Strength Training for Women

Introduction

Raphael Brandon explains why strength training is vital for women, but it depends on their event, not their gender.

A 1985 survey of US schoolchildren comprising various motor tests showed that the average 18-year-old girl could perform only one pull-up. It also showed that the sit-up in one-minute score peaked for girls at 14 years, with abdominal strength endurance declining from then on. The standing long jump test also indicated that, on average, girls peak at 14 years. In comparison, the average boy scored significantly higher on the test and improved until 18.

These statistics illustrate what everyone knows: Women naturally develop less strength than men. Boys' increased testosterone levels can explain the differences at puberty, which promotes muscle development and bone growth over the next few years. In contrast, girls have increased oestrogen, promoting relatively fast pelvic bone growth and fat storage around the hips and thighs.

After puberty, boys' relative fat mass decreases from 16 to 13%, while girls' relative fat mass increases from 18 to 26%. Indeed, research has shown most of the differences in lean body mass and muscle and fat distribution. Women have smaller arm girth and greater skinfold thickness than men and similar leg girth but greater skinfold thickness than men. This different distribution of extra fat and smaller muscle mass accounts for much of the disparity in strength between the sexes, with women being about 66 to 75% as strong in the legs and 50 to 60% as strong in the arms.

Nevertheless, research has shown that normalizing for lean body mass removes the overall differences in muscle and fat, muscle pound to muscle pound, and women's strength is similar to men's.

Can women respond to strength training?

In the past, it was believed that strength training was unsuitable for women because they were "incapable" of improving their strength. But more recent research has put paid to this theory. Wilmore (1974) showed that after a 10-week training programme, women showed a 29% improvement on the bench press and a 30% improvement on the leg press, compared to a 17% and 26% improvement from men.

However, while the men showed hypertrophy (enlargement) in the leg and arm muscles, the women did not. Wilmore hypothesised that the increased strength in women must be due to an increased ability to recruit muscle fibres and coordinate the movements. Later research has shown that women can increase muscle mass significantly. The tentative conclusion must be that most women generally find it more challenging to gain muscle mass.

Recently, the Women's Committee of the National Strength and Conditioning Association presented an official summary of all the research regarding strength training for women in the US. They reported that:

Women improve fitness and athletic performance and reduce injuries through strength training, as men do.
The physiological responses of males and females to weight training and resistance exercise are similar.
Women should train for strength using the same exercises and techniques as men.
There is no significant difference between the sexes in generating force per unit of cross-sectional muscle. Men display greater absolute strength than women mainly because they have a larger body size and a higher lean body mass to fat ratio.
Women experience muscle hypertrophy in response to resistance exercise, but the absolute degree is less than men. The conclusion to be drawn is that women are equally as strength-trainable as men. If female athletes want to achieve elite performances, they must ensure that comprehensive strength training is fully covered in their training schedules. Competitions, unlike laboratory research, do not compensate for lean body mass. It is the fastest who wins, which is the end. To be that winner, you have to optimise your strength. That is a training priority.

What sort of training?

The next question is, what is the best form of strength training for women? The answer is not a matter of gender but instead of the particular requirements of the athlete's event, which are the same for both men and women. Any athlete must improve their strength if their profile is less than the strength demands of their event.

To devise the best strength programme based on the event's requirements, we have to analyse the event in terms of muscle use, the type of contractions each muscle uses, the biomechanics of the movement and whether maximum strength or strength endurance is the goal. This kind of "needs analysis" should govern the design of any strength programme. As an illustration of such an analysis, let us look at running the 10K.

In the 10K event, the major leg muscles work dynamically, such as the quadriceps, the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, hip flexors, calf and dorsi flexors. All these muscles are active during the gait cycle, so it makes sense to strengthen them. However, they must all be maintained correctly to maximise 10K performance and injury prevention.

In 10K running, 97% of the energy for muscle contractions comes from aerobic metabolism. Thus, the predominant muscle fibre units recruited at 10K pace will be the aerobic Type 1 and 2a units. The more anaerobic Type 2a and 2b units may only be recruited towards the end of the race as the muscles tyre and glycogen are depleted. (Type 2a fibre units can utilise both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.)

For this reason, the 10K strength programme must emphasize strength endurance, which mainly targets Type 1 and Type 2a fibre units. It has been shown that strength athletes who perform a few sets of a few repetitions of hefty weights, e.g. four sets of five reps, have selective hypertrophy in the Type 2b fibres, which would not necessarily benefit the 10k runner. In contrast, bodybuilders who perform higher volumes of lighter weights, e.g. six sets of 12 reps, show hypertrophy in the whole range of muscle fibres.

Although 10K athletes do not want to start bodybuilding, a strength-endurance training programme of high repetitions and lighter weights would be the most suitable for the leg muscles since the Type 1 and 2a fibres will be targeted effectively. Three to five sets of 12 to 20 repetitions with 45-second rest periods are recommended to improve strength endurance.

The choice of leg exercises must reflect the biomechanics involved in the running movement. For example, since most thigh muscle activity occurs when one foot is in contact with the ground, single-legged exercises with the foot in contact with the ground or equipment will be most relevant. Single-legged leg presses, lunges, and one-legged squats all target the muscles in the thigh and bum areas. The range of movement of the joints is also relevant.

For example, as the foot strikes the ground, the knee joint is slightly bent (about 20°). Then, the knee flexes to absorb the impact (around 40°) and extends again before toeing off. The quadriceps muscles control the shock-absorbing knee flexion movement. Specific strength exercises should focus on this range of movement, e.g., limited-range leg press, to help prevent the anterior knee pain that women are prone to because of a greater femur Q angle causing more inward knee rotation.

Do not overlook the trunk and hips

The trunk and hip area are the other major body parts that require strength training for running. Here, the significant muscles involved during running are the erector spinae (back), abdominals (stomach), obliques (side) and abductors (top of the bum). These muscles are not so involved with running as the leg muscles, yet nonetheless serve a vital role in pelvis and trunk stabilisation and posture control. Biomechanical research has shown that the pelvis and trunk area must be rigid and supported by its muscles for the legs to work effectively in propelling the body. Otherwise, the drive from the legs will be wasted.

Similarly, these hip and trunk muscles must also be trained for strength and endurance. However, since they do not work as dynamically as the leg muscles, the exercises chosen should reflect their more static, supporting role. These muscles are best trained with isometric or static exercises and slow, controlled dynamic exercises of a small, specific range.

For example, lying on one's front over the end of a bench, extending the arms into a Superman position, and maintaining it is an isometric exercise for the back muscles. Three sets of 10 x 10 seconds holding a straight line from the back to the hands will help maintain an upright posture as the muscles must keep the back and shoulder girdle in a rigid, extended position.

An example of a slow and controlled exercise targeting a small range is the stomach's reverse curl or crunch exercise. It involves lying on one's back with legs fully bent. Then, raise the hips an inch off the floor by pulling the lower abdominals and lower again, keeping the legs entirely still. Here, the abdominal muscles continually raise the pelvis and lower it back, even though it is a small range of movement. This exercise is more relevant to posture control than conventional sit-ups. After all, we keep our upper bodies still when we run, so being very strong at flexing the trunk forward is not necessarily related to efficient running.

In general, the hip and trunk muscles must be trained for strength endurance (low resistance and high volume) using static exercises and exercises with specific ranges of movement for posture control. The choice of exercises must reflect the need to maintain a rigid back with a level pelvis to push off with the legs. Balanced strength in this area also helps prevent lower back and hamstring injuries. The trunk and hip area are vital for 10K strength training programs. Strong legs will only do so much if the trunk lacks a well-supported, rigid structure. Would a motor racing team put a Formula engine in a car with a Formula 3 chassis?

Training the upper body

To complete the strength analysis, we must consider the upper body. This area is less critical for 10K running, but some upper-body exercises should be included for an all-body, balanced strength programme. Upper body strength will also help with posture and effective, smooth arm action. Once again, I recommend a strength endurance emphasis.

A practical way to train the upper body without devoting too much time would be to cover most major upper body muscles in two or three exercises. For example, seated rowing with the bench press or pull-ups with dips would target most of the chest, shoulder, upper back, and arm muscles.

To summarise the strength training programme for the 10K, all the major muscles involved in running need to be trained to emphasise strength endurance. The exercises chosen also need to be biomechanically relevant regarding movement, single-legged and foot-fixed, and any essential joint ranges of movement. It will improve the power and efficiency of running action and help reduce knee injury risks. Training the trunk muscles for endurance using static and postural-specific exercises will increase efficiency by improving the rigidity and support of the trunk. It will also help reduce low back and hamstring injury risks. Exercises covering the upper body muscles will complete a balanced strength programme specifically targeted to the athlete's event.

This kind of analysis can be done for any event or sport. First, the correct muscles and movements must be pinpointed, and their role in the sport must be determined. The relevant strength training exercise protocols can be designed for the muscles involved. Women athletes should use this method as the starting point for their essential strength training requirements.

References

FLECK, S.J. and KRAMER, W.J. (1987) Designing resistance training programs. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.
HEYWARD, V. H., JOHANNES_ELLIS, S.M. and ROMER, J.F. (1996) Gender differences in strength. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 57 (2), p. 154-159.
WILMORE, J. H. (1974) Alterations in strength, body composition and anthropometric measurements consequent to a 10 week weight training programme. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 6, p. 133-138.
WILMORE, J. H. and COSTILLl, D.L. (1994) Physiology of sport and exercise. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.
ZATSIORSKY, V.M. (1995) Science and practice of strength training. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

BRANDON, R. (2006) Strength Training for Women [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article013.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Raphael Brandon is a sports fitness specialist from the UK.


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A 1985 survey of US schoolchildren comprising various motor tests showed that the average 18-year-old girl could perform only one pull-up. It also showed that the sit-up in one-minute score peaked for girls at 14 years, with abdominal strength endurance declining from then on. The standing long jump test also indicated that, on average, girls peak at 14 years. In comparison, the average boy scored significantly higher on the test and improved until 18. These statistics illustrate what everyone knows: Women naturally develop less strength than men. Boys' increased testosterone levels can explain the differences at puberty, which promotes muscle development and bone growth over the next few years. In contrast, girls have increased oestrogen, promoting relatively fast pelvic bone growth and fat storage around the hips and thighs. After puberty, boys' relative fat mass decreases from 16 to 13%, while girls' relative fat mass increases from 18 to 26%. Indeed, research has shown most of the differences in lean body mass and muscle and fat distribution. Women have smaller arm girth and greater skinfold thickness than men and similar leg girth but greater skinfold thickness than men. This different distribution of extra fat and smaller muscle mass accounts for much of the disparity in strength between the sexes, with women being about 66 to 75% as strong in the legs and 50 to 60% as strong in the arms. Nevertheless, research has shown that normalizing for lean body mass removes the overall differences in muscle and fat, muscle pound to muscle pound, and women's strength is similar to men's. Can women respond to strength training? In the past, it was believed that strength training was unsuitable for women because they were "incapable" of improving their strength. But more recent research has put paid to this theory. Wilmore (1974) showed that after a 10-week training programme, women showed a 29% improvement on the bench press and a 30% improvement on the leg press, compared to a 17% and 26% improvement from men. However, while the men showed hypertrophy (enlargement) in the leg and arm muscles, the women did not. Wilmore hypothesised that the increased strength in women must be due to an increased ability to recruit muscle fibres and coordinate the movements. Later research has shown that women can increase muscle mass significantly. The tentative conclusion must be that most women generally find it more challenging to gain muscle mass. Recently, the Women's Committee of the National Strength and Conditioning Association presented an official summary of all the research regarding strength training for women in the US. They reported that: Women improve fitness and athletic performance and reduce injuries through strength training, as men do. The physiological responses of males and females to weight training and resistance exercise are similar. Women should train for strength using the same exercises and techniques as men. There is no significant difference between the sexes in generating force per unit of cross-sectional muscle. Men display greater absolute strength than women mainly because they have a larger body size and a higher lean body mass to fat ratio. Women experience muscle hypertrophy in response to resistance exercise, but the absolute degree is less than men. The conclusion to be drawn is that women are equally as strength-trainable as men. If female athletes want to achieve elite performances, they must ensure that comprehensive strength training is fully covered in their training schedules. Competitions, unlike laboratory research, do not compensate for lean body mass. It is the fastest who wins, which is the end. To be that winner, you have to optimise your strength. That is a training priority. What sort of training? The next question is, what is the best form of strength training for women? The answer is not a matter of gender but instead of the particular requirements of the athlete's event, which are the same for both men and women. Any athlete must improve their strength if their profile is less than the strength demands of their event. To devise the best strength programme based on the event's requirements, we have to analyse the event in terms of muscle use, the type of contractions each muscle uses, the biomechanics of the movement and whether maximum strength or strength endurance is the goal. This kind of "needs analysis" should govern the design of any strength programme. As an illustration of such an analysis, let us look at running the 10K. In the 10K event, the major leg muscles work dynamically, such as the quadriceps, the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, hip flexors, calf and dorsi flexors. All these muscles are active during the gait cycle, so it makes sense to strengthen them. However, they must all be maintained correctly to maximise 10K performance and injury prevention. In 10K running, 97% of the energy for muscle contractions comes from aerobic metabolism. Thus, the predominant muscle fibre units recruited at 10K pace will be the aerobic Type 1 and 2a units. The more anaerobic Type 2a and 2b units may only be recruited towards the end of the race as the muscles tyre and glycogen are depleted. (Type 2a fibre units can utilise both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.) For this reason, the 10K strength programme must emphasize strength endurance, which mainly targets Type 1 and Type 2a fibre units. It has been shown that strength athletes who perform a few sets of a few repetitions of hefty weights, e.g. four sets of five reps, have selective hypertrophy in the Type 2b fibres, which would not necessarily benefit the 10k runner. In contrast, bodybuilders who perform higher volumes of lighter weights, e.g. six sets of 12 reps, show hypertrophy in the whole range of muscle fibres. Although 10K athletes do not want to start bodybuilding, a strength-endurance training programme of high repetitions and lighter weights would be the most suitable for the leg muscles since the Type 1 and 2a fibres will be targeted effectively. Three to five sets of 12 to 20 repetitions with 45-second rest periods are recommended to improve strength endurance. The choice of leg exercises must reflect the biomechanics involved in the running movement. For example, since most thigh muscle activity occurs when one foot is in contact with the ground, single-legged exercises with the foot in contact with the ground or equipment will be most relevant. Single-legged leg presses, lunges, and one-legged squats all target the muscles in the thigh and bum areas. The range of movement of the joints is also relevant. For example, as the foot strikes the ground, the knee joint is slightly bent (about 20°). Then, the knee flexes to absorb the impact (around 40°) and extends again before toeing off. The quadriceps muscles control the shock-absorbing knee flexion movement. Specific strength exercises should focus on this range of movement, e.g., limited-range leg press, to help prevent the anterior knee pain that women are prone to because of a greater femur Q angle causing more inward knee rotation. Do not overlook the trunk and hips The trunk and hip area are the other major body parts that require strength training for running. Here, the significant muscles involved during running are the erector spinae (back), abdominals (stomach), obliques (side) and abductors (top of the bum). These muscles are not so involved with running as the leg muscles, yet nonetheless serve a vital role in pelvis and trunk stabilisation and posture control. Biomechanical research has shown that the pelvis and trunk area must be rigid and supported by its muscles for the legs to work effectively in propelling the body. Otherwise, the drive from the legs will be wasted. Similarly, these hip and trunk muscles must also be trained for strength and endurance. However, since they do not work as dynamically as the leg muscles, the exercises chosen should reflect their more static, supporting role. These muscles are best trained with isometric or static exercises and slow, controlled dynamic exercises of a small, specific range. For example, lying on one's front over the end of a bench, extending the arms into a Superman position, and maintaining it is an isometric exercise for the back muscles. Three sets of 10 x 10 seconds holding a straight line from the back to the hands will help maintain an upright posture as the muscles must keep the back and shoulder girdle in a rigid, extended position. An example of a slow and controlled exercise targeting a small range is the stomach's reverse curl or crunch exercise. It involves lying on one's back with legs fully bent. Then, raise the hips an inch off the floor by pulling the lower abdominals and lower again, keeping the legs entirely still. Here, the abdominal muscles continually raise the pelvis and lower it back, even though it is a small range of movement. This exercise is more relevant to posture control than conventional sit-ups. After all, we keep our upper bodies still when we run, so being very strong at flexing the trunk forward is not necessarily related to efficient running. In general, the hip and trunk muscles must be trained for strength endurance (low resistance and high volume) using static exercises and exercises with specific ranges of movement for posture control. The choice of exercises must reflect the need to maintain a rigid back with a level pelvis to push off with the legs. Balanced strength in this area also helps prevent lower back and hamstring injuries. The trunk and hip area are vital for 10K strength training programs. Strong legs will only do so much if the trunk lacks a well-supported, rigid structure. Would a motor racing team put a Formula engine in a car with a Formula 3 chassis? Training the upper body To complete the strength analysis, we must consider the upper body. This area is less critical for 10K running, but some upper-body exercises should be included for an all-body, balanced strength programme. Upper body strength will also help with posture and effective, smooth arm action. Once again, I recommend a strength endurance emphasis. A practical way to train the upper body without devoting too much time would be to cover most major upper body muscles in two or three exercises. For example, seated rowing with the bench press or pull-ups with dips would target most of the chest, shoulder, upper back, and arm muscles. To summarise the strength training programme for the 10K, all the major muscles involved in running need to be trained to emphasise strength endurance. The exercises chosen also need to be biomechanically relevant regarding movement, single-legged and foot-fixed, and any essential joint ranges of movement. It will improve the power and efficiency of running action and help reduce knee injury risks. Training the trunk muscles for endurance using static and postural-specific exercises will increase efficiency by improving the rigidity and support of the trunk. It will also help reduce low back and hamstring injury risks. Exercises covering the upper body muscles will complete a balanced strength programme specifically targeted to the athlete's event. This kind of analysis can be done for any event or sport. First, the correct muscles and movements must be pinpointed, and their role in the sport must be determined. The relevant strength training exercise protocols can be designed for the muscles involved. Women athletes should use this method as the starting point for their essential strength training requirements. References FLECK, S.J. and KRAMER, W.J. (1987) Designing resistance training programs. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. HEYWARD, V. H., JOHANNES_ELLIS, S.M. and ROMER, J.F. (1996) Gender differences in strength. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 57 (2), p. 154-159. WILMORE, J. H. (1974) Alterations in strength, body composition and anthropometric measurements consequent to a 10 week weight training programme. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 6, p. 133-138. WILMORE, J. H. and COSTILLl, D.L. (1994) Physiology of sport and exercise. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. ZATSIORSKY, V.M. (1995) Science and practice of strength training. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: BRANDON, R. (2006) Strength Training for Women [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article013.htm [Accessed About the Author Raphael Brandon is a sports fitness specialist from the UK.