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12-27-2018, 06:15 AM
I have two young atheletes. One is more in it for the fun and playing ball with his buddies, while the younger of the two is highly driven and competitive, and driven to be the best that he can be. Always played on older teams, not a super star, but just thrives to make himself better. For christmas, he asked for a pull up bar, dumbells, and push up handles. Im thinking "what a weird 7yo" lol. That being said, what's everyone's opinion on training at that age? He is dead seriously on playing division 1 football someday and as unlikely as it is, I want to foster that drive and determination. At the same time I worry about his development and growth as a KID first. I'm not the type of dad that forces them into anything. But I want them to have all the tools they need to succeed. Be it as an athelete, archer, playing saxophone in the band, whatever. Just curious on what other dads thoughts may be. Also know there are a handful of trainers on here. Would love their input as well. Hope everyone had a blessed christmas.
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12-27-2018, 06:39 AM
If you donât read anything else on the site, please keep him playing everything that he is capable of playing all the way through high school.. They all go hand in hand. Basketball will keep him athletic and other sports will keep him competing all the time. D1 schools are looking for athletes, not wieghtroom kids. They need to lift and stay strong, but better be flexible and athletic.
12-27-2018, 07:03 AM
Let the kid do what he wants. If it's one sport there is nothing wrong with that. If it's multiple, so be it. That's cool too.
I would encourage push-ups and sit-ups as much as possible but stay away from weights until high school. Hopefully your school has a nice football lifting program for him, if not, find one when the time comes.
I cannot stress this enough. FIND A CORE AND AGILITY TRAINER ASAP AND KEEP HIM GOING TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
I would encourage push-ups and sit-ups as much as possible but stay away from weights until high school. Hopefully your school has a nice football lifting program for him, if not, find one when the time comes.
I cannot stress this enough. FIND A CORE AND AGILITY TRAINER ASAP AND KEEP HIM GOING TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
12-27-2018, 07:20 AM
Appreciate it. He starts in the spring with core and agility trainer. He place football, basketball, a soccer and loves swimming as well. The pull up bar and push up handles were a no brainer. He can crunch for days, not bc he is mine, but I've never seen anything like it at his age, push ups are coming along. His speed and agility have improved a great deal from basketball, which really suprised me and him both. In his first year of basketball his shuttle time is almost a half a second quicker than it was at the end of football season. Like I said, I'm not a fanatic dad trying to live vicariously, I just want my kids to be happy. And this particular kid, loves to work.
12-27-2018, 07:22 AM
I have to keep him in check sometimes, bc he doesnt have any quitting sense sometimes lol. My question, is when to stop him when it comes to lifting. I've kept a close eye on it. LOW weight and Low reps, I worry about that aspect. Body weight is one thing, but I worry about how much the lifting free weights will hurt him rather than help him.
12-27-2018, 07:23 AM
Anyone know of any really good quality camps this summer?
12-27-2018, 08:00 AM
Scotty_Bronson Wrote:Anyone know of any really good quality camps this summer?
Camps are for fun until soph season. Then I would recommend random combines leading up to Best of the Midwest in Indy. But be ware, that camp is a money grab and meat market. Dude that runs it is questionable.
UK camp is fun for young kids.
12-27-2018, 08:15 AM
That's what I'm looking for. Just fun camps, gain good experience learning from other coaches, etc. He can get so intense. Trying to keep things light. I dont want him getting burnt out either. Appreciate the feedback guys.
12-27-2018, 04:27 PM
Lifting weights wonât hurt him. Most readiness programs start around 7th grade and honestly kids can start sooner. The big thing is lifting with correct form. There are a ton of dumbbell excercise he can do that are safe and there is a lot of variety.
Body weight things like lunges. Lots and lots of lunges will make him faster and more explosive. It will also protect his hips and knees. Front, back and side lunges. He can do those with dumbbells or just do lots of them. Pull-ups are some of the best excersises there are along with dips and burpees.
At that age (even in HS) a lot of kids running forms are jacked up. Heâll get faster due to age but proper running form will make a big difference. There are a lot of good resources on developing good form and you donât need much space.
Playing sports as long as he wants and he can drive him around will be great for him. It helps prevent injury from overuse (in the sense he is having his body do the same thing over and over). Kids that specialize tend to have more injuries.
Body weight things like lunges. Lots and lots of lunges will make him faster and more explosive. It will also protect his hips and knees. Front, back and side lunges. He can do those with dumbbells or just do lots of them. Pull-ups are some of the best excersises there are along with dips and burpees.
At that age (even in HS) a lot of kids running forms are jacked up. Heâll get faster due to age but proper running form will make a big difference. There are a lot of good resources on developing good form and you donât need much space.
Playing sports as long as he wants and he can drive him around will be great for him. It helps prevent injury from overuse (in the sense he is having his body do the same thing over and over). Kids that specialize tend to have more injuries.
12-27-2018, 04:53 PM
My nephew is a really good football player and simply LOVES just being active. Currently he plays three sports.
My brother-in-law is an Athletic Trainer so he is very aware of the potential pitfalls that come from weight training or intensity training too early. My nephew was like the 7-year old in the OP. He has been wanting to work out from a very early age.
My brother-in-law started by letting him do cardio and simple exercises with him at that age (Age 8.5 is wehn he really started wanting to do this stuff). He would have him wake up when he did his own workouts early in the morning before work/school and do simple things like stretching, running, calf raises, push-ups, situps, and lunges. Basically workouts using his own body weight.
When he turned 9 he started doing some fast twitch training like sprint intervals and some resistance stuff using bands & kettle bells. Still no true weight lifting. He kept the morning rituals but now instead of doing lunges it became lunges with kettle bells and instead of situps it became situps with resistance.
When he turned 11 they started sending him to this athletic training center in the Summer, two days a week, that focuses on plyometrics, speed training, and agility training. He loved it and it had an immediate impact on his performance in both basketball and football.
Now that he has turned 12 he has started letting him do weight training as well. He limits it to one lift per muscle group and never does max reps or max weight. The core of his training still revolves mostly around his own body weight and simple resistance with large number of reps.
He is in 6th Grade right now and has better measurables in the agility drills and certain lifts than a few Freshman on the High School team.
My brother-in-law is an Athletic Trainer so he is very aware of the potential pitfalls that come from weight training or intensity training too early. My nephew was like the 7-year old in the OP. He has been wanting to work out from a very early age.
My brother-in-law started by letting him do cardio and simple exercises with him at that age (Age 8.5 is wehn he really started wanting to do this stuff). He would have him wake up when he did his own workouts early in the morning before work/school and do simple things like stretching, running, calf raises, push-ups, situps, and lunges. Basically workouts using his own body weight.
When he turned 9 he started doing some fast twitch training like sprint intervals and some resistance stuff using bands & kettle bells. Still no true weight lifting. He kept the morning rituals but now instead of doing lunges it became lunges with kettle bells and instead of situps it became situps with resistance.
When he turned 11 they started sending him to this athletic training center in the Summer, two days a week, that focuses on plyometrics, speed training, and agility training. He loved it and it had an immediate impact on his performance in both basketball and football.
Now that he has turned 12 he has started letting him do weight training as well. He limits it to one lift per muscle group and never does max reps or max weight. The core of his training still revolves mostly around his own body weight and simple resistance with large number of reps.
He is in 6th Grade right now and has better measurables in the agility drills and certain lifts than a few Freshman on the High School team.
12-27-2018, 05:47 PM
If I could get a do over, I would have done things a little different. I would start at a young age taking my boys to The Roundtripper in Indianapolis, they have the best staff for speed and agility. They go as far as corrective body alignment that gets over looked, and turn out d1 kids by the bus load. Next up spend the 2700 and get a vertimax, can use it for strength training and explosive burst. From 6-8 grade do workouts using bands only and continue vertimax, then 9-12 add free weights. I like them learning weight training using bands also lets them develop lean muscle while young for a good base for free weights.
12-27-2018, 06:11 PM
Just picked up a set of resistance bands today. Appreciate the input guys!
12-27-2018, 08:20 PM
Scotty_Bronson Wrote:Just picked up a set of resistance bands today. Appreciate the input guys!
I know of two places in KY for speed and agility.
Champions Indoor Facility (Nicholasville) - he has been training for years, is inexpensive and convenient to the central KY area.
Aspirations (Chris Vaughn - Louisville) - from what I hear he is the GURU for getting kids schollies. He knows EVERYBODY. His biggest two clients are WanDale Robinson and Rondale Moore. He has COUNTLESS guys he's working with right now and is all about the kids.
12-28-2018, 04:38 AM
I know I'm a stick in the mud on this subject with the "real" football people on middle school weightlifting. I don't believe that a kid should overdo the weights until they are in high school and with a good responsible adult trainer overseeing the sessions when this age is reached. I feel lots of reps with lighter weights is the best course of training for a middle schooler. I raised two boys and both were strong as a pair of oxen naturally.
The reason for this opinion that I hold is the fact that my wife is a registered nurse who worked at Shriner's hospital for Crippled Children in Lexington for several years. Two of the most tragic, preventable injuries to children were: #1 Children that had been running around while their parents mowed or wanted to ride on the mower with their parents and them accidentally slipping in wet grass and sliding under the deck and #2 Kids that had been lifting too much weight slipping growth plates.
I had never considered this before she worked there, but, both accidents are way more common than most people would know. The growth plate on a growing kid is the soft middle of the bone that seperates and grows out toward the ends. When a kid lifts too much weight (What middle school boy doesn't want to put the key in the bottom of the universal weight set and show off to his buddies?) it can cause that growth plate to slide sideways and even with a minuscule slide they are done growing with that bone. Kids that have this happen to a leg bone on one side have to have the growth plate cut on the opposite leg so that one leg doesn't grow longer than the other. If this surgery doesn't occur fast enough and one leg grows longer than the other, then the growing leg bone growth plate is cut and the opposite leg is fixed up via surgery with an external fixator which is screws and rods that are placed through the bone on each end and have long screws that run parallel with the non growing bone. The growth plate is then intentionally broken and the fixator is screwed out a fraction of a turn every few days so bone can fill in the middle until the desired length is attained. It's like breaking the bone and letting the middle fill in a little with natural healing. A miserable and painful time for any kid.
Reps and light weights and training like some of the other have opined in here are the best ticket as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't let my kids do the big weights in middle school. Drills and running with reps worked out best for them. They both went on to play college football as well and both were pretty decent players. Best of luck to you and make sure that kids enjoy what they are doing. Lots of sports at a young age allows them to settle into what they enjoy most when they reach the high school level. They can then decide if they want to concentrate more on particular sports. Make it fun!
Sorry for the book.
The reason for this opinion that I hold is the fact that my wife is a registered nurse who worked at Shriner's hospital for Crippled Children in Lexington for several years. Two of the most tragic, preventable injuries to children were: #1 Children that had been running around while their parents mowed or wanted to ride on the mower with their parents and them accidentally slipping in wet grass and sliding under the deck and #2 Kids that had been lifting too much weight slipping growth plates.
I had never considered this before she worked there, but, both accidents are way more common than most people would know. The growth plate on a growing kid is the soft middle of the bone that seperates and grows out toward the ends. When a kid lifts too much weight (What middle school boy doesn't want to put the key in the bottom of the universal weight set and show off to his buddies?) it can cause that growth plate to slide sideways and even with a minuscule slide they are done growing with that bone. Kids that have this happen to a leg bone on one side have to have the growth plate cut on the opposite leg so that one leg doesn't grow longer than the other. If this surgery doesn't occur fast enough and one leg grows longer than the other, then the growing leg bone growth plate is cut and the opposite leg is fixed up via surgery with an external fixator which is screws and rods that are placed through the bone on each end and have long screws that run parallel with the non growing bone. The growth plate is then intentionally broken and the fixator is screwed out a fraction of a turn every few days so bone can fill in the middle until the desired length is attained. It's like breaking the bone and letting the middle fill in a little with natural healing. A miserable and painful time for any kid.
Reps and light weights and training like some of the other have opined in here are the best ticket as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't let my kids do the big weights in middle school. Drills and running with reps worked out best for them. They both went on to play college football as well and both were pretty decent players. Best of luck to you and make sure that kids enjoy what they are doing. Lots of sports at a young age allows them to settle into what they enjoy most when they reach the high school level. They can then decide if they want to concentrate more on particular sports. Make it fun!
Sorry for the book.
12-28-2018, 02:34 PM
Nothin wrong with a book! Appreciate the time u took.
12-28-2018, 06:14 PM
pjdoug Wrote:I'll help you train him.
I dont need him to know how to make moonshine just yet dougie!lol
12-29-2018, 02:13 PM
Bahahahaha
12-29-2018, 05:49 PM
Now I'm definitely going against the grain when I say this but kids as young as 5 years old can and should strength train in conjunction with plyometric type movements. With that said kids should only learn about fundamentals and techniques involved for probably the first 2 to 3 years along with playing as many different sports as possible or desire. Never force a kid to specialize in any sport at any age.
I know injury may be something that you as a parent may be scared about and with good reason but if you focus on technique and safety first, injuries would be less likely to happen later in their sports career.
My recommendations would be start with learning how to do push ups, air squats, pull ups, chest passes with medicine ball, box jumps, and basic vertical jumps. Once they master those things start with different variations of those exercises without adding resistance. When they have completed all of that too, you can start adding some weight to the strength exercises. As another poster said kettlebells would be a great tool to start with. Lookup goblet squats with a kettlebell and go from there.
I know injury may be something that you as a parent may be scared about and with good reason but if you focus on technique and safety first, injuries would be less likely to happen later in their sports career.
My recommendations would be start with learning how to do push ups, air squats, pull ups, chest passes with medicine ball, box jumps, and basic vertical jumps. Once they master those things start with different variations of those exercises without adding resistance. When they have completed all of that too, you can start adding some weight to the strength exercises. As another poster said kettlebells would be a great tool to start with. Lookup goblet squats with a kettlebell and go from there.
12-29-2018, 05:58 PM
I completely agree with papagrit. Growth plates can be damaged! I have been into sports specific training and speed and agility training since 2005. I’ve trained others but mainly did it for my sons. My oldest son started training early. 5th grade. No weights until his 7th grade summer. He was a hold back ( not because of football) so he was at the proper age in my opinion. Jordan started with plyos and lots of cone drills/ladder drills andfootwork. Bands can help but need to be monitored by you because the resistance is good but bands tend to make good form more difficult. Form is a big thing. Running, cone drills, ladders, push ups ect... form needs to be taught at all times in training. Quick twitch muscle fiber should be your goal to train. Stretching is a must. He is naturally limber now and will be so much easier to keep him that way if it starts now. No matter what he does have him static stretch after for about 15 min. He is not going to like it but it’s very important to staying healthy in the future. Dynamic stretching before the work out needs to be taught also so it becomes a habit. If you’re ever around somerset you are more than welcome to stop by and I’ll help you guys any way I can.
12-29-2018, 10:13 PM
EKUAlum05 Wrote:My nephew is a really good football player and simply LOVES just being active. Currently he plays three sports.
My brother-in-law is an Athletic Trainer so he is very aware of the potential pitfalls that come from weight training or intensity training too early. My nephew was like the 7-year old in the OP. He has been wanting to work out from a very early age.
My brother-in-law started by letting him do cardio and simple exercises with him at that age (Age 8.5 is wehn he really started wanting to do this stuff). He would have him wake up when he did his own workouts early in the morning before work/school and do simple things like stretching, running, calf raises, push-ups, situps, and lunges. Basically workouts using his own body weight.
When he turned 9 he started doing some fast twitch training like sprint intervals and some resistance stuff using bands & kettle bells. Still no true weight lifting. He kept the morning rituals but now instead of doing lunges it became lunges with kettle bells and instead of situps it became situps with resistance.
When he turned 11 they started sending him to this athletic training center in the Summer, two days a week, that focuses on plyometrics, speed training, and agility training. He loved it and it had an immediate impact on his performance in both basketball and football.
Now that he has turned 12 he has started letting him do weight training as well. He limits it to one lift per muscle group and never does max reps or max weight. The core of his training still revolves mostly around his own body weight and simple resistance with large number of reps.
He is in 6th Grade right now and has better measurables in the agility drills and certain lifts than a few Freshman on the High School team.
Leave the weights alone until middle school and keep em light and high rep. I really like the above approach...great post!
Pursue squat, dead lift, bench max into 10th-11th grade unless you're well prepared to teach GREAT stretching and plyometrics earlier in the process!
GOOD LUCK AND KEEP IT FUN FOR THEM!!! :Thumbs:
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"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
-Mahatma Gandhi
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
-Mahatma Gandhi
12-30-2018, 06:55 AM
Definitely following this post lol. My son loves football and asked for an agility ladder and speed chute for Christmas and is so excited to start using them. Iâm about to start turning outlet garage into a mini gym for him so keep the workout pointers coming!
12-30-2018, 07:35 AM
We started with the ladder and chute last spring. Did wonders. Now I have to say that the chute, I did not research enough, as it caused him to lean into his run a little too much and it carried over into his running style in open field causing him to lose his balance somewhat, but it made him a more physical runner and a few times hit the hole like Alstott used to. Form and technique are huge and I am glad that I've got in contact with a really good core and agility coach right here in our hometown. Cant wait to get him started and neither can my boy!
12-30-2018, 12:46 PM
Scotty_Bronson Wrote:We started with the ladder and chute last spring. Did wonders. Now I have to say that the chute, I did not research enough, as it caused him to lean into his run a little too much and it carried over into his running style in open field causing him to lose his balance somewhat, but it made him a more physical runner and a few times hit the hole like Alstott used to. Form and technique are huge and I am glad that I've got in contact with a really good core and agility coach right here in our hometown. Cant wait to get him started and neither can my boy!
That's great. it will be interesting to see how he progresses.
12-31-2018, 01:09 AM
Separate the training on the chute. Do a drive phase of 20 yards. Then simulate open field ( up right running good form) for 40 to 60. Form is a must and training bad form is very common. Before you do anything running wise band/chutes/sleds you must consider form and sport specific training. Sprinting is a science and there are different phases of a sprint (especially 40) and all should be trained in regards to form.
12-31-2018, 04:07 AM
Right now we are going back to the basics. Working without resistance of any kind, focusing on staying on the balls of his feet, proper lean, and pushing off the ground. Plain and simple right now. After basketball he will start with the trainer, then in spring start more football specific training. Really enjoying this conversation guys.
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