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While some weightlifting advice is universal, other advice is not, especially when it comes to training women and men. For example, physiology, anatomy and hormones can vary between women and men, and this can affect how training should be programmed for women.
In the past, workouts for women tended to focus on using lighter weights at a higher rep range. Likewise, a misplaced fear of becoming “bulky” or “too muscular” has caused many women to avoid lifting heavy weights, depriving them of the strength and power that can benefit them throughout their lives.
Maybe we should replace the fear of becoming “bulky” with a healthy concern about muscle loss. After age 30, women lose about 3 to 8% of their muscle mass per decade, and that Loss rate even higher from the age of 60. Less muscle increases the risk of falls and injuries, especially as you age, which is another reason why muscle training is so important as it helps you maintain muscle mass and strength as you age.
Hormonal differences
Unlike men, whose hormones generally remain stable, women's hormones cycle through the month depending on the phase of their menstrual cycle (if they have one).
The monthly cycle for menstruation is divided into four weeks. The first half of the cycle is called the follicular phase and lasts about 14 days. During this phase, the training experience is similar for women and men due to the hormonal profile. It starts on the first day of bleeding.
However, there is a higher hormone presence in the luteal phase, which also lasts about 14 days. This makes a woman's chemical makeup naturally more catabolic, meaning it may be more difficult for a woman to increase the intensity of her workouts. This is because recovery can take longer, sleep is often affected, and overall energy levels can be lower from ovulation to the end of the luteal phase.
During the luteal phase, depending on your personal response to training, it may be beneficial to reduce training volume and perhaps even reduce the number of intense training days.
Although training volume and intensity may need to be reduced in the final two weeks of the cycle, Research suggests that muscle training during the first two weeks of the cycle can result in "greater gains in lean body mass than normal training." So pay close attention to incorporating muscle training into your program during your monthly cycle, but especially in the first two weeks. This may mean doing strength training more frequently or at a higher volume (e.g. three to four times per week) for the first two weeks and then reducing it to two to three times per week for the remaining two weeks of your menstrual cycle.
Physical differences
The Q angle, i.e. the measurement of the angle between the long axes of the femur and shinbone, is often larger in women than in men because women often have wider hips. This is one of the reasons why women are more prone to knee injuries. For example, college-age women are eliminated two to six times the number of knee injuries than men.
Additional training differences
Because of these differences between the sexesIt is important that you focus on stability in your knees and lower back to limit your risk of injury. A well-rounded muscle training program should focus on basic functional movements such as squats, deadlifts, horizontal presses, horizontal pulls, vertical presses, vertical pulls and rotational movements.
Aim for two to four days of muscle training per week, depending on your goals, energy levels and hormonal cycle. If you workout two days a week, do a full-body routine that includes squats plus upper-body pressing exercises (like bench presses or overhead presses) on one day, and deadlifts and upper-body pulling exercises (like pull-ups or rows) on the second day.
If you train three to four days a week, try to do a lower body and upper body split on those days. Focus on lower body squats and quad-centric movements (such as Spanish squats and leg extensions) one day and upper body presses and/or pulls the next day (e.g., bench presses, pull-ups, rows, overhead presses, Arnold presses, etc.). Finish the third day with deadlifts and more glute- and hamstring-centered movements (such as hip or glute thrusts, single-leg deadlifts, and forward lean lunges) with upper-body pushes or pulls on the fourth and final day (don't repeat the previous day of upper-body work completed earlier in the week).
Regardless of how many days you train, every day should include some form of core work centered around planks,heavier carries (such as trunk or farm carry) and some rotation work (such as Russian twists or banded chops). For rep ranges, aim for a total of 5-10 sets per muscle group per week to maximize strength. Rest periods between sets should be at least 1-2 minutes to optimize recovery for the next set.
Although there may be physiological differences between the sexes, there is no need to radically change your training. Instead, pay attention to fluctuations in your energy throughout the month and reduce any potential risk of injury by strengthening your shoulders and knees. Focus on lifting heavier weights (while still in good shape), pushing yourself appropriately based on how you're feeling, and remember that this strength work will greatly benefit your longevity and overall health.