ARTICLES:

Youth Training Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

Strength and conditioning is used, and specifically designed, to increase athletic performance in a sport. By carefully manipulating the numerous variables involved in the training program, performance enhancement is achieved. However, when the most basic variable, technique, is not properly learned, decreased performance becomes the result.

More specifically, when strength training younger athletes, to increase their sport performance, technique should be the main objective. Because the athlete has not reached physical maturity, an excessive weight load can cause an increased risk of injury. As a result, lighter loads should be employed for more repetitions with perfection in technique. By doing this, the foundation is built at a young age and increased gains will be made as the athlete matures.

The following are general guidelines when working with younger athletes:

  • Workouts should be performed 2-3 days per week; 45-60 minutes per session
  • Workouts should consist of 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise
  • Max lifts should NEVER be performed with the youth novice
  • The main objective: perfect exercise technique
  • Remember that strength training complements the athletes sport; it is of secondary importance to the actual sport skill

THE EXERCISES

Squats

Squatting is an essential movement that is required by any sport. By squatting, an athlete develops leg strength, which will eventually convert to power when the athlete matures. Proper squatting ensures and reinforces core strength and stability of the lower back and abdominal muscles.

Key points:

  • Make sure the weight of the body and the weight of the barbell is on the heals.
  • The knees should never go past the toes when in the squatted position.
  • The athlete’s upper legs should be parallel to the ground when in the squatted position.
  • Make sure the safety pins are at a level you can place the weight on if you miss the lift
  • At this age level, an athlete’s sets and reps should be in the range of 3 to 4 sets at no more than 12 reps and no less than 6 reps. Remember, the focus is on developing strength, not power at this particular age.
  • Use weight that can be controlled through the entire range of movement. Once you can perform the desired sets and reps at a weight consecutively, then you can move up.

RDL (Romanian Deadlift)

Athletes should perform RDL’s to ensure hamstring strength and build the proper mechanics to enable them to be in the proper position to complete Olympic style lifts once they get older. The simple movement of an RDL is the most basic movement that must be performed flawlessly before any advancement can be made to the more complicated lifts. The RDL will also help a young athlete become more aware of body position and enable coordination to progress.

Key Points:

  • Don’t use weight until you have perfected the movement! If you rush, complications will be evident in the future.
  • Again, all the weight is on the heels during the entire movement. Draw a line on the floor and place the tips of your toes on the line. The shoulders should stay in the same plane of the line during the entire movement. The shoulder shouldn’t round or dip forward. They should stay contracted and back.
  • The initiation of movement is with the hamstrings and buttocks. Drive the hips towards the bar. The back shouldn’t be what lifts the weight.
  • The knees should stay slightly bent through the movement, and the buttocks should be pushed back.
  • If possible, stand near a mirror so you can see your body position.

Deadlift

The deadlift is the basis and foundation of the powerclean, which will be performed in later years. The deadlift develops leg, back, and core strength. By doing deadlifts, one will see improvements in the back squat.

Key Points:

  • When in the squatted position, the hips are higher than the knees, but lower than the shoulders.
  • The feet are flat on the floor.
  • The back is flat, with the chest and head up.
  • The bar is tight against the shins through the entire movement.

Walking Lunge

The walking lunge is used to develop quadricep and hamstring coordination in addition to improving body control. It mimics skills requiring coordinated body movements with dynamic flexibility, such as running and jumping.

Key Points:

  • The lifter should “reach” to increase stride length
  • Knees should remain over the heels, upon the stride, and never shift in front of the toe
  • The front foot should always remain flat with weight pressing off the heels
  • An erect body should be held, keep the core contracted, so that it remains perpendicular with the ground
  • The strides should remain shoulder width apart being aware of NOT to “walk the tight rope”

Chin-ups

Chin-ups are used to develop upper body muscular strength and coordination. This exercise requires the athlete to control his/her body weight to increase strength.

Key Points:

  • Pull ups: palms away, Chin-ups: palm toward
  • The athlete should begin and end with arms completely extended, with a shoulder width grip
  • At no time should the body “swing” to develop momentum
  • The chin should be raised to the same height or above the bar

Reverse Lat-Pull Down (Rev LPD)

The Rev LPD develops back strength while requiring a high level of body control. Because the feet are not “hooked” beneath the machine, the athlete is required to apply force to an unstable environment while controlling the body.

Key Points:

  • The body should face away from the machine, feet should remain flat with the ground, keeping a 90 degree angle in the knee
  • The body should remain erect with the body perpendicular to the ground
  • A wider than shoulder width grip should be used to emphasize using the back muscles
  • The bar should be pulled to the top of the chest, and then controlled to the starting position

Inverted Row

The inverted row requires more back strength as well as body control than the Rev LPD. Due to a small base of support, a higher degree of coordination is required to perform the inverted row correctly. This will help to strengthen the upper back and prevent injury in the shoulder region.

Key Points:

  • The legs should remain straight with only the tip of the heel remaining in contact with the ground
  • The body should be kept erect with an upper body angle of 45 degrees, employing a wide grip
  • Controlled, the bar should be pulled just below the clavicle region while contracting the back muscles

Dumbbell (DB) Bench Press

DB bench press is used to increase upper body strength and coordination. By using the DB’s, the body requires a higher level of muscle coordination to control the weigh in unison. This also helps to build up the shoulder stabilizers in the shoulder joint.

Key Points:

  • The weight of the left and right arms should be moved in a similar fashion
  • The weight should be lowered, in a controlled manner, to the side of the chest, to nipple level, before beginning the upward movement
  • The plane of the DB’s should be straight up and down, not allowing the weight to pull the arms “outward” or meeting at the top with the DB’s
  • The buttocks should remain in contact with the bench at all times, attempting to reduce the curvature of the lower back

Shoulder Stability Exercises

Shoulder stability exercises (ie: internal and external rotation, and lying rear dumbbell) are used to increase the strength of the shoulder joint. Because this is the most unstable joint in the body, it has a high risk for injury. In sports such as badminton, these exercises become important due the high volume and work that is applied to the shoulder. By performing these exercises, the shoulder joint will be better prepared for the large forces that are transferred through this area to a specific object.

Core (Lower back/Abdominal) Exercises

Core strength exercises (ie: hip rolls, crunches, crunch rolls, back extensions, and reverse hyperextensions) are important because they are responsible for keeping the body erect and stable in all athletic positions. Often, many lower back injuries result from a deficiency in core strength, reducing the core stability. By improving this area, the body will become more responsive to sport specific movements and reduce the chance and degree injury.

SAFETY CONCERNS

A high level of safety must exist when attempting a strength training program. Because the body may not be use to these movements, as well as loads, a high degree of injury may be possible if the correct precautions are not taken. The following is a list of common weight room precautions that must always be performed:

  • A proper warm-up must be performed prior to the training session
  • A spotter must always be present when attempting any lift
  • Collars must always be used on the bars
  • When squatting, pins must be set at the lowest point as a precaution to a failed lift
  • Proper technique must always be used at the cost of increasing weight

Kevin Ebel, M.Ed., CSCS

 

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