Youth participation in weightlifting is mostly safe, has a multitude of benefits, both physiological and psychological, and has long term applications to athletic development. Weightlifting has gained significant traction in recent years amongst children and adolescence both with its inclusion in strength and conditioning programs as well as overall participation in the sport. Although traditional resistance training programs are well documented in the scientific literature for both adults and youth, more advanced training concepts such as weightlifting have received much less exposure in the paediatric literature. This review attempts to compile data from the current scientific literature and focus on the extent of the potential risks, benefits, long term athletic development (LTAD), and its application for athletes and coaches to highlight new knowledge and bridge the gap of understanding within the area of youth weightlifting. A search of multiple databases was conducted using the Boolean operator`s "youth" and "Weightlift*" retrieving 41 articles relevant to the topic of interest. The content of these studies indicated that youth weightlifting is mostly safe, effective and enjoyable if undertaken in the presence of qualified supervision and with a moderation in weights compared to elite adult programming. There is a need for limitations to be applied to junior weightlifters such as a restriction of weights less than 80% with no max lifts attempted until after 18 years old to avoid burning out and early retirement from the sport. There should also be a focus on fine motor skills and mastery of technique to increase one`s chances of reaching their genetic potential in athletic performance later during adulthood. Although there are some inherent risks to youth weightlifting, the literature also indicates a multitude of benefits both physiological and psychological with a potential to reduce the risk of injury in other youth sports.
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