Essentials of Youth Fitness

Part I. Fundamental Concepts

Chapter 1. Physical Activity and Children’s Health

Chapter 2. Principles of Pediatric Exercise Science

Chapter 3. Growth, Maturation, and Physical Fitness

Chapter 4. Long-Term Athletic Development

Chapter 5. Pedagogy for Youth Fitness Specialists

Part II. Youth Fitness Development

Chapter 6. Assessing Youth Fitness

Chapter 7. Dynamic Warm-Up and Flexibility

Chapter 8. Motor Skill Training

Chapter 9. Strength and Power Training

Chapter 10. Speed and Agility Training

Chapter 11. Aerobic and Anaerobic Training

Chapter 12. Integrative Program Design

Part III. Contemporary Issues

Chapter 13. Young Athletes and Sport Participation

Chapter 14. Exercise for Overweight and Obese Youth

Chapter 15. Exercise for Youth With Selected Clinical Conditions

Chapter 16. Nutrition for Youth

Essentials of Youth Fitness is an evidence-based, practical guide for fitness and strength and conditioning professionals working with younger clientele. Backed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and coauthored by three leading authorities in pediatric exercise science, this cutting-edge book reflects current research. It is built around the modern understanding that youth are not simply smaller versions of adults but are instead a special population with their own specific needs.

This is a must-have resource for professionals working with young clients, including candidates preparing for ACSM’s Youth Fitness Specialist certification exam. Readers will learn the scientific theories behind youth training as well as how to apply them to help design effective programs that maximize creativity, engagement, and fun.

This seminal resource is broken into three parts to systematically bridge the gap between science and practice. Part I lays the groundwork for understanding fundamental concepts of pediatric exercise science, including physiology, growth and maturation, long-term athletic development, and pedagogical strategies.

Part II is devoted to the assessment of youth fitness and development of fitness components, including motor skill, strength and power, speed and agility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness, and it features a chapter on designing integrative training programs. This practical section will demonstrate the impact of factors specific to youth on fitness, and it will teach readers how to design programs to meet the needs of youth of varying abilities and different stages of development. Sample training sessions with accompanying exercise photos within each chapter offer clear visual guidelines for implementing exercises correctly.

Part III delves into modern-day topics specific to the youth population, including participation in organized sports and injury concerns; overweight and obese youth; those diagnosed with clinical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and physical and mental disabilities; and the role of nutrition in healthy lifestyle habits.

Learning aids throughout the text enhance comprehension and enable practitioners to quickly locate important information. Chapter objectives and key terms reinforce learning, while Teaching Tip boxes contextualize important themes and Do You Know? boxes illustrate practical application of the content.

Combining the science of pediatric exercise with the practice of designing youth fitness programs, Essentials of Youth Fitness provides professionals with the information necessary to create a safe, effective exercise experience that sparks an ongoing interest in active play, exercise, and sports participation.

Audience: Fitness professionals, personal trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches working with young athletes and clients. Also a training manual for candidates preparing for ACSM’s Youth Fitness Specialist certification exam.