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Other/Mixed Training kids

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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ShawnyUT

ShawnyUT

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Hi. Looking for fun ideas to train my kids at home. They are active and spend a lot of time outdoors, but they see Mom and Dad doing fun stuff in the basement and want to join in.

I’m thinking of basic body weight movements and perhaps chucking around a light medicine ball.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Son is 5.

Thanks.
 
From my own experience with my kids (2 and 6), kettlebell deadlifts and loaded carries are very easy to teach. No programming, they just think it's fun to workout with daddy. I've also had success with jumping jacks and various planks.
 
from my experience kids like sprints a lot, as well as get ups with no weight

my little cousin did anyway. all this and pulling around his wagon
 
Excellent topic!

My kids, 7 and 5, always want to join in as well when I am practicing in the basement.

Got them a 4kg kettlebell for deadlifts, but that got quite boring after a short time.

My son (5) wants to learn the getup, but of course, it has to be with a weight. Have tried to explain to him that everyone starts without a weight. But again, this is boring. The 4kg is of course way to heavy. Have found a cheap 1kg kettlebell on Ebay couple of days ago. Will let him try and see how it goes.

But am sceptical of kids using weights. Not sure if it is a good thing. I think bodyweight exercises are the way to go. Last night he could not sleep. So he was showing me his pushups he learned in Taekwon-Do class, that was 11:30PM ...
 
Interesting topic. I´ve heard many times that kids shouldnt lift weights until they stop growing, possibly 18 yo?? I dont think this is right, and is probably said by the same people that think that deadlifting will hurt your back. Kids do very high tension gimnastic drills that are far more difficult and require much more tension than a (not so heavy) deadlift.

Anyway, if anyone has experience with any type of weight training with kids, please share it. Be it bodyweight, barbell, whatever.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. It has been unseasonably warm in Utah the past two days. Took Kids to the park for a nice walk. My 5 year old and I did some body weight squats, push ups, lunges, planks, bear crawls and some shuttle sprints. We had a great time.

Luckily my kids have inherited my wife’s natural slimness and healthy eating habits (unlike me who has struggled with weight most my life).

My intent is to include them in the fun that Mom and Dad are having, set good habits for the future, and of course prevent injuries.

I started on S&S last February. I’ve lost about 50 lbs and am in better condition now than I’ve been in 10 years. Still need to lose 20 lbs, and am closing in on Simple. Part of my motivation to get into shape was to be a better dad. I’m 40 and my kids are 5 and 3. I didn’t want to be an old, fat Dad. It worked.
 
My son is 8, and gangly as heck. I have two circuit workouts the two of us do together occasionally:

Circuit 1 (CC inspired)
Pushups (he can't do a legit one yet) x5
Squats x5
Pull ups (his favorite, I hold his feet for support) x5
Lying leg lifts x5
Bridge x5
Handstands x10 seconds

Circuit 2 (KB work, with a little 5lb bell I got him)
2h swing x10
Goblet squat x5
Pick up from floor and 1h press x3 each arm

We'll put a cartoon on the TV, and get through as many cycles as we can before it ends.

I don't think there's anything wrong with kids swinging a little weight around, it just needs to be something they can control easily.

Haven't had as much luck convincing my 10 year old daughter to join us, but I keep working on her.
 
My kids love the gymnastic rings, after the PS4 it's their favourite toy. I know they play with my Kettlebells because I never seem to find them where I leave them, but I'd really prefer them not to unless I'm supervising and even then we don't approach it as training. It's just a bot of fun.

I can't see the point of putting a kid on a program of any sort because they self regulate their training naturally, they "play" for a while and then rest for a while until they are ready to go again. It's an innate form of body awareness you lose touch with whenever you follow a program of any type.

Sure they could make better improvements if they followed a program with a rigid format but I'd rather just make it a bit of fun for them so it doesn't become a chore. They get enough rigidity and structure at school and martial arts. At home I just let them be kids so they enjoy it and come back eager the next time.

They all have different attention spans too, so they generally clock off at different times during the training, that's fine too I don't want to be a drill sergeant like my dad was to me and my brothers, so when they're done I ask them do you think you've got one more in you. Sometimes they so no and walk away but more often they'll do two or three more reps, but I don't push them, I just challenge a bit like some of their friends would..

Whenever I'm training while they are home I have to wrangle for a go on the rings or parallettes, monkey see, monkey do.
 
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