Sigh. There was an 8 year old boy at the gym today.

[flvegan]

With his dad and their "trainer" when I was there. I'm not talking light machine work, learn your way around kind of stuff. While I was there, they had him doing free-weight stuff...curls, incline dumbell benches and flyes.

I really felt bad for the kid. He's either going to hurt himself physically, hurt his development or...fail to impress his dad. His dad seemed like one of "those" dads. I know a terrible thing to say without knowing the guy. Just going off what I experienced.

[sasquatch]

1. Living through his offspring

:eyes:

[Left Is Write]

2. That's not allowed at my gym.

No one under 12 on the weight floor or cardio equipment. Period. No exceptions.

[flvegan]

4. I'm going to talk to the owner tomorrow.

He has a vested interest in me, and he's also a professional trainer and will see the error of allowing this.

[Left Is Write]

5. You might want to remind him that the gym could be held liable if the boy gets hurt.

[LostinVA]

6. No one under 16 at mine, and then they can't do certain things

[Midlodemocrat]

26. It's 14 here at ours.

[leeroysphitz]

3. There may be a lot of pressure and risk involved for that kid but...

Maybe this is just a way for a father and son to "bond" or at least spend meaning full time together in an activity they enjoy.

Who knows? Without knowing these people my assumption sounds at least as plausible as yours. :)

Lord knows I would have JUMPED at the chance to regularly spend that kind of time together with my father at that age.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

7. At that young age a child's body simply isn't READY for that.

The bones are still soft and bendable, the muscles are still forming, the body itself is just too pliable and immature for weight training. It can mess a child up for life.

I'll be kind and simply assume he isn't being fed steroids yet...

[leeroysphitz]

8. Wow leap to conclusions much?

Oh wait. You stand still and the conclusions just leap to you.

Better get those kids back on the couch. We wouldn't want those pliable bones and undeveloped muscles to get all "messed up" from using them too much.

Thanks for the expert diagnosis there Dr. Frist but young athletes safely engage in weight and all other sorts of training all the time.

[flvegan]

10. Actually, the poster you're responding to is correct.

That's an "expert diagnosis" that we're taught as personal trainers. I have multiple certifications, so I think I'm probably schooled enough in the field. 8 year olds don't safely engage in weight training like that.

[lizziegrace]

13. I've heard the same thing

my nephew is a baseball player and a good pitcher. He has avoided throwing certain pitches because his 15 year old body isn't developed enough to handle the stress. Other kids aren't as careful and many blow their arms before they get through high school.

[Thirtieschild]

19. many blow their arms before they get through high school - exactly what happened to my husband

He was good enough that at 15 the Fort Worth Cats (Class A team I think) asked him to pitch batting practice when they played in Oklahoma City, he was good enough that they asked him the next time they played. The Dodgers had their eye on him but - sigh - he was pretty much the only pitcher on his high school team and when he graduated (at age 17) his arm was gone.

[PRETZEL]

27. not to throw the thread too far off topic

my step son's is in a similar situation. He's 13 (will be 14 in couple of months) but kids blowing their arms out isn't so much from throwing certain pitches. Most of it comes from throwing too many pitches (and lets be realistic, the better pitchers throw the most), throwing too often (and here I agree witht he stress) or not having proper technique (most common).

I've invested a couple of hundred dollars on pitching technique and training videos just to try to avoid having him blow his arm out. If more coaches (mostly dad's who think Johnny is a superstar) would spend more time teaching technique and training, alot of the problems may not occur.

[LeftyMom]

11. It'll fuck up a kid's skeletal system

and in any case it'd be an excersise in frustration (ha I made a funny!) until hormonal changes alter the way their bodies put on mass.

A kid that age should be out running around, riding a bike or swimming.

[Nevernose]

12. Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, working out at the gym is just fine for kids, as long as they're not pushing to be bulked-out bodybuilders. I guess it all depends on that dad from the OP.

Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

The young athlete in your family is disciplined and devoted, squeezing in practice whenever he or she can. Now your child wants to start strength training. You've heard coaches and other parents talk about strength training, but you wonder — is strength training really good for a child?

The answer is yes. Strength training exercises that are supervised, safe and age-appropriate offer many bonuses to young athletes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association all support strength training for kids — if it's done properly. Today's children are increasingly overweight and out of shape. Strength training can help put them on the lifetime path to better health and fitness.

Strength training for kids — not to be confused with weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting — is a carefully designed program of exercises to increase muscle strength and endurance. Weightlifting, bodybuilding and powerlifting are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and growth plates, especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight.

MORE...

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/HQ/01010.html

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. It has nothing to do with spending time together - it has to with Dad meeting DAD's needs

through his son.

[leeroysphitz]

16. How on earth could you possibly claim to know that?

:shrug:

[LeftyMom]

17. Because a grade schooler's needs for physical activity are best met through play

Absent a medical condition that required a specific regimen, but in that case the kid would be getting physical therapy from a professional in a professional setting with appropriate equipment.

[leeroysphitz]

20. In your judgement this is not a valid father son activity.

Let me see if I have everyones position exactly right.
Only a reprehensible steroid freak of a father bent on living vicariously through his sons future bodybuilding championship and who is pushing his son to the point of physical abuse with dangerous unhealthy weight lifting and who is, further more, NOT a licensed physical therapist could be would be evil enough to spend an hour or so at the gym working out with his son.

Hoo boy! :)

[LeftyMom]

22. Not for a prepubescent kid. Too risky and no real gain in a healthy kid.

Actually I've discussed the issue with the OP in the past and he's said before that pre-pubescent kids don't have any business around weights (we were discussing this in the context of when my kid gets to go with him and steal all the female attention, because we're goofy like that.) I know for a fact he knows what he's talking about on this issue, and if he thinks it's problematic I don't doubt that it is, because he's the one with specialty knowledge on the matter as well as pretty good sense generally.

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. Because you don't put a child in jeopardy like that unless you think more of self than him.

Dad has a lot of issues - he needs therapy, not be out making his son lift weights.

[Zywiec]

9. I did an 8K run a few weeks ago

There was an 8 year old who came in shortly behind me. The dad couldn't keep up with the son, and fell back.

I wish my kids exercised more...

[Shine]

14. At my gym they have to be 13 before they can work with any equipment

jeez, you'd think there'd be some sort of liability issues they'd be concerned with, with a kid that young. Strange....

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Poor kid!

I hope his dad gets wise before his son suffers...

[mzteris]

21. so why didn't the damn trainer set him straight?

AN 8 YEAR OLD?

Not good. You have to be well into/through puberty before you heavy weight train - or you're definitely going to hurt something. YOU know that. Surely the damn TRAINER knows that. Or does he only care about the $$?

Maybe you should have a little "chat" with that 'dad', eh, flv?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. did you tell his dad that this was bad for him? arent you a trainer there?

[flvegan]

29. No and no.

Were the kid using a dangerous amount of weight, I'd have said something. Otherwise, embarrassing a kid, his dad and their trainer (especially embarrassing the dad in front of his kid) isn't something I'm looking to do.

I'm a certified trainer, yes, but I don't earn my living that way. I'm sponsored by my gym, but not employed by them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. ahh i see.

yes, i suppose you cant insult another professional in that manner

[flvegan]

34. To be honest

after watching his personal technique, "professional" isn't what I'd call him. His form was pretty awful.

[malta blue]

25. That seems a little young to me. Little MB is 8 - she is

quite fit. I know my gym does not allow children under the age of 12 to use the machines, and you have to be accompanied until 15.

[IndianaJones]

28. How much was he puttin' up? nt.

[flvegan]

30. Pair of 20s on a 15 degree incline

[IndianaJones]

32. Insane...

that kid will be screwed up physically by age 11.

[LostinVA]

31. Richard Sandrak -- a cautionary tale

The same age as this boy, and also abused by his father:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sandrak

[davsand]

35. Some parents do live through their kids.

Take it from somebody who has been coaching little girls in softball for several years, I see it ALL the time. I also make it a point to discuss with those parents the idea that it is WAY more important at this age to keep them engaged in sports and having fun at it. Literally, I have told parents, "The scholarships and pro drafts don't depend on how they play in a game when they are 9 or 10 years old. If you turn them off the game now with too much pressure they won't still be playing by the time it DOES matter."

Seems to slow down all but the most hopeless parents (those parents probably don't want their kid playing for me anyway because I'm worried about teaching not just fundamental skills but also sportsmanship AND with keeping it fun.)

I actually had to find somebody to work with the girls on pitching this year because I do NOT know how to teach anyone how to fast pitch and I was afraid I was gonna get them started off with incorrect form. I found a local pitcher to come in and work with the girls. I was durn glad I did that, as it turns out, because I watched one of my girls work twice as hard to UN-Learn bad habits her Dad had taught her...

-----

The kid doing power lifting would disturb me too. I have NO problem with kids at the gym with the parents--I actually think it is important for it to be a family focus on healthy living (which includes regular exercise!) but I do think it is a problem when the parents are putting a kid at risk. Proper form is a good thing to learn to start out--but I'm not sure how much weight I'd want (Or even let!) my kid lifting.

Regards!



Laura