Different Life | 027 | Is Strength Training Safe for Kids? A Parent’s Guide to Youth Strength Training

Episode Summary

When should kids start strength training—and is lifting weights actually safe for a growing child?

Parents have heard warnings for years that weight training can stunt growth or damage growth plates. In this episode of Different Life, Gary and Peter examine those concerns and explain why properly designed youth strength training looks very different from simply loading a child up with heavy weights. The conversation focuses on movement quality, age-appropriate training, progressive overload, and finding qualified coaches who understand how to meet young athletes where they are.

They also lay out a useful developmental framework for training kids. Early childhood should center on play and movement. As children mature, they can begin learning fundamental movement patterns and proper technique. Puberty creates an opportunity to progressively build meaningful strength and muscle, while the later teenage years allow athletes to transition toward more performance-focused training.

Beyond sports, the episode makes a larger case for physical literacy. Kids are increasingly sedentary, and many no longer accumulate movement naturally through hours of outdoor play. Learning how to squat, hinge, jump, run, control the body, and eventually lift weights can therefore become an important skill not just for athletic performance, but for lifelong health and fitness.

Key Topics Discussed

Whether strength training is safe for children
The myth that lifting weights automatically stunts a child's growth
What growth plates are and why parents hear so much about them
How inappropriate training can increase injury risk
Why proper coaching matters for youth athletes
Progressive overload explained
Why technique should come before adding weight
The problem with training that is either too heavy or too easy
Why training should progress slowly over months and years
The role of gymnastics and play in early physical development
What training can look like between roughly ages 5–8
Why ages 8–11 can be valuable for learning movement skills
How puberty changes a young athlete's response to strength training
Why ages 12–15 can be an important strength-building period
Performance-focused training for athletes 15 and older
Differences in muscle development between adolescent boys and girls
Why boys and girls generally don't need completely different exercise programs
The importance of evaluating each athlete individually
How strength training can support sports performance
Why physical training is a skill that can carry into adulthood
The rise of sedentary behavior among children
Why kids increasingly need intentional opportunities to move
The hosts' side discussion about e-bikes, physical activity, and convenience

Chapters with Timestamps

00:00 – Is Ketchup a Gateway Drug?
Gary and Peter open with a debate about ketchup, sugar, sauces, Chick-fil-A sauce, and why condiments can make otherwise bland food easier to eat.

05:00 – Ketchup, Food History, and the Spice Debate
A conversation about the supposed history of ketchup turns into speculation about spices, food preservation, Indian food, and the spice trade.

08:40 – Should Kids Strength Train?
The conversation moves into the main topic: whether children should participate in strength training and when they should begin.

10:50 – Does Lifting Weights Stunt Growth?
Peter addresses one of the most common concerns parents have about youth weight training.

13:00 – Understanding Growth Plates
Gary and Peter explain growth plates, how bones lengthen during childhood, and why growth plate injuries concern parents and clinicians.

15:20 – Tendons, Growth Plates, and Overuse Injuries
They discuss tendon attachment sites, conditions such as Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sever's disease, and how repetitive or explosive loads can affect developing athletes.

17:00 – Why Proper Progression Matters
The discussion turns toward safe training, gradual increases in load, and the importance of properly designed programs.

19:00 – Progressive Overload Explained
Peter breaks down progressive overload and explains how training variables should gradually increase as an athlete becomes more capable.

20:00 – Technique Before Weight
Young athletes should first master movement technique before significant resistance is added.

23:00 – The Goldilocks Zone of Training
Training shouldn't be recklessly heavy, but it also shouldn't be so easy that the athlete receives no meaningful training stimulus.

25:20 – Ages 5–8: Play and Move
For younger children, physical development should primarily look like play—running, climbing, tumbling, sports, and other forms of movement.

26:00 – Why Gymnastics Is Great for Young Kids
Gymnastics is highlighted as a form of strength-based play that can help children develop body awareness and movement skills.

27:20 – Ages 8–11: Learn the Movements
Children who are interested can begin learning foundational strength movements and developing better control of their bodies.

29:15 – Ages 12–15: Start Building
As puberty begins, hormonal and physical changes allow athletes to gain significantly more strength and muscle from training.

31:15 – Age 15+: Train for Performance
Older teenage athletes can increasingly focus on strength, power, sport performance, and their longer-term athletic goals.

33:15 – Should Boys and Girls Train Differently?
Peter explains differences in potential muscle gain while emphasizing that exercise selection should still be individualized rather than dictated simply by gender.

35:20 – Kids Need More Movement
Gary and Peter discuss increasingly sedentary lifestyles and why parents may need to deliberately create opportunities for children to exercise.

36:00 – The E-Bike Rant
The conversation veers into e-bikes, kids riding at high speeds, exercise, safety, and the increasing role of convenience.

38:30 – Final Advice for Parents
The episode concludes with encouragement for parents to let interested children train, provided they work with qualified professionals who understand appropriate progression.

Notable Quotes

“The magic is with progressive overload, is finding the smallest variable that you can increase slowly, systematically over time.”“Technique comes first.”“If you don't practice moving the body in athletic ways, then you miss out on that kind of window early on.”“The gender of the person doesn't dictate the training. The individual does.”“Don't be afraid to train your kid. If they wanna do it, encourage them to do it.”

Resources Mentioned

The Food That Built America — HISTORY Channel
Gary references the HISTORY documentary series while discussing the origins of ketchup and major American food companies.
The Food That Built America on HISTORY

Chick-fil-A Sauce Nutrition Information
The hosts look up the calories and fat in Chick-fil-A Sauce during their opening conversation. Chick-fil-A currently lists a single container at 140 calories and 13 grams of fat.
Official Chick-fil-A Sauce nutrition page

Connect With Us Here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WholeHealthSolutions
Website: https://wholehealthsolutions.life/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholehealthsolutions.life
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholehealthsolutions.life
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/whole-health-solutions-sports-performance

Creators and Guests

Host

Gary Donia

Gary Donia, MSPT is a physical therapist and Chief Operations Officer at Whole Health Solutions and Sports Performance. With more than 20 years of experience, he helps individuals and athletes recover from injury, build strength, and improve long-term physical capability. Gary focuses on identifying root causes, creating practical plans, and guiding people toward sustainable health and performance. In addition to his clinical work, he coaches high school and Legion baseball, applying movement principles to develop resilient, confident athletes. He lives in Townsend, Massachusetts, with his wife Jessica and their two sons, and is passionate about helping people build healthier, more capable lives both on and off the field.

Host

Peter Brouillard

Peter Brouillard, DPT is the Founder and CEO of Whole Health Solutions and Sports Performance. As a physical therapist and strength coach, he works with individuals and athletes to recover from injury, build strength, and develop long-term resilience. Peter takes a whole-body approach to health, integrating exercise, lifestyle habits, and performance principles to help people exceed their goals and unlock their potential. His focus is on practical strategies that create lasting change, not quick fixes. He is passionate about empowering people to take ownership of their health and build lives defined by capability, confidence, and meaningful progress.

What is Different Life?

Most people don’t need more motivation. They need a different approach. Hosted by Gary Donia and Peter Brouillard, Different Life draws on years of experience helping people navigate pain, movement, recovery, and performance — but the conversation goes far beyond health alone.

We talk about:
• Strength training as a life skill
• Back pain, mobility, and injury recovery
• Pelvic floor health and durability
• Sleep, stress, hormones, and energy
• Performance and longevity over 40
• Discipline, habits, and identity shifts
• Parenting and modeling health
• Relationship-based healthcare

We discuss these not as isolated topics, but as part of a bigger question: What does it look like to live differently, not just try to live better?
If you feel stuck in patterns that no longer fit who you want to become, this show is for you. Because better often keeps you in the same cycles. Different changes your trajectory.

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Gary: [00:00:00] All right, Peter, question of the

Wide: the day. Yeah, yeah

Gary: Yeah. Is

Peter: ketchup...

Gary: of all, do you say ketchup or

Wide: Ketchup. Ketchup. Catch.

Peter: Katch. Katch. I

Gary: I think it's spelled like

Wide: catch K-

it's K-E-T- Yeah. C-H. Yeah, Yes,

Gary: how you say it. All right. I say

Wide: Yeah. I say ketchup too. Mm-hmm. So we'll go with ketchup. Okay. Katsup. Kets-

Gary: I think some people spell it

Peter: spell it C-A-T- I,

I- ... S-U-P. I say

Wide: katsup all the time.

okay.

Gary: okay. So is

Wide: ketchup- Mm-hmm ... a gateway drug?

Gary: Go.

Wide: Yes.

Yeah.

Peter: Right? It's the gateway drug of

Wide: condiments. Right. For sure.

And why?

It's 'cause you're used to, like, dredging your dry chicken in something Yeah or, like, eggs. Yeah. And you

need

Peter: type of, like, liquid, like, sweetener that's mild.

Gary: So that's the key word, I think. So I've... Like, I don't think I've ever purposely eaten ketchup.

Wide: Yeah.

Like,

I don't,

Gary: I don't... Like, since... When I was a kid, I was real picky. Ketchup's gross. I n- I never had it. Yeah. Everybody has it.

Yeah. I think I've accidentally had it a couple times on, like, s- if a burger came that way

Wide: something. And then you're like, "Ugh."

Gary: But I didn't, like, order it. Yeah. So is it

Wide: sweet?

Peter: M- I ...Yes.

Wide: I mean, comparatively-

It has a lot of [00:01:00] sugar, right?

M- n- yeah,

Peter: a lot is relative. I would say ... So it's interesting. People have different

Wide: opinions on this. This is actually like a little bit of a hot topic for some people. I think ketchup is a reasonable substitution for

Peter: like what is like

Wide: dressings to put on things to

Peter: it taste better.

Mm-hmm. It doesn't have a lot comparatively to like a, like

a, like a full fat

Wide: dressing. Yeah. I think ... I don't know if I'm wrong, but I think it might be 20 calories per

tablespoon.

Peter: That's a- I might be wrong.

Gary: yeah, like my

Peter: yeah,

Wide: I'm gonna ask

Peter: my robot. So- How

Wide: many... How much

sugar

Gary: is in a tablespoon

Wide: of ketchup?

And how many calories?

Gary: And how many calories?

Wide: Yeah ...

Gary: Because, like, a tablespoon's reasonable for, like, a burger, right? That would be, like- Right ... about that. Or how much is in one of those little white things that,

that you...

people

Peter: you- Oh, that's like, that's Like, two tablespoons. Yeah. Yeah.

Gary: All right. So one tablespoon,

Wide: 20 calories, four grams of

sugar.

Peter: See? That's not bad.

Gary: That's not bad. There's just a

teaspoon of sugar.

Wide: I'm aware of what it [00:02:00] is. Yeah.

Peter: But it's not

Wide: bad-

in comparison- But do

you think people really

Peter: only eat,

like, one

Wide: tablespoon? No, you prob- I mean, people are, like- No, you probably eat

Gary: two

like, with,

Wide: fries or whatever.

you

Peter: You probably eat

two

three.

Wide: get, like- So it's probably, like, 40 60-

eight grams of

Gary: How many

grams of sugar should you get a day?

Wide: I don't,

Peter: I don't like, that argument. I

Wide: think that that's

Peter: nonsense,

so-

so- I dare, I dare you?

Yeah.

Gary: I Just asked you an, a, a

question. You just told me I was

Wide: I'm stupid. It's not... Yeah. that's

Peter: told me I'm stupid.

It's not... Yeah, it is stupid. It's a

Wide: stupid question.

Gary: You can't tell

Peter: me

Wide: stupid.

Peter: It should really just

Wide: be how many,

like, calories are you eating per day. Yeah. Am I overeating calories?

That's the number

one concern. If

Peter: you're, like, close- Uh-

Wide: to, If you're pre-diabetic- Yeah ... then we can have this conversation that's a bit more

nuanced. I

mean, you should

Peter: definitely probably

Wide: eat less

simple sugars, which means

Peter: should probably have less

Wide: ketchup.

Mm-hmm. Eat more fruits and

vegetables. So the reason

Gary: I asked it the way I asked

Wide: is- Yeah ... a gateway drug,

Gary: because I think we often give it. to children starting at a very,

Peter: very very young age. goes on, like, all their

Wide: Dino

Peter: Nuggets.

Right.

Wide: And then I feel like then... That's right,

Gary: goes on like, all the Dino Nuggets.

Right. And then I feel like then... Yes, right, right, on The Dino Nuggets. On, like,

everything, right?

Wide: It goes on everything. It

Peter: It goes on everything to make things

Gary: taste better. Yeah, 'cause it just- Right?

Wide: it just does.

Peter: the idea. It, it

Wide: [00:03:00] lubes it up, so it slides down. So

Peter: slides down. So

Gary: so then they get used to

having that kind of thing for like, everything

Yeah. Which means

Wide: forward

Peter: you need

sauces

for everything

sauces

for everything-

100%. Like sweet-

Gary: Sweetness for everything. What yeah. yeah. I don't- I

Peter: agree

Gary: with that.

Wide: with that. I feel like it

opens the door- And it's a

mild one ... for like bad, like,

Gary: other habits

Wide: going

forward. Yeah, because then what's next?

Like,

Peter: Chick-fil-A sauce. Yeah, Skittles. Or like full-fledged- ...

Wide: sugary barbecue

sauce,

Peter: right?

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. And then

like ... So

Wide: I think Chick-fil-A sauce is

Peter: actually the worst version of all

sauces,

Wide: and it tastes the best, and it's like,

it's just, it's a pure amalgamation of, of junk food. Sheltered.

It's

Peter: so bad.

Wide: I'm pretty sure it's, like, 160

calories per two tablespoons.

Gary: Let's do the same

thing for Chick-fil-A

Peter: It's so

Wide: horrendous

for you.

Gary: for you For those

who are not

Peter: watching

Wide: on- It's just,

Gary: That's for those who are not watching on

YouTube- Yes ... and they're just listening to

Wide: this. It's- I'm talking to my

Peter: listening to this. I'm talking to my phone. That's right. He's talking to

a chicken tender.

Gary: right. One tablespoon of Chick-fil-A sauce. Yeah.

70 calories. Yeah,

Three grams of sugar. That's not horrible.

Wide: No, no,

'cause it's, 'cause [00:04:00] it's really fatty. No. Right? So- So look

Peter: at the calories.

How

much

Gary: fat is in

Peter: that

Gary: And again, this is one tablespoon.

Like, people have more

Peter: than

that,

typically.

Correct. They have at least two. That's why I said 160. Seven

Gary: grams

of fat.

Wide: Right. Yeah. So seven, so

Peter: seven, so

seven

Wide: times 9 is 63,

Gary: so it's- A Chick-fil-A sauce

Wide: packet- Mm-hmm

Gary: is two tablespoons, so it's 13 grams of fat and 140 calories.

Peter: Yeah. so

so Chick-fil-A sauce is

bas- Why did you know that?

Wide: What? Why did you know that? Because

Gary: Did you look it up

Peter: he look it up? Do your

Gary: son likes Chick-fil-A

Wide: Be- because of course he does.

Gary: You're giving him

drugs.

Peter: drugs ...it's the most sauce of all the

Wide: sauces.

Gary: I don't

think I've ever had that one. it's

Wide: amazing.

Peter: Me. Oh, I think I

have. I think

Wide: I've dipped,

Gary: like, a nugget in it. Do people dip their

Wide: Yeah, chicken

Peter: yeah. It's, it's ridiculously

tasty.

Wide: Yeah. And

Peter: as such,

it's

the most wanted, and it- Yeah

and they literally package it and sell it, so Anyways, I It's

Wide: not the food

oftentimes that's,

Peter: that's the

culprit

Wide: as much

Peter: as all the bullshit-

Yeah

that we put

on everything.

Gary: Do you know why

ketchup was

Wide: originally- [00:05:00]

Peter: No idea ... created? Because

they had extra

tomatoes that would

go to waste,

Wide: so

they smashed them up and

fucking made a sauce

Peter: it?

Wide: of,

it? No.

Peter: Nope. So

Gary: back

prior

to... this

is, like, useless knowledge that I know because I read, like, a

Peter: Oh, you didn't look this up for this podcast? No.

Oh, okay. No,

Gary: no. I just happen to know this. Oh. I think I learned this

actually

Peter: on

Gary: a History Channel documentary- Okay

about ... It's called, like

I think it was called-

The food that built

America

Peter: Ketchup

Wide: Well,

Gary: was like that. was a documentary series,

Peter: and

then they

Gary: talk about all

these famous... So Heinz

was like, Yeah ... foo- like, you know, a company that's been around forever.

Wide: Mm-hmm.

Gary: Hershey. You know, all

Peter: these

Gary: the

food that

built America. Kellogg's and whatever,

Wide: right?

Gary: And so

Peter: anyway,

they

were talking about

Gary: ketchup and where it came from, and basically in the time before refrigeration was really commonplace in people's

Wide: homes-

Yeah

Gary: and/or during like m- the

depressionary years

or things like where con- like, people were struggling, that it was very common to

buy, either have meat go

rancid- Mm-hmm

or,

Wide: [00:06:00] or to buy

rancid meat because it

Gary: cheap. like so you would go

to the

market- Jesus ...and the meat

was starting to get rancid. Yeah. But you

could get it for so it was a, a, like a poor family could buy

Wide: Yeah. I mean, that's literally the

Peter: as Market Basket- today. It's the manager's

Wide: so

then like,

Gary: the butchers or whatever were like- "Okay, nobody wants to freaking

Wide: eat rancid meat." Yeah,

But-

Peter: Give us sauce then

Gary: if

we give them this thing that

masks the flavor- of, like, a bad

meat that's going

Peter: totally

Gary: Yeah, totally ... then they- then

then they'll eat it, and

we can sell this product. we don't have to throw it

Wide: away. Awesome.

Gary: And so

Peter: isn't that what, isn't

that what, isn't that what curry

is? I don't know That pretty s-

Wide: I'm pretty sure. Is that what it is? Oh my God,

Peter: I think I just had a

revelation

Gary: The reason that Indian food

Wide: is

Gary: spicy?

No,

that's enough. I feel

like we're

probably-

Wide: Not necessarily Indian ... crossing some sort of line

Peter: of line here. No. Hear me

Wide: Hear me out. Hear me out.

Peter: Hear me

Wide: Hear me out. Hear me out. Do this

Peter: thought experiment.

Let's just,

Gary: I'm thinking about

Wide: about this

Peter: I'm thinking about this right

Gary: now. All

Peter: right.

Wide: So American

food

is- Yeah ...like traditionally

Peter: some

of the blandest

food. Yeah. like

for like,

Wide: you know-

Gary: Because our

technology's too good.

Peter: I

Wide: just think, like-

Peter: I- so but

Wide: then if

Peter: you just think of

like,

like, all the best

food that [00:07:00] I like- Yeah ... is food from, not from this country.

Yeah. got tons

of spices

on it. Yeah. It

re- it's, uh, really aromatic, tastes really good. I love Indian food. I love

Mexican food. I love South American.

But also, if you think of

Wide: just,

Peter: just think where third world countries are or like traditionally like maybe a lo- a

a long time ago

where they- Yeah. didn't have refrigerators, they didn't have like

Wide: technology- Mm-hmm ... to keep food

Peter: good. Yeah. Maybe like all that food

Wide: is that,

Peter: like, has that

much

in it because it helps

Wide: keep food

from tasting rancid. So I

Gary: think maybe

there's

probably an element of truth to th- well, I know.

there is-

some truth to that, but I would say also, if I remember

correctly, back when India was part of like, the British

Wide: colonies- Mm-hmm it

Gary: specifically

sought after because of the

spice

Wide: trade.

And so it maybe there

is a- Mm-hmm

Gary: a

In India? Uh, because of in India, the spices- Mm ... that was like a

Peter: main export. Well,

Wide: spice trade, it was, like- Because

Gary: the spice trade, the, like, so Brit-

the British colonies, like they wanted India to

part of the British i- and it

was for a long time.

Mm.

Because the value of the spices, that's what I [00:08:00] I think if I remember my history correctly. So

Wide: I think maybe

Gary: there's

an environmental factor

to, like spices

Wide: really well. We

Peter: it's

Gary: well. Where it's hot. Yeah, like

spices are... So maybe they, because it was such

common thing there- Mm ... it also went

Wide: into the spice.

Ooh, that's interesting. You know what another food is nice? I'm sure our very intelligent listeners

will

Peter: listeners Will us know, please,

Wide: Yeah. Like, I don't know. we're just making shit up. just, ooh. For

Gary: the record, we are,

we are spitballing this

Peter: Another, another-

Wide: For sure ...country's food

Peter: that I love is Cambodian

food.

Wide: Yeah. I

Peter: up in Lowell, and Lowell has

a, like, a huge Cambodian population. Yeah. And food's awesome.

Wide: the

Gary: awesome.

Peter: the

Wide: same

reason.

Peter: like spicy. Spicy. Very,

Wide: well not, not

just

Peter: like

hot spice, but just

Wide: very flavorful. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Yeah.

Gary: very flavorful.

Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. Well anyway, if you're giving your ch- kids

ketchup, you're, you're basically

Peter: drug dealer. You're part of the problem.

Gary: yeah. You're

Wide: Yeah. You're-

Peter: Yeah. Uh, okay.

Wide: What a way to start.

S- so moving

Peter: on- Yep ...

Gary: to the actual

topic of

the show,

Peter: also

Gary: has to do with

children. So I think, well not in a weird way, uh, just to be clear.

Kids are great. The way

I said that sounded kinda creep, kinda creepy. There was kind

Wide: it was Kind of suspicious. Well, because you paused- Yeah.

Peter: and has to do [00:09:00] with

Gary: you. It's gonna get, yeah, This is

gonna get flagged. Yeah. It's about that. Uh-

......we're not involved

in any kind of trade or whatever.

Yeah.

Um, so

Wide: you know, in,

Gary: in the

world

that we work in, specifically sports performance

Peter: and

Wide: training,

Gary: I think a

common

question or confusion that parents will often have around-

uh-

training is, is,

it, is it something that

children should

do?

Like s- r- and at what age

should they start?

Is it safe? You know, there's like a million,

Wide: different

Gary: things, right? So-

Peter: Yeah, what's the

most c- yeah. So what's the most common reason why a parent would

Wide: be

concerned that their kid is too young to train?

Gary: train? Yeah, and so I'm curious to know,

like, g- get your thoughts

on this, And I, I kinda know a little bit

'cause my, my k-

pr- kids have trained

with you for a long period of time.

and we obviously work together

and we do this stuff, and

work with, we work with people of all

Peter: ages

Gary: here.

Um, but I think there is some confusion out there

around the, the safety

of it, whether it even matters. Does it matter?

Like, can, can

you have an eight-year-old lifting weights? Is it safe, and does that even help them Uh, in the world of sport, a very, like

[00:10:00] a sport-specific, um, or year-round sport involvement, like people are

playing one sport- instead of multiple

Wide: sports.

Yeah.

Gary: um, is that that You know, I, I think it's funny that

people think, "Oh,

Peter: my kid

Wide: playing

Gary: soccer, or baseball, hockey, whatever, year-round, no problem.

But

lifting a weight would be, like, the worst thing they could ever

Wide: do." Yeah.

You know? Yeah. And so I just

think Yeah ...there's some- some confusion

Gary: around

It so I, I... One, your general thoughts, you know, around, uh,

training for youth

athletes.

Wide: and

Gary: and

Peter: then maybe we

Gary: kinda go through, like, ranges,

like what should be done in

Wide: different

Gary: ranges.

So I, I broke it

down,

you know, five

Wide: eight, eight to

Peter: 11, 12

Gary: and then, like, 15 And older. Okay. You might have different- ranges for that. For sure, yeah. Um,

of, like, what, what is... what,

should they be doing during that What's the focus during those stages? So- ...let's

start with

just what are your general thoughts.

Should

Wide: youth,

uh, children in

general, they

don't

even have to

Gary: be athletes, you

Wide: they don't play a sport- What If we touch upon the

reasons

Peter: why doctors or

Maybe we touch upon the

reasons why doctors or parents would caution their

starting- Yeah ... too [00:11:00] young.

Gary: Yeah. like what, what

Wide: the

common reasons

Gary: why people say

Peter: not

to? Yeah, and so y- like

most

of these

Wide: things, it stems from

Peter: a,

Wide: somewhat

Peter: of

valid point.

Like, so the, the

most,

the common one that I hear is, "Will this stunt my

child's

growth?"

Gary: Yeah.

Wide: That's weird. " Will

Peter: my child

stop growing?" What? Where's that come from? Because they

weight train

Wide: train

Peter: So

Wide: comes

Peter: a valid reason

that

Wide: if

you

Peter: catastrophically

fracture like a j- like

a growth

plate

that is close to a joint, like, so, like, in your

tibia,

for instance, right? If you fracture it,

Wide: then you will- The shin

bone ... you... Shin, excuse

Peter: I, said tibia.

Wide: You will s- You will stop growing in that bone, right?

Yeah. So

Peter: like- You

could

so I'm

sure

Wide: there's been a

few

Peter: cases

Wide: in which a kid was training

Peter: really

poorly- Mm-hmm

Wide: and some

moron

Peter: coach caused

Wide: them to do something that they

Peter: should

just not have

done.

Yeah. And

they got a stress

fracture through their growth plate in

one of

their leg

Wide: bones, and the

Peter: kid

stopped growing.

Gary: Yeah.

Peter: And then that [00:12:00] probably

caught n- like, that probably caught

Wide: the news cycle or something

happened that that got into

the general g- zeitgeist

Peter: of the public,

Wide: and then

Peter: that was infinitum forever.

that

that's my guess. I

Wide: want to know the true story. And then

Gary: every

doctor in the world was

Wide: like- And every doctor in the world...

And the same thing

Peter: with,

Like hormone

health for women. The, like, we had the study that showed the thing. Yeah.

Wide: Yeah ... But the data was

Peter: It got into all the news cycles.

The

Wide: fear began.

Peter: Hormones

cause cancer.

Yeah.

Doctors don't prescribe right? It's the same

shit-

Wide: Right

without any

Peter: logic to it. All it takes is,

It takes one. It

Wide: Takes the

Peter: one thing.

Yeah. And so

Wide: my guess is

Peter: that's the case. The reality

is, is

that

Wide: training, regardless of age, when done

Peter: appropriately, that, will not cause

Wide: injury,

Peter: has absolutely nothing

Wide: to

Peter: stunting your growth.

Right. What has to do with your growth is your

genetics and your

your nutrition. If you're getting enough nutrition and you have The potential to be tall, just look at your parents. Whatever that soup

mixture

is plus

Wide: nutrition, that equals your height, and that's

Peter: kind of the end of

it.

There's not many more variables

Wide: that go into

that.

Gary: that

Yeah.

Wide: I think it's worth [00:13:00]

Gary: discussing the growth plate a little bit, 'cause I don't think people really even know what that is. I see. They hear it. Yeah. you know, they're just like, "Oh,

Peter: the growth plate."

Gary: wanna- It

sounds like

Wide: there's

Peter: Yeah, sure. Do

you want to describe

Gary: There's...

Wide: You can't? You

want me

Peter: try?

You want to

Wide: try? Okay. I probably

should.

Gary: I'm the

smarter of

Wide: two. That's true. You know what I mean? Yeah, you give

Peter: it a

go. Right.

Wide: Yeah, yeah. I'll fumble the words.

Gary: That's what people say. That's true. That's what I'm

Peter: around. You're the

Wide: brains of the organization.

That's,

Gary: to your operation. that's That's the, that's the w- the word on

the

Peter: on the street- Yep Is

Gary: that I'm the brains.

Peter: it... Well, I mean, it

Wide: tracks, right? And you're, you are just the brawn. I'm just the stupid meathead dummy. Yeah. Meathead dummy. Yeah.

Gary: Yeah. I, I'll give my best

version, and then you can

fill in the blanks

Wide: maybe. Okay.

Gary: So our long

bones-

Mm-hmm ... so the bones like our femur, our tibia- Mm-hmm ... our humerus, so our thigh bone, our shin bone, our Arm bones ... like the long, the bones

that form most

of our

Wide: limbs. Yeah. at

the

Gary: ends of those bones, there's a

section of the bone that stays

not ossified, meaning it's not bone, like hard bone.

Peter: not closed yet.

Gary: Until you get to a

certain age, yeah. So it stays open. It's kinda spongy. Mm-hmm. It's still bone. Mm-hmm ... but it hasn't

[00:14:00] fully

formed into solid bone that will never,

uh, lengthen

Wide: again.

Peter: like your adult bones, like us.

Gary: Correct.

all those bones-

Wide: we will not- like

Peter: our growth plates are

Gary: they're completely full of- Yeah ... full bone. Yeah. Whereas when we're younger,

that section at the very

end

of the bones stays as sp- spongy material

because it continues to lengthen. That's where It's allowed to, to

Wide: Imagine... I almost think of it as like, you know like you, if you

Peter: watch those nature documentaries where, you

know, volcanoes are under the water, and like you see like the, the magma- coming up from the ground? It's kinda like

that, right? Like as like-

Who said, who said,

you were dumb?

Gary: As, As, the

Peter: as, the lava is

coming out,

you slowly see the rock

forming. Yeah. It's kinda

Wide: same

Peter: Yeah. Right? Bone literally grows from that plate-

Yeah, absolutely ...and it causes outward growth,

and then- so that's

the

lengthening

Gary: And so that's what

Peter: Is there anything that would

Gary: disrupt that?

so if

you

Peter: were to get any kind of disruption

Gary: to essentially

Wide: blood

Gary: flow

that, so if you fracture it, obviously that, that, changes its ability to do what you just described. If you

artificially

increase

or decrease blood flow to that area-

you can

also have an effect. It would

Peter: have to be

Gary: [00:15:00] sustained over

Wide: time. Yeah. It's I think, one

misconception in our

world is, "Don't do anything

Gary: near a

growth

plate," like an ultrasound or something. That one time is gonna screw the kid up, where it's

like, are you serious? You think, like, a little

bit of blood flow to a growth plate one time is gonna be... But

Peter: anyway,

Gary: so so anything that can artificially increase or, you

know, or decrease blood

flow to the area for

Wide: su- sustained period of time

Gary: or anything that disrupts the actual-

that part of the

Wide: thing.

Yeah ... can then af-

Gary: you know, affect or, you

know, the growth of the

bone. And so catastrophic injury is one

thing, but there is

little bit of

if you, and this is more of a

question for you-

If you overload training at

a young

age- Mm-hmm ......because

many of

Wide: our

tendons,

the ends

Gary: of our, like,

you know,

our muscles form

tendons, the tendons as- attach to the

Wide: bone.

Peter: And that's what what moves the

Gary: bone. and

that's what moves the bone. A lot of

our tendons will attach

towards the end of the bone near

growth plates or, and/or

the

Wide: plate.

Mm-hmm.

Gary: and so we've, you

Peter: you,

Gary: your kids may have had something like, uh, something called an

apophysitis, like a, like a [00:16:00] Sever's disease or Osgood-Schlatter's disease- Yeah or

these things that

Peter: It's essentially

Wide: an issue

with

Peter: the tendon attachment site. The

Gary: tendon pulling

Peter: away

from

the- It's from the- It's pulling too hard ... it's

Gary: pulling too hard, it's pulling too hard and it's pulling away from the

spongy part

of the bone.

Yep. Uh, because, 'cause it can't,

Wide: or even in, like,

Gary: Little

league elbow- Mm-hmm

uh, with the, like with the ligament that is like the Tommy John ligament. Yeah. it like attaches at or near like a growth plate. Yeah. and

so oftentimes in those

Wide: athletes Yeah, you can send growth

in that arm, right?

Gary: not growth plate out, right? Yeah,

like the- li- the ligament

itself doesn't tear

for those kids, but they, they tear it away from the growth plate because it's spongy. But anyway, is, is there

Wide: case to be made

against

Gary: or some thought to put into the type of load that you put on a

younger

skeleton?

Wide: Yeah. Because

Gary: because of that,

it's not

Wide: just- ... with youth specifically? it's not

just, that they

Gary: were doing a deadlift

and like fractured their

Peter: tibia-

Wide: or whatever,

Gary: like just using that

Wide: It's

usually because

of explosive movements,

Peter: like really unsafe

training environments where there's

Wide: explosive movements,

Peter: there's so much force- Yeah ... being put through the bone that causes that. But you're

talking about something else that there's

Wide: maybe

Peter: too much [00:17:00] prolonged load across

Wide: tendon.

Gary: I'm wondering. I'm curious. I don't know what

your, your

general thoughts are. You think that, is that a concern? Is that something we factor in when we train like our athletes Is it- Yeah,

Wide: so-

Peter: Yeah.

Wide: Yeah ... let's see

Peter: that's interesting.

Wide: I guess I don't have... Like, I don't know that that's a thing. it might

be. Yeah,

Peter: it might be. I don't have the current knowledge on it-

Wide: Yeah

right, in

Peter: to know if

if that's the

Wide: the case. I don't

Peter: know of any

Wide: situations in

which,

Peter: l-

Wide: w- in which

Peter: and load is properly distributed so that over time

the kid is gaining a natural... Like, look,

when

Wide: you train your body, you

train your tendons. They start at a

very weakened

state

Peter: comparatively to over time.

Wide: your tendons get stronger and thicker and have more strength in

the same way that your muscles and bones do.

Mm-hmm. So

Peter: in a, in an

appropriate

progressive overload?

program that starts at the bottom, meets them

where they're at,

and then slowly progresses them at the rate

Wide: at which

Peter: their body is naturally developing, which requires an

very,

like, specific approach to that particular

kid,

Wide: then that to. me has always been very safe.

Yeah.

Peter: I don't, I don't know a

[00:18:00] situation in which,

Wide: um, a safe,

Peter: progressive program

causes

Wide: these problems. you could see it in

maybe an untrained coach or

somebody who's too aggressive or

doesn't understand

Peter: progression in that, in that way,

and

Wide: then you But that's,

Peter: that's just

Wide: asking for injury in many

more ways than just

that, right?

Peter: Yeah. You

Wide: can, like,

Peter: You

can really, like, injure a back

doing

like that, or you can, like,

Wide: know, get

dislocations in areas if you

Peter: don't know how to

control your body.

So, um, I don't

Wide: know that there's much

Peter: to that argument,

and to be honest, I haven't

Wide: even heard that one. Yeah. Is that something

you've heard?

Peter: I

just make shit up. Oh, okay.

Wide: Yeah.

Peter: you You're just

you're just hypothesizing.

Gary: No, I just, I

know, like I know

that that's a weak spot. I know that's

where the tendons attach to. And

I know things like,

s- you

know, the

things that we mentioned,

Wide: Sjogren's syndrome, exercise- ...

Gary: but those typically

occur, like you said, in explosive- movements. Mm-hmm. Running,

jumping- Yeah ... throwing a ball-

Wide: Yeah ...like,

Peter: whatever.

Gary: But I was wondering out loud-

Wide: much load. Yeah. Yeah, if

Gary: you were to go with

too much load.

But it was also my

way of

just trying to get you to say progressive overload.

Wide: knew it? was coming? Yeah. Yeah,

I was just

Gary: like, "How do I get him to like, say

Wide: it?"

It's like a drinking

game.

Peter: drinking game. How

Wide: [00:19:00] many times will Peter

Peter: say progressive overload? How many

Gary: I

get Peter to say progressive overload? But I think that's,

like, an important, so I would like you to expand upon, like, what that even means. So we talk

about it

Wide: like

it's

Gary: just, like, common knowledge, but for people who are listening- to us or trying to learn how to maybe

make sure that their kids are

being trained

the right way, or

maybe they're training their own kids and they have- a gym basement or something, like, what is

progressive overload? 'Cause I think that's

the

key, right?

Wide: I think

Gary: if the

kid starts at like, a young age, it's fine.

Um, but it should be lo- like,

s- like, load appropriate- meaning, like, they're lifting the weights that

they can manage safely, and then there's, like, a gradual,

this, like-

gradual progression. Yeah, so- So what is

the concept of progressive

Wide: overload?

Peter: Yeah, so let's say you started- Which is

something I never

Gary: thought I'd actually

ask

you to explain.

I'm

Wide: actually- Yeah, you should be ashamed of

Gary: Sandy. I'm actually really

Wide: disappointed

Peter: right

Gary: feel a fraud. This is

awful.

Peter: progressive overload?

And

Wide: So- How many times have you made fun of

Peter: fun of me- Yeah ... for

Wide: trying

Peter: to

Gary: I know.

Peter: overload? I know. I might just,

Gary: like,

quit

the show after this. but

here we go.

Peter, please explain

the concept of progressive overload as it

pertains especially

the youth

athlete.

Wide: Yeah, so

it just means that-

Peter: So let's say you

start day one

on training,

and

Wide: then

Peter: [00:20:00] now you have a

plan for the next three months that you

Wide: wanna train this

Peter: young athlete to get ready for

the start of the season.

Wide: Um, you're trying to improve strength.

Peter: You're trying to

improve

their conditioning, their

ability to continue to do work over time.

Um, you're trying to improve their

Wide: tendon strength.

Peter: you're trying to improve their overall fitness explosiveness. There

Wide: There are a

Peter: lot of metrics

that

Wide: you can intentionally target when

Peter: train anybody, especially a young

athlete,

and oftentimes

they're skill-based

Wide: in the beginning because they don't know how to do? anything

yet.

Peter: So the amount of load that

Wide: putting across a young

athlete

that is

Peter: unex- that is

Wide: inexperienced

Peter: is very minimal, and it's mostly

Wide: just

Peter: and

you're trying to, like,

nail their technique.

Wide: Can you do this thing

perfectly

Peter: before I, start to put extra resistance across it? Because otherwise, if they're

not tech-

Wide: if their

technique Is not perfect, then you're- just asking them to get injured, right?

Right.

Peter: So

A, Is

their technique perfect? that

Wide: takes some time.

Peter: that

takes, like, maybe that

takes few

Wide: weeks to a

month to even get them to the

Peter: where they can start, like using

Wide: resistance safely, okay? Mm. Um, and [00:21:00] then

Peter: now, okay, so now,

we're starting to challenge the body. We're challenging the bones, the ligaments, tendons, stuff like, That Uh, well, what's your

strength level today

with perfect

technique,

Wide: and how many reps

can

you do? Let's say we're

Peter: shooting

for 10 at 20 pounds of,

like, a bench press, whatever it may be, just a random thing, okay?

time,

can you do

Wide: 22

Peter: pounds for

Wide: 10 reps

Peter: with perfect

technique? If

Wide: you can, then that means you got

Peter: stronger, right?

But see, notice how, like, I literally only put a very small amount

of weight

onto the one previously, and I waited

a whole

week. Yeah. Well, that, that is, like,

bare minimum requirement to,

like, ask out of the body. Okay,

fine, you can do it. If I asked

him to do five pounds,

then that's

Wide: probably gonna be way too much.

Their technique

Peter: is

probably going

to, like, you

Wide: know,

Peter: like- Yeah ...be impaired. So

Wide: just saying, "What is the

smallest amount

Peter: of load or variable that

I can ask

Wide: to increase the next time- Mm ...in

order to have a training effect,"

Peter: right?

Yeah. If

it's the [00:22:00] same, then no will have

taken place because your body's used to

that.

Right.

Wide: Right. If It's too much, then you're asking for injury or burnout.

And so the,

Peter: the, the magic is with progressive overload, is finding the smallest variable that you

Wide: can increase slowly,

systematically over time

Peter: so that the

Wide: body has the ability

Peter: adapt because the

body adapts a, lot slower

than what we'd like

Gary: Right. It goes the other way

very

Wide: fast

Peter: What's

that?

Gary: It gets weaker very

Wide: fast. Oh.

Gary: gets weaker A lot

faster than it gets

stronger.

Peter: something that we are

Gary: I'm like an expert

at that, yeah. I I like progress- like a

Wide: Regressive overload. I

Peter: overload. a regressive...

Wide: I'm

an expert at regressive.

is that what you're... learning- Let me tell you, Joey

at your current training style? My current training

Gary: is... Actually, I've been

training quite well. Um, but yes, uh, regressive overload is something a lot of people experience. You take, like a week off-

Peter: It's

Gary: and you're just like, "What happened to all

Peter: my

Wide: Do you even lift, bro? Yeah,

Gary: it's like, "What happened?" Yeah. "Where'd all my

muscles

go?" Uh, so good. That was

a perfect... That was a good

explanation of that, and I think that's

an important

concept to understand for people who [00:23:00] are training kids or for parents to make sure that they're watching the

Peter: training- Go slow of their kid.

Gary: Go slow. It's go slow, move slowly. There's no rush

when, they're, especially

when they're younger.

Um,

Peter: you know.

Think

Wide: And even over years. They're

Peter: They're a kid ... like pay

Gary: attention

to what your trainer is doing. You bring your... A lot

of people are bringing their

kids to places, right? They're just part of like maybe they're a baseball player and they go to this baseball

facility where they hit and they throw, But then there's also a piece of it that's,

like,

strength and conditioning, and they get thrown into this group, and they're doing a whole

bunch of stuff, and you look over, and you're like, "Okay, I may not

be an expert, but that doesn't

look like

really good

Wide: for a,

squat."

Very terrible

technique.

Gary: Yeah, horrible technique. Right, like a deadlift where they're all hunched over or something. It's like, you know- know enough to

know that

these

Wide: things need

Gary: be true, is that the technique comes first. Like you have to be doing it safely. the weight doesn't really matter, and then you gradually add

some weight, and then

you gradually add more weight

and so on and so forth.

But

the technique always has to be perfect- and,

or else

you're not ready to Go up in weight. No. You know? And I think the other

side of that is true, too, in the sense that

Wide: it...

Gary: you're doing, say, a

five-pound bench

press and you can do 30 of

Peter: them,

Gary: you're

probably doing

Wide: nothing. It's too light.

Gary: It's too light.

It's too light. [00:24:00] There is such... There is the other side of

Wide: to

Gary: It's

Wide: It's

Peter: It's

Gary: just err on

the side of like make

everything super light because the technique is perfect. It has to be... If your, if your desired

effect is to get stronger- Yeah ... and to have a training effect, then you need to find a,

a, like a weight that's appropriate where you're fatiguing towards the end without

Peter: losing, You know, So the

expertise of a tra-

form ... this is, I think, where a lot of people

get this wrong, is the expertise of a trainer is not what are the exercises

Wide: that he's making me perform. It's what is the specific variables

that. he's tweaking to

make

sure that I'm doing it

safely and

Peter: hard enough to get the training

effect. Because you're absolutely right. You see it all the time.

you are afraid to ask somebody to push

themselves harder than what

they're comfortable.

Wide: Mm-hmm. And then

Peter: now you're just not giving them enough. they're kinda just

Wide: going through the motions, and

Peter: that's Just- as

bad as not... as

Wide: doing

Peter: too much, right?

it's

finding that nice Goldilocks zone where you can train somebody where they're getting the most out of

it. That's the skill. That's

Wide: the

Peter: experience. The

exercises, I

I mean, you can ask ChatGPT to come up with a program

Wide: 80%

Peter: of the way there. Right,[00:25:00]

Gary: Which I

Peter: do.

What's

that? Which I do.

Wide: the time. Yeah ... Yeah. it's my style.

Gary: Uh, is there any difference between training a

Peter: youth

Gary: male athlete

and a youth

female athlete? Um-

Wide: Um- Meaning like, you know,

Peter: again, we're

Gary: talking like let's go

15.

Peter: Yeah,

Wide: maybe let's- You know, that sort of

range. Yeah.

Peter: Yeah. So

maybe let's go a little bit more general. So

like, so like if you start your kid

training at

five, it should look like play.

Like that's like just like

Wide: you're just playing.

Like-

Gary: All right, so let's, so let's back up for a second. Let's go

Peter: through the

Wide: ranges. Just- 'Cause I

kinda

Gary: broke

the, the ranges. so so five to eight, I basically wrote that. play/move.

Wide: It's just play. Right. like just Jesus Christ,

like, like, and honestly,

Peter: y- you

Wide: don't even need to like send your kid

Peter: to a class.

Just play with them.

Like- Yeah ... like be

Wide: a person

Peter: yourself that's active

enough that you can play with

your kid. Right Right?

Go in the backyard, kick the ball, do the thing. Just

move their bodies. That,

they're still growing and

Wide: and developing. That's, there's no real reason

Peter: why

necessarily they need to picking up a barbell-

Right

Wide: doing weights.

Gary: I

think if

like there

is something

at a very young age, I remember even before the

age of five,

I remember signing our

kids

up for like, [00:26:00] gymnastics. Mm. like the little kid t- you

Wide: on

top

Gary: which was just a way

to get out of the house

a little bit. You know, you play with your kids but it's still nice to get out and meet

other

families and do whatever.

So if you're gonna sign up for

anything

at like the

really early age- Mm-hmm ... that's, like, a good one because that's all

Wide: Gymnastics is awesome on this level ... essentially they do.

Gary: they just, kinda tumble and they,

Wide: climb and they do- That's

actually a

Peter: a strength-based

play. Yeah. Yeah. I

love that. That's a

great

Strength, gymnastics is probably a

perfect way to

train a

small

Wide: Yeah.

Gary: You know, my kids started

playing hockey at,

Wide: three and a

Gary: half, four years

Wide: old.

Peter: Yeah,

totally. Yeah. With their brother.

Gary: Horrible parenting.

Wide: Really? Horrible parents, I know. And that, and that's- Get to work, son ...

Gary: works out ... in that sport, you basically, that's what you have... to-- I

mean, when I say play hockey, I mean

they're learning to skate- Yeah

and

Wide: then- be

Peter: put on skates sort of

the other thing.

Gary: Yeah.

like- At that age, so. So

in that five, you

know, that, what's, let's call it

four to seven or

eight, it's- Yeah

Peter: it's

Wide: kinda mostly just you don't need- playing ...

Gary: don't need to involve a lot of

weights.

Like,

you

Peter: need to, they're just- No, at all ...

Gary: they can

play sports, obviously.

Most- Yeah ... most

kids at that age are

doing some soccer

or maybe they're starting some base,

you know, T-ball

Peter: it is

Gary: weights-

Wide: yeah ... it's not to say, you can't- Yeah ... but if it is weights, it's mostly

technique. Yeah. It's just, like, [00:27:00] really

Peter: light, like, bars that mimic the

real

thing- Yeah

Wide: just

to get

you doing the

Peter: thing. And if a kid,

Wide: if

a kid is, like intellectually and physically capable to actually,

Peter: take your instruction, okay, great.

Wide: I

mean,

Peter: that's awesome. Yeah. That's cool. It's just

Wide: generally speaking

Peter: during that age, those

kids

not capable of that, nor do they want to

Gary: Right. and I

Wide: think there's probably,

Gary: I don't know, maybe the, maybe I'm not accurate too. There's probably a little bit of a

limited upside to even doing the weight training at that age- ...in- terms of, like, their bodies aren't quite

Peter: ready- They're not, they're getting

Wide: this stuff, hor- hormonally-

Peter: hormonally or whatever.

So they, like,

Gary: learning,

Wide: so, in the

next stage, that

Peter: It's just- ... to, like,

Gary: 11 stage-

I kind of put it as,

like, the learning stage-

which is, like,

really focusing then on, like,

the technique. So if you're gonna,

Wide: if you think your kid's gonna wanna- Because a kid around that age can say, "Hey, I'd

like to do this." Yeah. Right? Yeah. "

Peter: Oh, let go try what my big

brother's

Wide: it." Right.

Peter: like to do it."

Wide: I've trained kids at that age. Yeah.

Peter: Yeah.

I'll always tell parents,

at that age, I'm not even interested

Wide: in entertaining training your kid unless

Peter: they are

the ones that are,

like, being like, "I'd like to

do it."

I wanna do it, yeah. Because otherwise I'm just babysitting. Yeah. They don't give a shit.

Wide: what are we doing? Right. Like, let's, let's

make sure that [00:28:00]

Peter: you at that

Wide: age

know

Peter: that you wanna

do it. Yeah. Okay, great. Awesome.

And then I'll show you the

Wide: techniques. Let's not be

mistaken,

Peter: until your

hormones kick

Wide: in- Right

you're generally not getting a ton stronger or gaining

muscle

Peter: mass.

Right. You're

Wide: definitely gonna get some benefit, but the vast majority of the physiologic benefits happen once you've started to. go through puberty.

Peter: Right. And I think that, like,

Wide: 8 to 11-ish range-

Is a great range to

start

Gary: working with somebody if you think your kid is gonna be interested in

Peter: Definitely. Or maybe

Wide: kid's an

Peter: athlete- Yep ... and you

Gary: think it. might be

something that they take seriously. Because learning the technique during that like, s- a couple of years- Mm-hmm ... like learning

a proper, maybe it's

like a deadlift te-

technique, but you're doing it with, obviously just

Wide: working on hinging. Yeah,

Gary: like, like The idea of hinging,

not with, like, weights. Mm-hmm. Um, you're

learning how to hinge

properly, or you're

learning how, like what a lunge

would

look like or a squat,

Wide: and you're learning- You're gaining skill

you- you're gaining the

Gary: skill

Peter: Yep ... of the

Wide: movement. Yeah ... That's a really

Gary: valuable

age to learn.

Like, your motor skills are- developing, and you can,

like really learn

Wide: gaining a mastery and a control

Peter: of your

body. [00:29:00] Right. You're like, it's almost like-

Wide: you wait

Gary: too long for that-

Yeah ... then that can be hard to catch

Peter: to I

agree. Yeah. So

it's like, it's like driving a car. There's a skill to

driving a car. You have this

Wide: machine,

Peter: and you have to learn to drive, and there's a lot of techniques and buttons

and ways and the, feel

of the car.

the same

Wide: as the

body

If you don't practice moving

Peter: the

body in athletic ways, then you just, like you had said, you miss

out on

that kind of window early

Wide: on- Yeah

when

Peter: body and your brain developing

rapidly.

Wide: Now, like, and then that's the thing is you get confused. It's like, "Well, I'm not getting bigger

and stronger." Yeah, because your body's not ready

Peter: yet, but you're getting a shortcut,

that

if technique is on

board when

that,

process starts

to happen,

Wide: right- Yeah between, like, 13

and, like, you know, 16 maybe sometimes,

Peter: Boy, it's a shortcut- because now

you know how to do all this stuff.

Well,

now

Wide: you can like, rapidly progress compared

Peter: to if You had never had that training.

Gary: Right. And

Wide: so

Peter: that then

Wide: then takes us into

Gary: next stage at 12 to 14, 15, puberty starts to happen- hormonal change start

happen, and that's sort of the build stage. That's when you can really start

to,

like, take

Peter: really start to, like, see what- That's the magic.

Wide: It's- That's so fun. Yeah. But kid- you can

Peter: get hooked so

fast if your

Wide: body [00:30:00] responds the

way that it typically does, especially,

and and maybe we'll

Peter: how this is different for a boy and a girl.

Yeah. but at that

Wide: age, this is, like-

the magic

Peter: time when

your body will

Wide: never put on muscle

Peter: mass and strength faster than this again.

Gary: Yeah,

Wide: I

missed that window. Even If you just-

you

Peter: just

Gary: have been paying

Peter: She's not paying attention ... if you missed that, like, 13

Wide: through 18-year-old

Peter: window,

Wide: you can, you

Peter: can

do it.

You can

tr- obviously we do it the time,

Wide: we train

Peter: when we're later, but, like, you can put on so much

potential at this stage, um,

that I

think that it's a travesty

if you miss

Wide: especially if

Peter: you're, like an

athlete that cares about your sport and cares about being good.

Wide: Right. you

Peter: must, you must do

this level of

training when your body starts to go through

Wide: that window.

And

Gary: And so that stage

Wide: we

Gary: really start to add in the

weight. So we protect, but so we moved- Yeah ... we build athletic movements, then we

learned all the

technique

in the, in that

second stage, and now, now that we know, that technique and we understand our body and we have control over

Peter: it Yeah

Gary: Yeah we can

now start to add in,

like the,

Wide: Yeah

like- weight, the load- Because your

Peter: body

Gary: strength. Because your body starts to respond ... Right, our body's ready

Peter: for it, you start to respond

Wide: with building

strength and muscle

Peter: mass at a rate

that [00:31:00] was impossible before. Yeah, Right? And you're growing and gaining weight, and you're gaining competence,

and your mind is maturing,

and you care a lot more about it, right?

right? There's

lots of things going on that will allow you to benefit

at this stage, for sure. Right.

Gary: and

then the last stage I

have is, like, after that, 15 plus basically it's like,

that performance

stage. This is when you're really, like, at that point,

if you're

still playing a sport, you, you obviously take it seriously or, you know, maybe, you know, you've at

Peter: least achieved that you

Gary: you stayed with it long enough

to be a 15-year-old playing, you're probably in high

Wide: school. Mm-hmm. You're,

Gary: um, you know, whatever, and so now you start

to focus on maybe some sport specific performance or just general performance. You

really kind of take it to like the next level. You- Yeah.

You, continue to build, the build never really end. You

can continue to like, you know, work on,

Wide: strength training and stuff, but

Gary: maybe you're doing a little bit more

Wide: the- Yeah,

Peter: this is when- Yeah

kids start to think about the

future- Yeah ... and then playing beyond high school. Right. Right? Or they

Wide: just wanna be the best

that they can be

Peter: through their athletic

career in high school,

Gary: in high school, right?

Peter: Yeah.

Wide: Um,

and, and then

Peter: of course at this

I start to talk to k-

Wide: to

Peter: kids about,

Wide: like,

Peter: from a

Wide: perspective [00:32:00] too,

Peter: like once they

get out of high school, if

they're not doing it in college, like this is a skill for life, right?

Like you're gonna find yourself

Wide: in your 40s someday,

and if

you have continued this

Peter: through high school and into your 20s and 30s, You will have

Wide: benefited so

tremendously than if you were somebody that

Peter: to pick it back

up in your 40s, right?

Right. so

I think that's Like you the

Gary: other day trying to be athletic

again.

Peter: What did

Wide: I try and do ? I, uh-

Gary: remember you realized that like all of a

sudden you

felt like you were losing a little bit of, your

Wide: athleticism? so frustrating. And

Gary: then I saw you like in the gym one day just like doing

Wide: fast-

Hopping around ... like, stance hopping

Gary: around.

Be like, "Wait a minute."

Peter: a minute. And I

Wide: Be like, "Wait

Peter: it is?

Gary: feel how slow it is. Yeah.

Peter: It's so bad. It's not good. Yeah, you

Wide: gotta train that power, man. Yeah, you know, it goes

Peter: quick?

Gary: I

Wide: quick. Like you said, the, the, uh,

Gary: progress- the regressive overload

happens very quick.

Peter: to All of us. Yeah.

Wide: If you don't do it, you

lose it

Peter: very quickly. Yeah. You see that- So, like, that stage is just about building on what you

started-

Wide: Yeah. continuing to refine. You won't grow

Peter: quick as

Wide: what you did- Yeah ... you know, three years

ago, but you continue to see progress.

Peter: know. Like,

that

Wide: can happen through your, your teens and into early 20s. And if you've been [00:33:00] consistent, now like you get a really good base I guess to stay with you

Peter: for the rest of your life as long

Wide: as you're on some level of

maintenance

program, you know?

Right.

Gary: So let's circle

back

now that

we kinda covered

those stages, and say like

Wide: so

Gary: at

what

stage would there potentially be

a difference with the way that we train male versus

Wide: female? Hmm.

Gary: Or is there? Is It, just kind of always the same? Yeah, so- Or what

Peter: so- Or what factors

might we

Gary: wanna

think about if

we're training,

Wide: you know- It's interesting

a different gender Yeah. So

Peter: it it has to do with weight. So boys can

Wide: put on

so much more muscle

mass than girls can, um, just as

Peter: a part of being a boy, plus

like,

Wide: much more

testosterone, right? Yeah. And So your potential

for

muscle mass, and

Peter: strength is far higher

Wide: than, than if

Peter: a boy at that stage.

Wide: So-

Peter: Okay.

Wide: Yeah ...

Peter: than

if you're a girl, right? Yeah. So,

Wide: Yeah ...

Peter: so then the reality is y- the strategy's different. So a boy could, who has a great, like, a

Wide: genetic potential to

put on

Peter: muscle

mass, could

realistically,

like,

Wide: gain 20 pounds that year. Like,

Peter: he could, like,

Wide: have

Peter: crazy growth spurt, grow in

Wide: height and weight,

Peter: fill out,

Wide: you know, between,

like, you [00:34:00] know, 15, 16, 16, 17.

You gain a ton of weight and muscle mass, and you still get to

stay fairly lean, and that's important because

Peter: for athletic performance, you wanna have a sweet spot of, of body composition where you're not so

lean that

it's detrimental, but you're

not

overly fat so that, that

Wide: It weighs you

Peter: down. So this is a nice athletic

sweet spot, right?

Wide: And if you can gain

Peter: 20 pounds of mostly muscle mass, that's a

Wide: big deal. Guess who

Peter: do that?

Wide: Girls. Like, just

Peter: generally speaking- Yeah. you have to be the outlier

outlier female

Wide: in order to gain that much muscle mass. So we

Peter: think on average, a, a, a girl

Wide: is not gonna even

Peter: come close to that.

Maybe

it's

four

Wide: pounds of

Peter: mass, four to five pounds of muscle

Wide: mass that first year with really good training.

Peter: Well, that- determines how much

Wide: weight you can gain, right? So

Peter: again, if you're trying

to optimize,

you're trying to stay athletic

Wide: and lean and fit

and strong, then you have to just understand that that is gonna be... Like, you're maybe, like, gonna

Peter: gain, like, five

Wide: pounds at most in the next year during your growth.

Yeah. and that's okay. That's just a

Peter: a part

of it, right? Yeah. You train them the same.

Wide: That

Gary: could be like super annoying [00:35:00]

Wide: them. It is. Like, as

Gary: they

watch,

like their male

counterparts,

Peter: It is what it is, man ...

Wide: on like-

I didn't make the rules, unfortunately ... yeah. But

Peter: train

them the

Wide: same. Yeah. You

Peter: really... like it's, there's no difference. It,

just because you're a girl

versus a boy doesn't

Wide: mean you have to train differently.

Peter: Each body is their

Wide: own. The gender of

the person doesn't dictate the

training. Yeah. The individual

Peter: Where are you tight?

Wide: are you strong? Where are you weak? Let's work on these things.

What is your sport? You can dial

in training to match the sport of choice

or just

Peter: your overall goals.

Yeah. But the gender, I

have found is largely

useless in determining training.

Wide: I'd say

in,

Gary: y- I think for most people, especially in the world we live in now where kids are becoming more and more sedentary- Mm-hmm

like getting your kids involved

in s- something-

Yeah ... you

Wide: is

Peter: Ever more important ... super valid.

Gary: It's so

much

Wide: important. And- you're giving them an education as to how to use and

move their

Peter: body.

Gary: And unfortunately, like kids just don't really "Go out in the neighborhood and play anymore like

they used to.

It's not like- It's just not the

Wide: it goes. No,

Peter: Yeah, you gotta manufacture training.

Gary: unfortunately, you're, you either need to do it with them or you

need to sign them up for something [00:36:00] or,

or whatever- 'cause

it's not

gonna happen otherwise.

Peter: the bodies start to deteriorate. Yeah. I

Gary: have noticed

that kids are

riding bikes a lot

Peter: more.

Wide: Like

Peter: e-bikes?

Wide: Yes ... That is a big difference.

Gary: is a big difference. It's so

Wide: I refuse.

Gary: It's so

Peter: annoying. My son

has begged

me- Yeah

Wide: me- Yeah ... so much. I Just

Gary: Yeah. I, every time I see

a kid on a bike Now

Yeah ...it's, a

freaking e-bike. They're

not even pedaling. Yeah, nobody's pedaling. Your

kids are basically

Wide: a motorcycle.

Correct. And- And

Peter: of them

are doing it without helmets on ...At 13-

Yes

30 miles an hour- Yes ...

you're an idiot. If you're

an idiot. If you let your kid do that. Like what are you doing? Sorry,

Wide: just-

Gary: see

kids all

Wide: time- ... I'm ranting ... on

Peter: on

Wide: roads now.

Peter: Especially a 14-year-old boy. Yes.

Wide: This is not a bike.

Yeah.

It's, it,

Peter: it's so

fascinating- It's a dirt bike ... to me that

Gary: these kids are out there on

these motorcycles. They're

on motorcycles driving around,

many of them

screwing around- Mm-hmm ... like,

Wide: it's just Now- ...okay. I'm like,

how is this

Peter: allowed? Sh- Like

Gary: how

is it we don't require a license-

Kids- ... to be over a certain miles per

Peter: Kids gonna die.

Right. and then ro- then rules are gonna have to

Wide: come into place.

Gary: Right. Oh,

you "

hate rules

Peter: But-

Gary: Why can't everyone just have

fun? be a person. Just

let me be, with the fun police. Like, [00:37:00] what...

Wide: Now you're playing

into my libertarian side.

Gary: Now, it's, oh Yeah. Now

all of a

sudden, yeah.

Wide: right? You

Gary: either

Wide: you either

Peter: Hey, I didn't say I

Wide: would get rid of rules ... you

Gary: either want

Peter: was a libertarian ... you either want rules for your jet ski

Gary: or

you don't. You can't

Peter: have it

for jet skis

and- not

Gary: for the

Wide: e-bikes. Have them

Gary: Yeah ... I

Peter: do. I think it's

Gary: crazy. I, I, I look at it all the time

like, "What are, what are

Wide: doing?"

I know. Like, you

Peter: It's like- But

more importantly, I'm

like, i-

Gary: if your kid wants

Wide: bike, make '

Gary: em ride a real bike. They all

need exercise.

Peter: Like

Wide: they need some exercise.

Peter: is the argument.

Evan, why don't...

Wide: This is my son. Why

Peter: you ride your bike?

"Because

I wanna ride, I wanna the other thing. Yeah, but like the

Wide: other

thing is way more dangerous, and You're not getting exercise." Yeah,

Peter: riding a bike

is boring. Yeah, good. Yeah. Go ride a

Wide: You want a dirt bike. Exactly. You basically want a

Peter: a dirt bike. Yeah, you want a

bike. Somehow we legalized like,

Gary: Yeah. dirt bikes and motorcycles for, for children.

Wide: Mm-hmm. It's

Gary: I can't b- I can't... Yeah. Anyway, so-

Peter: fa- in

fact, hold on. And then,

Wide: I'm kidding.

Peter: like I said, you

you know we

gotta go. Yeah.

Wide: Um, the

Peter: vast

majority of people who

ride bikes On the roads are now

Wide: e-bikes. Yes. [00:38:00] Like- Yes ... it's not

even

Peter: close. Every- It's very strange. Yeah.

It's sad.

Wide: Comfort is the

Peter: enemy of

progress.

Gary: Yeah.

Peter: We're

all declining.

Gary: We're very

Wide: Very quickly. yeah.

Gary: Yeah, when I see people do that, I'm

like, "Just

Wide: get in your

Peter: car."

Wide: I said, "What are you doing?" Just getting, you... What are you

Peter: doing?

Gary: What are you doing? You're not out for a bike ride.

Peter: You're- definitely not out for a

Gary: bike ride.

Like what are you

Wide: You're tricking

Peter: yourself Yeah, yeah. "Hey, what'd

Wide: you do today?" "Oh, I

Peter: went for a bike ride with the wife."

No, you didn't. "How long you went?"

Wide: No you didn't.

"Guess

Peter: didn't. We went two hours.

Gary: Yeah. You didn't do

Peter: anything.

Gary: anything.

Get some chips and sit

Wide: on the couch. 'Cause that's, you basically did this- Just- You did the same- Just accept the lifestyle you want

Gary: Yeah. You did the same thing.

Like, but I,

Peter: you

Wide: know, I'm not

Peter: here to judge,

Gary: but

that's just what

Wide: what I'd do.

I've

Peter: seen a

Wide: a dude smoking a butt- Ah,

that's great

Smoking-

On his e-bike ... Smoking a

Peter: butt- Out for a bike ride

Wide: And then...

Peter: Yeah.

Wide: Yeah.

Peter: Out for a bike

Gary: Not great. Okay. Anyway, well, I hope that, that episode was helpful. I know we get a lot of questions around that. Um,

I see hear

a lot of

people talk about it, and I know there's a lot

of misinformation

around it or fear sometimes around it.

And

Peter: be afraid- ...

Wide: Don't be afraid to train your

Peter: that clears it

to train your kid. If they wanna [00:39:00] do it,

Wide: encourage them to do

Peter: it, let them do it. Find

a lot of misinformation around it or fear sometimes around it

and- Don't be afraid to train your kid. If they wanna do it,

encourage them to do

it, let them do it. Find a qualified trainer- Yeah ... that knows what they're doing, knows how to

Wide: them, meet them

Peter: where they're at,

Wide: and

Peter: then hopefully

progress them into their athletic future.

Wide: future.

Gary: Perfect. We will end there. All

right.

See

Wide: See

Peter: See ya.

Wide: ya. See ya.