Ok, I am fourteen and I was wondering if lifting weights stunts your growth. I have lifted weights for two years, and over those two years I have grown at least 7 inches, so I think the idea that lifting weights stunts your growth is absurd. Though, I believe its not true, I have read many articles that say it is true, and I was just wondering if anybody really knows for a fact that lifting weights stunts your growth.
Thanks
Scott

Yes lifting can stunt your growth, but under certain conditions... But even that is hard to determine since everyone is made up different, raised differently, etc... If I recall correctly, you have to put a great amount of stress on your growth plates to stunt growth... That's why you don't see a lot of 8-14 yr olds doing high intensity training or one-rep max training, etc...

I'd just say, keep doing what you're doing, but don't try to kill yourself and give your body proper resting time and you should be alright.

Motor skill development (or lack of) combined with immature connective tissue are the primary structural reasons teenagers do not engage in high load resistance training. Hypertrophy-based stimulus is also a key factor in training younger athletes (so as to increase muscle cross-section and therefore potential strength/power) - which is another reason that high load training is considered less than productive.

In terms of stunted growth, this has proven to be a myth more than anything else (although many people THINK the reality applies).

GRF in running and jumping are proportionately higher than with resistance training, and yet no one prevents younger athletes from doing these activities. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics actually supports resistance training for PRE-adolescent athletes (provided appropriate guidelines are followed). Muscle pull (which is occurs when contracting muscles 'tug' on their boney insertions) actually serves to increase osteoblastic acitvity and adds bone strength.

The key to resistance training for younger athletes is low/moderate load, moderate/high intensity, with a STRICT approach to form and execution of EACH rep.

I wrote an article on this exact subject recently. I will post it later on today or tomorrow.

Thanks!


- Brian
www.BrianGrasso.com