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Today when an athlete walks into their local gym they will realize that they are no longer in Kansas. The equipment selection available in many gyms today is sometimes overwhelming. Go to most gyms and you will see machine after machine that's whole purpose is to train one muscle group and that's it. Many of the big name manufactures have research departments whose only job is to create the "Next Big Thing". Many young lifters today go to the gym unsupervised and attempt to use every piece available for muscles worked that session. When asked why they use machines many answer, "Because they are there and I see other people using them so they must be good". With so many equipment options available it's no wonder training programs fail to work. I remember when I first started to getting into lifting, my father took me to the local health store bought me a can of protein power and a muscle and fitness magazine. For many of us this is how we got introduced to supplements and weight training. The problem with muscle magazines today is that many show workouts that no athlete will ever benefit from. Their exercise's programs are designed for people who are looking to go to the beach, not step on the field of battle and wage war. Today's athletes need to get faster and stronger, not bigger and slower. Now don't read this the wrong way, I'm not saying not to read muscle magazines because I read them when I travel, just know what your reading before you take on a programs listed in them.
The reason for the "Perfect" lifter doing the exercises is to promote the magazine and the advertisements in it. Many of the lifters seen in the articles don't even do those workouts because they are either too hard or poorly designed. This is why we need to educate today's athletes on sticking to the basics when it comes to training programs for their sport. In this article we hope to do just that.
We are going to talk about the benefits of 3 pieces of equipment found in most gyms and how the use of them can help you to become a better, more complete athlete.
The best part of training with dumbbells is it allows the athlete to train through a greater range of motion than do barbells on some exercises. Understand that it is sometimes more valuable to trade heavy weights (Barbells) for more sport-specific movements. Here is a list of some dumbbells exercises for wrestlers:
  DB Squat To Push Press  Click To Enlarge.
   DB Lateral Lunges Click To Enlarge.
Given the extra-large handle of 'regulation' sized kettlebells and the ballistic nature of many exercises that use them, grip strength improvements are an adjunctive benefit to each and every exercise - as long as you have a heavy kettlebell in your hand, your hand is receiving a training effect. If the thing is moving fast and changing direction in a rapid manner, the effect is increased.
Assume a wide stance and circle the 'bell around your body, passing it from hand to hand as you go. Do figure 8's between your legs, and reverse direction often. With a big kettlebell, you can easily work up to 50-100 reps per set. The faster it moves and the more often you quickly reverse the direction of the kettlebell, the more ballistic effect is imparted to your core muscles. It is the ballistic effect that causes rapid gains - deep shock like training effect to the small muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout your core. As with all new exercises, be careful and work up the rep count and ballistic intensity slowly.
You will notice that nowhere did we mention bicep curls, leg presses, leg extensions or any other isolation exercises. When training athletes it's important to get the most out of your training session, this is why we like to train total body and combination movements. Think sport-specific movements in your program design. You can do fewer exercises and receive greater returns than with old conventional bodybuilding programs that have some people in the gym for over 2 hours. Remember, on the mat no one cares how big your biceps or how much you can leg press. It's the moment when your opponent stands up and you need to lift and return him to the mat when you will see the need for total body training and combination exercises.
I think back to the day when my son Keegan was only 18 months and just able to walk. I was sitting watching TV when I heard his little voice say "Ball Dadda". I looked over and there he was with my 15lb bowling ball in his arms. The weight of the ball was about 60% of his bodyweight.
At first I was afraid of him hurting himself by dropping it on his foot but the more I looked at him the more I wondered how he got the strength to pick it up. Much to my wife's dismay I took the ball from him and rolled it across the floor for him to pick up again. To Keegan this was a game of rolling the ball with daddy. He would walk over to the ball, performed a squat like you would see a strongman do when picking up 300lb stone boulders and would pick it up and start walking. I knew then this was the making of a strength machine and to this date he is still as strong as a bull... Every year for the past 4 Christmas's Keegan has asked for weightlifting equipment as a gift. For 3 of them, I like many parents and coaches in America had resisted allowing him to weight train due to his age and the concern that lifting prior to puberty was unhealthy and could cause injury to under developed muscles.
Much research has been done on this topic and the results show that boys and girls can show a strength increase as a much as 74 percent in only 2 months of training. This is possible because strength development is associated with a variety of neuromuscular factors and does not solely depend on hormone levels (1). Exercises should consist of 13-15 reps for one set and training should be conducted 2-3 times a week. If the child is in an after school sports activity then training should only be conducted twice a week. Weight training should be conducted only under strict supervision of a "trained" coach or parent with slow movements and minimal weight until proper form is demonstrated for reps of 15. We receive emails each week on this question and we will be doing a series of articles on the topic that will cover everything from program design to proper nutrition, cardiovascular training, and exercise related games. So to get back to the original questions "Is weight training safe for my child" well the answer is YES and our goal over the next couple of articles will be to teach you how. Related Articles
Until next time... About The Author
Michael Fry is the owner of Grapplers Gym and www.grapplersgym.com. Grapplers Gym is the home for advanced fitness and conditioning for today's wrestlers. Subscribe to our FREE weekly Newsletter! Each issue is crammed with free training tips, articles, programs, exclusive discounts, strength/conditioning news and many more surprises. Mike can be reached by email at mike@grapplersgym.com. Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
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