weight training

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Bouldersdad,


Totally agree. Need to wait until the growth plates are closed before doing any weight training. My older DD had growth plate issues when she played softball. Was pitching and encountered elbow problems. We pitched on average twice per week and pitched 2-3 travel games per week during the season then taking a break during the fall. Orthopedic specialist indicated they see issues with too many reps with girls under the age of 13. Got a second opinion and had same conclusion. Too many parents think more pitching/hitting is better but kids need to grow before they train more frequently. She ended up switching to s o k k e r as still experiences arm pain when throwing overhand. My two younger DD's still play travel but are position players, did not want to go through that again with elbow injuries due to pitching. Only took her one elbow injury to her growth plates to cause her to quit. Now when I'm at the games and hear the parents saying their DD's pitch 3-4 days per week plus pitch on weekends, I share my experiences with them but they seem to have their sights on training their kids hard in hopes of being an elite pitcher. They think that by doing light lifting and band work will strengthen their shoulder and elbow but that is not the case. Until the growth plates close, they are susceptible to injury if overuse. X-rays will determine when the growth plates are closed not a certain age.

 

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That article on growth plates is silly.

My son has been wrestling since he was 5 so I've been listening to this **** for years. Can you tell me what the difference in the effect on a kid's growth plates is between bench pressing say 50 pounds and doing a pushup when the load that is on the effected area is likely greater than 50 pounds? How about pull ups? That is every ounce the kid weighs worth of strain on their arms, shoulders, and back. But if they were to pull the same amount of weight in another material, say steel for example, they would explode or something???

It's funny to find a link to an article like that on a forum for a sport that is played by small children that requires them to throw and swing a weight as hard as they possibly can over and over and over....

Girls have more tendency to damage connective tissues, acl, mcl, lcl miniscus. I will stand firm to what I have said that in the 15 years or so I have coached I have seen more serious injuries come from a weight lifting related accident in hs than I ever have in softball. Its your kid do what you want. All I said was use common sense. The difference from what your saying to what I am is the word over load. using your body weight is one thing using a weight that is to heavy with little or no proper instruction is another. There is a huge difference between a push up using 50 lbs of body weight to a bench press that has more than the body weight on it.

 

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There is a huge difference between a push up using 50 lbs of body weight to a bench press that has more than the body weight on it.

Yep. 50 pounds of steel is A LOT heavier than 50 pounds of flesh, blood, and bone.

So would it be safe to lift 50 pounds of a light fluffy material? Feathers, maybe. I bet it would be, as feathers aren't nearly as dense of a material as your body so they clearly can't weigh as much. And since body weight exercises are safe,,,, well,you know. The problem is that 50 pounds of feathers doesn't weigh nearly as much as 50 pounds worth of other stuff and the kid probably wouldn't see any gains......

 

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Apparently you diddnt understand my last post... I spoke of over load. Your childs weight plus..... As far as the Feathers, .... 50 lbs of steel or 50 lbs of feathers it really dosent matter weight is weight.A pound is a pound. Density has nothing to do with it. Unless you wish to have your child do pushups in a pool and then run the experiment steel vs feathers.

 

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I understood and understand just fine.

Pulling and/or pushing your own body weight = safe.

Pulling and/or pushing an equal load in any other material under the sun, even if the other material is feathers or delicious taffy = not safe.

And this is from a guy who takes money from people for teaching children how to swing a weighted object as hard as they possibly can. It's cool, Love, I'm as big of an irony fan as anyone.

 

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My DD has worked out with a team of trainers who have successfully strengthened many HS and college athletes using medicine balls, rubber bands, Bosu balls, jumping boxes, barbells, etc. I am not saying this is necessarily better than doing high reps/low weights in the basement, what I do say is that she will go and work out for 90 minutes straight once or twice a week with enthusiasm because they have made it a fun thing to do. And for 15 year old girls fun=fun. weights in the basement by yourself or with the old man=not so fun.

 

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I understood and understand just fine.

Pulling and/or pushing your own body weight = safe.

Pulling and/or pushing an equal load in any other material under the sun, even if the other material is feathers or delicious taffy = not safe.

It is apparent you didn't understand the articles or BD because neither one suggested an equal load of body weight was safer than another material - only you have. I'm guessing this is a sore subject with you due to past experiences and it's interfering with your ability to objectively consider what has been posted.

BTW, professional trainers (as originally recommended by BD) can modify the load of push-ups and pull-ups by doing them at an incline and/or using elastic straps.