Weightlifting Research Papers

In today’s ever-competitive world, people are always looking for ways to get bigger and to get better. There is no doubt that lifting weights can help one become stronger and can help improve skills and performance, which explains why kids are being pressured into lifting at a younger and younger age. But how young is too young? In William Imbo’s article “kids & weightlifting: how young is too young?” from the January 20th, 2015 boxlife magazine, he anticipates the opposition and addresses the concerns, as well as uses facts and statistics throughout the text to effectively persuade the reader that weightlifting for kids is both safe and beneficial.
In the beginning of the text, Imbo addresses the debate on the topic of whether kids should
In 2010 the American Academy of Pediatrics conducted a study which “analyzed 60 years’ worth of studies of children and weightlifting. The studies covered boys and girls from age 6 to 18. The researchers found that almost every child grew stronger from weight training.” The evidence from this 60 year study can not be overlooked, and a very safe assumption could be made that this study is credible, given the extensive work done on it. Another fact that Imbo uses to prove his point is that “due to their(kids) still developing neuromuscular systems, kids receive a training effect from sub maximal efforts.” Portraying that kids don't need to be going all out pushing high weights, because even less than maximal effort still gives kids the training effect which includes the enhancement of the powerful connection between their nervous system and their muscles. He again reinforces this by stating how medical and fitness experts now actually encourage children to engage in strength training to increase bone, tendon and ligament strength, all of which serve to improve sports performance and reduce risk of injury. Imbo’s constant usage of facts and statistics throughout the article leaves the reader with no room for assumption or interpretation, which helps definitively forecast his point that weightlifting is both safe and