Is Strength Training Safe for Kids? What the Research Actually Says

Few questions make parents more nervous than this one: is strength training safe for kids? The worry is understandable. Many of us grew up hearing that lifting weights would stunt a child's growth or hurt developing joints. Research on supervised, age-appropriate training does not support that blanket claim, though the training conditions matter.

Here's what the research actually says, why the old myth persists, and what safe, effective strength training for young athletes really looks like.

The growth-plate myth, put to rest

The relevant question is how children respond to appropriate training. Rians and colleagues (1987) monitored a small group of boys through 14 weeks of supervised strength training and found no adverse effects on the measured growth or growth-plate outcomes. That is useful evidence against a blanket claim that lifting stunts growth, but it does not establish that every type of lifting is safe. The original study is linked below.

In other words, the concern parents were told to have is largely backwards. Strength training done well is one of the more protective things a young athlete can do.

The real risk isn't lifting. It's uncoached lifting

Every activity carries some risk, and strength training is no exception. But when you look at where youth injuries actually come from, the culprit is rarely a barbell used under supervision. It's poor loading, bad progression, and no one watching, kids maxing out on a lift they've never been taught, copying something they saw online, or grinding through fatigue with terrible form.

That is the distinction that matters: qualified coaching, appropriate equipment, and gradual progression help manage risk. Supervised studies support youth strength training under those conditions, but coaching cannot make any physical activity risk-free. See the original studies in Research references below.

At LEAP, that means every young athlete trains under an experienced coach who teaches technique, corrects it in real time, and holds a standard, on our Youth Athletic Training program for ages 8 to 18. The coaching standard we apply to adults is the same one we apply to kids.

What safe youth strength training actually looks like

Good youth training isn't a scaled-down version of an adult powerlifting program. It's built around developing athletes, not just moving weight.

It starts with foundational patterns, squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, bracing, jumping, landing, and sprinting, coached from the ground up before any meaningful load is added. Those patterns make every sport better and every movement safer.

From there, progression is gradual and individualized. A strong, coordinated 15-year-old and a brand-new 9-year-old need very different starting points, and the plan reflects that. Load increases only when technique earns it.

And it's genuinely coached, not supervised babysitting. The value isn't in the equipment; it's in the adult teaching your child how to move well and holding them to it.

"Shouldn't they just play their sport?"

Playing the sport is essential, but playing the sport alone is often what produces overuse injuries, muscular imbalances, and athletes who plateau early. The strongest, most durable young athletes train and play. Strength and movement work builds the engine; the sport is where they use it.

This is also why a child doesn't have to be a competitive athlete to benefit. Foundational strength and coordination help any active kid move better and get hurt less, whether they're chasing a varsity spot or just growing up strong.

How young athletes start at LEAP

Young athletes begin with the Personal Training Starting Point: a 45-minute, one-on-one LEAP Onboarding Session plus two 50-minute private coaching sessions. A parent joins the onboarding conversation to discuss training history, sport involvement, goals, and any injuries. Your coach assesses movement, then uses the two included private sessions to introduce a plan suited to your athlete. After you have experienced the coaching, we recommend an ongoing program, frequency, and progression.

Parents are welcome to observe any session, anytime, through our open-door policy, no appointment needed. You should be able to watch your child train and trust what's happening on the floor because you've seen it.

The bottom line for parents

Is strength training safe for kids? When it's coached properly, the evidence says yes, and that it may do more to protect your young athlete than to put them at risk. The variable that matters isn't the weight. It's the coaching.

If you'd like to see what that looks like for your athlete, book a Starting Point at our East Lakeview facility near the Belmont CTA. We'll meet you both, watch how your child moves, and recommend the right path forward, no pressure, no commitment to decide on the spot.

Research references

These original studies help explain why age-appropriate programming and qualified supervision matter. They studied specific groups and training conditions; they do not show that every exercise or training setting is risk-free.

Rians et al. (1987): Strength training for prepubescent males: Is it safe? American Journal of Sports Medicine, 15(5), 483–489. In a small, 14-week supervised study, researchers reported a low injury rate and no adverse effects on the measured growth or growth-plate outcomes. This supports the discussion of supervised training and growth, within the limits of that study.

Faigenbaum et al. (1999): The effects of different resistance training protocols on muscular strength and endurance development in children. Pediatrics, 104(1), e5. This controlled eight-week trial found improvements in strength and endurance and supported moderate-load, higher-repetition training during the initial adaptation period. It supports gradual introductory programming, rather than a promise of injury prevention.

Faigenbaum, Milliken & Westcott (2003): Maximal strength testing in healthy children. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(1), 162–166. No injuries occurred during testing of 96 screened healthy children using child-sized machines under qualified supervision. This finding applies to that controlled testing setting; it is not a recommendation for children to attempt unsupervised maximum lifts.

For parents, the practical takeaway is qualified coaching, appropriate equipment, and gradual progression. These measures help manage risk; no physical activity is risk-free.