Lil Pumpkin usually goes to our CrossFit box, CrossFit Mobilus, whenever hubby and I are there. After all, we have no helper haha.. If I'm there & not working out I will supervise her but she is disciplined enough to stay at the chill-out area and take care of herself too if hubby & I are both are at the exercise area. We've taught and emphasised to her time and time again to never touch the weights / equipment and to not disturb the adults when they are working out.
At the box she will usually eat, do her homework / revision or just chat with the other folks there. Somehow, people who do CrossFit are usually pretty friendly and chatty, and since Lil Pumpkin is so outgoing and lovable {if I may say so myself haha}, the big sisters and brothers enjoy talking and playing with her too.
Lil Pumpkin is still taking her gymnastics and swimming classes, but is really interested to learn CrossFit as well!! I guess since she's at the box so often... I know some people might be concerned about kids starting on weightlifting young as they are worried that if kids began weightlifting, they would cause trauma to their joints through the strain of lifting heavy weights and cause growth damage.
However, there's also a lot of people that support kids doing weight-lifting, or rather strength-training, in the right conditions. Yup, when done right, kids can use strength training to increase bone, tendon & ligament strength, all of which serve to improve sports performance and better prepare young athletes for the demands of practice and competition.
Kids don't just become stronger physically, but mentally as well. They learn about focus, discipline, endurance, overcoming defeat & failure, and determination to complete a course of action despite difficulty or consequences - to never quit, period.
Since the boy and I do CrossFit, we think that CrossFit Kids is a good place to start Lil Pumpkin on strength-training since it is a pretty established program already for kids aged 4 & above, and they teach in a fun way to cover a wide range of techniques and exercises to help her mature as an athlete in whatever sports she wishes to do.
CrossFit Kids is definitely not as intense as CrossFit for adults. You cannot simply scale an adult workout for kids.
CrossFit Kids has a policy of using “body weight exercises and free weights to build strength, improve muscle tone and enhance performance. We do not endorse max effort lifts for kids. We believe in using the smallest stimulus possible to achieve the training effect desired, whether young or old. Due to their still developing neuromuscular systems, kids receive a training effect from sub maximal efforts.”
Young kids like Lil Pumpkin will usually start with just bodyweight exercises, which for anyone that does push-ups or pull-ups would know, is already pretty tough!! (*^▽^*) This type of training can help the body become accustomed to the stresses of resistance work and help to teach technique. Once they get the foundation techniques and movements right, light weight training can be introduced.
The boy and I would like to take up the CrossFit Kids Specialty Course though and maybe train kids in CrossFit as a hobby haha.. but mostly to be able to coach Lil Pumpkin effectively and safely.
Anyway on Tuesday, we brought Lil Pumpkin to Innervate CrossFit where we took our CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate Course. It's a well-equipped, spacious box at an industrial estate at Bendemeer Road. They have CrossFit Kids classes 5x/week and the 1-hour trial lesson is free.
Unlike CrossFit for adults where beginners need to go for a fundamentals class, there's no such requirements for kids and they can go straight for a trial lesson.
They warmed up with shuttle run, then practiced push presses and air squats. After that, they did a simple 10min AMRAP WOD of 5 x push press, 5 x overhead squats and sprint in teams of 2. Finally, they cooled down with another game of short sprints before they were each given a random badge as a reward for completing the class.
She enjoyed her experience... especially the fun games and friendly competition part haha. I bet she didn't even realise she was getting a good workout from the 1-hour session!
We definitely are keen to start her on regular CrossFit Kids classes but our schedule is pretty full at the moment. We'll try to work something out and maybe she can start once a week during the school holidays or next year. I'm really, really excited to see her progress and look forward to all of us doing CrossFit WODs together as a family haha ♥
Innervate CrossFit
994 Bendemeer Road, #01-04, B Central
Tel: 97887859
CF Kids Cost: S$80/month {1x/week}, S$150/month {3x/week} or S$400/quarter {3x/week}
Website: http://www.innervatecrossfit.com/
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*Note: This is not a sponsored or paid post. All opinions are my own.
13 comments:
Wow, these classes for kids too. I am sure my girl will love this one too and good to start early. Thanks for sharing about it.
Interesting! Our family friend owns a small gym and he was telling us about similar sessions for kids too.
K joined her school's TKD team this year, so she's been getting lots of 'proper training' (including push ups and sit ups) - never did see her as doing all this, but she seems to enjoy it!
What a great way to start them young! Since daddy and mummy are fitness buffs, it is not surprising that Lil Pumpkin will follow suit. You are now officially my #fitspiration family! ;)
We were watching a crossfit competition on tv the other night and I commented to my Husband that Crossfit is about mental strength as much as it is about muscle strength. Good to see there is such program for children now that will train them mentally and physically. Go Lil Pumpkin!
So cool that Lil Pumpkin can learn more about what you and your hubby enjoy doing and get stronger. I just realised that my sister is a certified Crossfit kids trainer too. May I should get her to teach Sophie a thing or not about crossfit.
I had no idea that kids could learn crossfit. That is so cool! Have a great weekend.
Wow, this is the first time I learn of CrossFit for kids.
Good to know that your whole family can train together :)
cheers, Andy
(SengkangBabies.com)
Wow that's awesome that you're instilling a healthy, fit lifestyle in Pumpkin early - and now the whole family can crossfit together, which is a great incentive to keep going.
I didn't know that there's Crossfit for kids. So inspiring that Lil Pumpkin is picking this up. Go go go!
That's so cool that you are instilling good fitness values in Lil' Pumpkin so early! And lovely that the whole family can workout together too!
Wow...this is cool...Crossfit training for kids! Best of all the parents' influence on having a healthy lifestyle is rubbing on the kid. Kudos. I like the fact that you're involving her in this. I like your philosophy. Thanks for sharing.
Good luck to her. How fun! I smiled at you and your husband teaching a kids' class together. I bet that would be fun, even more fun if your daughter was in the class too. :)
That looks like something she'll enjoy! How fun!
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