When Can Child Start Lifting Heavy?

One of the biggest questions I get from parents and coaches is this: when is a young athlete actually ready to start lifting with a barbell? The truth is, there's no universal age or magic number. What really matters is how well the athlete moves.

It doesn’t matter how strong or motivated a kid is. If they can’t perform a clean bodyweight movement with control and stability, then they’ve got no business throwing a bar on their back. That might sound blunt, but putting load on top of poor movement is like stepping on the gas with a flat tire. Eventually, something’s going to break down.

Before any weight is added, the focus should be on the movement itself. Bodyweight isn’t just a warm-up drill. It’s the foundation. If an athlete learns how to squat properly with their own body, they’ll be in a much better position to lift safely and progress over time. I always look at how well they move from the ground up. For a squat, are their knees tracking well, are they maintaining posture, do they have control at the bottom of the movement?

Once they’ve got that down, then and only then is it time to explore barbell training. And even then, the first sessions aren’t about loading up the bar. It’s about reinforcing the same movement patterns under slightly more demand. The difference now is we get to see how well they hold their technique when the stakes are a little higher. Can they stay tight? Can they control the descent? Do they stay strong through the lift?

Some things will naturally shift, like foot position. When a bar gets involved, a slight toe-out can help athletes reach better depth and stay balanced. That’s normal. The key is that the quality of the movement stays high. We’re not chasing numbers. We’re building mechanics that stick for life.

At the end of the day, it’s not about age, gender, or how strong the kid is. It’s about movement quality and coachability. A well-taught squat is one of the most valuable tools a young athlete can learn. It teaches control, awareness, and strength all at once. And when done properly, it sets the stage for everything else in sport and training.

So if you're looking to build a strong, safe foundation for your young athlete or want some guidance on how to introduce proper lifting technique, I’ve got you.

Emmanuel Ofori

Your friendly neighbourhood fitness professional