Beginner Strength Program (10-15 yrs old)

Being a good athlete depends on developing a wide variety of skills, movements, and strength. This program works to integrate all of these functionally through long-term, progressive development. We start from square one with each athlete: the first step is always to learn proper technique so they can perform every exercise safely. Workouts focus on body control, mobility, movement skills, explosive power, core/medicine ball work, different types of strength development, speed and agility skills, and (sometimes) elements of conditioning. Sessions will follow a general workout scheme and will be tailored to each individual. Each session will be approximately one hour in length.

Athletes aged 10-15 are at the perfect age to start higher-level athletic training. This includes basic strength training, core/trunk stability work, speed and agility skills, and low-intensity plyometrics. These are crucial skills to start learning and developing in order to lay a foundation for success in high school. Waiting will put you behind the curve, training them now will prepare the body for higher-level work and help boost overall performance. Most workouts will be body-weight or light dumbbell/kettlebell, we will not be lifting heavy weights since this is unnecessary and unhelpful at this stage.

The Beginners Strength Program is designed for all athletes from all sports ages 10-14. We tailor the training so it is appropriate for each kid’s age and ability level. The program can benefit all athletes who have been cleared by their doctor for athletic activity, both with and without prior experience. We structure our classes to help kids learn to train in the right way with fun but highly focused programming.

Athletes train 2 times per week. Classes are at the following times:

• Monday: 5:00-6:00 pm
• Thursday: 5:00-6:00 pm

Workout programs like we design and implement are completely safe (outside of the normal risk associated with any form of athletic training). Research has consistently shown that younger athletes can safely lift weights and even do low to medium level plyometrics without concern for long-term effects. The key is to focus on teaching proper technique, gradually increasing intensity, and emphasizing form and execution over heavy weight. We want to create athletes, not muscle-bound kids. To this end we follow the recommendations and programming advice of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the International Youth Conditioning Association. Our focus is on athleticism, and the majority of the training will be body weight or light resistance (bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, etc.).