Tommy's Take by Tommy Pomatico 3/30
When Should Kids Start Working Out?
One of the most common questions parents ask is:
“Is lifting weights safe for kids?”
The short answer is yes — when it’s done correctly.
The key is understanding that training for kids should progress with development. What a 9-year-old should be doing looks very different from what a 16-year-old should be doing.
The goal isn’t to turn kids into bodybuilders.
The goal is to develop strong, coordinated, athletic humans over time.
Ages 5–12: Play Sports and Build Athleticism
Before puberty, kids don’t need structured strength training programs.
What they need most is movement.
Running.
Jumping.
Climbing.
Throwing.
Sprinting.
Playing different sports.
These activities develop the most important athletic qualities:
Coordination
Balance
Agility
Speed
Body awareness
This stage builds the foundation of athleticism that everything else will rely on later.
One of the biggest mistakes parents make today is specializing too early or putting kids into highly structured training programs before they’ve developed general movement skills.
At this age, kids should simply play a variety of sports and stay active.
Around Age 12: Strength Training Can Begin
Around the start of puberty — usually around age 11–13 — the body begins to change.
Hormones increase.
Strength potential increases.
Muscle development becomes more possible.
This is when structured strength training can begin to make a real impact.
At this stage, kids can absolutely begin using barbells, as long as the focus is on learning proper technique first.
The goal is not lifting the heaviest weight possible.
The goal is learning movement patterns under load.
Exercises should include fundamental patterns like:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Overhead press
Rows
Lunges
Pull-ups
Barbells are actually one of the best tools for teaching these movements because they allow for controlled progression over time.
The key is starting light, focusing on good coaching, and building confidence with proper form.
Ages 12–15: Build a Strength Foundation
Once athletes learn proper movement patterns, strength can gradually increase.
This stage focuses on:
Building foundational strength
Reinforcing proper technique
Improving coordination under load
Developing muscular endurance
Athletes can begin progressively increasing weight while maintaining excellent movement quality.
This is also a great time to teach important habits such as:
Proper warm-ups
Recovery
Nutrition
Sleep
Training becomes part of a healthy lifestyle, not just a way to perform better in sports.
Ages 15–18: Progress Toward Full Strength Training
By the mid-to-late teenage years, most athletes are ready for more traditional strength training.
At this point, programs can include:
Progressive overload
Heavier barbell training
Hypertrophy work
Power and explosiveness training
Exercises may include movements like:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench press
Olympic lift variations
Sprint and jump training
Because these athletes already have years of movement skill built, they can now train harder and more effectively while reducing injury risk.
The Biggest Myth About Kids and Weightlifting
One of the most common myths is that lifting weights will stunt a child’s growth.
There is no strong scientific evidence supporting this when training is done properly.
In fact, supervised strength training can improve:
Bone density
Injury resistance
Athletic performance
Confidence
Long-term health
The real risk isn’t strength training.
The real risk is poor coaching and poor technique.
The Right Progression
Youth training should follow a simple progression:
Ages 5–12:
Play sports and develop general athletic skills.
Around age 12:
Begin learning strength training movements, including barbells.
Ages 12–15:
Build a strength foundation and reinforce technique.
Ages 15–18:
Progress toward full strength and performance training.
Final Thoughts
Kids don’t need to rush into weightlifting.
The best thing young athletes can do early in life is move, explore different sports, and develop coordination.
But once adolescence begins, strength training becomes an extremely valuable tool for building stronger, healthier, more resilient athletes.
Start simple.
Focus on technique.
Progress gradually.
And most importantly, make training something kids enjoy doing for life.
