This generation of high school athletes is unique in many ways. One of the ways in which they are unique is their lack of strength in terms of relative body strength. This is a generation that for the most part does not play outside. Previous generations were much more active before our current age of technology took over. Kids today have resources we didn’t have as children. Innovations such as the iPhone, iPad, etc. have really changed the daily lives of today’s younger generation. That’s why it has become extremely important for us as strength coaches to recognize this deficiency and make sure we are focusing on the basics first before putting them on a full blown weight training program.
Eighth graders who come into our programs cannot do the basics such as correct pushups, chin-ups, or body weight lunges. It is amazing how deficient these kids are in terms of relative body strength and body control. When I see them lunge or body weight squat for the first time, most young athletes have little relative body strength or control over their movement whatsoever. The answer to correcting this is simple and effective – put body weight exercises into your program with your athletes at a young age. All of our beginning athletes are going to start with body weight exercises such as push-ups, chin-ups, dips, body weight squats, and lunges. We do this to provide a foundation for their future training. Why would I put an external load on a young athlete that cannot perform the body weight version of the same exercise properly? This is where I think our culture is affecting our training progression with young athletes.
We live in a microwave society where everyone is looking for the quick fix. Parents and children want to train like high level collegiate and professional athletes now that they see on television or through internet research. The truth is most high school athletes should never be able to train like those athletes. College strength coaches complain that they get deficient athletes coming from high school, while pro strength coaches complain that they get deficient athletes coming from high level collegiate programs. The disconnect begins in high school. A lack of education as well as a rush to train and chase big numbers has been detrimental to the development of young athletes in this nation. It is our job as high school strength coaches to give them the first blocks of a great training foundation. Young athletes are pushing heavy weights before they are structurally ready, and this is setting them up for imbalances and injury down the road.
Developing relative body strength will build a great foundation for your young athletes which is needed for success in the weight room. We will not progress until we master basic relative body strength exercises that have previously been mentioned. We have seen the benefits to developing relative body strength in our athletes through a dramatic decrease in major injuries while in athletic competition and increased proficiency in their weight room training. Developing this type of strength should be the foundation of your strength program with your young athletes to truly achieve the results you wish to reach down the road.