How young is too young to workout?

[justinslayer]

Any of you train younger children?
I have a mom who wants to train with her 10 year old daughter. There is only so much a 10 year old can do?

Your thoughts?

[MasonMatlock]

Any of you train younger children?
I have a mom who wants to train with her 10 year old daughter. There is only so much a 10 year old can do?

Your thoughts?

I asked my personal trainer what was the best age to start working out, he said a lot of things but on topic he said "Professionally speaking it's never too early to train, seeing as it gives great health benefits such as increased bone strength"

[Ctrainer]

Any of you train younger children?
I have a mom who wants to train with her 10 year old daughter. There is only so much a 10 year old can do?

Your thoughts?

IMO training anyone under the age of 12-13, I would not do anything above bodyweight..push-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups..body squats..primarily conditioning work..kids need overall fitness and not specific training..and it has to be fun..jumping jacks, jumping rope...all these things can benefit the Mom as well..just my 2 cents..

[Keltron]

IMO training anyone under the age of 12-13, I would not do anything above bodyweight..push-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups..body squats..primarily conditioning work..kids need overall fitness and not specific training..and it has to be fun..jumping jacks, jumping rope...all these things can benefit the Mom as well..just my 2 cents..

This..

But I would have them do a little weight lifting but only functional stuff overhead press, deadlift, clean n jerk... this can be done w/light barbells or random objects like medicine balls or sandbags.

bodybuilding [body part splits, single joint movements, muscle isolation] is inherently non-functional. If someone's ultimate goal was to find the best way to live a long healthy life, pain free and do well in life-threatening/ dangerous situations bodybuilding would not be their first choice. [bracing for impending sh*t-storm]

[flexapeal]

IMO training anyone under the age of 12-13, I would not do anything above bodyweight..push-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups..body squats..primarily conditioning work..kids need overall fitness and not specific training..and it has to be fun..jumping jacks, jumping rope...all these things can benefit the Mom as well..just my 2 cents..

Yeah I agree just having them do some simple body weight exercises at age 10. They can always get a great workout by riding a bike, swimming, roller blades, skating, playing basketball, rock wall climbing, monkey bars, kick ball, dodge ball, my favorite discgolf. I would save the using of weights until they reach the seventh grade. Although with proper supervision they can lift weights but kids usually want to kid around and are not focused enough to weight train. Hey theres always Dance Dance Revolution!!!

[popupwindow]

It depends when you want to make the distinction between 'playing' and 'working out.' Throwing a ball around the backyard with your 6 year old, playing tag and swinging on a play set is a heap of fun for a young kid of any age, but if you're talking 'working out' in terms of doing a set number of pushups, a set number of situps etc, I think for a 10 year old it would be better to just do physical things which they find fun, basic sports stuff etc, nothing too structured.

[Rap_Rocky]

Weight training has been proven to have positive results, such as increased strength/muscular endurance, in children as young as 8 years old. I see no harm in a 10 year old as long as you ensure proper form/technique and keep the reps around 10+. As others already stated, bodyweight exercises are ideal.

[carl.c]

justinslayer: Props to you for being willing to train a kid. As stated before body weight is at that age is probably best. Weight training would be iceing on the cake but you will have to see if she is mentaly mature enough to handle it. If she is not capable of taking instruction seriously then stay with body weight.

[Keltron]

lots of good points... I think the main thing aside from what is safe or ideal physiologically is what would keep the kid interested. I think interactive stuff works well... focus mits... or maybe setting up a square, putting cones in each corner, giving them numbers then giving him a sequence.. like, go from the middle to cone 3 then to cone 2. Then you keep adding to it... like middle, 3, 2, 3, 4, 1.

[Huxlay]

Discussions are always the main source of accurate information and to ensure a comfortable results, you can get immediate and reliable information, which will definitely help you in every area of your concern.

[carlow]

I had a 12 year old girl as a client recently, her focus was speed and agility for soccer but i also got her using a TRX, she enjoyed it "that thing is cool" her words.

I dont see a problem using bodyweight or additional weights as long as technique is spot on.

But fun should be the primary goal. Otherwise they will just stop.

Lots of rest breaks and lots of water too! Kids that young tend not to perspire very much cause there body to not be able cool its self efficently. so lots of water during the session.

[nsiegel5]

I dont understand this, when I was 12 I was training with a US national team for swimming and believe me I was not the youngest one there. In fact we had kids as young as 7 or 8 swimming miles everyday and pushing hard. There are 12 year olds winning gold medals in the olympics for gymnastics. What is this shet about not training kids? Do you want to put heavy loads on their bodies using weights? NO! But if you think training is only weight lifting then you better rethink the way you train people. There are hundreds of thousands of kids out there with Type II diabetes because their slob of parents refuse to do any better then buying them KFC and Mcdonalds with a cake dessert and soda pop for dinner every night. Guess what training kids might just be the hottest up and coming fitness trend, so I say train em and make em love it like you used to love recess every day at school.

[askthetrainer]

Any of you train younger children?
I have a mom who wants to train with her 10 year old daughter. There is only so much a 10 year old can do?

Your thoughts?

Basic coordination & balance work along with some calisthenics or "fun" cardio would be it..

Personally I wouldn't train a 10 year old, I just wouldn't get into training kids, boring... I think the youngest person I ever trained was 20, guy was a wannabee cop trying to pass their obstacle course, of course the vast majority of the people I trained were 35-55

[xxtwistedxx]

trained a few kids that were peewee football players and primarily focused on conditioning, coordination, agility, etc. we did a lot with med balls as well. heaviest weight we used were the 6lbers. had some great injury free results. ive seen some literature saying as young as 6 is acceptable. its all a matter of age appropriate training...now granted under 8 you got the kids ADD to deal with so good luck actually 'training' them.

side note- when my kids start crawling im hooking a sled to their diaper. play balls are gonna be shot puts. rattle will be a hammer. >=-)

[NorwichGrad]

This..

But I would have them do a little weight lifting but only functional stuff overhead press, deadlift, clean n jerk... this can be done w/light barbells or random objects like medicine balls or sandbags.

bodybuilding [body part splits, single joint movements, muscle isolation] is inherently non-functional. If someone's ultimate goal was to find the best way to live a long healthy life, pain free and do well in life-threatening/ dangerous situations bodybuilding would not be their first choice. [bracing for impending sh*t-storm]

I am in agreement with you. I have a 12-year-old female athlete, soccer player. She does lots of plyos, bodyweight exercises, overhead press, and yes, light-weight hang cleans.

[Ironbrah]

Any of you train younger children?
I have a mom who wants to train with her 10 year old daughter. There is only so much a 10 year old can do?

Your thoughts?

I have seen 5 years old kids training in China, usually they end up winning Olympics

[nsiegel5]

I have seen 5 years old kids training in China, usually they end up winning Olympics

Yup thats because its serious business over there, they pick the kids that are genetically predisposed to perform better at different sports and tell them what they are going to do or play. Some people are designed to play sports some are designed for academics they just distinguish between them before they are given a choice.

[TheManofSteel]

Basic coordination & balance work along with some calisthenics or "fun" cardio would be it..

Personally I wouldn't train a 10 year old, I just wouldn't get into training kids, boring... I think the youngest person I ever trained was 20, guy was a wannabee cop trying to pass their obstacle course, of course the vast majority of the people I trained were 35-55

- The coordination is a big thing. ALOT (ALOT) of kids won't have the coordination to do anything above basic stuff anyway.

- A 10-year old, I would train, but focus on games, sports and basic aerobic stuff

- I have a 16 year old hockey player who is great in the gym, has respect for the weight and the exercise, coordination & balance {he can ALMOST show me up on the Bosu } ... however, his younger brother who is 14 isn't quite there developmentally yet to do some of the weight training stuff

[BEhave]

Heres an apparantely 8 year old chinese lifter weighing 95lbs doing a 165lbs clean and jerk



I think the basics are fine. Nothing too heavy or serious. Teaching good form will make packing weight on the bar easier later in life

[Physiologist]

I think it's disturbing that children need to be personally trained.

but anyway,

The personal trainer at my gym trains a 12 year old as her mum told her to come in also.

The big problem he had is attention span. It becomes really difficult in getting them to cooperate. It's all about making the work out fun. What 10 year old kid wants to work out seriously. It's all about being fun.

[alikaeos]

we have had a lot of success with several 10 year olds, as far as weight training we are also pro weights for kids. The 10 year olds mother and father are both doctors. Body weight exercises limit you to body weight, Its more stressfull for a 90 lb 10 year old to try to do a pull up than bench a 45 lb bar. The idea here is to get them to want to go to the gym establish healthy habbits. Don't limit them. As for the 8 yo props to him love that video. Our 10 year old enjoys the clean and press more than any other exercises as he is up to 60 lbs on it. Its easier to teach a 10 year old how to clean than 30 year old.