Age Appropriate Weight Training

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I am looking for reference materials (books, articles, vids etc.) that deal with age appropriate weight training and exercising.

Here’s my situation: I have a 7 y.o. girl, 11 y.o. boy and 14 y.o. boy. The boys are very athletic and great little hockey players and are built like mom, wiry.(okay, skinny is more accurate)

My girl adores her brothers and is also very athletic and has started playing hockey. She hangs out and plays with them and tries to train with them as well.

I have a small home gym ( dumbbells, barbell, squat rack, bench) which I have asked them not to use until I find out what is proper for their age and developmental phase. The boys are hounding me to let them start lifting weights but I need info.

Does anyone know of any kind of literature that will allow me to design a safe and appropriate work out plan for my kids? I suspect the boys are making use of my little gym when I am not around…

Right now they do mainly body weight calisthenics; pushups (many variations, pullups, dips, hindu squats etc. Thanks for any input you may have.

2

Check this out:
http://www.exrx.net/Store/Lists/Children.html

3

That’s what I was looking for, Thanks!

4

Avery Faigenbaum (sp?) has written a lot on weightlifting for children. I would look into his books

5

I am almost positive ACSM addressed this in a recent journal. Sorry no links though.

6

Talk to “The Thinker” over at EliteFTS. He is a strength coach at UPitt and previously was working in the private sector with kids as young as six. He recently had an excellent dialouge with somebody in the Q&A on introducing a young boy to training. If you can’t find it with some searching, I’ll try to summarize best I can from memory.