Youth Strength Training: Separating Myths from Modern Evidence
The recent article in The Guardian about children participating in strength training has created some noise both within the industry and amongst the general public, notably parents of young athletes. It covers some important ground, with views from respected industry experts, and identifies the important shift that has taken place from outdated research into modern evidence around the appropriateness of strength-based training for youth athletes.
Of course, this topic could not be more relevant to me, with 50 children aged 10-16 attending my group and one-to-one strength and conditioning sessions each week. It might be assumed therefore that I think strength training for children is fine, but its not as simple as that.
The article addresses head on the myths that still prevail around youth athletic training. Part of the focus is on the views of Jon Oliver, a professor in applied paediatric exercise science at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who literally wrote the book on the subject. ‘Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes: Science and Application’ has been such an important book for me over the years. Firstly, by helping me in the early days to start understanding the nuances of the youth athletic development niche and, secondly, by informing my practice as I now operate in that niche.
Oliver highlights a really important point that was emphasised by the international consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2014, that any strength building work should be delivered by trained professionals. My development path for gaining the UKSCA Level 3 Diploma has been with Ed Archer, Programme Director and Head Coach at Athlete Academy, who has been my mentor and coach since 2022. Mentorship and continuing professional development are without doubt fundamental to providing a safe learning environment for youth strength and conditioning programmes.
A second aspect of Oliver’s explanation is also a point that I wholeheartedly agree with, that strength training must be adapted to be age-appropriate and suitable for the ability and goals of each individual athlete. NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations are referred to, stating that “five to 18 year olds need to do two types of exercise each week: aerobic and exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones” and activities that “strengthen muscle and bone should be incorporated at least three days a week” respectively. These guidelines not only back up the fact that strength training is safe and beneficial when supervised, but that it is fundamental to children’s physical health. Not just sporty children, ALL children.
The article goes on to speak to a gym owner in Devon, who says that forces involved in jumping, landing, and sprinting might be the equivalent to a 10 kilo kettlebell. In fact, the forces involved in those activities are significantly more than 10 kilos, with some research finding that jumping onto a box and landing can exert forces closer to 8 times a person's body weight. When we relate this to sport, we expect our children to jump effortlessly without realising the forces occurring in the body, and this is an example of how strength and conditioning can support physical development.
Oliver continues by talking about youth athletes not needing to be in a rush to lift heavy weights. In fact, one of the benefits of starting young is that you have time on your side. I've had numerous children start training with me who are showing talent in a certain sport, but when I ask them to hold their body weight by hanging off the bar, they are unable to do it. Starting slowly is the key, building their capacity up by starting where they can touch the floor, then using the gymnastics bars to slowly swing so that their mind is on something other than just holding their weight. Before you know it, they have vastly improved their upper body strength.
We've all seen the funny videos of someone about to do a rope swing over water. After a second or two of holding onto the rope, they have to let go because their body cannot hold its own weight. I would argue that if we are asking young people to play competitive contact sports, they need to intentionally develop strength safely to be able to absorb the impact and forces that could otherwise result in injury.
As it progresses, the article touches on the psychological and social side of young people doing gym work, with lots of research that demonstrates the benefits of strength training in terms of positive states of mind, and some even linking it to improved performance in school. This also makes sense to me, as I see the pleasure my young athletes get from working out and developing over time. I’m not only referring to the perceived physical benefits they might see such as more profound muscle definition, but the deeper outcomes such as a sense of achievement, benefits to physical health beneath the surface (e.g. heart, hormonal, metabolic), social skills, and a sense of belonging no matter their background or ability. As highlighted in the article, children love training together in a safe, encouraging environment, and the development of confidence and resilience over time is consistently evident.
Strength building is only a part of what we focus on at Future Athletes. Much time is dedicated to developing foundation movements, coordination, mobility, power development, and trunk stability, with a slow and steady approach to integrating strength training as part of each child’s athletic development.
The discussion around children and strength training should move beyond outdated fears and focus instead on how it is delivered. When programmes are designed with the long-term development of the child in mind, and built on strong movement foundations, strength training becomes not only safe but highly beneficial. It supports physical health, reduces injury risk, helps young people build all-round life skills and develop a positive relationship with exercise. For me, the aim is to guide our young athletes through a gradual, structured programme of long term athletic development that not only supports their sporting aspirations but equips them with an understanding of their body that they will carry with them throughout their youth sport and into adulthood.
Common questions I get asked by parents:
Q: At what age should children start strength training?
A: Children can begin learning strength and conditioning exercises as soon as they are able to follow instructions and focus on movement technique, which is often during the latter primary school years. Each child is different therefore at Future Athletes we don’t apply a specific age but instead we speak to parents to gauge the child’s maturity and experience in a coaching environment before recommending whether they are at an appropriate age to start.
Q: Does strength training stunt growth?
A: This is one of the most common myths. There is no credible scientific evidence that properly supervised strength training negatively affects growth. In fact, appropriately designed training can support bone health, muscular development and overall physical resilience.
Q: What does youth strength training actually look like?
A: Effective youth strength and conditioning goes far beyond simply lifting weights. Sessions should focus on movement skills, coordination, balance, jumping and landing mechanics, core strength, and gradual strength development.