jack has been telling use he has been lifting weights at his dads… his dad has also said before he gets him to do it.
we keep telling him its dangrous but he will not listen. we spoke to social services becuase we were concerned over this and they said there was nothing to cause any action.
im worried in case the boy ends up getting hurt.
what can we do?
Did a quick Google on “youth weight lifting”, and the first four hits were all about how it by and large is a good and positive thing for youths. Needs to be done correctly (same goes for adults BTW), but research seems to have shown that the original fears of bone development and growth issues were unfounded.
If the kid is pumping and jerking for olympic level weights, then he (just like most adults) could be in for some issues. But apparently moderately increased weights at high reps, with adequate rest intervals between workouts (at least a day), can be an excellent means of preventing sports injury and does not seem to lead to damage to the growth plates.
It’s like anything else: driving, scuba diving, rock climbing. All things that you worry about youth getting involved in, due to their immaturity. But facts seem to bear out that it’s dangerous when done wrong, pretty much at any age.
If you’re really concerned, you might try joining them. Learn the proper techniques, hazards, and be a voice for correct and safe health. Better that than more kids as couch potatoes…
Thanx for googling for me but the main concern about it which i left out by mistake is that jack is 5 years old.
thanks for looking though.
i had also done some looking my self and i have seen that it is not a good idea for anyone under the age of 16 to do weight lifting as the muscles cannot take the strain and it can cause damage.
It all depends on how much overall exercise Jack is getting. I doubt he is really pushing anything that will damage him as kids tend to know limits more than adults. My only real concern or worry would be him dropping the weights on his toe ! :eek:
If Jack enjoys it, then from my experience if you try to stop him in anyway you could have major problems. I don’t think there is anything you can do tbh. I would advise to maybe get Jack involved in another hobby that he will want to show his Dad - that may help move the trend, but once again any suggestion too strong and pushing kids is in my opinion a dangerous thing to do. It will come back on you for sure.
The more you say you are against it - the more determined both Jack and his Dad may become.
DT.
Didn’t ITV or someone do a documentary on a lad that was dubbed “Mini Hercules” and he started at the age of three or something like that?.. Not sure, but I’m sure if done correctly and not at too much weight, it can’t be that much harm, bearing in mind at what age some weight lifters start.
But like DanBrady says, get involved yourself, ask the local gym/fitness instructors etc.
Juss my 2p
Better yet ask your doctor.
see his dad has a mental age of jack the guy is unstable in my book he also wants to put jack in the orange lodge.
thats the reason i am worried
Hmmm. Now I had to go off and read about “oranage lodge”, which is I presume the same as the Orange Order. Which until today I knew absolutely nothing about.
So I’ll dodge that one and stick to your original concern. A quick snip from an article:
[I]Although the physical onset on puberty varies from athlete to athlete, we suggest the following as general guidelines for resistance training using grade level as approximate markers:
- 6th grade and younger: body weight exercises only, such as push ups, sit ups, vertical jump for height, calf raises, pull ups.
- 7th & 8th grade: add universal type machines, no free weights, Use high repetitions with low weight, no more than 3 days per week with one day off between lifting days.
- 9th grade: can add free weights with lifts such as bench press, partial squats, lunges. Still stick to 3 days per week and restrict lifts to 3 repetitions maximum. Never do show-off lifts of one repetition with maximum weight.
[/I]
If Jack is 5, that would make him at best a 1st grader, so the advice that he and his father should both be aware of is the recommendation for 6th graders and younger. I would also hope at 5 that Jack lacks the machismo drive to do anything excessive repititively enough to hurt himself; dropping a weight on his foot is another thing. I would hope that age and resistance training quidelines is information that could be shared with Jack’s father, and if not at least try to make Jack understand. As with most things, extreme behavior (excessive activity or sloth) tends to end up biting you in the backside over the long-haul.
I’m not at all conversant with the deatils of your situation, but reading between the lines it sounds as if Jack is in a place where he’s going to be pulled at by two or more parents. I grew up in just such a situation, and can say that the technique that the wiser of my parents used was to try to infuse me with as much common sense as possible, and try to be content with what battles they could win. It seems to me that parenting (something I do NOT have direct experience with) must be a long series of letting-go incidents, full of best efforts, crossed fingers and lots of prayer.
Don’t forget, Jack’s age is on your side. As a 5 year old, it would be very unusual for him to adopt an excessive regime that isn’t inherently fun and enjoyable. Just look at the countless Tiger-Woods wannabes who get sick of it all and refuse to touch a golf club as a teen. Still, running, jumping and playing are great for kids, and should be encouraged. Body weight exercises for Jack as he keeps his father company during workouts could be fun and very good for him, so encourage that it be done properly. Find ways to explain to him that Doctors have studied what types of workouts are good and which are risky for children, and help him decide which are which. You might even want to get involved and help him set and track specific goals, which would serve the dual purpose of keeping you informed about his specific workout activites when he’s at his fathers.
as for the Orange Order, i have noticed that the more rigid the religious indoctrination as a child, the more likely the child is to rebel when they see the alternatives. so i suspect he wont become indoctrinated, especially as his (90% time) parents are more liberal.