By Brad Lomas
Coach - MEF
Most women are afraid of strength training. They believe they will look masculine or bulked up. When people think of training with weights, they usually don't think of strength training for women. But, let's talk about it.
For years there has been a debate as to whether men and women should train differently – while there is actually no real need to. The thing is, each gender has different physical upsides and downsides. For example, women statistically have lower levels of testosterone which makes them generally less strong and athletic than their male counterparts (all other things being equal).
You won't get bulky unless you want to!
I hear a lot of my female clients start off by telling me they don't want to gain muscle they just want to be more toned. Still, to this day, there is a misconception about females lifting, that they will get 'big and bulky' but that's not the case.
The other thing I hear a lot is "Ãll do cardio to tone up" yeah that's not going to work!!! I wanted to go really in-depth with this one but I stumbled across this youtube video that explains it better than I can.
Bones
The bones of a female are smaller in general, which means that they're more prone to injury. This is why it's especially important for females to take care of their bodies, and not go overboard with the training. They should definitely lift weights, but they should also focus on weight-bearing exercises (such as squats) in order to help increase bone density and prevent injuries down the road.
Muscles
If you want to get technical, females have more muscles than males (though both genders are relatively equal in this regard). This is due mostly to the fact that women have a smaller body mass and thus must become more muscular to maintain their strength.
As well as having more muscle, females also have higher endurance and stamina levels than males. This means that they can perform tasks for longer than men before becoming tired. It's this factor that accounts for why female athletes tend to outperform their male counterparts in long-distance events like marathons or triathlons.
Women also tend to be much more flexible than men, although they're not quite as strong!
Hormones
Hormones are another factor that influences how males and females should train.
Females have a higher proportion of body fat, lower levels of testosterone, lower levels of growth hormones, and a higher proportion of muscle-to-body fat. This means that an appropriate weight training program for women is different from one for men because it will focus on shaping their bodies rather than increasing strength and size.
Females are different from men and should train accordingly
Some of the key differences are:
Females have less muscle mass than males, so they need to be careful not to overload the joints.
Females have less testosterone which results in their bones being more fragile and prone to injury, especially during certain times in their menstrual cycle.
They may also experience hormonal changes during pregnancy or through breastfeeding which can affect their metabolism and therefore impact on training goals.
Conclusion
The key takeaway here is that male and female bodies are different. But as we have seen, instead of seeing this as a disadvantage or an excuse to not train hard enough - you should use this knowledge to your advantage. It's time for women to make their mark in strength training.
If you would like help, you know where to find me.