HIGH PERFORMANCE
Two big?
by Tom Thekan/The Scugog Standard

There are two age-old topics that are argued back and forth and never seem to get resolved.

The first is: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The second is: At what age should youth start weight training?

Whenever I get hit with that second question, I fire back with a question of my own: At what age should someone start skiing, skating, running or playing softball?

For some reason, weight training/weightlifting (both Olympic lifting and Powerlifting) are the ONLY sports that people place age restrictions on for the participants.

It seems there is no minimum age for hockey, skiing, soccer, softball or any other sport. The younger, the better. But whatever you do ... DON’T TOUCH THE WEIGHTS UNTIL YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH!

If weightlifting is dangerous, why is there no personal safety equipment required? No helmets, face masks, mouth guards or pads are required, so it can’t be that dangerous.

Wouldn’t the dangerous sports be the ones that require helmets, face masks, mouth guards and pads? How safe is a sport that requires 30 pounds of protective equipment for an 80-pound body?

Then there’s the old argument that young bones aren’t fully developed and could be damaged by repetitive lifting.

How about damage from repetitive running, throwing or even repetitive falling down a ski slope?

Repetitive keyboarding and mouse clicking is okay because it develops useful computer skills, but repetitive weightlifting is bad for undeveloped young bones? You might want to run that past a physiotherapist, chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion.

Bone responds to stress by adapting and getting stronger. And the best time to do this is when the bones are still growing, which is up to about age 19.

Weightlifting is nothing more than natural human movements with some added resistance. You squat, lunge, push, pull and pick up heavy stuff off the ground. That pretty much describes weight-lifting as well as what happens in everyday life - for the rest of your life.

There really isn’t much difference between weight lifting and trying to put the head onto a giant snowman. That’s why kids that lift weights always build the biggest snowmen.

I’ve known more people that were injured in the kitchen moving the stove and fridge than in the weight room.

Now, about that chicken and egg thing...

Tom Thekan is a strength and conditioning coach for the UOIT Ridgebacks varsity rowing and men’s soccer teams.

Never begin any exercise program without consulting your doctor.