# How young is to young?



## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

Get your mind out of the gutter pervs alpha has a section for that! 

I've been involved volunteering with kids this year. I coach pw football with a buddy of mine, its such a rewarding experience. The kids I am working with are 10 and 11. Some of the kids are just hitting puberty others are still well tiny, and still others are big doe piles waiting on hormones to kick in. 

For the kids that are just now starting to see the change they seem to me ready for some training in the gym. With out knowing the dangers of starting weight training to early I would never recomend getting started to anyone with out a backed up educated thought on the matter. I was always told when I was young after you get hair on your nuts it was ok to train lol for me that was 6th grade. I started hitting the heavy bag, pushups sit ups etc. I started weight training when I was in 8th grade. 

I'm sure a bunch of you are educated on this subject and I am looking for sources to learn from . Any thoughts or references would help me on my journey. The off season is coming up and a few of the parents have asked me if I could work with there kids over the rest of the year. If I am going to attempt working with them I need to know a whole lot more then hairy nuts equals safe to train 

thanks !


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## DieYoungStrong (Oct 23, 2017)

All that lifting will stunt your growth stuff has been pretty much proven false as far as I know.


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## CardinalJacked (Oct 23, 2017)

DieYoungStrong said:


> All that lifting will stunt your growth stuff has been pretty much proven false as far as I know.



I've heard this as well. Since they're that young tho, I would just encourage them to do bodyweight movements. 

I help coach lifting at my old high school, one main rule I have is nobody can bench until they can perform 3 solid pull ups.


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## Bro Bundy (Oct 23, 2017)

I've been doing sit ups and body weight training since that age


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## Seeker (Oct 23, 2017)

Kids can start lifting weights as soon as they're capable of understanding and following instructions. As early as 8 years old. Don't listen to all that bullshit of stunting growth. Starting them off with very light weight  on major muscle groups, focusing and learning form, gradually. Eventually leading them into a strength program.

at UFC,x one of the gyms I go to we have kids full on weight training at age 10 already. Pulling sleds, flipping tires, squatting, benching, deadlifting.


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## snake (Oct 23, 2017)

Hell they really can't hurt themselves with what little they can do. Most can't even do a pushup. Keep any reps high and they will be fine


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## stonetag (Oct 23, 2017)

All is good from a physical stand point, but also from a mental angle, helps them focus on a given task.


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## NbleSavage (Oct 23, 2017)

Bodyweight and some introduction to resistance training at that age can only help.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

Man this is all good stuff thank you for the imput! My plan is to do mostly plyometics with very small groups 1 or 2 kids at a session. I would like to work with them on speed drills but also strength movements like planks push ups pullups/hangs etc. The kids that excel in the first set of movements can move into the next which I figure to be sled pulls, farmer walks, box jumps, tire flips rope slams etc . After they understand all of that only then would I begin to show them how to work with iron. I have learned a lot working with these guys over the season,there's still a lot of things I need to learn about how to deal with these little dudes. They're all different what's right for one is left for the other. Working with the kids though has been the greatest feeling of gratitude i've ever experienced and I want to stay a part of them and keep growing with them. I feel like if your opinion of todays youth is that they are soft I would agree, however there's some exceptions. If those kids can get the help they need before they're swallowed by main stream pc bs, they may turn out strong talented respectful individuals.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

DieYoungStrong said:


> All that lifting will stunt your growth stuff has been pretty much proven false as far as I know.




thats always what I heard as a kid. I would love something concrete to bunk the theroy. I just began working this plan out I will put in the research and post what I find if someone doesn't beat me to it.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

CardinalJacked said:


> I've heard this as well. Since they're that young tho, I would just encourage them to do bodyweight movements.
> 
> I help coach lifting at my old high school, one main rule I have is nobody can bench until they can perform 3 solid pull ups.



I dig the rule man I am going to steal it  I'll quote the wrap god in the gym rules for credit


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

Bro Bundy said:


> I've been doing sit ups and body weight training since that age



its when I first started doing bw movements also wieght training started for me when I was in 8th grade so I guess 13


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

Seeker said:


> Kids can start lifting weights as soon as they're capable of understanding and following instructions. As early as 8 years old. Don't listen to all that bullshit of stunting growth. Starting them off with very light weight  on major muscle groups, focusing and learning form, gradually. Eventually leading them into a strength program.
> 
> at UFC,x one of the gyms I go to we have kids full on weight training at age 10 already. Pulling sleds, flipping tires, squatting, benching, deadlifting.



Appreciate the feedback brother


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

snake said:


> Hell they really can't hurt themselves with what little they can do. Most can't even do a pushup. Keep any reps high and they will be fine



A couple of these kids really have some power man compared to the others. There's one kid that hits so hard, if your not watching it will make you cringe by the sound.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

stonetag said:


> All is good from a physical stand point, but also from a mental angle, helps them focus on a given task.



Training changed my whole life once I learned how to do it properly. I want to give kids the oppurtunity to progress from gate instead of having to figure it out on there own like I did.


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## grizzldsealpoacher (Oct 23, 2017)

NbleSavage said:


> Bodyweight and some introduction to resistance training at that age can only help.



Thats how I feel as well. I just want to make sure its ok and if there are limitations what I can and can't do. I mean there playing a very physical sport, becoming strogner and faster will only protect them from injury and develop there skills faster in my opinion


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## Dungeon Dweller (Oct 23, 2017)

I know a local competitive powerlifters who started their kids lifting pretty early.

And you know what happened?

They got really friggen strong.

I think the old "they will damage their growth plates" is like a 1960s-70s thing and invalid.


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## PillarofBalance (Oct 23, 2017)

Avoid max effort stuff but nothing wrong with kids lifting at all.  And when you look at what we face as a nation in terms of obesity rates there is every reason to start them young.


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## JuiceTrain (Oct 24, 2017)

This kid is already eating other toddlers


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## bvs (Oct 24, 2017)

If anything i wish i started earlier! As long as their form is gppd and they arent doing anything crazy/stupid i cant see any downsides to it


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