Over the last decade across the nation, the numbers of adolescents who have a gym membership has grown over 200 percent. While some children are trying to fend-off excess weight, others are trying their hands at weight training. There’s overwhelming controversy surrounding the weight lifting and obesity issues amongst children in America.

Weight training is safe for children as long as a few guidelines are followed. Primarily, children should exercise under the supervision of certified and licensed professionals. To find qualified professionals, research personal trainers who are certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

An adult weight training program is different from a child’s regimen. Until a child’s skeleton has been fully matured, they should not lift the maximum weight. Lifting excessive weight may permanently damage parts of the bone referred to as growth plates. Too much pressure on the growth plates may result in a fracture.

Girls reach their skeletal maturity between the ages of 14 and 16. In boys, skeletal maturation occurs from 16 to 18 years old. Prior to puberty, children have substantially low levels of testosterone. Consequently, they are incapable of acquiring muscle mass the way an adults does.

Inevitably, the best way for children to work out is with a very low weight load and a number of repetitions. According to the president of Takes 2 Fitness in Nashville, Tennessee, Jeff Bergholtz, for obese children lifting weights is a great form of exercise. Unlike a push-up that requires a person to lift their own body weight, free weights, can be customized to accommodate the user's strength.

The underlying advantage of strength-training exercises is how they are executed with very little time between exercises. It allows kids to keep their heart rates up which offers a cardiovascular element to the exercise.