Women and Strength Training

Purpose  Examine gender differences and issues concerning women and resistance training.  Educate female athletes about balance of training components

Misconceptions  Certain misconceptions about women and resistance training have limited the benefits for women due to the creation of inadequate training programs.

Common Myths  Women can’t get strong  Strength training causes women to become larger and heavier.  Women should use different training methods than men.  Women should avoid high intensity or high load training.  With the right exercise, you can get rid of trouble spots  If you don’t lose weight, there’s no point in exercising

Gender Differences  Does resistance training produce the same effects in women as it does men?????  Body Composition  Muscle Hypertrophy  Hormonal Response  Strength and Power

Body Composition  Both genders increased FFM and lowered body fat % at the same rate in a short term resistance training program (8-20 weeks).  Males generally have higher FFM than females

Muscle Hypertrophy  DEFINITION: An increase in muscle mass and cross sectional area.  Average male has greater muscle cross sectional area and more muscle fibers.  The average women’s muscles do not hypertrophy excessively.  Encouraging and discouraging for women  After a 10, 12, and 20 week study results showed no change or small changes in body circumferences in women.

Muscle Hypertrophy  Because muscle tissue is denser than adipose tissue, an increase in muscle mass accompanied by an decrease in adipose tissue equaling the gain in muscle mass will result in a slight decrease in body circumference.

Hormonal Response  Testosterone  At rest men have 10 to 20 times more serum testosterone than women.  This is why there are gender differences observed in BW and composition. It increases PRO synthesis, which induces hypertrophy.

Serum Testosterone Concentrations (pre, mid, post) Workout nmol/L

Strength and Power  Avg. woman’s maximal mean total body strength is 60% of the avg. man’s  Avg. Upper body strength is 25-55% of man’s  Lower body strength is 70-75% of man’s  Muscle’s rate of force development is slower for the avg. woman than for the avg. man.  Thus training for explosive strength is vital in order to enhance RFD and improve power performances.

More gender differences  Males muscle fibers from greatest area to smallest are Type IIA-I-IIB  Women are I-IIA-IIB  Explains strength and power output differences  Women plateau earlier in training but see greater initial strength gains.

What does this tell us?  Women are at a disadvantage physiologically than men when it comes to strength and power.  In order to reap the benefits of RT a woman has to activate her muscle tissue by lifting heavy weights (<60% 1RM).

Benefits of RT  Decrease body fat percentage  Increase in strength  Increase in muscular tone, shape, and definition  Better muscular control  Improved bone mass  Increased resting metabolic rate  Improved self esteem and confidence

Outside the Norm Larger than average increases in FFM and limb circumferences in some women are probably related to several factors…  Greater than normal resting testosterone, GH, or other hormone concentrations  Greater hormonal response than normal to RT  Lower than normal estrogen testosterone ratio  Genetic disposition to develop large muscle mass

Other Factors  Nutrition  Cardiovascular Exercise  Sport Specific Needs

Top 10 Reasons to Strength Train  Muscle is more compact than fat, so you’ll get leaner  Strength training fortifies your bones and improves flexibility, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and injury  You can reap benefits just from doing a 25 minute workout 2X a week  Research shows that the stronger you get, the more energetic and active you become. This change helps with weight control too.  Strength training raises your metabolism by as much as 15 percent, so you can eat more.

Top 10 Reasons to Strength Train  Studies indicate that it reverses age related muscle loss, dec. risk of heart disease and may cut the risk of breast, and colon cancer.  It reduces stress and anxiety  You fall asleep more quickly, sleep longer and more deeply  It improves balance, so you’ll play better  You feel stronger, which boosts confidence.