Are kids stronger these days?

[orange machine]

I noticed at the 7 on 7 tourney a bunch of big strong ripped looking kids that looked they have been lifting for years. So are coaches pushing the weight room more or are kids just growing faster?

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by orange machine
I noticed at the 7 on 7 tourney a bunch of big strong ripped looking kids that looked they have been lifting for years. So are coaches pushing the weight room more or are kids just growing faster?

More specialized training regimen I imagine. The professionalization of high school sports has certainly had an impact.

[Emerson1]

Also the number of protein drinks and other stuff available now helps a lot.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by orange machine
I noticed at the 7 on 7 tourney a bunch of big strong ripped looking kids that looked they have been lifting for years. So are coaches pushing the weight room more or are kids just growing faster?

All of the above. Knowledge about muscle and strength building, as well as nutrition, is light years ahead of where it was just a decade or so ago. With that knowledge, kids are working alot more and alot smarter in the weight room on their own.
I think we're also seeing some good ol' fashioned evolution, too.

[orange machine]

I know there are alot of supplements out on the market kids can get, but alot of these kids must live in the weight room because they are jacked. When I was in high school just 10 years ago if you benched 300lbs you were the man, now kids are benching 400lbs it's crazy.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
All of the above. Knowledge about muscle and strength building, as well as nutrition, is light years ahead of where it was just a decade or so ago. With that knowledge, kids are working alot more and alot smarter in the weight room on their own.
I think we're also seeing some good ol' fashioned evolution, too.

DIET

Every generation adds more and more protein. It has it's positives and negatives (especially when you're older - colon cancer).

The abundance of football camps, skills camps, circuit training which I did my freshman year way back in 91 in San Marcos. I can only imagine how sophisticated it is now. We were doing plyometrics then though.

[BaseballUmp]

I think kids are getting a lot more motivation to hit the weight rooms in the summer as well from not only their coaches, but also their teammates

[Cowboy_Up]

My son has been lifting almost every day since he was in 7th grade. That's 5 years of being on a supervised weight training regimen. Although some were doing that sort of thing 25 years ago, it was not near as widespread. Throw in protein shakes, personal trainers and all that and you have kids who are bigger and stronger than in past generations.
Edna is a small school ~400 kids, yet they will average 250+ across both lines and they will not be that much bigger than other good small school teams. Wasn’t that the size of 5A lines 10-15 years ago?

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
I think kids are getting a lot more motivation to hit the weight rooms in the summer as well from not only their coaches, but also their teammates

I think that was always there, at least for the winning programs. The level of sophistication has just gotten greater. If we weren't seen in the weight room in the summer, you were likely not starting on Friday.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Cowboy_Up
My son has been lifting almost every day since he was in 7th grade. That's 5 years of being on a supervised weight training regimen. Although some were doing that sort of thing 25 years ago, it was not near as widespread. Throw in protein shakes, personal trainers and all that and you have kids who are bigger and stronger than in past generations.
Edna is a small school ~400 kids, yet they will average 250+ across both lines and they will not be that much bigger than other good small school teams. Wasn’t that the size of 5A lines 10-15 years ago?

See we had protein shakes, creatine etc 20 years ago too. And it worked as we were pretty damn big. I think the supplements are probably getting better as well as the training.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by DDBooger
See we had protein shakes, creatine etc 20 years ago too. And it worked as we were pretty damn big. I think the supplements are probably getting better as well as the training.

No doubt about both of those.

[Ernest T Bass]

Originally posted by Cowboy_Up
they will average 250+ across both lines and they will not be that much bigger than other good small school teams. Wasn’t that the size of 5A lines 10-15 years ago?

Hell, that's bigger than our 5a line RIGHT NOW! I think we only have 2 that are over 250, and our center is 185 lbs soaking wet!

[orange machine]

I think alot of schools have started lifting year around where in the past if you played other sports you didn't lift at all or didn't lift as much until that sport was over.

[BaseballUmp]

Well I know in Cameron probably 8-10 years ago when my brother was in high school they didn't have near the numbers in the summer programs as we did when I was in high school only 3-4 years ago. Granted we had a brand new field house. But yea I agree....if you didn't show up during the summer you were getting phone calls from the coaches asking where you were. We had 2 designated group workout times...1 in the morning and 1 in the late afternoon. Coaches definitely notice who has been hitting the weights during the summer and believe me, it definitely helps. Lol I lost like 20 pounds the summer before my senior year. Unfortunately I blew out my knee the day before school started lol but with the improvements in weight training it is no wonder kids are getting stronger faster. Also it doesn't hurt having that one coach that expects nothing less than to see you in there every day busting your ass. We lost that coach after my senior year and discipline has gone down tremendously.

[bwdlionfan]

Originally posted by DDBooger
DIET

Every generation adds more and more protein. It has it's positives and negatives (especially when you're older - colon cancer).

Where did you hear that too much protein increases colon cancer risks? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just hadn't heard that before. The only way I can see too much protein contributing to colon cancer risk would be when a high protein diet is combined with a low carbohydrate diet. The low carbs will cause you to get less fiber, which in turn can be a contributor to colon cancer. But I wouldn't think excess protein alone (as long as carbs are kept to a regular level) would increase this risk.