Youths, towel rolls, and powerlifting??

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OK need help from all the pros. I am a cert. pers. trainer and work in a local private school. Recently someone came in (older coach) and started using a rolled up towel on his chest when he benches. Says it prevents injuries. Now all the students are using it because it gives you a bit of a bounce off your chest. Some coaches are against it and it's causing problems. Anybody ever hear of this? He also has students doing powerlifting moves and some are only 14yrs old. Any thoughts or info to support either?
Thanks
 
The reason why some folks involve stopping a bench press movement short is because they believe that any range beyond 90 degrees during horizontal adduction/abduction can increase the risk of some kind of shoulder impingement. Let me start this by saying that the pathology of a shoulder injury is often very complex and involves several concerns (rather than just a single strain or 'weak' muscle).

Any movement you train should involve full ranges. If there is a weakness or current impinged condition, then seek help from a corrective standpoint and then resume full ROM activities. Shortening ranges, especially with young athletes, can lead to what I have heard noted as 'incomplete strength'. I kinda like this term. The body has natural ranges of motion, and to limit those ranges during strength training has a reciprocal limiting effect on performance. Also... Why the towel? If this coach is intent on limiting the natural ROM, than why not teach athletes to eccentrically control and stop the weight at a desired angle and then proceed upwards?

This is much like the 'only squat to 90' thing. First of all, at 90 degrees, the knee joint is at its most unstable position... Why stop a movement their? Secondly, your body will need to exhibit both strength and recoverability well past 90 degrees knee flexion in both sport and life. Why wouldn't you train it?

With the power lifting question - Yes, 14 year olds can certainly perform power lifts. There are however, several issues to maintain:

- Form has to be the number one concern, not load.
- Volume needs to be controlled and monitored.
- You NEED a coach with a GOOD background in teaching power lifts who can break down movements and provide appropriate feedback.

Don't let power or Olympic lifts scare you from a chronological perspective. I often teach the concepts and techniques to kids as young as 8 - 9. The nervous system is like a road map of experience - teaching concepts and movement patterns at an earlier age will only facilitate good habits in the future. ALWAYS look for technique and skill over volume and load, however.

Hope this helped!

- Brian
 
I think powerlifting is good for teenagers also. I am 16 weight 175lbs and bench press 270lb. my height is 5-5. but there is some major concerns I have studyied about also. form is a key to every powerlift, and exercises should be done in a full range of motion to prevent injury. when I was 13 I was bench pressing 225lbs in the seventh grade, but I allways tried to use correct motion and never used momentum of the weight to assist me, for that is what is so dangerous about power lifting. I guess to say I am no pro, but I have been studying and studying for years now well 4 to be exact so I have a general knowledge on good work out routines. well glad to help and I hope this helps you. my email is dustin1087@yahoo.com if you would like to email me
 
dustin265 said:
I think powerlifting is good for teenagers also. I am 16 weight 175lbs and bench press 270lb. my height is 5-5. but there is some major concerns I have studyied about also. form is a key to every powerlift, and exercises should be done in a full range of motion to prevent injury. when I was 13 I was bench pressing 225lbs in the seventh grade, but I allways tried to use correct motion and never used momentum of the weight to assist me, for that is what is so dangerous about power lifting. I guess to say I am no pro, but I have been studying and studying for years now well 4 to be exact so I have a general knowledge on good work out routines. well glad to help and I hope this helps you. my email is dustin1087@yahoo.com if you would like to email me
Click to expand...


Your 5'5 and your 16? ....Seems like you've been working out for a long time. Every guy I know that powerlifted when they were younger stayed real short and never grew to be much more than 5'7.
 
Consider your knowledge of short/young power lifters coincidental. There is no evidence that strength or power training stunts growth... although it is a very common myth.

- Brian
 
Brian ignor that kid. Every post he makes is useless. He is so amazing that his bench and weight fluctuate between posts. Talk about a miracle kid!

Wonder if he could be banned by the mods.
 
just ignore him. Just keep posting like your doing (minus the direct bashes) and things will work themselves out. If the 'kid' is serious about working out, then maybe he will be reading some of our posts and improve his knowledge. If we just kick him off then we lose the chance at educating him.

As for the stunting growth, I don't think it is such a myth. I think too much lifting while in your heavy growth periods CAN stunt growth as the tightning of muscles will constrict your growth plates. Of course, I've read just about as many articles saying that there is no evidence ... so, in theory, i believe that it can stunt growth. Now, I'm 6'1" and started lifting in high school (not too seriously), so I can be considered a walking contridiction of my beliefs, but I also think I didn't train heavy enough.

I do believe that there is a corilation with short kids and power lifting, as many of them can lift more with their shorter ROM, which in-turn would encourage them to continue with the power lifting.
 
'No direct bashing'... Was that an implication that I directly bash people???

This issue is a major one with respect to kids lifting weights. There was a great study done recently on young kids learning the technical aspects of power lifting (along with weight loaded practice)... I will find it and post some of the results here. The basic message was very positive in terms of youngsters and strength training.

No offense at all intended, but you answered your own question. You don't THINK that power lifting is good for kids and that you THINK it might stunt growth. A lot of people THINK that. Critical sport science has shown us that this is not at all the case. Not only have there been no published works indicated this as a real problem (other than pure speculation), but the opposite is true.

In terms of tight muscles infringing on growth plates, that would not be an indication to avoid power lifting (strength training) but rather a key point regarding what also must be included in young athletic programs... Flexibility enhancement. The ages of 7 - 11 generally represent the time of life in which flexibility gains for life are most optimally incurred (as per Drabik's work). If we conclude that strength training is potentially harmful and limiting to a young athlete due to muscular restrictions, then so is running, soccer, basketball and any other activity that requires strong muscular contractions (not too mention a GRF upwards of 4X your bodyweight and heavy eccentric loading).

The reality of strength and power lifting with youngsters is that as long as it is technically based and the load is low to moderate, it is VERY advantageous for young athletes to engage in such activities. In fact, it has been shown that using these parameters can increase the strength of connective tissue (i.e. ligaments and tendons) and set strong nervous system pathways which will be important in future training.

To each his own, but the negatives of strength training and young athletes are fabricated and myth-based... So long as its being done right, its great for kids!

Training in your adolescent years (as per your comment "while in your heavy growth periods") is a whole different post when I have more time!...

- Brian
 
Brian he was refering to my post.
 
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