The Age Limitations For Acsm Machine Weight Training

Weight training can benefit many across a wide variety of age groups. Even though your reasons and goals for machine weight training might be different, strength training can be safe for both the younger and elderly population. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a growing number of children and adolescents are benefiting from strength training. Machine weight training can be safe and effective by knowing and understanding the ACSM's basic guidelines and limitations.

Weight Training for Young Children

Young children can benefit from resistance training, but there are specific guidelines that are necessary for the safety of your child. When training kids before puberty, it is important they be emotionally mature enough to understand, accept and follow directions. When you feel your child has the emotional maturity, have a fitness professional, one with knowledge and experience in children's fitness, design a routine that is specific for your child's needs. Your child will become stronger through weight training because of the increased use of muscle fibers. But if he hasn't reached puberty, don't expect him to build larger muscles.

Safety Guidelines for Young Children

Machine weights are the safer option when compared to free weights because machines offer more support throughout the entire motion of the exercise. For example, when using most machines, you are in a sitting position that will naturally protect your back. Should weights drop, the machines weights will make a harmless loud "clank" as they stack back together. But a better option for children to build strength is to have a health professional set up a fitness routine composed of body-weight exercises such as pushups, situps, pullups and planks. When weight lifting, ACSM recommends that children aim for eight to 15 repetition per exercise and avoid maximal lifting, which can be harmful in pre-pubertal children. The main focus should be on having fun, building strength, and setting up a positive mind frame toward the activity to encourage a lifetime of health and fitness.

Weight Training for the Elderly

Performing weight training consistently results in a number of remarkable benefits in older men and women, but since aging occurs differently in everyone, there is no specific chronologic age to define "elderly". The loss of muscle mass, or sarcopenia, drastically increases after the age of 20. According to ACSM, the elderly population can be characterized by weak muscular strength and the loss of muscle mass. Fortunately, when strength training is performed correctly, it can help maintain and even increase muscle mass in older adults. Studies conducted by ACSM show that with an increase in muscle strength, there is also an increase in levels of activity. According to ACSM, "strength training, in addition to its positive effects on insulin action, bone density, energy metabolism and functional status, is also an important way to increase levels of physical activity in the elderly".

Safety Guidelines for the Elderly

Machine weight training not only increases muscular strength and endurance, it can also improve range of motion. Through resistance training, you have the ability to increase your well-being by improving your flexibility and increasing your strength. This ultimately means you can lower your chances of falling and decrease your chance of injury. ACSM recommends that the elderly begin with minimal resistance to allow for adaptations to the weightlifting program. It is highly advised to have a fitness and health professional set up a personalized exercise routine composed of eight to 10 exercises that will target all of your major muscle groups. Each exercise should aim for lifting 10 to 15 reps, and the program should be structured so there are at least 48 hours between training sessions. This will allow muscles ample time to rest and recover.