Most parents are inclined to believe that it’s too early for children to perform various strength exercises. In fact, such an opinion is fundamentally wrong, and from a scientific point of view, they are just shown, both in relation to boys and girls. But such training for children brings them invaluable benefits, which should be known to caring parents.
What is the need for?
Strength training for children is not a weight lifting, as it might seem at first glance. Here, everything is in a different vein - a set of exercises with its own body weight. If you observe safety precautions, and parents control the physical activities of their child, then such work will only benefit him and will be aimed at developing muscle structure.
Dosed selection of loads positively affects the development of the child:
- muscle tone increases;
- baby weight control is provided;
- musculoskeletal system develops;
- appetite improves;
- the work of the cardiovascular system is normalized;
- the risk of catching an infection or getting sick is markedly reduced.
In training children 4 years of age and over, weight control is an important factor. Many children, because of their age, really love sweets, and with excessive consumption of such goodies, coupled with the wrong diet, even at such a young age, obesity can hardly be avoided. And what this in turn is fraught with, each of us knows.
When to start
You can start exercises for babies at an early age, from about three years old. As mentioned earlier, there is no question of any burdens here, such kids have enough exercises - here, their own body weight is used as a load. For the most part, these are:
- push ups;
- pull-ups;
- leg lifts;
- lifting the hull.
Training for children of 6 years already envisages the use of various sports equipment - expanders, dumbbells, balls, gymnastic sticks and other improvised tools that are lightweight.
As for the intensity of the conduct, then for a child 2 or 3 lessons are enough for a week. To induce interest, the importance of strength training should be explained to the baby. As an example, we can cite various heroes from feature films who possess unprecedented strength and endurance.
Training will be more fun and fruitful if the child tries on the role of Batman, Boniface lion or any other character he likes. It is worth recalling or revising cinematographic works in order to optimally select a set of exercises for the future hero.
The right program
Training for children of 7 years should last no more than 30-45 minutes. At the same time, at the initial stage, it is necessary to apply a set of exercises that include the use of dumbbells and working under the influence of your own weight. Although these strength training and bring tangible benefits, there are certain rules that should be considered.
On this, in fact, the correct program is based:
- Qualified training - for classes it is worth attracting an experienced trainer who has a wealth of experience working with children. Depending on the age, skills and interest of the baby, the specialist will help to create the right training program. As a last resort, in almost every city there are strength training classes that are designed specifically for children.
- Warm up and hitch - before conducting basic exercises, it is important to accustom your child to a warm-up (walking or running in place, jumping rope). This usually takes from 5 to 10 minutes, which allows you to warm up the muscles for further work and avoid getting injured. In addition, it is important to perform stretching at the final stage, which is also necessary.
- The right technique - in training for children, you do not need to focus on the intensity of the loads, it is much more important to monitor the correctness of the exercises. As a child grows up, the number of repetitions can be gradually increased.
- Control - children always need supervision, especially when it comes to strength training.
- Waiting for a result. You should not expect overnight visible results - the child needs to explain that everything takes time so that he does not immediately quit classes. In addition, the method, as you can interest him, has already been described above. In any case, after a few weeks, or maybe even a day of regular training, the child will definitely notice the difference in terms of muscle strength and endurance.
If you follow these simple recommendations, both the child and the adults themselves will find pleasant changes. What could be the best thing to be proud of for your baby?
Safety precautions
Training for children must be carried out under the supervision of adults, in compliance with safety precautions.
First of all, parents need to make sure that their child understands exactly how to do this or that exercise. In addition, he needs to follow all the instructions of adults. Parents always need to be with their child while doing the exercises. In no case should he be allowed to study alone!
Dumbbell Exercises
Before you start the exercises, you need a warm-up - a variety of rotations, inclinations, body turns, swings. Light aerobic exercise also does not hurt - walking, running in place, jumping. The set of exercises is focused mainly on how to use all the key muscles. This training is shown to children of 8-12 years.
I complex - bench press with dumbbells in a lying position
In this case, the pectoral muscles work:
- Starting position (IP) - sitting on a bench, dumbbells in hands.
- Take a lying position, the feet should rest on the floor. To bend your arms, shells are located on both sides of the shoulders, slightly above the chest.
- Then the arms straighten, fold over the chest and hold for 1-2 seconds.
- Smoothly, the hands return to their original position.
During the exercise, the child should not tear off the shoulder blades and the back of the head. Deflection in the lower back remains, while other curvatures should not be.
The movement of the dumbbells is strictly vertical, while in the upper position they should be brought together, but not pushed. Lower to the lowest possible level possible. The main thing is to avoid a shortened amplitude, which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of exercises.
II complex - draft of a shell with one hand standing in an inclination
Now the back is connected to work:
- The dumbbell is taken in the right hand, with the left knee against the bench with the same knee. As a result, the body should become almost parallel to the floor. The right hand with a dumbbell is straightened, the palm is turned inward (toward itself).
- Then the arm bends, pulling the projectile up and a little back to the lower abdomen. A short pause for working out the muscles, after which the limb drops.
- After repeating for one side of the body, the arm changes.
During this training, children 10 years of age and older have spinal muscles. To stabilize the posture, you should tighten the abdominal muscles and keep them in tension all the time. The movements should be smooth, without sharp jerks.
III complex - squat with weights
Hips with buttocks are already connected here:
- IP - standing, arms with dumbbells lowered, legs spaced shoulder width apart and slightly bent. The shoulders themselves are straightened, the socks are turned outward.
- The pelvis is pulled back, as if in a desire to sit on a chair. The child begins to squat to the level where the hips are parallel to the floor.
- Return to starting position.
In this case, the heels should be pressed to the floor surface, and the posture should remain flat. If classic squats are not mastered, you should start practicing them.
IV complex - bench with a turn
Here you need to work with your shoulders:
- IP - arms bend, while the dumbbells are located at neck level, the palms are turned inward. The head should always be kept straight, shoulders are turned, eyes are in front of you.
- Hands are straightened above the head, and they should be turned so that the palms at the top are facing forward.
- A little pause. Hands fall.
During this training for children 12 years old, you can take your arms slightly back, which will increase the tension of the muscle structure.
The case itself should not move, otherwise the load becomes too large.
V complex - lifting on socks with weighting
Here the load is distributed on the lower legs:
- IP - we take a standing position on the stand, while the heels should hang from it. With one hand you should hold on to the support, with the other you need to take the projectile, the heels should be lowered as low as possible.
- Start climbing on toes, then linger for 1-2 seconds. Then gently lower the heels and pause.
- Perform the required number of repetitions.
From time to time it is necessary to shift the dumbbell from one hand to another. In this case, the limbs can be changed from lesson to lesson or during one training session - half of the repetitions falls on the left hand, then on the right.
Aerobic fitness
In addition to strength training, you can perform aerobic exercises that help strengthen the heart, develop endurance, and also help maintain weight. They can be carried out in any free time and even on days of strength training. It is only necessary to perform fitness exercises after the strength complex, otherwise the muscles will already be tired, which will significantly reduce the effectiveness of the training.
It is necessary to begin aerobic training with children calmly, but after 5 minutes the intensity can be increased. The raised pace should be maintained for the next 20 minutes. The last 5 minutes should also be carried out in a calm mode, completing classes.
Beginners should train no more than 15 minutes, and it is necessary to control the heartbeat all the time. Your heart rate should be between 65 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate.