How old does a child have to be to start weight training?

Question

My son is 10 and already 5'4" and getting a bit chunky. Hes pretty fit and plays footy and stuff but has wanted to be a 'strongman' for about 2 years now. I think he is far to young to do any training as he is still growing but a friend said it would be ok if he was monitored properly at a reputable gym.

Answer 1

Well, when I was 12, I was 5'6" and weighed 165. I was also the fastest kid in my gym class.

Don't worry about him getting chunky, as you say he is pretty fit. In a year when he grows another inch-and-a-half, that chunkyness wil disappear, but he'll have the added bulk.

As far as the weight training, it's not the fact that he's still growing, that has nothing to do with it. It has to with prepubescence and the fact that at this point his muscles are stronger than his bones.

I played football in College and was in a similar dilemma.

I was not allowed to touch a weight until I was 13. And even then, I was only allowed 3 hours a week until I turned 15, then I slept with the stupid things!

10 years old is too young to be in weight training. Wait until he's 14 or 15, then you won't have any problems at all.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I'm not sure why someone would give you a thumbs down for asking what seems to me a very reasonable question regarding a valid concern toward the health of your child, but there you go.

My opinion as an answer to your question would be that it would be to soon for your son to be doing the kind of repetitive training of the sort he would do at a gym. Playing Field sports or any other form of games that a child of his age would normally do, is excellent as a form of exercise, the repetitive exercise that he would be doing in a gym could have a drastic and detrimental effect on his future growth and development.

The bottom line is from my point of view, is that i would not allow a child of mine to do this type of thing at such a young age.

Answer 4

Hell no.

He is still growing. I would lay off the weights until at LEAST 16, preferable 18-19, when his body has stopped growing.

Although there is much debate as to weight training young, it is beleived that pumping iron at a young age stumps bone growth.

Tell him to stick to cardiovascular exercises - if he wants to get a more toned physique he should start rowing or kickboxing - these kinds of exercises will not put undue pressure on bones - and growing bones at that...

Weight training is HIGHLY beneficial once you have STOPPED growing - it prevents muscle loss and strengthens the bones. However, it is probably detrimental to do such an exercise with growing bones since they will be not be hard, "set" bone. Also remember a young body needs energy and nutrients to grow, NOT repair muscle. If a growing body is going out of its way to repair muscle, how and when will it be able to grow bones/other tissue properly???

Answer 5

The thing with weights is that it can become very addictive and a lot of the excercise is focused in the mind; pushing your endurance, and forcing yourself outside your comfort zones, The difficulty with this is judging when too much is too much when the excercise is all about doing that one extra lift, or push or whatever... I did weights from a very young age, I excercised a lot and also did sports. I'm saying this because it was said to me and i refused to listen: 10 years old is much too young to start excercise. it'll affect his height:- he won't grow as tall as genetics might have intended, this may have a permanent effect on his bones through density, and aching joints. Whereas light excercise might be very good like moderate amounts of running, and swimming, and other aerobic excercises, too much of anything will be dangerous.

Answer 6

It's really not a healthy exercise for children, they shouldn't start weight training until 16 or 17 when their bodies have sorted themselves out. Why not suggest something like boxing to distract him?

Answer 7

A "reputable" Gym wont let him near any weights until the age of 16. They will allow him on CV machines such as Cross Trainers but not near the weights. It's to do with the fact that his muscle mass is still growing - along with the rest of him.

Answer 8

Its either 14 or 15. I think its 15. This is because up until that age they are still growing.

Answer 9

maybe join something like the Little Gym, no weights, but plenty of other exercise to build up balance/co-ordination which will help him become stronger, they do programmes which learn basics of gymnastic skills.

Answer 10

book a trainer for an hour or so and see what they think - it's not just age its build too.