Myth #2: Children should not lift weights because of the risk of injury to growth plates.

Myth. Several early medical reports recommended that children not participate in weight training because the developing bones are more susceptible to injuries than those of adults. In addition, several studies have reported growth plate injuries in adolescent children who participated in strength-training exercises. These and other reports have recommended that children avoid any formal strength-training programs until reaching puberty, at which time the growth plates have fused and the long bones are less susceptible to injuries.

Fact. Several recent research studies have looked at the safety of resistance training in prepubescent children. In two of the studies, safety was monitored via physician evaluation before, during and after training, and by a sophisticated X-ray technique called musculoskeletal scintigraph. Both of these studies found no evidence of damage to the epiphyses, bone or muscle following supervised resistance training. Growth plate injuries have occurred in adolescents during resistance training, although they are rare. The most commonly reported injury has been wrist strain during excessive overhead lifts, which are not recommended for young children.

Myth #3: There is not sufficient evidence to support a structured youth resistance-training program.

Myth. Many have argued there is not enough evidence to support resistance training before puberty. Thus, young athletes should not participate in any formal strength and resistance training until more scientific evidence is available to support it.

Fact. Within the last 20 years, several scientific studies have demonstrated that prepubescent children are able to make significant strength gains following supervised resistance training and, furthermore, that such training is safe. It is important to point out that although there has been a great deal of literature published recently regarding the safety and effectiveness of structured, supervised resistance-training programs for young athletes, further research is needed to examine the long-term effects of such training and the impact resistance training has on injury prevention and athletic performance. However, the majority of evidence points to a conclusion that prepubescent and adolescent resistance training is safe, that it is effective in developing muscular strength and endurance, and that numerous benefits are possible following such training.

In fact, so much evidence exists that experts are unwilling to set a definite age limit below which strength training should not be practiced.