Last week, Bleacher Report shared a video on Twitter of a 6-year-old performing a hang clean in front of a college football team.

The video, originally shared by University of La Verne (Calif.) strength and conditioning coach Matt Durant, was met with a polarized response.

While some commenters praised the boy’s effort and dedication, others chimed in with less positive feedback, suggesting that the boy’s actions were dangerous and could potentially harm his growth and development.

Dr. Joey Eisenmann, USA Football’s director of high performance and education, believes that the taboo around resistance training for children is based on long-standing myths and “old wives tales” that are not supported by the current understanding of the science or best practice guidelines on the topic.

Eisenmann believes that as long as they are properly designed and supervised by qualified personnel, resistance training programs can only be positive for children.

In fact, resistance training for children is now widely recognized and endorsed by several sports medicine and sports science professional organizations such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

The benefits of resistance training for young people range from improved strength, motor ability and bone health to cardiovascular health, psych-social benefits and injury prevention.

Given the current physical inactivity and obesity epidemic, Eisenmann believes that we should encourage youth to become active in strength training, rather than allowing antiquated perceptions of youth resistance training to dominate the narrative.

Much of the concern about the safety around youth strength training stems from a 1950s study of malnourished boys who displayed stunted growth after working and carrying heavy loads in the shipyards.

Additionally, emergency room reports of injuries due to unsupervised weight lifting competitions have also contributed to the perception that strength training for youth athletes is unsafe.

According to Eisenmann, modern studies simply do not support the theory that proper resistance training programs stunt a child’s growth or are otherwise unsafe.

 “In the vast majority of published studies, no overt clinical injuries have been reported during well-designed resistance training programs.  Most injuries occur when youth are unsupervised or participate in programs that are led and designed by ill-qualified individuals,” Eisenmann said.

One of the keys to resistance training for children is following a professionally designed plan and utilizing techniques taught by trained professionals. In short, not every adult who lifts weights is qualified to instruct children on resistance training.

“Just because you played college football or can bench press 250 pounds does not qualify you to design and lead strength training for youth,” Eisenmann said. “There are specific educational resources and certifications for working with youth athletes, and the recommendations set forth by the National Strength and Conditioning Association should be understood and followed.”

While he typically suggests that resistance training can begin when a young person is 7 years old, Eisenman says that the real key is that the child is mature enough to follow directions and utilize the proper techniques.

“In the example of this video, we are only provided a snapshot. This youngster was surely instructed given his technique, and perhaps was properly progressed from body weight-technique based exercises to the current state,” Eisenman said. “Hopefully, it was done in a fun and developmentally appropriate manner.”

Ultimately, that’s the key to resistance training at all levels—utilizing a plan developed by a qualified professional and exercising proper mental focus and physical principles and techniques.

It’s part of the long-term athlete development recipe for children of all ages to follow.

COACHES' NOTES: Nutrition-related myths, misunderstandings and misstatements