The Effects of a Twice-A-Week Strength Training Program on Children

TLDR

An 8‑week, twice‑weekly strength training program was administered to 14 children (mean age 10.8 yr) who performed 3 sets of 10–15 reps on 5 exercises at 50–100 % of their 10‑RM, with pre‑ and post‑testing of strength, flexibility, jump, ball put, blood pressure, and body composition, compared to a control group of 9 children. The program produced a 74.3 % increase in strength versus 13.0 % in controls (p < 0.001) and a 2.3 % reduction in total skinfolds versus a 1.7 % increase (p < 0.05), with no significant changes in other variables, indicating that short‑term twice‑weekly strength training improves strength and body composition in children.

Abstract

The effectiveness of a twice-a-week strength training program on children was evaluated in 14 boys and girls (mean age 10.8 yrs) who participated in a biweekly training program for 8 weeks. Each subject performed three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on five exercises with intensities ranging between 50 and 100% of a given 10-repetition maximum (RM). All subjects were pre- and posttested on the following measures: 10-RM strength, sit and reach flexibility, vertical jump, seated ball put, resting blood pressure, and body composition parameters. The subjects were compared to a similar group of boys and girls ( n = 9; mean age 9.9 yrs) who were randomly selected to serve as controls. Following the training period, the experimental group made greater gains in strength (74.3%) as compared to the control group (13.0%) ( p &lt; 0.001), and differences in the sum of seven skinfolds were noted (−2.3% vs. +1.7%, respectively, p &lt; 0.05). Training did not significantly affect other variables. These results suggest that participation in a short-term, twice-a-week strength training program can increase the strength and improve the body composition of young boys and girls.