At 10 a.m. in the school gym, a group of 13-
and 14-year-olds are preparing for their weightlifting class.
The weights are small, and so are the muscles. But many of these
first-time weightlifters have big goals.
“To be at a higher level than the rest of the competition,”
13-year-old Samir Tejpeul says.
“Feel better, just be more healthy and to look better,”
says Sean Cambell, 14.
“Cause I gotta get the girls,” 14-year-old Byron
Crowe adds.
But hoping to get quick results, some kids get injured. If
they lift too much weight, or if they lift in an awkward or
unbalanced way, they risk straining muscles or tendons, even
injuring the part of their bones that is still open and growing
– growth plates.
“The vast majority of growth plate injuries result
in healing in a short period of time and normal growth. On
rare occasions though, growth plate injuries can result in
abnormal growth. In the case of the forearm, there are two
different bones. One bone may continue to grow … the
other stops growing,” Dr. Robert Bruce says.
By age 16, experts say, the risk of growth plate injuries
is lower and muscles grow more quickly, so if your child wants
to lift a lot of weight, make
him wait and pay attention to minor aches.
“I think that if any kind of kid has soreness, doesn’t
matter – shoulder, neck, elbow – if it lasts more
than three weeks, something is not right,” says Dr.
William Sutlive, an orthopedic specialist.
“Kids are kids, and they’re going to want to
mess around, but we have to make sure they’re being
supervised and that what they’re doing is safe,”
adds Joe Hamstra, a trainer.
Samir’s coaches helped him
understand that lifting consistently and correctly is better
than lifting a lot right now.
“I try to keep myself at a pace where I think I’ll
become stronger but I won’t harm myself,” Samir
says.
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