Some parents have hopes of raising a future Olympian or professional athlete. Sporadic activity raises the risk of injury and does not promote fitness. Adolescents interested in muscular fitness should never be allowed to use heavy resistance. Remind your child of the importance of warming up and stretching afterwards. Emphasis should be placed on using lower weights with higher repetitions with no more than three non-consecutive workouts per week.
Heavy resistance can be potentially harmful to developing skeletal and joint structures.
For more details, see the articles on Exercise and Children and Exercise and Teen-agers . You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.