coaching and programming my kids

[BikeJAG]

Coach Rip, I read the great article by Bill Starr right when I've ordered a 5kg bar for my 8 and 11 year old boys who have decided they wanted to start lifting with me. My oldest does gymnastics and wants to build strength for the routines he does. My youngest just wants to lift heavy things. I've made it clear that while I'm dad inside the house, I'm coach in the garage around the weights and they follow what I saw without question, no screwing around or we stop since they will get hurt as it is not a play area. My coach has given me some advice on how to handle them and I figure it can't hurt to cast as wide a net as possible to get advice on programming and other areas I may not have thought about. So, how does coaching and 8 & 11 year old differ from any other athlete?

Thanks,
Bill Whitman

[Mark Rippetoe]

This has been covered extensively. Kids can't recover as well as adults because they lack the hormones. And they may lack the attention span to be effectively coached in the lifts. Make it fun for them, bring them along slowly, and don't expect miracles. Most of all: absolutely perfect form is the goal, far more important than the weight lifted.

[Alexandros Brod]

how old does a kid have to be before they can really start going heavy?