Anyone Have a good workout routine

[baggettpv]

Beginners should not lift.
0 - 14 years old: Basic movement activities
14 - 16 years old : weighted movements and basic gymnastics (tumbling)
17 - 18 year olds: Circuit Training, beginning strength through Level 5+ gymnastics (it's written in the manuals)
19 - 29 year olds: Let it rip, Olympic lifts etc high level stuff. American for all....haha
Masters: Go backwards, the lifestyle/genetics regulates the decension.

My thoughts.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[powerplant42]

Why should kids not lift? If they have solid technique, it's time to make them stronger, wouldn't you say so?

[Lax PV]

Lifting for children has always been a heated debate. My reasoning agrees with Rick in that children should do body weight lifting type movements. My thought is because in pre-pubescent athletes, the musculotendinous regions have not fully developed. This causes an increased risk of injury when completing high end strength performances. For example, many adult athletes tear or strain a muscle at some point in their career. In children however, the muscle doesn't tear, at that age, the muscle belly is actually more developed than the tendinous region, and often times the muscle can tear right from the bone resulting in a much more intense injury. I am on campus right now, however when I get home I can post some science stuff backing this up if you are interested.

[powerplant42]

I am... very.

I have read from a very reliable source (NSCA material) that there are no well done studies out there that suggest that lifting for children is dangerous in any way like you are suggesting.

[baggettpv]

Lifting weights is a waste of time for young athletes. Too many simulation, coordination, agility, flexibility etc activities that are much more suited to the development of the athlete. Even if you have to put them in the weight room you should have them do Simple Circuit Training until late teens. Besides, all they do in the weight room is stand around and gab anyway.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[Lax PV]

I am... very.

I have read from a very reliable source (NSCA material) that there are no well done studies out there that suggest that lifting for children is dangerous in any way like you are suggesting.

Not to sound pretentious, but a quote from a graduate level biomechanics text,

"Failure of the bone usually occurs at the site of muscle insertion. Tensile forces can also create ligament avulsions. A ligament avulsion, or an avulsion fracture, occurs when a portion of the bone at the insertion of the ligament is torn away. This occurs more frequwntly in children than in adults. Avulsion fractures occur when the tensile strength of the bone is not sufficient to prevent the fracture." (Hamill and Knutzen, 2003).

Some online resources to look into it if you'd like;

http://www.pdrhealth.com/disease/diseas ... 2&TypeId=2

An even more conservative approach talking as late as the later stages of puberty;

"Such fracture usually occurs between puberty and late adolescence in those who do a lot of sport—it is in puberty that the secondary ossification centre or apophysis appears and in late adolescence that it fuses. In other words, fracture occurs at a time when the apophysis is the weakest link in the chain of muscle, tendon, and bone. The cause is usually forcible contraction of the hamstrings, as in sports such as sprinting and hurdling. " (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/329/7457/99)

In paraphrasing a lecture by a Ph.D. level biomechanist; his main argument for this discrepancy was open vs. closed epiphyses in the bone (aka the end of a long shaped bone). "In the immature skeleton the end of the long bone, the epiphysis, is separated from the diaphysis by a cartilaginous disk." (aka, it has not completed its growing stage, making part of the structure more prone to injury).

Now that the science stuff is out of the way, I will concede that this is not an everyday injury, however, it does happen, and I know a person that it happened to actually (I went to HS with him). Many of these injuries result from high velocity movements, not normally found in a weightroom, however, plyometrics, and I would argue that some of the effects of strength of conditioning could result in some of these injuries. Conservative, yes, but earlier than HS, and I wouldn't want to see a lot of weight thrown around. I tried to serach through my NSCA journals, and even checked archieves, I couldn't find anything--but I think this should do.

[powerplant42]

Yes, it is a bad idea for kids to be lifting with 'real' weight, due to an increased chance of injury due not only to what you've mentioned, but also because kids tend to be a little more reckless...

But it is not a bad idea to have them in the weightroom every now and then.

[dj]

hey

the program i posted starts as a circuit... sets and reps.. some exercises we only use the bar.. i don't have any athletes younger than 16 right now......so age is not an issue...

i would like to suggest this program, as a circuit, and to be done before school, before your first class.. 4 days a week.. if swimmers can train at 5 am i also hope that vaulters are as dedicated.. especially with the difficulty and safety neccessary with the sport.......

dj

[baggettpv]

Geez guys,
Spend their time helping with agility, coordination, running mechanics, gymnastics, jumping mechanics and all the other stuff we complain about with the kids we get that turn out to pole vault. You guys are way to specific for the early ages. Look more at the development process for children!

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[KirkB]

I think Rick said it best ...

Geez guys,
Spend their time helping with agility, coordination, running mechanics, gymnastics, jumping mechanics and all the other stuff we complain about with the kids we get that turn out to pole vault. You guys are way too specific for the early ages. Look more at the development process for children!

My personal opinion is that highbar, rings, and rope drills are better than weights. You not only use your own body weight as your "weights", but you learn how to SWING and manipulate your body in many different ways on gym apparatus.

A young vaulter that can swing properly on gym equipment has a huge head start over a muscular vaulter that can't coordinate his/her body in the air. You can get stronger LATER, but it's harder to improve your technique LATER. This is the gotcha for many decathletes - they're too strong for their own good.

Kirk

[baggettpv]

Thanks Kirk for the reinforcement of my procedures. It will be good to meet you sometime at the UW.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[baggettpv]

Because Lifting weights is a Football activity! hehehehe

Rick Baggett