Hi Fellow TRX ers!

 I have been asked to work with the local USA swim team to build some strength in our swimmers.  I am undecided about at what age I should allow kids to participate in the training.  I have a pretty good idea of the physiological & pyschological changes that occur at certain ages, and know the hormonal influences I can expect as well when they hit puberty.  I also know that my own kids "played" on the TRX from about age 8 with no problems.  Of course - they weren't doing any structed programs.  My gut and background tells me they should be at least 12.  Do any of you have any experience working with children younger than that on the TRX - and what were your results?

Andie T

I currently have three clients under the age of 13 (10/10/12) and all are competitive athletes. My judgement and basis is the determination of their "athletic" ability, coordination, and confidence (not to be confused with curiosity and/or cockiness). Obviously I wouldn't have them doing Suspended Incline Presses (w/leg up). However, if these kids are swimmers, shoulder and upper body strength and development are keys to present success and future development so why not try the Suspended Incline Press with One Leg Down? Kids are great in that you can turn any developmental exercise into a game which in time will prove to be a fruitful and enjoyable strength and coordination exercise which can do nothing but help. Just pay particular attention to the lower back area. The key to injury free training with kids so young is the ability to take total control of the tempo of the exercise (Simple Cueing is EXTREMELY important), what I have found is that in an efforrt to satisfy their Trainer (or show off) they will tend to rush through the exercise to accomplish the number of reps you dictate. This is a BIG reason why, when my youngsters ask me "how many", my response is "...until I get tired..." and I use a timing system (15, 30, 45, 60 seconds) and then applaud them as I tell them "...do you believe that was just 35 seconds?"...Bottom line...try them out on simple, and easily cued exercises (double leg squats, "Y" Deltoid Raises, combo double leg squats to "Y" Deltoid Raise, Suspended Crunches on Elbows, High Back Rows) and progress from there...remember your levels of progression. I'd rather have them find the exercise easy as opposed to impossible. You can always progress from east to hard, but try going from impossible to "let's try it again"...very difficult. Good Luck...by the way, my guys are wrestlers (2) and one tennis player. Gunslinger Sends

Different sports have different standards. That said, I think we Americans think that kids shouldn't be lifting heavy weights. If you were like some guys I know who grew up on a farm, wrestled, did judo or girls who did gymnastics, then you spent lots of time hefting weight around. Miguel Torres, widely regarded as the best 135lb MMA fighter in the world said that he "...can remember my soccer coach when I was 7. He made each player pick a partner and then run a mile with him on your back. We had to run through hills, dirt and sand. I was 7 years old, and he was training us like we were in the military. I looked at it like it was a challenge. He'd have us do 1,000 crunches. I'd get to 500 or 600 and have to stop. Being small, I didn't know I couldn't do it."

Kids can do things that adults think they can't. Get a 10 year old farm kid and they are used to long, hard work moving around heavy objects. Wrestlers and judo players start at young ages (as young as 3 or 4) picking up and tossing around human beings. Gymnasts do things with their bodies at young ages, often starting before 5 that are challenging as an eternal destination with 7 levels. Ever seen a ballet dancer? Little girls get into position balancing on their toes that put thousands of lbs of pressure on their joints.

Then we have what foreign kids do. At 8 or 9 after several years of day in day out structured training, Thai kids are fighting professionally in full contact Muay Thai. They are unlikely to retire until their in their late teens or early twenties. Then, for money, many transition into pro boxing.

Conditioning matters. People realize this and for kids it is starting to become more prevalent at younger ages. The things you would have them do with the TRX are likely safer and easier for them to scale and adapt to than what others would have them do. Just ask yourself how old you were when your PE teacher or coach first had you do situps, pushups, pullups, climb a rope or those animal crawl and walk exercises. If you're like me, you were in the First Grade. Now think about how old these kids are and how long they have been in a structured wim program.

Kids on the TRX really changes things up for them. I am currently working with kids from the ages of 10-16. In the future be on the lookout for them in the AVP tour, pro tennis and watchout on your local golf courses! No honestly I train just like gunslinger mentioned the other day, we do the exercises for time not repitions, also the way I instruct my TRX Bootcamp for adults. So many of these kids have determination in their sports and the sad thing with alot of the schools not supporting our future athletes with proper training, we lose many of them to injury or interest in their sport. I have so much fun workingout on the beach doing ie volleyball drills, then hitting the TRX with a functional type of workout keeping it basic and all about that proper form. Then it even becomes more rewarding because when the parents come to the studio or local beach and see their child on the TRX, they start asking and next thing you know mom, dad, aunts and uncles are in my TRX bootcamp!

GREAT point Brandon! That's absloutely right on target...I've found that not only do the parents decide to challenge themselves to "keep up" with their kids by joining one of my classes, THEY ALSO BUY PRODUCTS via my Affilliate site...TRX's, X-Mounts, and DVD's...THEN they want me to provide private sessions in the home. It's truly is a "win-win" all the way around...Gunslinger Sends

Sincerely,

Shana Martin
http://www.shanamartin.com

There has been quite a lot of research that supports strength training for pre-pubescents in the last 10 years or so. Dr. Avery Faigenbaum has really been leading the charge in this area. There are some articles on his site

http://www.strongkid.com/

a list of his books are at this site 

http://www.allbookstores.com/author/Avery_Faigenbaum.html

and some more articles came up here

http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_107_A_PageName_E_strengthconditioningarticles

 Hopefully this helps

Fraser you are the Man! Great information! I just wanted to add a little more...I want to go to even younger kids, I have a 4 and 5 year old, let them have some fun in single handle mode and swing them from one side of the studio to the other. Then let them watch, monkey see, monkey do. Remember they are our future so those TRX trainers be sure to clone your children.. I will be sure to post some photos of my 4 year old doing some rows recently and of course some video of my 5 year old discovering the TRX with a stability ball WOW!