Does weightlifting stunt growth? What your teenager needs to know.

Getting your son started early on a lifetime of physical robustness seems like a no-brainer. I want what’s best for the development of my own son but I still wondered: does weightlifting stunt growth?

There is no evidence that weight (or resistance) training stunts children’s growth. In fact there are many benefits to it. These include strength, cardiovascular fitness, a healthy body composition, and greater self-confidence.

Does weightlifting stunt growth: the myth

It’s a myth that I’m sure we’ve all heard. Especially in these days of fitness influencers and protein shakes. Weightlifting used to be seen purely as a strange singular sport. It conjured up images of huge men in tiny lycra costumes slamming masses of metal, grunting and shouting, with the aim of getting as gigantic as possible. Modern sports science has altered this image. We now know that regular resistance training has a host of benefits for both athletes and recreational gym-goers. The result is that it’s now more common than ever, in recent years, for adolescents to want to capitalise on these benefits. Whether they want to excel on the school sports field or reap the self-confidence that comes with a strong and useful body.

But, as usual, us adults are the handbrakes to their ambitions. We say things, with absolute certainty, like: “weightlifting stunts your growth.” Maybe you’ve repeated it yourself to your teenager, knowing that if he starts going to the gym too early, he will stay at the height he is. This concern stated that your child’s growth plates would be affected during their important development stage. Well, fear not. There is no evidence that weight training has any negative impact on growth.

Where does the myth come from?

As with most things that a parent tells there child, it comes from a place of protective worry. We know that infant and adolescent years are vital for proper growth and development. A mistake here could have drastic and irreversible consequences.

We encourage our children to run around outside, play sports and stay active. But we want to limit them to activities that we deem as ‘safe’. Football and cricket are ‘safe’ where as rugby and boxing are scarier due to their more physical nature. With all of the above there is a risk of injury. Even in cricket! A 90mph cricket ball can do some damage. But when a parent thinks rugby or boxing, they see their son at the bottom of a ruck or getting punched in the face.

Weightlifting is similar. It reminds parents of snapped hamstrings, collapsed knees and crooked backs. So it’s easier to think of an excuse that keeps their children away from it.

Read here for reasons to allow your son to run wild

Are there any dangers?

Weight training can be dangerous. The concerns above are not completely unfounded. We all know somebody that has injured themselves in the gym. I’ve done it myself. But this does not mean the training itself is inherently dangerous. There are many factors, as with everything. With regards to weight training, the majority of injuries come from poor technique and ‘over-training’(1).

Read ‘10 things your son needs’ here.

Why should your teenager weight train?

Body composition

Unsurprisingly, weight training has physical benefits. For years, it’s been used by men to increase muscle size. Fortunately, an increasing number of girls, and boys, are finding that it can do wonders for the body even when the goal isn’t to be massive. Resistance training has been associated with lower adipose tissue (2). The combination of increased muscle size and lower body fat improves body composition and increases the overall health of your child. It is also seen as more socially attractive and authoritative- which can’t be overlooked in his teenage years.

Optimise your son’s body composition further by eliminating these foods from his diet

Brain development

Simply the act of starting weight training can develop your son’s neural pathways. New movements, loads and intensities put him in an adaptation phase. This is the phase where- shock- your body benefits from the most adaptation, both physical and cognitive.

Read here to learn about more ways to boost your son’s brain

Longevity

Getting your teenage son started in weight training can have benefits that last his whole life. Strength training has been found to decrease overall mortality(3). If you consider the fact that muscle loss usually begins in your 30s(4), the earlier your son starts, the longer he has to pack on the strength he’ll need for the majority of his life. It may not seem important now, but when he’s in his 80s, even getting out of a chair or lifting your great-grandchild in the air will be an achievement. Many won’t even be able to do it, especially the ones that have been sedentary since childhood. You are setting your son up to be an optimised OAP!

When your son is getting on in age and prepping to be a father himself, give him a copy of our Labour Survival Guide- For Men

Confidence

Adolescence isn’t usually an age associated with confidence and self-esteem. But allowing your son or daughter to perceive what their body is capable of can have wondrous effects. At a time when they are finding themselves and don’t feel like they fit in anywhere, an insight into their own power is extremely… empowering.

Aside from their physical capabilities, their teenage years are also full of acne, bum-fluff, BO and random boners. At the end of the school day, navigating all these new experiences, if they are able to look in the mirror and be happy with what they see, then they are way ahead of the majority of their peers. Even if they aren’t fully happy, the knowledge that they are in control of their own body and are responsible for taking care of it is invaluable. Think of all the adults that say they “love their body” while happily being severely overweight and sedentary. Your teenager needs to learn that they can only really love their body when they know how amazing it is and what it can do.

It is a disgrace to grow old through
sheer carelessness before seeing what
manner of man you may become by
developing your bodily strength and
beauty to their highest limit
Socrates

(5)

Mood

A meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry (2018) found that people who regularly strength train reported significant reductions in depressive symptoms(6). These improvements were not affected by health status, strength improvements or exercise intensity. This suggests that simply the act of strength training itself had mood-boosting benefits. The same meta-analysis found that strength training participants reported a significant reduction in other psychological symptoms. These symptoms included low mood, feelings of worthlessness and a loss of interest in activities.

Read here to learn about how obesity affects your son’s mood

How should your teenager weight train?

Proper technique

A teenager that has spent his whole childhood inside playing video games and suddenly wants to start lifting heavy weights, like his favourite influencer, is at risk of developing an injury. This is because his body is accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. His muscles and tissues are tight and underdeveloped. Without proper instruction there is a chance that he will develop bad technique from the start, hampering his progress and increasing injury risk.

To ensure good form and therefore physical longevity, it is important to assist your son when he first starts. Instead of letting him loose and being surprised when he’s gone for a deadlift world record, help him take things slow. Teach him that he needs to be able to move properly before he starts lifting heavy. If you don’t feel confident yourself then do your own research on correct techniques and perhaps consider hiring a coach.

However, beware! Its staggering how many personal trainers can’t perform simple movements safely. I recommend looking it up yourself and practicing with light weights first. There are plenty of good sources on the internet. Or books such as Dr Kelly Starrett’s ‘Becoming a Supple Leopard.’ The amazon link is below. I highly recommend the book whether you’re a gym newbie or you think you’re all over it. You’ll learn something!

I get a small commission when you buy through the link. However I only put links up that I really do recommend.

Functional movements

This is another issue in the current fitness climate. For the majority of the human story, fitness and training had a purpose other than aesthetics and vanity. Obviously, times have changed. We don’t necessarily train to be able to survive in a harsh environment, or to fight for food, territory or a mate. So there’s nothing wrong with just wanting to look good and feel confident.

The issue comes when education is poor on the best way for your son to obtain his goals. Isolation training is usually promoted, especially to younger or inexperienced lifters. This is where you deliberately try to limit movement to target one muscle or muscle group at a time. Though this can be used as a way to supplement and improve an effective training programme, these movements on their own aren’t the best way to train. It isn’t natural for us to limit movement in this way. It gained popularity when gyms became more commercialised and owners wanted to fit more paying customers into the existing space. The movements are also less exerting for the lifter and easier for a personal trainer to teach and coach.

If your son is going to weight train. You need to ensure that the majority of movements he is performing are functional and ‘natural.’ Weight training sessions should be focused around compound movements such as squats, deadlifts and presses. The weight used is less important than the movements performed when it comes to receiving the main benefits.

Start low and slow

As with the example above, a teen that has lived a sedentary lifestyle thus far shouldn’t jump straight into intense weight training. It’s always a good idea, especially if sedentary, to begin training with just body weight movements before adding extra weight. A progressive training programme will not only decrease chance of injury, but will improve your son’s overall motor skills and improve his body composition.

A programme I still use when travelling, with no access to a gym, is from Ross Edgley’s ‘Worlds Fittest Book.’ I wish that it had been around when I first started training- it would have saved me years of my own trial and error. He has published several other books including a cookbook and accounts of his world record swim around the UK. The amazon links to Ross’ collection are below.

Summary

Weight training will not stunt your son’s growth.

Dangers associated with child weight training- and all weight training- come from misuse of kit, poor technique, and going too heavy too early.

Weight training has a host of benefits. It is beneficial for your son’s body, brain, emotions and confidence.

Not strength training is more dangerous than injuries associated with strength training. Don’t wrap your son in cotton wool. Optimise him and let him learn the amazing power of his body.

Raise Your Legacy.

References