This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
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This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
Strength Training for Kids & Building Lifelong Movement Skills
Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
1 hour 49 minutes
5 months ago
Strength Training for Kids & Building Lifelong Movement Skills
In this episode, I discuss the importance of exercise, specifically strength training, for kids. With growing concerns over childhood obesity, limited opportunities for physical activity in school, decreased outdoor playtime, and reduced sports participation, the lack of physical activity in children poses serious long-term risks to their physical and mental health. I address common myths and misconceptions about resistance training for kids and highlight the many cognitive, physical, and mental health benefits of regular physical activity.
I also explain the three I’s—investigate, interpret, and intervene—for assessing and improving a child’s movement abilities, emphasizing the importance of fun, play-based experiences to develop a diverse range of movement skills. Additionally, I discuss the risks of early sports specialization, guidelines for safe weightlifting for kids, injury risks, and strategies to encourage physical activity. Whether or not a child aspires to be an athlete, this episode offers practical tips to foster long-term athletic development and ensure kids grow up strong, healthy, and active.
Read the full episode show notes at performpodcast.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Kids & Strength Training
00:03:26 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & LMNT
00:06:10 Misconceptions, History, Kids & Resistance Training
00:10:15 “Zombie” Myths about Kids & Exercise
00:13:58 Kid-Centric Exercise & Movement Literacy; Strength & Coordination
00:18:47 Movement vs Language Development Analogy
00:22:52 Chronic Health Crisis in Kids, Sports, Downstream Adult Issues
00:30:33 Physical, Cognitive & Mental Health Benefits of Strength Training for Kids
00:36:53 Sponsor: AG1
00:38:18 Investigate: YFIT Test, FitBack Test
00:42:41 Interpret: Baseline Test, Injury, Growth & Development, Specialization Ready?
00:49:02 Intervene: Positive Experiences, Open Play, Schools & PE, Sports Variety
00:53:13 Kid-Centric Programs, Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD), American Development Model
01:00:40 Sponsor: Momentous
01:02:21 LTAD Program Example, Strength Training
01:09:08 Youth Movement Skills & Concepts, Games, Diversity, Range of Motion
01:12:28 Basic Movement Skill Development Targets
01:17:25 Example Program for 7-Year Old, Basic Movement Skill Development
01:22:16 Plyometrics & Kids
01:23:26 10 Rules of Lifting Weights for Kids
01:29:22 Guidelines for Youth Athletes, Injury, Play, Sport Diversity & Breaks, Specialization
01:33:18 Early Specialization & Problems
01:36:35 Encouraging Physical Activity in Kids
01:41:47 Additional Resources, Books, Courses & Organizations
01:44:49 Summary & Key Takeaways
01:48:35 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Perform Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
