My daughter just got a call from assistant basketball coach to start a computerized weightlifting program. They want her to go get tested for max lifts. You just plug your numbers into computer and your workout magically appears.Speed work for football team is sleds and parachutes.Not sure if basketball players are to do same thing. I don’t really like what there doing.Was planning on her doing gpp work this summer. She’s only 12. Don’t want to piss off coaching staff.Looking for advice.
“Max lifts” in what?
Sounds ludacris to me. Has she ever even lifted before? How many pushups, chinups, bodyweight squats is she capable of?
I think it’s a mistake for any 12 year old to attempt a single rep max lift. A higher repetition max like a 10rm would be better but I still would not agree with that even if they had a bit of training background. Why not just start them off super light, develop technique and gradually move them up? Better yet, why not just have them perform mostly bodyweight exercises, calsithenics, low intensity plyos like hops/skips, short sprints even as a part of games, etc.
Sounds like these coaches want to launch an overly ambitious program for young kids that are likely not at all ready for such. Looks like a program where much injury could result. So many coaches are guilty of putting their athletes, particularly younger ones, in situations with physical demands they are not really prepared for.
I think you are right to be very concerned. Perhaps you could show them you know more about it than they do, diplomatically, of course, and offer to help with the program design and possibly implementation? You might be able to cite some examples or authors on works on developing training programs for kids like Drabik(sp?) or Bompa. Short of that I don’t know.
An examples of training of kids I like would include the work of Mark McLaughlin on elitefts.com where he is part of the sports training q and a and has a few articles archived on the site re:that subject. He also has his own site at ptconline.net.
He uses CF’s speed training recomendations and training principles in constructing his programs.
Your options:
-Possibly have your daughter injured to please a coaching staff that sounds lazy.
-Piss off the coaching staff and suffer the long term consequences…(hmmm, probably none).
At 12 years old a youth’s body is still changing so much that a computer couldn’t keep up let alone in a fully grown adult. Too many variables.
I agree, 12 is really really young, no matter what the training age.
Not sure if it’s a 1 rep max or even 5 rep.They told her they wanted her to get tested and get her started on a program.I know they do lots of power cleans,squats, and bench. My daughter is pretty strong for her age she can do 40 push ups in a minute.She has done gymnastics since she was 3. Also she has done short sprints up to 20m.Hill sprints and starts from push up position. Also she has done some medicine ball throws.Some of these girls I know can’t even do one chin up or 10 push ups.I’ve been having her do box squats with a empty bar for 6 months.She’s done some work with pvc pipe to learn to snatch.If computer says to do so much those kids will do anything to get the weight up including using bad technique.Also lots of kids and little coaching staff.I think I’ll go with her and offer to help at least I can keep her from getting hurt.
Holy hell. Downplay the importance of this max testing as much as possible! Go with her and try to get her max to be an 75% max not a 100% max. Computerized weight programs for 12 year olds. Brian Grasso would love to hear about this :rolleyes:
Why don’t you propose to volunteer as a strength coach in your daughter’s club? Pick up the girls and learn them technique, do BW stuff, medballs, etc!
I suppose that computer programs work with percentage, but guess what? Begginers progress that fast that any use of percentage is bloody stupid!
If at all possible, try to be involved in the process of designing the program. This, so at least if you can’t be there at some point to oversee, you have some confidence in what they are doing.
If it gets ugly, ask them what their computer program says, specifically, about YOUR daughter as well as the other kids? I hope, for your sake, it’s does not get to that point.
I’ve seen some programs like that and they are mostly horseshit. One I saw had a guy test and one weight and set him off with a rep schedule that would guarantee a drop in strength.
Sounds about as stupid as getting her on a weight program off the bat at age 12!
Bruce that’s the type of work she should continue to do for quite some time yet. Do go along with her, I did that with my son when his soccer team coaches were giving out ridiculous fitness work. Ended up taking it on myself and letting the idiots deal with the sport specific work, at least the kids were a whole lot safer.
Sounds like BFS. I’ve seen it used in a number of programs - like someone said “lazy coaches”. Our football team has it, and for the totally untrained, it has been fine (anything other than sitting on the couch would be a benefit), but for quite a few that had been lifting heavy for quite some time, like Charlie said, they actually decreased in strength.
BFS max tests are usually 3-10 rep maxs. I also agree with the vast majority on this thread. No reason for a 12 yr. old to be max testing.