early teens at least. Maximal loads (read 100% or > of 1 RM)aren’t a great idea for kids especially when they are not receiving good coaching constantly.
I also agree with the not specialising till later camp if a kid is pushed in one direction so hard they will likely burn out especially in a western society were life offer so many other temptations.
For fuck sake.
How can you say that someone didn’t reach their maximum height?
HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY TELL?
If someone weight trained from age fucking 4, and reached 5’10" in height, who is to say he wouldn’t of been 6’3"?
If someone was 6’3" and weight trained from 15, who’s to say he wouldn’t of been 6’5"?
YOU CAN’T TELL. Stop putting fourth your opinions on weight lifting stunting growth (unless you can travel back in fucking time), because it’s just ignorant.
I think the most important point is whether he does it for fun or whether he is pushed into it.
Nice me and that little dude have the same singlet. Go yellow adidas! I rock the red shirt underneath though for that Winnie the Pooh look. If only i could get yellow OL shoes.
In other news: I reckon its alright for him to compete in strength sports but to keep the training far from heavy. Jsut do it for form and fun. some lifting of med balls, youth bars and such should be fine. heavy squats might not be key.
But for kids to play at gymnastics, Olifting broomsticks and youth bars and just doing some fun play-level training seems fine.
Shit a guy i used to train BJJ with has his kids whipping med balls and dragging shipping chain all over his back yard now. They think that shit is hilarious. Same guy made a harness for his dog to tow a sled too so he may or may not be good example. but his dogs and his kids can both do back flips.
-chris
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
TYPE2B wrote:
Bulgarian weightlifting coaches have their lifters start out at the age of ten, that kid is just an infant.
bulgarians are pussies
bosnians teach their kids to walk by doing lunges.[/quote]
I was running from wild dogs as a kid all the time. climbing anything I could see, walking up/down massive hills to get water and carry it back. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.