The purpose of this study was to compare early muscular fitness adaptations in children in response to low repetition maximum (LRM) and high repetition maximum (HRM) resistance training. Twenty-three girls and 20 boys between the ages of 8.0 and 12.3 years (mean age 10.6 ± 1.3 years) volunteered to participate in this study. Children performed one set of 6 to 10 RM (n = 12) or one set of 15 to 20 RM (n = 19) on child-size exercise machines twice weekly over 8 weeks. Children in the control group (n = 12) did not resistance train. Maximum strength (1 RM) on the chest press, local muscular endurance (15 RM) on the leg press, long jump, vertical jump, and v-sit flexibility were assessed at baseline and posttraining. The LRM and HRM groups made significantly greater gains in 1 RM strength (21% and 23%, respectively) as compared with the control group (1%). Only the HRM group made significantly greater gains in 15 RM local muscular endurance (42%) and flexibility (15%) than that recorded in the control group (4% and -5%, respectively). If children perform one set per exercise as part of an introductory resistance training program, these findings favor the prescription of a higher RM training range.
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