Michael: the Inspiration

One of the biggest issues with our culture here in the United States, is a lack of deep understanding about health and wellness. We need to know the importance of: consistent exercise, healthy nutritional options and ultimately how to go about executing both. Without this knowledge: chronic illness, declining communal health, and obesity well continue to plague all of us. The earlier we learn, the more important it becomes and the easier it will be to implement it into our daily lives. My name is Eric Sarra, I am a fitness professional based out of Largo, FL. I recently took on the most inspiring young man who reminds us never to have excuses, and how important fitness and wellness can be!

Michael decided early in 2016 that he was going to play football for his local team: The Clearwater Tornadoes. Talking with some of his friends at school who were already on the team, he found out that to play youth football, there were weight classes, and he didn’t quite fit the weight class where other kids his own age would be playing. Michael confronted his family and told them that he wanted to get fit, lose weight, and play football. Excited and intrigued - his family was beyond proud of his will to get healthy and chase his dream. The biggest problem, was that Michael was only 10 years old and hadn’t yet reached an age where a gym would let him workout on his own, nor did Michael have the first idea about health, wellness, nor fitness. Looking for some kind of guidance and direction, his family began searching gyms, fitness centers, and recreation centers all over the county to see what they could do for Michael.  They searched through 7 other gyms before finally coming to my Anytime Fitness to find a personal trainer who would take on a client who was under 14 years old. 

Unfortunately for Michael, there are a lot of fitness professionals who believe that prepubescent weight training can cause epiphyseal fusion (early bone fusion), ultimately stunting growth. Others go further and say, structurally and hormonally, a prepubescent athlete’s body isn’t ready to weight-train. In my practice, I have done research on the possibility of training school age children. In my research I have found that many weight-training institutions, including: the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), consider resistance training to be a safe activity for prepubescent children, with certain limitations. With proper supervision and an understanding of the athlete and the limitations that are presented to younger clients, there is truly no reason why fitness professionals should not work with a client under the age of 14.

After explaining all of this to Michael’s family, they were over-joyed to sign him up with me. Michael and I began slow, getting Michael used to moving his body, getting him used to resistance training, and getting him used to sweating! It wasn’t easy, as Michael had often played sports with his friends, and had attended physical education classes, but still wasn’t completely comfortable in a gym, Michael often commented that, “weights sure are heavy”, and “this is hard”, but never did he give up. After a few weeks, we were running footwork drills, and adding in football specific exercises. In two short months Michael has learned: how to properly use the gym, learned how to make healthier nutrition choices and has officially lost almost 10lbs. He has gained the confidence and mobility to try out (and earn a spot on) his football team! After his first week of practice, Michael confessed to me that if it wasn’t for the work we put in prior to practice; he would never have made it. The mastery he has learned, he took to the gridiron and other aspects of his life - for the better.

At the ripe age of 10 years old Michael was able to embrace a healthier, more fit way of life. We accepted that if he is going to achieve his goals: it will be hard, he will be uncomfortable, but it will always be worth it. My hope is that all children could learn what Michael has learned at 10 years old. I’m confident that this experience has instilled in him the importance of health and wellness in his day-to-day life. Michael has taught everyone around him, a great lesson in never giving up, the importance of health, and the commitment to our goals!

Instilling Health and Wellness Through Physical Fitness

Eric Sarra, CPT

            In this explication is intended to explain how a well crafted, and properly supervised weight-training program can promote physical fitness in prepubescent athletes. Further discussed will be the aspect of safety and main benefits of choosing a strength-training program for your student athlete. Lastly is the program itself, for review.

The following strength-training program developed for these student athletes is intended to instill health and wellness through physical fitness. Built on the focus of form, knowledge, and a respect for the weight-room. It instills, at a young age, the notion that a fitness center can be beneficial so long as special attention is given to detail. Children love to play, love to be challenged and love to get better at their sport. As they get older, they will be encouraged to use the weight-room to build size, strength and speed. From experience, I can tell you that at 14-15 years old, walking into my high-school gym, I had no idea about dumbbells or medicine balls. I have learned over the 2 years professionally, and 12 years as a hobby the amazing capabilities a weight-room can give to any individual. Although, it is not a walk in the park, it is most important to be disciplined. For example: to hold good form throughout a lift in order to avoid injury. One must respect that going for big weight before one is ready, or lifting with bad form can result in injury. Additionally, one must get past ego-driven questions, such as: “Who can bench more?” Finally one should learn which lifts can benefit them, and which ones are unnecessary. If, at a decisive age, the weight-room can be demonstrated as a tool for our athletes, rather than as a competition ground, they will make further strides with their sports than they may have without any knowledge at all. Ultimately, all of this knowledge will show what an important and exciting force physical fitness can be in their lives.

Some say that prepubescent weight training can cause epiphyseal fusion (early bone fusion), ultimately stunting growth. Others go further and say, structurally and hormonally, a prepubescent athlete’s body isn’t ready to weight-train. Although these might be true, in some applications, they only become true if these young athletes are pushing themselves to the same degree as those involved with bodybuilding and/or powerlifting. Strength-training or weight-training on its own does not exist in the same category as weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting. The latter are considered sports: largely driven by competition, with participants trying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. So long as the two ideas are separate, strength-training, especially sports specific strength-training, can be beneficial for individuals at any age.

Many weight-training institutions, including: the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), consider resistance training to be a safe activity for prepubescent children, with certain limitations. A retrospective review of injuries associated with weight training in pre-pubescent children found that weight training is, in fact, safer than many other sports and activities (Hamill, 1994). Other researchers also support pre-pubescent weight-training. These researchers say the highly technical maneuvers and lifting techniques associated with its practice make it almost impossible to use too much weight too soon, so long as emphasis is placed upon the importance of qualified supervision, in order to limit risk of injury (Faigenbaum & Polakowski, 1999).

Safely conducted strength-training, can offer many benefits to the younger athlete. It must be remembered that these sessions should be supervised, and the training context should be non-competitive. When these guidelines are in place, the following benefits have been demonstrated: increased muscle strength and endurance, sports performance improvement, improved cardio respiratory function, protection of the child's muscles and joints from injury associated with other activities, and stronger bones.

            It is important to respect the weight-room for the tool it can become for an individual, while keeping a non-competitive, non-ego driven attitude while in a gym. It has also been should that weight-training can be safe and beneficial for a student athlete even prior to puberty as shown above.

The Workout:

Warm up: The kids and I will begin by dynamic stretching, which is a light jog/bike/jumping jacks/high knees.

·      Push ups – 2 sets of 25 (Bodyweight)

·      Overhead Press – 2 sets of 20 (3 or 6 lbs Medicine ball)

·      Body Squats – 2 sets of 15 (Bodyweight)

·      Lunges – 2 sets of 15 (No Weight)

·      Bent over row – 2 sets of 15 (5 or 10 lbs plate)

·      Shallow Dips – 2 sets of 15 (Bodyweight)

Cool down: Another Light jog/bike/jumping jacks/high knees. Full body stretch with Sport specific stretches added!

Results won't come overnight. Eventually, however, our athletes will notice a difference in muscular strength and endurance. Having knowledge of what their body is capable of and realizing the importance of physical fitness not only for sports, but for life in general, will hopefully fuel a fitness habit that lasts a lifetime.

Works Cited/Researched:

Mayo Clinic Staff et al. (Jan 2015) Strength Training: OK for Kids? Mayoclinic.org.

Hamill, B., P.(1994). Relative safety of weightlifting and weight training. Journal of Strength Conditioning Research. 8(1), 53-57.

Faigenbaum, A,. D. Kraemer, W., J. & Cahill, B.(1996). Youth resistance training: position statement paper and literature review. Strength Conditioning.18(6), 62-76.

Faigenbaum, A,. D. Polakowski, C.(1999). Olympic-style weightlifting, kid style. Journal of Strength Conditioning Research. 21(3), 73-76.