Why kids should "play" weightlifting
Word Count: 1650
Introduction:
The reason behind this particular post is personal, the university weightlifting club I coach was recently put into the “high risk” category of sports clubs. Now usually the ignorance of the “uninitiated” doesn’t bother me, but when I saw weightlifting classified as more dangerous than rugby, GAA, boxing and martial arts, I felt compelled to do something. So, like any disgruntled university student would do, I decided to write a strongly worded blog post. What’s even more ridiculous is that most of these sports use resistance training (lifting weights) as a means of injury prevention yet weightlifting is somehow classified as more dangerous.
Personally, I’m sick and tired of seeing the sport I love branded as threatening and hazardous. This negative connotation drives away numerous potentially talented kids from participating in a sport which they may enjoy. All because mommy doesn’t want little Tommy “getting hurt”. So, the purpose of this post is threefold. Firstly, to dispel the common myths associated with weightlifting. Secondly, to compare the injury rates seen in youth weightlifting with other popular under-age sports. Finally, to offer practical training recommendations and guidelines for S&C coaches regarding the planning, periodisation and structure of training for youth weightlifters.
Definitions:
For the purpose of this post, please consider the term “resistance training” to relate to any structured form of bodyweight, gymnastic or weight training (free or machine weights) exercise protocol aimed at enhancing sports performance, speed, strength, power, body composition, health or injury prevention. Whereas the term “weightlifting”, refers specifically to the Olympic sport of weightlifting, consisting of 2 movements, the snatch and the clean & jerk. (See Youtube video below)
The benefits of resistance training are common knowledge in athletic populations but did you know health and wellbeing benefits have been shown in sedentary 1, elderly 2,3, cancer survivors 4 and in injured populations to 5? It’s outside the scope of this article to address all these populations. So instead, I’ll focus only on juvenile populations, because having more kids actively participating in sport could help combat the current obesity crisis 6.
Warning:
I feel a pre-emptive caveat is necessary; I am not advocating that all children aimlessly attempt to lift weights, but rather, provided proper safety standards are met, weightlifting offers itself as a safe and protective sport. These safety standards are equally applicable to other sports and adults starting weightlifting. Due to the technical nature of the weightlifting movements, a qualified coach should be present at all sessions, utilising suitable programmes, in a safe environment, with appropriate equipment. The primary focus should be on technical competency while ensuring the athletes are in a non-fatigued, injury-free and ready to train state 7–16.
Common Myths:
Most of the common myths and misconceptions regarding resistance training and weightlifting in children stem from outdated or misinterpreted science or completely misinformed opinion. Such as, “lifting weights will stunt your growth”, this particular myth originates from anecdotal evidence that elite lifters are generally small. Thus, weightlifting stunts your growth, this is obviously ridiculous, and a kin to saying, elite NBA basketball players are over 7ft, therefore, playing basketball makes you taller. If the reasons are not yet glaringly obvious, being tall in basketball is a distinct advantage (your closer to the hoop) and having shorter legs is an advantage in weightlifting because it offers certain biomechanical advantages (you don’t have to lift the weight as far as a taller person).
What does the science say?
The first scientific publication to outlaw weightlifting for kids was a 1983 position stance from the American Academy of Paediatrics 17, which cautioned against injuries to the epiphysis and musculoskeletal system. But in 2001 the same American Academy of Paediatrics released an updated position stance and noted epiphyseal injuries as uncommon provided proper safety precautions are in place 18. Although, this paper did state “preadolescents and adolescents should avoid competitive weight lifting, power lifting, body building, and maximal lifts until they reach physical and skeletal maturity”. The misspelling of “weightlifting”, “powerlifting” and “bodybuilding” calls into question the authors understanding and familiarity with these differing sports. Furthermore, they cited data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to estimate “the number of injuries related to strength training equipment” in people under 21 years old, which fails to mention the cause of injury and whether the injuries were sustained to recreational or competitive lifters. This leaves much room for interpretation and doesn’t differentiate between a chest press machine falling from the sky onto a helpless bystander verses a well-trained youth athlete dislocating his elbow in a snatch.
How does this even pass for science?
Injuries in weightlifting compared to other sports:
The scientific research surrounding the safety of weightlifting for youths is quite conclusive. Hamill (1994) 19 surveyed school children between the ages of 13-16 years old participating in resistance training or weightlifting activities and found that the incidence of injury per 100 participation hours was 0.0012. Similarly, Pierce, Byrd, & Stone, (1999) monitored the injury rates and performance of 70 children over the course of one year’s weightlifting training and competition in 15 girls (12.3 ± 2.6 years) and 55 boys (11.6 ± 2.0 years). The authors reported that no training days were lost due to injury and showed increases in performance and strength as assessed by weightlifting performance 20. Likewise, Byrd, Pierce, Rielly, and Brady, (2003) studied 11 American youth weightlifters, three females (13.7 ± 1.2 years) and eight males (12.5 ± 1.6 years) over a period of 2 years. The authors found that during this time, athletes attempted 534 competition lifts and suffered no injuries in training while significantly increasing weightlifting performance, as measured by snatch and clean and jerk total (girls = 54 ± 18, boys 100 ± 33 kg) 21. These findings contradict the aforementioned American Academy of Paediatrics position stance, which stated young females don’t have sufficient androgenic hormones to make significant increases in strength 17. When this evidence is considered in comparison to other popular sports, weightlifting comes out as the shining white light. The English FA conducted a prospective epidemiological study to assess injuries in 38 youth academies over 2 seasons. Of the 4773 players assessed, 3805 injuries were reported, resulting in a 40% chance of injury per player per season 22. Similar findings are seen in youth rugby league, Orr and Cheng, (2016) analysed the injury data of 6 clubs, utilising 122 junior rugby league players (15.8 ± 1.0 Years). Of the 122 players, 109 injuries occurred in 63 of the players, resulting in an incidence of 65.9 injuries per 1000 hours of match play 23. Table 1 details the risk of injury within popular under-age sports.
Table 1. Incidence of injury in under-age sports.
When to start?
Position stances from numerous international medical journals, professional strength and conditioning organisations and sporting bodies have all renounced the ill-presumed dangers associated with weightlifting. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) of America have recently renewed their position statement regarding resistance training with youths. The NSCA recommend starting between the ages of 6-7, provided the athlete is mentally and emotionally mature enough to adhere to instructions and possess adequate postural control and balance 9. These guidelines are in tandem with recommendations presented by the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) 8,10, British Weightlifting 11, Canadian Society for Exercise 7, Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA), British Sports Medical Journal 12 and the British Association of Exercise and Sport Sciences (BASES) 26. Despite the global professional consensus that weightlifting in the correct conditions is deemed safe, adolescents under the age of 16 are not permitted into most gyms, further emphasising public misconceptions.
The over 16’s age limit appears quite ridiculous when one considers that Naim Süleymanoğlu (see below) set his first world record at the age of 16. Also known as “Pocket Hercules” because of his small stature and incredible strength (4ft 10in), Süleymanoğlu set 46 world records, winning 3 Olympic golds along with 7 world championships during his illustrious career 13.
Furthermore, weightlifting and resistance training are commonly used to enhance performance and offer injury prevention effects in athletes. These injury protective and performance benefits are also seen in children. Weightlifting can also be used to help educate youths on their bodies abilities, enhance motor control, proprioception and kinaesthetic awareness 9,10,12,14,27,28. Weightlifting activities can be included as part of a long-term athletic development (LTAD) plan for multi-sport athletes 9,14,28,29, an example of which can be seen in figure 1.
Figure 1. Weightlifting LTAD model, adapted from Lloyd et al., (2012) 30
Practical guidelines and considerations:
Based on the evidence presented above, there are some key considerations and guidelines which must be acknowledged before a youth athlete begins participating in weightlifting.
Mental maturity: The child must be able to listen, understand and follow instruction while training within a busy group environment. This also considers the child’s biological age rather than just their chronological age.
Physically capable: In a fresh, non-fatigued and ready to train state, with no current or prior injury history which may impede progress or put the child at risk of further injury.
Safe environment – This pertains to both the facility and equipment. The equipment should be suitably sized and weighted for youths. For example, starting with wooden or plastic dowels and once technically proficient progressing to light 5-10kg technique bars, 15kg women’s bars and finally 20kg men’s bars. Equally, the facility must be able to safely accommodate groups of athletes in line with child protection guidelines.
Qualified coach – A professionally qualified (e.g. UKSCA) and vetted S&C or weightlifting coach, who thoroughly understands the technical components of weightlifting and the physical requirements of young athletes. Ideally, the coach should have worked with children before and can communicate effectively with this population.
Appropriate programme – A fun, well-rounded and progressive programme focusing on technical competency instead of loading. The programme should encompass all elements of physical fitness and development necessary for young athletes (general strength, strength endurance, metabolic conditioning, flexibility, mobility, agility, balance, coordination, plyometrics, kinaesthetic and spatial awareness, etc.) and follow a detailed LTAD model 30 (see figure 1). Table 2 presents a more comprehensive analysis of programming considerations for youth and novice weightlifters.
Table 2. Guidelines for youth weightlifting training, adapted from Lloyd et al., (2012) 30 and UKSCA 10
References:
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