11 year old weight lifting?

[Nickmad]

My son is almost 11, plays basketball in a league, so hes already active. He is big for his age, built like a linebacker, planning on putting him in football in the fall. Is it too early for me to start him lifting weights now? If so, when can I start him?

 

[Rhfarris]

I personally wouldn't mess with the weights yet. At that age it would be better to enhance his motor control and strength using body weight movements. Box jumps, sprints, push ups, inverted rows, planks, etc.

 

[GeekPoop]

I personally wouldn't mess with the weights yet. At that age it would be better to enhance his motor control and strength using body weight movements. Box jumps, sprints, push ups, inverted rows, planks, etc.

x2 I like this idea, really good suggestion actually!

 

[Swanson52]

I personally wouldn't mess with the weights yet. At that age it would be better to enhance his motor control and strength using body weight movements. Box jumps, sprints, push ups, inverted rows, planks, etc.

Good advice. My 11 y/o daughter loves to train, but the only weight equipment we use is a kettlebell to mimic a DL and for goblet squats. Otherwise it's bodyweight stuff, prowler, and tire flipping.

Balance & motor control are critical at that age.

 

[Nickmad]

Thanks brother, great advice!

I personally wouldn't mess with the weights yet. At that age it would be better to enhance his motor control and strength using body weight movements. Box jumps, sprints, push ups, inverted rows, planks, etc.

 

[mtinsideout]

Thanks brother, great advice!

If he's going to play football a prowler might be a good option, but outside of that just use bodyweight stuff. I played football at that age and we did push the sled with the dummies on them so I think a prowler with light weight could be good to use. I don't remember doing any weight training for sports until I was about 14 years old, that is when football and wrestling coaches brought us to the weight room to lift. Even then it was light weight circuits that we were doing.

 

[CountryLiftin]

I say weights are okay but think comparable to body weight, higher rep stuff, light stuff. Don't train him to be a powerlifter but use lifting as a component of training. Jump squats, core work, etc to complements push-ups pull ups and plyometrics among other things. I wouldn't push it either though. When he gets a little older is when you should start to pick things up more. Like other posters have said now is the time to focus on skills and coordination and technique not strength building.

 

[BLaQz]

I personally wouldn't mess with the weights yet. At that age it would be better to enhance his motor control and strength using body weight movements. Box jumps, sprints, push ups, inverted rows, planks, etc.

Go with this suggestion... Learn to move his body through space... I trained an 11yr old for approximately 6mths... The one reason I wouldn't get any child that young into lifting weights is that they don't quite understand that lifting is fun, but also dangerous & has its risks... It doesn't matter how smart the child is... Young minds don't really understand risk like we'd like them to...

 

[ZiR RED]

Technique work technique work x 3.

Teach him to jump and land correctly, and to sprint correctly. Teach him to do bodyweight movements correctly. Pushups, planks, pull ups, etc. are all well and good, but will only do more harm then good if you are reinforcing poor movement patterns.

Teach him how to perform the major movements correctly. Start slow and put a major emphasis on technique and reinforcing good movement patterns. After about a year of light work (but NOT high fatiguing) start to add resistance.