what age to start serious clubbell training?

[anthonyantosh]

i have 2 boys (ages 12 & 13). one is a serious wrestler the other an ice hockey player. at what period in their development should i start to incorporate serious clubbell training? i have them do alot of Body Flow, Be Breathed, and excercises from Grapplers Tool Box (screw ups, advance type push ups, rolls, etc).

[Scott Sonnon]

Pre-pubescent is still too early for any "serious" training from a physiological perspective (joints are not yet fully mature.) However, Clubbell training for fun and creativity can be started at nearly any age.

[maxmoon]

my training partner is 16!

he has been there with me from the first clubbell i had.hes grown and developed alot with amazing results physically and mentally.

he justed finished a 100 rep death march with the 15s.im proud of him and i learned alot from him as well. aswome kid !

max

[nesscln]

Hi!

Just a reminder to all the parents... this is a KIDS forum. Maybe some of the kids could get on and tell us about themselves. I'll start. My name is Kendra and I'm 16 years old. I started CST about a month and a half ago and I really like it! I found my shoulders were really tight at first, but now I have almost full range of motion, and my shoulders feel nice and loose. Remember, Kids forum so let's have some kids here (18 and younger)
(Big Smile)
Kendra

[BullOnTheBeach]

I have a sister who is 11. She has told me that she is looking to start Volleyball and Swim at her Junior High. I have plans on training her (since that is my profession) in said sports. We started the other day wil nothing but bodyweight exercises, Warrior Wellness (she dances Hula so she has EXTREME mobility in the lower extremities) as well as some Body Flow. Being my sister, she complians to me. I bribe her with The Simpsons and everything is well and good.
To get to the point: Since she is still growing and "weight training" will cause more harm then good. The bodyweight stuff has done a great job at makeing her quicker and drop some needed pounds. My next part of training I am going to introduce is Jumprope training. I have the Areo Speed, book and DVD of Jumprope GOD Buddy Lee (not the Lee Jeans guy, check him out on www.buddyleejumpropes.com).
I am strong believer that kids should be active at any age (even us big kids) but because of the dynamic situations of a childs body, weights need to wait for a while.

Travis

[rbibbs]

Head Coaches, jump me if I'm wrong...

Kids can do Clubbell exercises along with mom and dad, with a wooden dowel cut to suit their height (plus conscientious coaching and supervision). The weight is negligible so shouldn't compromise joints, and the values of coordination and neurological refinement are retained.

Nothing fascinates a child like being able to do 'the same things' adults do, and it would be VERY quality-time together. Before toys became digital, talking versions of television characters, they mostly emulated adult activities. I think any child of school age and responsible enough to be given the tool and not hurt themselves, others, or knock over lamps, could do this.

We've got first-graders doing Karate, TKD, even BJJ. Myself, I question how appropriate that is, unless the coach is specifically educated in child kinesiology and psychology (no offense to blackbelts, but how many of you are?). The kids I've seen doing it look stern, overly-serious, not like they're having fun, more like they've been given the 'chore' of living their parent's athletic aspirations vicariously.

Kids, parents, coaches, jump in on this. If there was interest, RMAX could produce scaled, wooden Clubbell replicas. I'll do it, if it doesn't fit the RMAX business model and they'd license me. A nice, lathed and sanded pine dowel, weighing about 24oz, approximating the mass-distribution of Clubbells, sized for ages 6-12, for around $25 (2 for $40). (I'll call a custom furniture manufacturer Monday and see if these could be produced cheaper, but small-volume manufacturing is disproportionally expensive.)

[BullOnTheBeach]

Bibbs has a point. I am doing my best to think "circularly", since I have been a "conventional" trainer for so long. With a light enough weight (5lbs or less would work) the use of Clubbells by kids could be beneficial in creating strength without comprimising joint flexibility (which is the ENTIRE premise of Circular Strength Training).

Man I love this stuff!!!! :lol:

[Matt_OZ]

Hi guys,

I think there has been lots of great points made here :D . There a just a couple of little things I'd like to add, I'm sure that many of you already take this into account but I also know that many kids, coaches and parents don't take the following into account. These things are not so much related to clubbells (although they could be) but I feel they are extrememely important issues to bring to people's attention. Kids, parents, coaches, please read this as I hate the idea of seeing another kid's sporting career and or health suffer from bad conditioning ideas.

1. Just because the exercise uses light/zero resistance does not make it safe! Some people argue that a weighted chin-up or push-up is bad for a childs body and yet they don't think twice about prescribing bodyweight push-ups and chins to less strong children. They insist that the push-up is safe even though the child is arching his/her back tremendously in an effort to perform a rep :evil: . Their argument breaks down when they refuse to add weight to a set of 20 reps in the push-up/chin-up and yet don't think twice about the struggling kid who finds that his own bodyweight is a 1 RM for himself. I'm not arguing one way or the other in this instance (it's an article in itself), I'm just saying that we need to think clearly about our stance on these issues and the reasoning behind said stance. Bodyweight does not automatically mean safety!

2. Be very careful not to overtrain an already overtrained bodypart/movement. I've spent a number of years training people of all ages, some who are/were world class athletes and some who are/were beginners or non athletes. The scary thing I saw over and over was coaches (sports coaches and conditioning coaches) getting kids to go into the gym and replicate/simulate sporting movements in the hope of improving their performance. There were some who didn't go so far as to replicate movements but still overworked already overtrained muscles. It goes something like this...
"Oh, you use your internal rotators (lats and pecs for example) to swim so you should do lots of pec and lat exercises in the gym all year long. Don't waste time on those other muscles (think posterior chain, rhomboids, external rotators), you don't use them to swim/throw a ball/throw a javelin/shoot a basket" :evil:

Many of these kids already were exhibiting signs of extreme imbalance in the internal/external rotators (shoulder) and many of them also had a pronounced kyphosis (think hunchback). This kind of misguided thinking is not just wasteful or counterproductive but downright stupid and dangerous (I don't pull punches where kids are concerned). :evil: From what I've seen, this stupidity occurs mostly in swimming and waterpolo but I'm sure these sports don't have exclusive rights on dangerous/stupid conditioning concepts.

Keep an eye out for this kind of stuff. I've seen coaches who had quite prestigious positions implement some really dangerous stuff (like point number two).

I never like to drive a wedge between athletes and their coach but this needs to be said. Kids, don't let a coach talk you into doing something that is dangerous. Don't become constantly contrary but do become well researched. I can site many examples of the aforementioned issues but I think I've rambles enough. The coach is not always right!

Take care of yourselves, :D
Matt

[Chuck Kechter]

Matt,

Excellent advice!

Nice post.

V/R,

Chuck

[Matt_OZ]

Thanks very much Chuck :D

When we're so passionate about something there is that unfortunate chance of sounding a little too preachy. Thing is though, when it comes to peoples health (especially kids) I am willing to take the chance.

I really appreciate your positive feedback mate.

May I ask :oops: , what does V/R mean?

Matt

[Chuck Kechter]

Very Respectfully.

V/R, :wink: :D

Chuck

[BullOnTheBeach]

Preach on Matt!!! I have a 11 yr old sister and she going to be playing Volleyball, Softball, and Swim in school. She has danced Hula/Tahian since she was 6 and has been very active with it. I am a Fitness Director at a luxury gym in California and I going back to school to be an Exercise Therapist (think of a nice blend of a Physical Therapist and a Personal Trainer, thats an ET)
I have made it very clear to my mother that my sister will not be taught lifting by anyone BUT ME! I say this because it is pathetic, at best, what some high school and junior high coaches show their athletes. Someone who is starting off is the perfect student/client but at the same time are the worst because the slightest wrong move can cause extreme problems.

I know I just repeated a lot of you. But I just wanted to give my 2 cents.

Take it easy guys/gals!!

Travis :lol:

[Matt_OZ]

Sounds like we're certainly on the same page Travis :lol:

Your sister is very lucky to have you looking out for her! Isn't it a bummer that the fitness/conditioning coaching of young people is in the state it's in? Some of the things I've seen (and been subjected by my own coaches, however well intentioned) are hilarious at best and downright stupid/dangerous/insane at worst.

Stay well everybody,
Matt