I think I'm going to put out a youth strength training book

[mike_dyer]

Something I've noticed over the last few years is the number of injuries in youth sports seems to be on the rise. Also, anyone else noticed that every break seems to involve a "growth plate"?

Weird.

I didn't even know what a "growth plate" was until my kids got into sports.

Anyway. I see a lot of kids missing games over back injuries, catchers wearing knee braces, pulled and torn muscles, torn ACLs, torn MCLs, etc. and I don't remember it at all from my youth.

What happened?

I think it's a lack of strength training. Nearly everyone I talk to is convinced that if a kid picks up a weighted object they will explode, I think that has a lot to do with it. The same people send their kid out to throw weighted objects as hard as they can, swing weighted objects as hard as they can, and perform explosive movements that their bodies simply aren't prepared to perform over and over and over again.

It will have to be all bodyweight stuff because of the anti lifting propaganda that has infected my target audience, but it will follow the same formula that every workout that doesn't promise that you'll be an underwear model after "working out" for 10 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

 

[Pacerdad57]

DD does a whole regimen of lifting for softball. she can out squat me (unless we're talking on a bucket, there i rule, i can sit forever)
she can almost out press me, leg lifts etc. not that i'm by any means strong, i'm an old guy, but she has at least put the time in to try and be stronger!

 

[#4mom]

Had this talk with someone the other day. I agree 100%, but I also think alot has to do with some parents having their kids in every sport out there, and its too much!

 

[crystlemc]

I think bodyweight is an okay starting point, but frankly, I prefer starting with an unloaded bar until they have the proper form down, then start loading that baby up! A nice 5x5 routine is a great starting place.

Proper weight training prevents an untold amount of injuries and muscular imbalances. It far outweighs the risks. Plus, there is nothing in medical literature that can directly connect weight training in adolescents to actual injury. Zero proof of causation. All documented injuries are from improper form or from dropping weights on themselves.

 

[mike_dyer]

A nice 5x5 routine is a great starting place.

.

Ahhh yes.

"I invented the 5x5 routine. I invented it shortly after I invented oxygen."

-- Coach Dan John

Love that guy.

In another thread I described the rubber band routine that a certain coach at a certain school wanted a certain kid to do. She did it once and thought it was a waste of time.

One day a few of the kids on that coach's team were giving her the business about how superior their workout had to be to anything she is doing. Pro football players do it, etc. A track team throwing coach came to her rescue and told them that she's forgotten more about strength training than they will ever know.

Last week she got a text from one of those boys, he wanted to know what her workout was. She told him and he said "That's it???" She told him to shut up and try it or don't, but to shut up either way. He said he's going to give it a whirl.

I see the big gainzzzz in that kid's future.

Her workout is this:

5x5

Day A:

Squat
Bench press
Bent Row

Day B:

Squat
Overhead press
Dead lift

You add 5 pounds to the bar every time you lift. When you hit a weight on one of the lifts that you can't complete 5x5 of you kick it down to 70% of that weight and start again, adding 5 pounds to the bar every time you lift.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

How could you ever go wrong with this? You could do this, and only this, and you will continue to get stronger and stronger.

 

[longball00]

The 5x5 routine is a great workout. We used it back in the day for powerlifting with a little twist. We turned into a 5 week program where the starting weight went up each week, and each week the reps went down by 1 until you hit your 1 rep max in the 5th week doing 5 sets of 1 rep. Then a week or 2 off, and start it over. 1 rep max lifts usually went up until you pretty much maxed out totally.

 

[crystlemc]

.

Ahhh yes.

"I invented the 5x5 routine. I invented it shortly after I invented oxygen."

-- Coach Dan John

Love that guy.

In another thread I described the rubber band routine that a certain coach at a certain school wanted a certain kid to do. She did it once and thought it was a waste of time.

One day a few of the kids on that coach's team were giving her the business about how superior their workout had to be to anything she is doing. Pro football players do it, etc. A track team throwing coach came to her rescue and told them that she's forgotten more about strength training than they will ever know.

Last week she got a text from one of those boys, he wanted to know what her workout was. She told him and he said "That's it???" She told him to shut up and try it or don't, but to shut up either way. He said he's going to give it a whirl.

I see the big gainzzzz in that kid's future.

Her workout is this:

5x5

Day A:

Squat
Bench press
Bent Row

Day B:

Squat
Overhead press
Dead lift

You add 5 pounds to the bar every time you lift. When you hit a weight on one of the lifts that you can't complete 5x5 of you kick it down to 70% of that weight and start again, adding 5 pounds to the bar every time you lift.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

How could you ever go wrong with this? You could do this, and only this, and you will continue to get stronger and stronger.

This is the basic routine I use, except I add some accessory work to build some lagging areas. You can pretty much do this indefinitely and make great gains.