Strength training can be incredibly useful for young footballers, but I find parents are often unsure about when their child should start, what they should be doing, or whether lifting weights is even safe.
Fortunately, youth strength training doesn’t need to be complicated, and the aim isn’t to turn a 13-year-old footballer into a bodybuilder. It is to help them become a stronger, more capable athlete.
Is strength training safe for kids?
One of the most common myths is that lifting weights can stunt a child’s growth.
There isn’t any evidence to support this.
When exercises are appropriately selected, loads are progressed gradually, and technique is properly supervised, strength training is considered safe for children and adolescents.
Problems are much more likely when young athletes lift inappropriate loads, use poor technique, or train without suitable guidance.
What should young footballers actually do?
I generally focus on developing good movement first.
This might include:
- Squatting and lunging
- Hip hinge movements
- Calf strengthening
- Pushing and pulling exercises
- Single-leg strength
- Jumping and landing
- Trunk strength and control
For younger or inexperienced athletes, bodyweight exercises and lighter resistance may be plenty.
As technique and confidence improve, resistance can gradually increase.
There isn’t a magical age where an athlete suddenly becomes “old enough” to strength train. Their program should reflect their maturity, experience and ability to follow instructions.
Why bother?
Football involves sprinting, jumping, tackling, kicking and rapidly changing direction.
Developing strength provides a foundation for many of these qualities.
Youth resistance training has been shown to improve strength, jumping and other measures of athletic performance, while strength and neuromuscular training also form an important part of injury prevention in youth sport.
It won’t make someone a good footballer by itself, but it can give them a better physical foundation to play the game.
Off-season versus during the season
The off-season is a great opportunity to place more emphasis on developing strength.
With fewer games and football sessions, there is generally more room to progressively increase training loads and learn new exercises.
During the season, the priority shifts.
I still like young athletes to strength train, but usually with less overall volume. The aim becomes maintaining the strength they have developed without leaving them unnecessarily fatigued for training and matches.
Strength work should complement football, not compete with it.
Where should you start?
Every young athlete is different.
Age, physical development, training experience, injury history and weekly sport schedule all influence what an appropriate program should look like.
For athletes who haven’t strength trained before, I like to start by assessing how they move and identifying the areas that are worth developing.
From there, we can build a program that is safe, achievable and actually fits around their football.
