At what age should girls start lifting?

[Puddles]

I vaguely remember reading something somewhere that girls should not start lifting until afte they've gone through puberty. Does anyone know if that's correct? My daughter's 11 and wants to train some with us. She's done some pilates with me, but her ADHD gets in the way because of the slowness of it. She loves the treadmill and is not a couch potato....her hyperactivity keeps her moving all the time and she plays hard with the kids in our neighborhood...mostly boys. She will be off ritalin for the summer (school is already out) and her appetite has increased...that's a concern to us because although she eats healthy for the most part, she's got her parents genes and is retaining some chunk around the middle...also, ritalin is slowing down her development and she'll probably be a late bloomer compared to her friends.

 

[pwr_machine]

Keep it fun for children. Push-ups, sit-ups, med ball tosses, etc. Some machine and free weight movements are ok, but in the high rep range (10-20). I'm currently training a 9 and 11 year old. They're having a blast!

 

[makedah]

http://www.stumptuous.com/younguns.html

 

[spatts]

I started lifting for fun when I was around 9 or 10. Then specifically for sport performance under guidance of a coach at 13. Didn't start training "heavy" until about a year ago. I've never had any injuries (well, not as a child lifting). Like pwr_machine said, it was "fun."

 

[Sassy69]

Yep, keep it fun. Another consideration is age limits in the gym. Personally I dont' like when kids are running around screwing with the equipment. I'm constantly worried that they will hurt themselves trying to do use a machine they just barely fit in and their parents don't appear to be too up on how to use the equipment correctly either. Really drives me nuts - they are just going to hurt themselves (or else occupy a machine I want to use while they sit there trying to keep their kids under control...). Most gyms will not allow in anyone under 16 and certainly not without a parent.

Classes and such are also an option or possibly the "home gym" -- as spatts said w/ the calisthenics, ball tossing, etc.

 

[Puddles]

Thank you! She won't be doing any training at the gym...I have some light dumbells and bands here at home in the room with the treadmill. I also have an MTV Hip Hip Aerobics tape that she likes. She's strong for her age and she watches mommy and daddy at the gym on weekends when there's no childcare offered at the gym...she'll be happy to start out at home. Besides, the machines at the gym are not suited to a small body...I've found that most of the machines are geered towards larger bodies than mine even, so I'm off most of them now as I think they were doing me more harm than good.

Makedah...love the link, thanks!!!

 

[JJFigure]

Even though I'm much too tall for it now, my mom put me in gymnastics when I was younger, and that helped me through that awkward, gangly, klutzy stage. I shot up 4 inches the summer between 6th and 7th grades, so that pretty much killed my gymnastics career, but I've always been thankful she put me in gymnastics.

I didn't lift at all until high school, and then I only did what I was forced to do for track. I didn't get hooked until after college.

 

[FitFossil]

When I was little, I remember my father telling me I should practice doing chin-ups and pull-ups, because it would give me "pretty muscles" and that muscle on women "looked good". I wish I hadn't waited 30+ years to start taking his advice!

 

[RottenWillow]

Ms. Puddles, this is wee bit off topic but the comment about your duaghter reminded me of myself.

I am a 20 y.o. female and I have been on either Ritalin or Adderal since I was 10. I remember trying to play with my dad's weight's (primarily barbell curls for some inexplicable reason) and the slowness and repitition of it made me nuts. Even today I simply cannot lift if it is about time for another pill or if I miss one cause my concentration is on the wane and trying to focus on the muscle is extremely difficult. I've gotten hurt like that. I wonder how many other lifters have ADHD.

As for the puberty thing, the medicine doesnt mess with her hormones. If it does seem to delay her develpment it's just because she isnt getting enough calories because of the appetite suppressant effect. Even now I really have to force feed myself.

 

[Puddles]

I've had my daughter involved in dance when she was younger, and horseback riding took over when she got bored with dance. We stopped for a few months because too many activities were interfering with homeowork, but now that summer's here we'll both be on horses again!

Anya...this year we switched her to the once a day slow release ritalin and it seemed to be a better way to go. The ups and downs of 3xday dosing were pretty much gone and her appetite wasn't nearly as surpressed. You might want to look into it.

It was a really tough decision to put her on medication for this, but after we did, we saw how much better she felt about herself, so we've continued with it for school days. Most weekends and holidays she's ok without it, but there will be times where she'll come to me and ask for her medicine. She's easilly excitible and will take things too far...sometimes playing with her friends if she's not on her meds, she just gets too wound up and looses control. I feel awful for her...I never had the hyperactivity, but the attention part I had bad as a kid and still have it now at 37. Like her, some days are better than others. I've looked into diet in relation to concentration and activity and there are definite correlations.

The one downside to medicating her is that it often makes her very tired. Amazing how a stimulant will do this...the brain is an amazing thing.

 

[fawnmarie]

Speaking as a parent with a candidate for ritalin, I found that decreasing his complex carbs & deleting his sugar, as well as matching protein & fiber to any carbs did amazing things to attitude and behavior! I mean, amazing! Also found that supplementing with salmon oil worked very well also. There's been research pointing to EFA deficiencies causing both ADD and bipolar disorders and fish/salmon oil being used for both conditions with great results. My ex is bipolar, my son ACTS ADD (though isn't, really), and salmon oil - cheap enough at Walmart - works beautifully on him and so far, no need for ritalin.

As a girl who put some serious chunk on at 11, also have to state that a lot of girls do this before puberty - since bodyfat percentage has to be high enough to induce the production of the estrogen that will start puberty happening. Don't be too worried about it unless it goes from "chunk" to obese or if it last long past menarche. I went from a gangly ten, to a chunky eleven, to a curvy 12, and this is pretty normal in an industrial and well-fed society. Prepubescent girls have to reach the 17%-22% bodyfat required to begin menses, and it's not pretty : ) during the first year. But eventually the chunk moves to the right places.

Fawn

 

[RottenWillow]

Ms. Puddles, Adderal is a once per day medicine, but sometimes I forget. I'm taking a lot of supplements and occasionally it gets lost in the crowd.

Fawn, your right about the sugars. It really does make a big difference. I was able to lower my dose by cutting out all the sugar.

 

[Puddles]

Yes...diet has had a huge impact, particularly on her behavior and concentration abilities. Weirdest thing is that she CRAVES stimulants like sugars when she's not medicated. If left on her own on the wekends, she will eat candy and starches all day long. Medicated, she chooses wisely on her own. She had her first taste of coffee before she was a year old...I'd gone to the bathroom for 2 minutes and left her in the family room....my coffee was on the table and she drank the entire cup by the time I returned. I kinda freaked worrying about the caffine, but she was fine. To this day, she still likes coffee...I wonder if it's the taste or if she's actually feeling the calming effect it has for her condirion?

She turned 11 in Feb. and the only place she's kinda chunky is in her belly. We were watching her at the beach today and it's only there...but then again...most of my problem has been in that area too, so it does concern me. My husbsnd also recalls putting on some weight around the age of 12, so he's concerned too. It's not easy being a caring parent at times...you want to do everything right. Often there is no black and white and you have to wing it. I just don't want her to ever have to deal with a bad body...there's no reason for it since we've learned so much, ya know?

I did tell her (and hubby) that we could work out a little program for her and we're all looking forward to it. Thanks everyone!!!

 

[fawnmarie]

MrsPuddles -

Yeah - it starts on the belly around the age of andrarche, which is sort of like "puberty for the adrenals" - when DHEA starts being used for body growth, rather than brain growth. And it starts in the belly, but is necessary for the production of estrogen - once the estrogen begins to be produced, the fat stores will begin to follow the female pattern. Other than not letting it get out of hand, because it might stimulate puberty too early, it isn't something to be too concerned about. It will shift to the hips and breasts by menarche and/or shortly thereafter (estrogen production usually begins 1-2 years before menarche).

DO look into the info about using EFA's for ADD - plenty of available studies on the internet. Look for valid medical studies, though. And if you get a chance, get a book called "Carbohydrate Addicted Kids", which has some good info for dealing with kids who are either overweight or ADD - or both.

As for lifting - the best thing about it is teaching her early that it is GOOD to be strong and feels wonderful to have physical power and control. The actual size of the weights shouldn't be the issue, but to give her a reason to feel good about being strong and proud of it.

Fawn

 

[Puddles]

FawnMarie...thanks...I'll continue doing research here. I do have some vitamins that were recommended to me by my chiropractic kinesiologist, they're called Mighty Mins, designed for kids with ADD/ADHD. Now that she's off meds I'm gonna see if they help her...we had a hard time testing them out during the school year...and she hates the taste of them.

She's developing much later than her friends...not really needing a beginners bra, and her hips are still small. She just shaved her legs a week ago, but she didn't really need to...just that all of her classmates are shaving and they were having a graduation pool party so she wanted do it. During a sleepover a couple of weeks ago, one of her classmates got her period for the first time here and many of the girls have already started. I'm kinda glad that she's a little on the slower side though...two girls pms'ing here every month will be tough on my husband. LOL

She seems to be pretty strong and we've both arm wrestled here and I was surprised at her strength. She plays hard outside and isn't afraid to try antyhing. She swims a lot too. When we're at the gym on weekends and there is no child care available, she usually sits at the counter and watches us train...she's intrigued by the whole process...diet, lifting, physique...I think she'll do well.

 

[RottenWillow]

Lord yes, Ms. Puddles, coffee is wonderful. I discovered it only about a year ago (age 19) and I love it. It helps me do things I find really hard to do otherwise, like reading textbooks, etc. I grind my own each time and make it nuclear. I feel like a "normal" person on it. But for whatever reason it only works once each day. If I try a second dose 4-5 hours later to get that same effect...no help at all.

 

[Puddles]

I know exactly what you mean. I'm a complete scatter brain in the morning until I get my coffee fix. Starbucks usually, but sometimes I'll mix in some flavored coffee. I usually only drink it in the mornings, but a few times a month...like when we're having girls night out, we'll stop off for some espresso before hitting the mall. I swear, it does help me think more clearly. It usually doesn't cause problems sleeping either. Go figure...stimulants to settle your mind down. I have noticed that at times, if I drink it in the early afternoon I will have a pretty bad crash about an hour later and all I want to do is SLEEP...I've learned my lesson and rarely drink it in the afternoon.

 

[msboss]

I started lifting around the age of 12. Not heavy of course. Just kind of fooled around with it as my mom would drop me off at the local "Y" for a few hours. I have taught kid fit classes and have attended certification classes for this. It's great to get them involved in weight training at a young age. ( 8ish or so) Push ups sit ups, chin ups isometics are great early on. Oh and the exercise bands and balls. All good. Then around 11 it's ok to incorporate light weights, 2-5 ils DB. If they lift supper slow ( 10 seconds on the concentric and 5 seconds on the eccentric) great improvements and gains can be made. But lifting heavy before about age 15 really is not advised. I think it's great that you are helping your daughter in this way. I bring my 15 year old to the gym with me and we have no problems with other members. I hope all goes well.

msboss

 

[Puddles]

Thanks for the suggestions, MsB!