cesari-fitness
05-02-2004, 03:08 PM
My interest in weight training began at the age of twelve. I had become interested after I had watched my father train with weights. He would let me use his very light dumbbells. I would work out along side of him doing the movements I had watched him do. When I was fourteen he let me start weight training for real. He helped to set me up with my very first weight training program. I enjoyed weight training so much that when the junior high school I was attending created a power lifting team I was the first one to sign up. A highly controversial issue for coaches is whether or not activities specifically aimed at improving strength should be use and encouraged during pre adolescence.
There is a perceived fitness crisis among Americans that children and youths are less healthy, active, and physically fit then is recommended. What better way to encourage health, activity, and physical fitness then with strength training. Baseline data on the health related fitness level of school-age children were made available in 1984 with the release of The First National Children and Youth Fitness Study, in 1985 with The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports School Population Fitness Survey, in 1987 with The Second National Children and Youth Fitness Study, in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1999 from the national school- based Youth Risk Behavior Survey of youths in grades 9-12 and Youth Risk Behavior Survey of all young people ages 12-21. Certainly many other studies have been done since these ones validating those concerns.
Results from these surveys have caused much public concern about the fitness of American youths. Understandably so it is alarming to see how vividly our youth’s fitness abilities are on the decline. In general, although some experts differ on their interpretation of the test results, the general perception is that American children and youths are less active and physically fit than is recommended for optimal protection against future chronic disease. The habits of youth typically track into college and adulthood. That was the case with me personally having started strength training at an early age. I benefited from it not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. I still continue to benefit from participating in strength training considerably to this day.
Important findings from the surveys of those organizations include the following: Youths are increasingly overweight. The percentage of young people who are overweight has doubled since 1980. This finding is disturbing because a high proportion of over weight youths end up obese as adults. About half of obese school-age children become obese adults, and more than 80% of obese adolescents remain obese into adulthood. Those that suffer from this struggle need to realize that is not the way that life has to be for them. To know this kind of information is scary to say the least. These important findings don’t have to be the future for our youths. If positive habits such as strength training are implemented and encouraged early on imagine what a difference that would make.
Upper body strength is poor for many children and youths. For example, among girls ages 9-17 about half cannot perform more than one pull-up. For boys ages 6-12 the statistics show 40% cannot do more than one pull-up, while 25% cannot do any. When I was in that age category growing up I struggled mightily to perform more than one pull up. I was very skinny as a child growing up despite the appetite that I had then. Upper body strength was something I lacked despite my varied involvement in organized sports. About one half of males and two thirds of females, ages 12-21 years do not participate regularly in strength training activities. Considering how important strength is for daily activities that is not a very good at all.
Many young people have disease risk factors. About 13% of children and youths age 12-17 smoke with the proportion rising to 33% among high school seniors. I do admit that I can remember a friend of mine in the fifth grade smoking and chewing tobacco. I also had a friend of mine who smoked quite a bit in the eighth grade too. Close to one in three children and adolescents have serum cholesterol levels that exceed 170 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) the level deemed “acceptable” by The National Cholesterol Education Program. A national survey by the CDC revealed that 63% of adolescents have two or more of five major risk factors for chronic disease. Risk factors tend to cluster and show tracking from childhood and adolescence to adulthood meaning that every attempt should be made to bring risk factors under control while people are young.
For years, coaches from a variety of sports have had to manage programs whose very nature imposed significant mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system of preadolescents. So it is not as if the preadolescents aren’t already placing a demand on their bodies. These coaches have observed that controlled and progressive loading could be useful in improving performance. That means that the demand their placing on their bodies through strength training is for positive benefit. Instead of the potentially more negative stress that is being placed on their bodies through the sport that they are participating in. Junior high school boards should implement voluntary weight training into the physical education curriculum.
There are benefits to starting weight training in the preadolescents. Being on the power lifting team for a year when I was fifteen I managed to get some impressive totals. I ended up being tied for second place in the Florida Teenage Power Lifting Championships. What a tremendous confidence builder for me to achieve that so early in my strength training work outs. The totals I had gotten a month before would have gotten me a first place finish. If only I hadn’t injured my back skim boarding and landing on a shell a few weeks before the meet. The positive mental, emotional, and physical benefits of strength training are certainly well known.
There has been convincing evidence that significant strength gains can be made during preadolescence. Indeed, weight training combined with stretching exercises improves flexibility by lengthening the muscles functional range. The connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments can adapt as a result of weight training. In fact, controlled resistance training might offer some protection against injury by strengthening the muscles that cross a joint. There were some instances especially being bent around in so many different directions in wrestling practices and matches. Were I was saved from major injury because of the strength training and stretching exercises I had participated in regularly.
There is also evidence that children’s jumping can be improved by weight training. Increasing endurance is another benefit to starting weight training in adolescents. As a case in point, development of cardio respiratory fitness is increased when early teens participate in a variety of sports or recreational activities. In addition, a wide variety of exercises and activities promote general body coordination and maintains interest along with promoting overall heath. When involved in weight training, a lot of different exercises are being performed. An exercise that targets a major muscle group works many other muscle groups in the process.
Written by Mark Cesari
3rd place 2002 N.A.B.F. Maine Super Natural Bodybuilding Championships
1st place 2003 N.A.B.F. Maine Super Natural Bodybuilding Championships
There is a perceived fitness crisis among Americans that children and youths are less healthy, active, and physically fit then is recommended. What better way to encourage health, activity, and physical fitness then with strength training. Baseline data on the health related fitness level of school-age children were made available in 1984 with the release of The First National Children and Youth Fitness Study, in 1985 with The Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports School Population Fitness Survey, in 1987 with The Second National Children and Youth Fitness Study, in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1999 from the national school- based Youth Risk Behavior Survey of youths in grades 9-12 and Youth Risk Behavior Survey of all young people ages 12-21. Certainly many other studies have been done since these ones validating those concerns.
Results from these surveys have caused much public concern about the fitness of American youths. Understandably so it is alarming to see how vividly our youth’s fitness abilities are on the decline. In general, although some experts differ on their interpretation of the test results, the general perception is that American children and youths are less active and physically fit than is recommended for optimal protection against future chronic disease. The habits of youth typically track into college and adulthood. That was the case with me personally having started strength training at an early age. I benefited from it not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. I still continue to benefit from participating in strength training considerably to this day.
Important findings from the surveys of those organizations include the following: Youths are increasingly overweight. The percentage of young people who are overweight has doubled since 1980. This finding is disturbing because a high proportion of over weight youths end up obese as adults. About half of obese school-age children become obese adults, and more than 80% of obese adolescents remain obese into adulthood. Those that suffer from this struggle need to realize that is not the way that life has to be for them. To know this kind of information is scary to say the least. These important findings don’t have to be the future for our youths. If positive habits such as strength training are implemented and encouraged early on imagine what a difference that would make.
Upper body strength is poor for many children and youths. For example, among girls ages 9-17 about half cannot perform more than one pull-up. For boys ages 6-12 the statistics show 40% cannot do more than one pull-up, while 25% cannot do any. When I was in that age category growing up I struggled mightily to perform more than one pull up. I was very skinny as a child growing up despite the appetite that I had then. Upper body strength was something I lacked despite my varied involvement in organized sports. About one half of males and two thirds of females, ages 12-21 years do not participate regularly in strength training activities. Considering how important strength is for daily activities that is not a very good at all.
Many young people have disease risk factors. About 13% of children and youths age 12-17 smoke with the proportion rising to 33% among high school seniors. I do admit that I can remember a friend of mine in the fifth grade smoking and chewing tobacco. I also had a friend of mine who smoked quite a bit in the eighth grade too. Close to one in three children and adolescents have serum cholesterol levels that exceed 170 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) the level deemed “acceptable” by The National Cholesterol Education Program. A national survey by the CDC revealed that 63% of adolescents have two or more of five major risk factors for chronic disease. Risk factors tend to cluster and show tracking from childhood and adolescence to adulthood meaning that every attempt should be made to bring risk factors under control while people are young.
For years, coaches from a variety of sports have had to manage programs whose very nature imposed significant mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system of preadolescents. So it is not as if the preadolescents aren’t already placing a demand on their bodies. These coaches have observed that controlled and progressive loading could be useful in improving performance. That means that the demand their placing on their bodies through strength training is for positive benefit. Instead of the potentially more negative stress that is being placed on their bodies through the sport that they are participating in. Junior high school boards should implement voluntary weight training into the physical education curriculum.
There are benefits to starting weight training in the preadolescents. Being on the power lifting team for a year when I was fifteen I managed to get some impressive totals. I ended up being tied for second place in the Florida Teenage Power Lifting Championships. What a tremendous confidence builder for me to achieve that so early in my strength training work outs. The totals I had gotten a month before would have gotten me a first place finish. If only I hadn’t injured my back skim boarding and landing on a shell a few weeks before the meet. The positive mental, emotional, and physical benefits of strength training are certainly well known.
There has been convincing evidence that significant strength gains can be made during preadolescence. Indeed, weight training combined with stretching exercises improves flexibility by lengthening the muscles functional range. The connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments can adapt as a result of weight training. In fact, controlled resistance training might offer some protection against injury by strengthening the muscles that cross a joint. There were some instances especially being bent around in so many different directions in wrestling practices and matches. Were I was saved from major injury because of the strength training and stretching exercises I had participated in regularly.
There is also evidence that children’s jumping can be improved by weight training. Increasing endurance is another benefit to starting weight training in adolescents. As a case in point, development of cardio respiratory fitness is increased when early teens participate in a variety of sports or recreational activities. In addition, a wide variety of exercises and activities promote general body coordination and maintains interest along with promoting overall heath. When involved in weight training, a lot of different exercises are being performed. An exercise that targets a major muscle group works many other muscle groups in the process.
Written by Mark Cesari
3rd place 2002 N.A.B.F. Maine Super Natural Bodybuilding Championships
1st place 2003 N.A.B.F. Maine Super Natural Bodybuilding Championships