09/05/2026
“Does lifting stunt my athlete’s growth?”
Short answer: no. Longer answer: it depends entirely on how it’s done.
The myth came from a real concern — loading a young spine too early, damaging growth plates. But the research has moved. The NSCA’s position is that resistance training is safe for youth athletes when it’s coached and progressed correctly.
That last part is the whole thing. Here’s how we handle it:
We qualify the athlete before the movement. Nobody touches a barbell because of their age or how long they’ve been here. They touch it when they’ve earned the pattern.
We start light and slow. Dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight. Full range of motion first. The bar comes later. Advanced work comes after that.
Form holds or the set ends. The fastest way for a young athlete to get hurt is too much weight too soon. There’s no ego lifting in this building.
We don’t chase overload with young athletes. The load stays appropriate to where their body actually is in development.
What we see over time isn’t stunted growth. It’s better movement, better proprioception, and athletes who develop faster through their growth years because they built the foundation first.
Strength and power sessions and speed and agility sessions both run weekly, all with a coached strength component. Link in bio, or text or call us.
Face Everything. Fear Nothing.
