A shirtless teenager performs a weight training exercise with dumbbells in a gym.
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Does weight training stop growth?

There are many misconceptions in the fitness and weight training world. Among them, one of the most persistent is undoubtedly that of the effects of weight training on the development of children and adolescents. So, is it true that the practice of weight training stops growth ? Or is it an unfounded myth?

Growth and muscle building: what is it really?

Weight training stops growth in children". If you are attending a sports hallYou've probably heard this statement before. But what is it really?

To better understand this, let's look at growth and how the human body evolves during this period.

Growth is the result of a complex process that includes bone development. In summary, the long bones (femur, tibia, fibula, etc.) of the child grow and solidify through the action of growth cartilageor conjugation cartilage.

In case of a bone injury such as a fracture In a child or teenager, the growth plate can be damaged. This can prevent the child from growing normally.

So does working out stunt growth?

A growth plate fracture can be the result of a fall, an accident or a repeated stress imposed on a bone.

A child sitting on gauze bandages his ankle following an injury.
Growth plate fractures can occur in most physical activities.

These are risks inherent to the practice of a physical activityThis type of injury is quite rare in weight training, whether it is for soccer, skiing, gymnastics or athletics. This type of injury is actually quite rare in weight training, except for practitioners who multiply the exercises with a bad execution technique.

In summary, a child who works out with a adapted training program is not at any particular risk. Several studies have even shown the benefits of this practice for a young audience:

  • Motor skills improvement;
  • Better muscle and joint construction;
  • Development of the neuromuscular system;
  • Increased bone density;
  • Gain in self-confidence.

A supervised sport practice for more safety

If you are a parent of a child, chances are you won't let your child practice sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, horseback riding or rock climbing alone. The same is true for weight training, where the technical component involves the accompaniment of a sports coach.

A child performs fitness exercises in a gym, supervised by a sports coach.
With the right training program, weight training or fitness is safe for young people.

Before the age of 18, it is therefore preferable to avoid working with heavy loads. It is better to prefer a body weight training program or with resistance elasticslike the ones you can find on my website.

The number of repetitions on each series will then be higher. The work will be mainly focused on technique and on learning the right postures.

It is obvious that a child or teenager should not try to gain weight quickly. With the help of a professional, he or she should rather aim for a muscle building slow, progressive and controlled.

In this sense, it is advisable to be cautious about basic exercises such as the deadlift, bench press or the the squat. It can be tempting to put a lot of weight on these types of movements. However, this is precisely what should be avoided.

To conclude

So, does working out stop growth? As you can see, the answer is no. But as with most sports, this physical practice must be supervised by a qualified sports coach to avoid injuries. To go further, I invite you to discover this complete article on the age to start weight training.

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