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Answers from Danny M O'Dell:

Q. My children 12, 14, are both very sporty they compete at athletics, gymnastics, soccer, but their main interest is highland dancing which is very demanding as it requires stamina agility flexibility and most importantly strength in their legs to get the power in their leaps is their any specific training you would recommend?

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Answer:

It is very refreshing to hear a parent speak so highly of their children’s ability and interests in completely different sports. Many times, as a strength coach, I am dealing with the single minded adult ‘driving their child in one direction’. This is a disservice to the child as it does not develop their all around athleticism prowess.

In the school where I am the strength coach we have several Scottish highland dancing classes and those students are putting out some high energy during the session. The movements are difficult, especially with the added requirement of maintaining their coordination while tired.

Since you did not mention your children’s gender I am basing this response on the fact that the majority of participants are female. There are many areas to consider when designing a program for them; the first is their gender. Girls develop earlier than the boys and that means their schedule can be a tad more aggressive. Next is their age: the older they are the more advanced the design can be. The common thread between the two is the fact that on their own they more than likely will not do an exercise to exhaustion or beyond their capability- unless an adult is pushing them. In that case they will continue and potentially hurt themselves in the process.

As for a specific exercise program here is the one I suggest you give a whirl at having them do. Begin with general physical conditioning. If they meet the standards and are in the upper percentile for their age then move them into a directed strength phase. After successfully completing the directed strength segment it is time for more specific exercises; ones that address the sport in a very specific fashion.

General physical conditioning consists of:

Cardiovascular workouts of fifteen to twenty minutes performed at high heart rates (monitored 70-80% THR) four to five times per week alternating sessions between the high and low of both time and percentage. In my opinion nothing beats the skip rope for this portion of the training. Keep a close eye on their body temp as the youngsters’ ability to regulate heat is not fully developed yet.

Any type of twisting, bending, running and jumping movements are ideal at this juncture. Bodyweight exercises such as the chin up or pull up, push ups, sit ups, hanging leg raises, squats, 'Y' squats, calf raises each performed for high repetitions, i.e. in the ten to fifteen rep ranges, and the four types of bridges, done correctly, which focus on the core musculature. When doing any type of jumping make certain they are landing correctly and not moving into a valgus position as this is highly detrimental to the ACL.

Directed strength is geared more toward the demands of the sport and would look similar to the following:

Higher speed cardio rope skipping performed with high knees and butt kickers for ten to fifteen minutes, broken into one to two minute sessions, three to five times a week. Practice the agility and coordination of the moves during these sessions.

Low level plyometrics such as bounding and one leg hops while limiting the hits to no more than fifty to seventy-five per exercise period.

Body weight squats with jumps
Ankle hops
Calf raises

Special strength training
The following can be loaded up to 30% bodyweight for the 12 year old and up to 50% for your 14 year old child for up to two to three sets of 10 for each one.

Front squats or
Overhead squats or
Jump squats-much lower weight than the previous two. Don’t use so much that the jumping and landing characteristics are altered.

The squats are then progressed to 10 and 20% bodyweight respectively for your 12 and 14 year olds for two to three sets of two to three repetitions separated by a nice rest to bring the heart rate back to at least 75-80% normal.

Explosive Front squats or
Explosive Overhead squats or
Explosive Jump squats-much lower weight than the previous two. Be sure to protect their necks so the weight does not crash onto their neck.

Weighted sit ups
Good mornings
The four bridges with a low external weight
Laterals or side bends with a single dumbbell
Military presses necessary for keeping the high hands

As long as they are enjoying themselves and having fun, then you are on the right track.