At some point, your young athlete is going to ask about getting stronger. Maybe they want to throw harder. Maybe they're getting pushed around on the field. Maybe they just saw an older kid doing push-ups and decided that's the move.
Your first instinct might be to pump the brakes. They're too young. They'll hurt themselves. Weights are for high schoolers.
Here's the thing: strength training for kids isn't dangerous. It's actually recommended by every major pediatric and sports medicine organization. The catch is that it needs to be age-appropriate, which means bodyweight exercises, light resistance, and a focus on movement quality over heavy loads.
The good news? Your kid doesn't need a gym membership or a rack of dumbbells to start building real strength. They need a little space, a few inexpensive tools, and about 15 minutes a couple times a week.
Why Strength Matters for Young Athletes
Strength isn't just about looking stronger or hitting harder. For young athletes, it's foundational.
Kids who build strength tend to move better. They're more coordinated. They're more resilient to the bumps, falls, and collisions that come with sports. They have better body control, which shows up in everything from balance to agility to the ability to change direction without falling over.
Strength training also helps prevent injuries. A lot of youth sports injuries come from muscles and joints that aren't ready to handle the demands of the sport. Stronger muscles support stronger joints. Stronger kids get hurt less.
And here's the part that surprises most parents: strength training doesn't stunt growth. That's a myth that's been thoroughly debunked. Appropriate resistance training is actually good for bone development.
The key word is "appropriate." We're not talking about maxing out on bench press. We're talking about controlled movements with bodyweight or light resistance, done with good form.
The Foundation: Bodyweight First
Before adding any equipment, your kid should be comfortable with basic bodyweight movements. These are the building blocks.
Push-ups (or modified push-ups from the knees) build upper body pushing strength. Focus on keeping the body in a straight line, going all the way down, and pushing all the way up. Five good push-ups beat twenty sloppy ones.
Squats build lower body strength and teach proper hip and knee mechanics. Feet about shoulder-width apart, weight in the heels, chest up, knees tracking over toes. Depth matters less than form.
Lunges build single-leg strength and balance. Forward lunges, reverse lunges, walking lunges. These expose weaknesses that squats can hide and translate directly to running and cutting.
Planks build core stability. A strong core is the foundation for everything else. Start with 20-30 seconds and build from there. No sagging hips, no piking up.
Glute bridges strengthen the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings), which is often underdeveloped in kids who sit a lot. Lying on the back, feet flat on the floor, push the hips up and squeeze at the top.
If your kid can do 10-15 solid reps of each of these with good form, they're ready to add some resistance.
Adding Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are perfect for young athletes. They're inexpensive, take up no space, and provide variable resistance that's easier on joints than free weights.
A basic set of loop resistance bands covers most needs. Different colors indicate different resistance levels, so your kid can progress from lighter to heavier as they get stronger.
A few band exercises that work well for young athletes:
Banded squats. Loop a band just above the knees. This forces the knees to push out against the resistance, which builds hip strength and teaches proper squat mechanics. It's a small change that makes a big difference.
Banded pull-aparts. Hold a band in front of the chest with both hands, arms extended. Pull the band apart by squeezing the shoulder blades together. This builds upper back strength, which helps posture and throwing power.
Banded rows. Anchor the band to something sturdy (a door anchor works great) or loop it around a pole. Pull the band toward the body, squeezing the back muscles. This builds pulling strength that balances out all the pushing.
Banded lateral walks. Loop a band around the ankles or just above the knees. Take small steps sideways, keeping tension on the band. This builds hip stability that's crucial for cutting and lateral movement.
For older or more advanced kids, long resistance bands with handles open up more exercise options like chest presses, overhead presses, and bicep curls. But the simple loop bands cover the basics for most young athletes.
Adding a Light Medicine Ball
Medicine balls are another great tool for kids because they combine strength with power and coordination. Unlike a dumbbell, a medicine ball can be thrown, slammed, and tossed, which makes training feel more like playing.
For kids, a light medicine ball in the 4-6 pound range is plenty to start. It's heavy enough to provide resistance but light enough that they can move it with speed and control.
A few medicine ball exercises young athletes love:
Chest passes. Stand facing a wall. Hold the ball at the chest and push it explosively into the wall. Catch the rebound and repeat. This builds upper body pushing power.
Overhead slams. Raise the ball overhead and slam it into the ground as hard as possible. Pick it up and repeat. This builds full-body power and is a great way to release some energy. You'll need a slam ball for this one, which is designed to absorb impact without bouncing back into your kid's face.
Rotational throws. Stand sideways to a wall. Rotate the torso and throw the ball into the wall using the hips and core. Catch and repeat. This builds rotational power that's essential for throwing, hitting, and swinging.
Squat to press. Hold the ball at the chest, squat down, then explode up and press the ball overhead. This combines lower body and upper body power in one movement.
Medicine ball work is fun and dynamic, which means kids actually want to do it. That's half the battle with any training program.
Building a Simple Routine
You don't need a complicated program. You need consistency.
Two to three sessions per week, 15-20 minutes each, is plenty for most young athletes. More than that and you're competing with their actual sport for recovery.
A simple structure:
Warm-up (2-3 minutes): Jumping jacks, high knees, arm circles. Get the blood moving.
Bodyweight circuit (5-7 minutes): Pick three movements (like push-ups, squats, and planks). Do 8-12 reps of each, rest briefly, repeat 2-3 times.
Resistance work (5-7 minutes): Pick two band exercises or two medicine ball exercises. Do 8-12 reps of each, rest briefly, repeat 2-3 times.
Cool down (2-3 minutes): Light stretching. Nothing fancy.
That's it. Simple, repeatable, and short enough that it doesn't feel like a chore.
What to Watch For
Form over everything. Sloppy reps build bad habits and increase injury risk. If your kid can't maintain good form, reduce the resistance or the reps. Quality matters more than quantity.
No maxing out. Kids shouldn't be testing their one-rep max or lifting to failure. The goal is to build strength gradually, not to see how much they can handle. Leave a few reps in the tank.
Listen to complaints. Some discomfort during exercise is normal (muscles working hard). Sharp pain, joint pain, or pain that persists after exercise is not normal. If something hurts in a bad way, stop and figure out why.
Keep it fun. The best training program is the one your kid will actually do. If they hate it, they won't stick with it. Make it short, make it varied, and celebrate progress.
The Long Game
Strength training for young athletes isn't about getting jacked. It's about building a foundation.
A kid who spends a few years doing bodyweight exercises, band work, and medicine ball throws will enter high school with better body control, more resilience, and a base of strength they can build on when they're ready for more serious training.
And they'll get all of that without ever stepping foot in a gym.
Fifteen minutes. A little space. A few inexpensive tools. That's all it takes to help your young athlete get stronger, move better, and stay healthier for the sports they love.
No gym required.
Ian Goldberg is the CEO of Signature Media and the Editor of the largest and fastest growing sports parenting newsletter. He's been recognized as an industry expert by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, the US Olympic Committee's Truesport, and the Aspen Institute's Project Play. Ian is also a suburban NJ sports dad of two teenage daughters and has over 2,000 hours of volunteer time coaching them (which he calls the most fun form of R&D for his newsletter content). Ian and his team provide players, coaches, parents and program directors with the articles and content they need to have a great sports season. Ian has spent most of his career in digital product development and marketing and got his start at the White House where he worked for the economic advisors to two US Presidents.
