New powerlifting world-record holder is a 13-year-old girl from Colorado

Like many female powerlifters,Abbey Watson doesn't typically get a lot of press attention. Holding eight different world records for her relatively slight weight class -- 105.75 pounds -- as well as 23 U.S. and Colorado state records,Watson is the kind of peak performer who has forced the general public to take notice. To achieve that success, Watson spends at least three very early mornings each week in the gym,doing deadlifts and squats while surrounded by very large men.

Yet,it's what Watson does after that gym time that makes her stand out: She goes to middle school.

That's right: A 13-year-old eighth-grader in Colorado happens to be a powerlifting world-record holder. For the record (no pun intended), Watson owns the junior marks for bench press,squat,deadlift and total weight in the 105-pound unequipped division,among others. Most notably,Watson set the world record for squats in her division,lifting 143.3 points. She also deadlifts 176 pounds,close to twice her body weight.

As covered by Denver CBS affiliate KUSA in the video you see above, what's even more impressive is the speed at which Watson has become one of the world's best;she only started lifting three years ago.

"I think that if someone would have told me at the beginning of sixth grade I'd be lifting this much,I would never believe them," Watson, who now holds a deadlift record of 176 pounds,told KUSA.

While the early morning workouts and quirky weightlifting clothing --check out her BACON socks -- could mark Watson out for some peer jibes,the fact that she is constantly proving herself with massive feats of strength ensures they don't. Rather,the eighth-grader said that when she tells male classmates how much she lifts,they tend to be intimidated.

That may not have been the initial goal when Watson's father,Steve Watson,first brought her to a weightlifting center for one of his workouts when she was a precocious sixth-grader. He simply hoped the one-off visit would inspire her to develop positive workout habits.

His daughter certainly has those now,as well as a room full of trophies,thanks in part to a psychological advantage her coach says may be her secret weapon.

"I think the reason Abbey is lifting weight that surpasses adults is because she's never been told she can't do it," Watson's head coach Jonathan Sabar told KUSA. "It's been amazing watching her grow and develop,and at this point,she is doing weights that are as heavy if not heavier than what full grown women do."

Recovery;

So far so good, I have been out of my slings now for a while and back to work. I have been very careful to keep in mind that my injury does not allow me to have full use of my left arm yet but I have seen improvement on a daily basis. My gym visits have been sporadic but as soon as I see the doctor on Tuesday, I will hopefully get my full range of motion back soon thereafter. I do have a lot of it back but am unsure of moving it completely above my head as I can feel a little pull when I do so its best left up to the doctor as to when I can train chest again. As for now light biceps curls and pushdown as well as leg training is on the menu, light for now. I am anxious to start training again to get ready for my vacation in march. The restart will be difficult but I did it before, twice actually, I will do it again!

Inspiration;

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/401282_10150519273809621_62153784620_8680631_1101349676_n.jpg Check out this picture of Randy Tiner! What an inspiration!

Quick words of wisdom;

There are times when a man should be content with what he has but never with what he is- William George Jordan

Study finds link between television viewing and attention problems in children;

 ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2004) — Seattle, WA -- Early television exposure in children ages 1-3 is associated with attention problems at age 7, according to a study from Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle published in the April issue of PEDIATRICS. The study revealed that each hour of television watched per day at ages 1-3 increases the risk of attention problems, such as ADHD, by almost 10 percent at age 7. The study controls for other attributes of the home environment including cognitive stimulation and emotional support.

---

See Also:

Health & Medicine

• Children's Health
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Infant's Health

Mind & Brain

• ADD and ADHD
• Child Psychology
• Child Development

Reference

• Adult attention-deficit disorder
• Hyperactivity
• Autistic spectrum
• Gluten-free, casein-free diet

The findings also suggest that preventive action can be taken to minimize the risk of attention problems in children. Limiting young children's exposure to television during the formative years of brain development, consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) recommendations, may reduce a child's subsequent risk of developing ADHD. The AAP recommends parents avoid letting their children under the age of 2 years watch television and that parents exert caution – such as setting limits on TV viewing, helping children develop media literacy skills to question, analyze and evaluate TV messages, and taking an active role in their children's TV viewing – in children over the age of 2.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 4 to 12 percent of children in the United States, and is the most common behavioral disorder in children.

The study, led by Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, a pediatric researcher at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, did not look at the content of the television programs.

"This study suggests that there is a significant and important association between early exposure to television and subsequent attentional problems," said Christakis, who is also director of the Child Health Institute and an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "We know from national estimates that children watch an average of 2-3 hours of television a day in the 1-3 year old age group and that as many as 30 percent of all children have a television in their bedroom. There is a tremendous and growing reliance on television for a variety of reasons. However, parents should be advised to limit their young child's television viewing."

This national study adds inattention to the list of harmful consequences of excessive television viewing that also includes obesity and violent behavior. Children ages 1-3 were chosen to participate because their brains are still developing rapidly, and symptoms of attentional problems, such as ADHD, do not typically manifest in children until later years.

* View the full text of the study findings (PDF 145KB) --http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/pdf/early_television_and_attentional_problems.pdf

* View the related op/ed article published by PEDIATRICS (PDF 53KB) --http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/pdf/jane_healy_commentary.pdf

About Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center

Consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report and Child magazines, Children's serves as the pediatric referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Children's delivers superior patient care, advances new discoveries and treatments in pediatric research, and serves as the primary pediatric teaching site for the University of Washington School of Medicine. For more information about Children's, visithttp://www.seattlechildrens.org.