JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?n*rØ,G :;-*Yl 0a9y"=HHobQ67S_lOt5;zWai1lf8ivwN% p=(g@J mU2BF;}k{l1aЭ:(f. iA2L #۱QzS_HB9Yآ ӧZtހ*6vIlFrj3#|Xϯgڤ^}4 t4O3Osck ڭGKmK@6d ת~γu,@wr_Bc[SCspOEQR#[ s{z"ʨK12Mz5j1K{2BYA-4Zp8Uf=(X_Mrc; +w][ ] UL$3Ԋ}R.pSXFCS؃+dؤjP3%F?JuVRH# 6 ~fg-eDhNrAV ²%-s] a:tFA8iX@Iu*$Goy܋pPEt:͸n"YՊ~l| UvO)==>-"˵v*y>֙;R'ҮȤ7''LzM=~5TU@ χ['5k}OȄz\9^ ueF9<ڊ¥:NQW^k*?eBjoTc,`3M,mP: Cb@prn\VNbPݹqXpug1i>30^;90JfP"D m(lӞPz{$gЊ-L^-c0֬<(b:zitڇBxk^K[aяGZ}B.L5 OA-!A%Ipv$ID֤FHԴiLi v+(8^i#WδPL=)0;.mS4p kt zY!yJ4mo)'0f{K!wƺ}f$Ayopq,_ڽG?%93o[x:cko} YsU)0\ېH gz=Y`q8#Y!nƟ:Y^3j6@̏BSAqԞfnu# *}Mq A6~`=2k16(gH&C}k^Qk29|ISցCwn ׈*m%0r#gG(hsN UsXW>`(\ajpuAʠ{MѮ@xzV/BO_dQ_Gq8vb['qc,$J}*LI_9XhsLSyە ꢩiwm#q:ߴJyǭej7216 P0IqG?Q4O77 6ⰧFS[Z{4Fe?1j[pǻ^0x.9!3L ۜzh,!1N+ͭP#z.Ce+c0Kk;`T!0خr[XܼP;@>`2-\Z7f0yF@{!Du\ww` LG%L4eq\R`]'X@s0# [;@1S;K@0s|̰yXO2Af@8[,؞ V3¹mZh0Vini-_hcW9ҊnE1eHʳ85 WcHv'>FBN ֚Z[U+"#zi`;mCۃY<l c:'#٢77#Z^8)a@?SX[?: "gyIFs޺0WhZ}S;p[W)[$'ބ8s/ڌA c4pHڹ wPyVcuVqB/qqy@"L cvY_9=zSV zqY z iwH?QLruL{e+@\L }NG_%.y {TQ2y^^Ij(%Ն`vE0q$Tз QGc墁l=O={cS1j'P!`ʏ9n{ڸ:PvXj{H1D`3M3Zu61me<بDX@H(w8xny=Za1G"5{So7i9xW˵0=.:ޣIF12ѯ?T)wI$R>pz=I?&cr zq|+rCz60}E8D;S3(%r3 \|g4:\D#E,039'2R)V&}{T QۚXSjsj GI3d˂*A͜UBzTWj`IG4, r~!yO$9瓚mZo!.\9ȮS]}#SZ4$C-eCzSm&),(em~/n5{k$a6G\? Ku%ܜB^5wM<>u5nxT'c t4 ,%@֡63@RI9UliH TlThe Bigger They Are . . .<br><br>One of the major - and unfounded - concerns about weight training for young athletes is that it could cause damage to the epiphysial (growth) plates. <br>Although injury to the epiphysial plates may cause bone deformity, there is little risk of this occurring with weight training compared to most sports. As for the risk of weight training stunting growth, premature closing of the epiphysial plates is related primarily to hormonal influences, not injury. Addressing this subject is Mel Siff, Ph.D., an exercise scientist whose doctorate thesis examined the biomechanics of soft tissues. <br> It has never been shown scientifically or clinically that the periodic imposition of large forces by weight training on the growing body causes damage to the epiphysial plates, says Siff, in his book Facts and Fallacies of Fitness.  It is extremely misleading to focus on the alleged risks of weight training on children when biomechanical research shows that simple daily activities suchas running, jumping, striking or catching can impose far greater forces on the musculoskeletal system than very heavy weight training. <br>To illustrate his point, Siff compared the stress of squatting with running.  Suppose that one child runs a few hundred meters a day in some sporting or recreational activities. This can easily involve several thousand foot strikes in which the reaction force imposed on the body can easily exceed 4 times bodyweight with every stride. Now let another child do a typical average weight training session wth 3-5 sets of squats (say, with 10 reps, 8, 6 and 4 reps), with bodyweight or more for the last set. That bodyweight is divided between the two legs, so that, even taking acceleration into account, the loading per leg is bodyweight or a little more, while the spine is subjected to the full load on the bar. In other words, the legs and spine in controlled squatting are exposed to significantly less force than in running and jumping. Normally, exercises such as squatting will be done no more than twice a week for a total of about 60 repetitions, while the running child will run every day and subject the body to those many thousands of impulsive foot strikes. <br> It does not require much scientific knowledge or computational genius to see that the cumulative loading imposed by simple runnig activities on the lower extremities and the spine is far greater than the cumulative load of two or three times a week of weight training. Does this now mean that we are justified in recommending that children not be allowed to run, jump, throw or catch because biomechanical research definitely shows that such activities can produce very large forces on many parts of the growing body? <br>It should be obvious then that there is nothing wrong with running and other normal activities of childhood, and therefore no reason to disallow activities of lesser impact, such as carefully structured prorams of weight training.<br>Siff also notes that bone density scans have proven that youngste