Faigenbaum, AD, Kraemer, WJ, Blimkie, CJR, Jeffreys, I, Micheli, LJ, Nitka, M, and Rowland, TW. Youth resistance training: Updated position statement paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res 23(5): S60-S79, 2009-Current recommendations suggest that school-aged youth should participate daily in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity that is developmentally appropriate and enjoyable and involves a variety of activities (). Not only is regular physical activity essential for normal growth and development, but also a physically active lifestyle during the pediatric years may help to reduce the risk of developing some chronic diseases later in life (). In addition to aerobic activities such as swimming and bicycling, research increasingly indicates that resistance training can offer unique benefits for children and adolescents when appropriately prescribed and supervised (). The qualified acceptance of youth resistance training by medical, fitness, and sport organizations is becoming universal ().Nowadays, comprehensive school-based programs are specifically designed to enhance health-related components of physical fitness, which include muscular strength (). In addition, the health club and sport conditioning industry is getting more involved in the youth fitness market. In the U.S.A., the number of health club members between the ages of 6 and 17 years continues to increase () and a growing number of private sport conditioning centers now cater to young athletes. Thus, as more children and adolescents resistance train in schools, health clubs, and sport training centers, it is imperative to determine safe, effective, and enjoyable practices by which resistance training can improve the health, fitness, and sports performance of younger populations.The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recognizes and supports the premise that many of the benefits associated with adult resistance training programs are attainable by children and adolescents who follow age-specific resistance training guidelines. The NSCA published the first position statement paper on youth resistance training in 1985 () and revised this statement in 1996 (). The purpose of the present report is to update and clarify the 1996 recommendations on 4 major areas of importance. These topics include (a) the potential risks and concerns associated with youth resistance training, (b) the potential health and fitness benefits of youth resistance training, (c) the types and amount of resistance training needed by healthy children and adolescents, and (d) program design considerations for optimizing long-term training adaptations. The NSCA based this position statement paper on a comprehensive analysis of the pertinent scientific evidence regarding the anatomical, physiological, and psychosocial effects of youth resistance training. An expert panel of exercise scientists, physicians, and health/physical education teachers with clinical, practical, and research expertise regarding i...

The current manuscript has been adapted from the official position statement of the UK Strength and Conditioning Association on youth resistance training. It has subsequently been reviewed and endorsed by leading professional organisations within the fields of sports medicine, exercise science and paediatrics. The authorship team for this article was selected from the fields of paediatric exercise science, paediatric medicine, physical education, strength and conditioning and sports medicine.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the selective influences of the maximum acceleration capability on change of direction (COD) speed, COD deficit, linear sprint speed, sprint momentum, and loaded and unloaded vertical jump performances in forty-nine male professional soccer players (24.3 ± 4.2 years; 75.4 ± 5.4 kg; 177.9 ± 6.4 cm). Soccer players performed the assessments in the following order: 1) squat and countermovement jumps; 2) 20-m sprinting speed test; 3) Zigzag COD ability test; and 4) bar-power outputs in the jump squat exercise. Athletes were divided, using a median split analysis, into two different groups according to their maximum acceleration rates from zero to 5-m (e.g., higher and lower ACC 0-5-m). Magnitude-based inference was used to compare the differences in the physical test results between "higher" and "lower" acceleration groups. A selective influence of the maximum acceleration ability on speed-power tests was observed, as the higher acceleration group demonstrated likely to almost certain higher performances than the lower acceleration group in all measurements (effect sizes varying from 0.66 [for sprint momentum in 20-m] to 2.39 [for sprint velocity in 5-m]). Conversely, the higher acceleration group demonstrated a higher COD deficit when compared to the lower acceleration group (ES = 0.55). This indicates compromised efficiency to perform COD maneuvers in this group of players. In summary, it was observed that soccer players with higher maximum acceleration rates are equally able to jump higher, sprint faster (over short distances), and achieve higher COD velocities than their slower counterparts. However, they appear to be less efficient at changing direction, which may be related to their reduced ability to deal with greater entry and exit velocities, or counterbalance the associated mechanical consequences (i.e., greater inertia) of being faster and more powerful.