CONDITIONING By Ian Jeffreys, BA (Hons), MSc, PGCE, CSCS*D, NSCA CPT

Today resistance training is generally seen as one of the best methods of positively affecting both general health and sports performance. In terms of general health it has the capacity to increase muscle mass, increase metabolism, increase bone miner- al density, and can increase self-esteem and confidence. It also has the benefit of being a lifelong activity, that people can engage in long after participation in com- petitive sports. With regards to achieving elite athletic performance, resistance train- ing forms a cornerstone of a training programme for the majority of elite athletes, to the extent that in many sports, elite performance is not possible without an effective resistance training programme. It also can also play an important part in the preven- tion of injuries. Given these huge potential benefits of resistance training, it would seem logical to introduce young athletes to this activity as early as possible, espe- cially given the current health debate in the UK. Indeed, it can be argued that resis- tance training should be included in the training and physical education of all of our young athletes. This article looks at these arguments and suggests ways that young athletes can be introduced to resistance training safely.

THE YOUNG ONES

The area of youth resistance training has been a controversial topic for many years, with young athletes being advised against using weights “for fear of injury or prematurely stopping the growth process”, according to Bompa (1). Unfortunately in many cases in the UK this has led to weight training being discouraged for young athletes with arbitrary barriers being set up, often erroneously based on age. So, in many areas it is difficult for young athletes to undertake a well-planned, supervised programme of resistance training. It can also be argued that they are being denied the opportunity to undertake an activity that can positively influence both general health and athletic performance.

IS RESISTANCE TRAINING DANGEROUS? Much has been made about the harm that resistance training can do on the development of young athletes, (especially epiphyseal plate fractures). However, recent research suggests that these risks have been overstated (2) and that many of the problems normally associated with weight training are not down to the activity itself, but of the misuse of the activity, often through a lack of education. Faigenbaum (3) suggests that the major reasons given to avoid youth resistance training are flawed and that the risk of injury in a well-designed and monitored programme is low, especially com- pared to the risks involved with many of our major sporting activi- ties. Indeed rather than hinder growth, resistance training is now believed to have a positive effect on growth (4).

Rather than resistance training posing a risk, it can be argued that not participating is the greater risk. Although many young athletes are competing in youth sports, few are adequately conditioning their bodies for the stresses and strains of the sport. This can often

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manifest itself in poor technique and skill development, and more seriously, disposes the child to injuries. If the child is capable of participating in a youth sport, then it can be argued that they should be involved in a well-designed resistance training programme, “that prepares our young athletes for the demands of practice and competition” (5). This principle of preparing athletes to perform is perhaps one of the most important lessons we can teach our sports performers and is fundamental to the long-term development of the athlete. To fully prepare our young athletes the resistance training programme needs to be combined with other methods aimed at developing a total conditioning pro- gramme. Until post-puberty, emphasis in all sports programmes should be on multilateral development rather than specialisation, to maximise the likelihood of achieving optimal performance levels. An appro- priate conditioning programme is a vital part of this development.

THE BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING Contrary to prior beliefs, strength gains can be elicited in pre- adolescent children (6,7) with strength gains of 30- 40% typical- ly observed in non-trained pre-adolescent children following short term (8-20 weeks) resistance training (8). In addition, positive changes have been observed in motor fitness skills, sports perfor- mance and selected health measures such as cardio-respiratory fitness and lower elevated lipid levels (8,9). Resistance training has also been shown to have a positive effect on bone mineral density (3,10) and the strength of ligaments and tendons (1). Clearly these gains can be of benefit to all young athletes regard- less of their sporting aspirations. In addition, studies suggest that resistance training also has the capacity to significantly reduce

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