Am I too young to pick heavy things up?

You are not too young to learn the SHAPE — bottom back, flat back, stand up tall — and that is worth learning now, because everybody picks things up all their life. What you should not do is pick up anything heavy without a grown-up who knows what they are doing, which is why the Gym only ever uses a ball, a towel or a bag with a book or two in it.

Is this safe for my child?

The things that make youth training risky are no supervision, equipment that can fall on a child, and going heavy before the shape is right — so the Gym has no barbell, dumbbell, bench or bar at all, keeps load to a ball or a bag with a book or two from 3rd grade, and gives the youngest levels no clock to race. Every workout carries the five stop signals, and every jumping workout teaches landing first.

Drive it overhead, then throw it at the floor. Five rounds.

Slam and Press

14 minutes · ages 9 to 12 · Climbers · Carry, Lift, Throw

Do the whole list, then do it again.

What you need

A ball
A soft ball or a rolled-up sock
A towel
A wall
A room you can take three steps across.

Before you start

Clear the floor. Nothing sharp, nothing glass, nobody small where you are going to land.
A rug or a mat, and nothing sharp where you put your hands.
Check what's above you before you reach up.
Arms out: make sure nobody is in reach.
Light is right. If it's hard to hold, put it down.
This one makes a bang. Check nobody below you is asleep or working.
Check the ball is a soft one that will not bounce back up, and the ceiling before the first press.

Stop straight away if…

You feel dizzy or the room spins.
Your chest hurts.
You can't catch your breath.
Something hurts sharply, in one spot.
You feel sick.

Stop, sit down, and get a grown-up. Stopping is always the right answer.

The big idea: Power is strength and speed at the same moment, and it is trained both ways round.

💪 Strength🤸 Bendiness🚀 Springiness🤹 Putting it together🦩 Balance

All workouts

The whole workout, in words

For a grown-up reading it out, or a teacher printing it. Slam and Press is 14 minutes for ages 9 to 12 (Climbers), and it needs a ball, a soft ball, a towel, a wall.

Warm-up

Arm circles, Leg swings, Cat and cow, Squat, Inchworm — about 25 seconds each, nice and easy.

The workout

5 rounds of: 8 dip and drive · 8 ball slam · 8 squat with a towel up · 8 pull it to your chin. Rest 30 seconds between rounds. A soft ball only, and check what is above you before the first press.

Cool-down

Towel over your head, Cat and cow, Reach for your toes, Calf stretch — slow and still.

Easier and harder

Easier: Four rounds, an empty pair of hands for the press, and drop the ball instead of slamming it.

Harder: the-carry

Safety

There is no barbell, dumbbell, bench or bar anywhere in the Gym, and load never goes past a ball or a bag with a book or two in it (from 3rd grade). Every jumping workout teaches landing first. Stop straight away if: You feel dizzy or the room spins. Your chest hurts. You can't catch your breath. Something hurts sharply, in one spot. You feel sick. Stop, sit down, and get a grown-up. Stopping is always the right answer.

For you: Check the ball is a soft one that will not bounce back up, and the ceiling before the first press.

A grown-up should be in the room for this one.

Questions

Am I too young to pick heavy things up?: You are not too young to learn the SHAPE — bottom back, flat back, stand up tall — and that is worth learning now, because everybody picks things up all their life. What you should not do is pick up anything heavy without a grown-up who knows what they are doing, which is why the Gym only ever uses a ball, a towel or a bag with a book or two in it.
Is this safe for my child?: The things that make youth training risky are no supervision, equipment that can fall on a child, and going heavy before the shape is right — so the Gym has no barbell, dumbbell, bench or bar at all, keeps load to a ball or a bag with a book or two from 3rd grade, and gives the youngest levels no clock to race. Every workout carries the five stop signals, and every jumping workout teaches landing first.

More for grown-ups: how much children need to move, and what makes youth training safe · Fitness School · Ask the Coach

Slam and Press — ages 9 to 12, 14 minutes, Climbers.
Do the whole list, then do it again.

Warm-up: Arm circles, Leg swings, Cat and cow, Squat, Inchworm.
Work: 5 rounds of 8 dip and drive · 8 ball slam · 8 squat with a towel up · 8 pull it to your chin. Rest 30 seconds between rounds.
  A soft ball only, and check what is above you before the first press.
Cool-down: Towel over your head, Cat and cow, Reach for your toes, Calf stretch.

You need: a ball, a soft ball, a towel, a wall. Room: a room.
Easier: Four rounds, an empty pair of hands for the press, and drop the ball instead of slamming it.
Harder: the-carry

Stop straight away if: You feel dizzy or the room spins. Your chest hurts. You can't catch your breath. Something hurts sharply, in one spot. You feel sick. Stop, sit down, and get a grown-up. Stopping is always the right answer.