Strength Training for Young Athletes

My son started lifting on his own about 3 months ago. I wanted to set him up with a good workout with the right weight and repetition so he would get the most out of the work out without damaging his developing bone and muscle structure. This book was extremely helpful in that it addresses safety issues, weight determination (maximum lift), repetitions and change ups. I would recommend this book to anyone with a pre-teen to mid-teen. It offers a good alternative to an adult lifting regimen that is not suitable for growing bodies.

Now in an updated second edition, Strength Training For Young Athletes: Safe And Effective Exercises For Performance by co-authors William J. Kraemer PhD (Editor-In-Chief of the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research) and Steven J. Fleck PhD (Chair of the Sport Science department at Colorado College in Colorado Springs), both world-renowned strength and conditioning experts addresses how to apply beneficial strength training to young people without risking harm to their physical, psychological, or emotional development, and keeping the odds of injury in athletics and athletic training to an absolute minimum. Chapters address how to determine individual needs, creating safe training environments, single and multi-joint upper and lower body exercises, total-body exercises and sport-specific regimens, and much more. Black-and-white photographs, detailed explanations and instructions, and no-nonsense prose fully accessible to lay readers and parents as surely as it is to coaches and professionals distinguish this "must-have" guide for anyone responsible for a young person involved in serious sports.

Young superstar athletes have dispelled long-standing misconceptions that strength development should start in the late teens. But much discussion has continued regarding what type of training is most beneficial. Strength Training for Young Athletes provides all the answers as the authoritative guide to strength development for 7- to 18-year-old athletes. World-renowned strength and conditioning experts William Kraemer and Steven Fleck present the latest facts on the effects of strength training on growth, development, and performance. The authors then make recommendations relative to starting age, choice of exercises, frequency of training, rate of progression, and philosophical aspects of program design. Learn how to individualize the age-appropriate sample training programs provided, based on the athlete's physical, psychological, and emotional maturity as well as the demands of the sport. Such carefully designed programs not only improve athletic performance and prepare young athletes for higher competitive levels, but they also help to decrease the incidence of injury along the way. Strength Training for Young Athletes is the most complete and credible resource for developing the muscular foundation for athletic success. About the Author William J. Kraemer is a professor in the department of kinesiology working in the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. He also is a professor in the department of physiology and neurobiology and a professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Kraemer held multiple appointments at Pennsylvania State University, where he was professor of applied physiology, director of research in the Center for Sports Medicine, associate director of the Center for Cell Research, and faculty member in the kinesiology department and the Noll Physiological Research Center. Kraemer had served on the Sports Medicine Committee for the United States Weightlifting Federation and on the Sport Science and Technology Committee for the United States Olympic Committee. He received the National Strength and Conditioning Association Lifetime Achievement Award for bringing science into the development of strength and conditioning programs. He is editor in chief of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, an associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and an editorial board member of the Journal of Applied Physiology. A former junior high and college coach, Kraemer has coauthored many books and articles on strength training for athletes. Steven J. Fleck is chair of the sport science department at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Previously, he headed the physical conditioning program of the U.S. Olympic Committee; served as strength coach for the German Volleyball Association; and coached high school track, basketball, and football. An internationally known expert on strength and anaerobic training, Fleck was a vice president of

I am a fight trainer and I train athletes to compete in full contact and mixed martial arts style fights. I do have some young people that come to me for training. They are between the ages of 12 and 16 and obviously their training must be done differently than a full grown advanced athlete. This book gave me some direction and acknowledges many myths about youths training with weights. It is not a book for body building. Children should not be trying to "bodybuild". This is training for "strength and power".

Great sourcebook for young athletes, coaches and parents that debunks the myths associated with physical fitness for children. Provides great guidance to help children safely improve their performance while also helping to prevent injury. A wise investment for the serious young athlete. Recommended by the renowned sports orthopedic practice at Boston's Children's Hospital. Written for adults but readable by children.