Weightlifting Myth ?

[platinummatt!]

Here's a little quote from a book called "Strength and power for young athletes - exercises and programs for ages 7-15" by Avery Feigenbaum, EdD, and Wayne Westcott, PhD.

"Another misconception concern growth ******ation in children who train with weights. Nothing could be further from the truth. There has never been a report of stunted growth or reduced bone formation related to strength training. On the contrary, progressive strength exercise makes bones strong and resistant to injury. Because most of our bone mass is accrued during our youth years, this is the ideal time to enhance musculoskeletal strength and structure through properly designed resistance training programs. Strength training may be beneficial to young girls, to reduce their risk of osteoporosis later in life. Although strength training won't make children taller, it can contribute to physically developing their muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments."

Unless you guys have your own PhD's, I'm not ready to take your word over these guys. How many books have you written on the subject? Face it: It's a MYTH.

My physiotherapist said the weights they were doing were too heavy.

[potatoes]

My physiotherapist said the weights they were doing were too heavy.

You should pay too much attention to these keyboard warriors, they have lots of theories, but none of them a background in sports medicine.

There has been an extensive amount of research done in the former Soviet Union about the training of young athletes. It was found that not only will weightlifting but any kind of training can potentially stunt growth. However, it takes some very intense training to stunt growth and it is unlikely anybody would actually do that without incurring some severe training injuries. Extreme training with out injuries is difficult to accomplish, so you can assume that stunting growth is virtually impossible.

[fraidycat]

You should pay too much attention to these keyboard warriors, they have lots of theories, but none of them a background in sports medicine.

We are to understand that you have a background in sports medicine, but you don't grasp the difference between weight training and bodybuilding?

[KingDosia]

You should pay too much attention to these keyboard warriors, they have lots of theories, but none of them a background in sports medicine.

There has been an extensive amount of research done in the former Soviet Union about the training of young athletes. It was found that not only will weightlifting but any kind of training can potentially stunt growth. However, it takes some very intense training to stunt growth and it is unlikely anybody would actually do that without incurring some severe training injuries. Extreme training with out injuries is difficult to accomplish, so you can assume that stunting growth is virtually impossible.

WHERE IS YOUR DEGREE. WHAT BACKGROUND DO YOU HAVE WITH SPORTS IN GENERAL OUTSIDE WATCHING AND JOE FRAZIERS BOOK"peeleft:
I AM A KEY BOARD WARRIOR I GUESS I POST A LOT ON HERE. I GOT A BORING JOB, THIS IS MY SANCTUARY AFTER 5PM I AM IN THE GYM TESTING THE "THEORIES" USING THEM IN THE RING. I'D BACK THEM 100% STRENGTH TRAINING HAS IMPROVED MINE AND MY TRAINING PARTNERS SKILLS DRAMATICLY. AND I'D BET MY ASS I COULD GO THE GOLDEN 15RNDS YOU KEEP BRAGING ABOUT THE OLDER FIGHTERS GOING. YOU ARE SPEWING NONSENSE TO MINDS IN SEARCH OF IMPROVING THEMSELVES.

[PunchDrunk]

You should pay too much attention to these keyboard warriors, they have lots of theories, but none of them a background in sports medicine.

There has been an extensive amount of research done in the former Soviet Union about the training of young athletes. It was found that not only will weightlifting but any kind of training can potentially stunt growth. However, it takes some very intense training to stunt growth and it is unlikely anybody would actually do that without incurring some severe training injuries. Extreme training with out injuries is difficult to accomplish, so you can assume that stunting growth is virtually impossible.

If you noticed, I actually quoted something written by a PhD before, AND posted what the publication was called. That's called backing up your claims!

You're just pulling fake BS out of your ass, with the "extensive amount of research in the former Soviet Union" crap. This is just not true, and I know that because I DO have an education in physical training. Training can NOT stunt growth, or if it can, it's NEVER been documented!

[NJFighter91]

if anything, weightlifting promotes growth since doing the compound exercises release lots of HGH and other hormones.

i think they only way itll stunt ur growth is if i go above what you can handle with improper form on squats or anything thatll mess up the spine

[potatoes]

If you noticed, I actually quoted something written by a PhD before, AND posted what the publication was called. That's called backing up your claims!

You're just pulling fake BS out of your ass, with the "extensive amount of research in the former Soviet Union" crap. This is just not true, and I know that because I DO have an education in physical training. Training can NOT stunt growth, or if it can, it's NEVER been documented!

The doctors Klitschko don't agree with you and they have the qualifications to understand the science and the language skills to read it in Russian.

The research was done primarily on young female gymnasts, who would often start serious training at about the age of 5 or 6. I can remember as far back as the 1980's color commentators at the various gymnastic championships speak about the problem of stunting growth in young athletes. As a matter of fact Jim Lampley got into a conversation about it some years ago during the Olympics.

Admittedly I can't provide any references to the scientific journals. Unfortunately I never learned how to speak Russian. Everything I have heard about it is secondhand.

[SquareCircle]

ive hit the weights hard ever since age 15.

i was maybe 5'10 5'11 back then

now im 6'4,my frame grew well, and i had no problems. not everyone is the same though, just stating my case...

i lifted alot, there was rarely a day when i wasnt sore. really proud of myself for never doin steroids either.

[PunchDrunk]

The doctors Klitschko don't agree with you and they have the qualifications to understand the science and the language skills to read it in Russian.

The research was done primarily on young female gymnasts, who would often start serious training at about the age of 5 or 6. I can remember as far back as the 1980's color commentators at the various gymnastic championships speak about the problem of stunting growth in young athletes. As a matter of fact Jim Lampley got into a conversation about it some years ago during the Olympics.

Admittedly I can't provide any references to the scientific journals. Unfortunately I never learned how to speak Russian. Everything I have heard about it is secondhand.

Yes, what you have is secondhand, and also incorrect. The Russian gymnast story is a myth.

People rushed to a conclusion based on what they saw, like this:

The best female gymnasts are freakishly small for their age. -> they train a lot. -> Therefore the training must stunt their growth.

Problem is, they got the causality backwards. The real reason is this:

To be a succesful gymnast, you need to be small. -> Therefore the best female gymnast are, of course, the small girls.

The unsuccesful gymnasts, who did the same training, but didn't win anything because their earlier (read: more towards the norm) growth made them too big to compete with the girls who had what was a physical advantage in the sport. Therefore they were weeded out before the top level, and we never see them at the Olympics etc.

It's really the same as basketball really. In basketball, height is a great advantage, so the overwhelming majority of players at the elite level are tall. That doesn't mean basketball MAKES you tall, it just means that all the small guys get weeded out at a certain point where their physical abilities aren't sufficient.

[Nelson da Cruz]

We are to understand that you have a background in sports medicine, but you don't grasp the difference between weight training and bodybuilding?

Fraidycat is right. There is a difference between Bodybuilding / Powerlifting / Weightlifting and WEIGHT TRAINING.

If you train with weights you do not have to go all out balls-to-the-wall 90 - 100% of your maximum.

Nowdays most sports employ some kind of Weight TRAINING - even F1 drivers train in the gym.

As long as you stretch and keep a good level of flexibility/suppleness then weights will optimise performance.