Pumped Up on Strength Training

For years, muscle strength and endurance has been recognized as a primary component of physical fitness. Strength training using one’s own weight, such as push-ups, has long been standard fare for school physical fitness programs. Experts once believed that strength training using free weights and weight machines could lead to bone plate disturbances in children and adolescents. Now, most experts agree that these exercises, with proper supervision and training, can be an important part of an overall fitness plan for young people.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines strength training as "a systematic program of exercises designed to increase an individual’s ability to exert or resist force." Strength training may include the use of free weights, weight machines, elastic tubing, or body weight. This article focuses on strength training using weights, or "progressive resistive exercises." That is, the person progressively increases the amount of weight lifted.

Lifting weights increases muscle strength and endurance, and builds and tones muscles. It increases the strength of tendons, bones, and ligaments, which may decrease the risk of sports injuries. High school athletes, particularly males, have benefited from strength training for years as a way to improve their performance. But strength training confers health benefits even beyond muscle strength and endurance—for males and females.

Because strength training builds muscle, it helps to reduce body fat and to increase lean body mass. A person who adds more muscle will burn more calories even when sitting around because muscle burns more calories than fat does just to maintain itself. Strength training improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. These are powerful factors for reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes type 2—both increasing at alarming rates in the teen population. Strength training can help in achieving peak bone mass, which is important in warding off osteoporosis. In addition, strength training may effect positivechanges in blood cholesterol and possibly lower resting blood pressure.

However, strength training in adolescents is not without its downside. Serious injuries can occur with improper lifting and weights that are too heavy. Health experts and organizations such as ASCM and the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasize that teens must observe proper techniques and safety precautions. ACSM states that strength training is distinct from powerlifting and weightlifting, both of which involve maximum lifting ability, and does not recommend strength training with maximal weights. Naturally, some teens will compete to see who can lift the heaviest weight or try to imitate the jerky motions of power lifters they see on TV. Some teens may play around with equipment, dropping it on themselves and others. This is why proper supervision and training under a certified fitness trainer or a coach who is trained to work with young athletes is so important.

Moreover, the influence of a qualified trainer or coach can extend well beyond the confines of the high school weight room. Coaches can be instrumental in motivating teens to incorporate strength training into their lifestyles and sustain it throughout their life span. For some time, strength training using weights and equipment has been going mainstream. Most people don’t raise an eyebrow at the idea of women or people as old as 90 lifting weights. In the last decade, ACSM, the American Heart Association, and others have recommended strength training for adults of all ages. In addition to the health benefits cited previously, strength training improves the ability to perform daily, non-athletic activities with less chance of injury. Increased lower back strength reduces the risk of lower back injuries, a major reason for disability in adults. Strength training can decrease the stress on the heart while carrying groceries or shoveling snow.

Realistically, most teens will not be compelled to strength train because of the health benefits. They are more likely to be motivated by the desire to become stronger and to look better. This is precisely the angle that health educators need to hook students on strength training for life. Competency in physical skills and appearance is one of three major factors that increases self-esteem, and motivates children and teens to continue physical activity.

The other two are social support and enjoyment. Strength training promotes social support through social acceptance by peers and positive feedback from coaches. Students enjoy strength training when it is fun, safe, and noncompetitive. With the right kind of program and encouragement, they may stay pumped up for life.