Weight Training for Women
by Clare Rooney |
The effects of weight training extend to multiple aspects of our health: muscle mass, body composition, bone density, strength, biomechanical health, hormonal effects, psychological effects and cardiac health benefits. The challenge for personal trainers is to sell these benefits to female clients so that they may profit from the positive outcomes associated with properly structured and progressive weight training. What must be understood first and foremost is that weight training for women is not a separate science to that of males.
The principles of lever arms, time under tension, progressive overload and intelligent program design apply just as equally to women as they do to men. Of course, there are some differences, but not so much that we require radically different thinking in our approach. Based on personal experience training myself, training my clients and the relevant literature, it is clear that focusing on the “principle of individual difference” is more relevant than focusing on gender differences per se.
Longevity
So what is it about weight training that makes it a must do for anyone seeking health and aesthetic benefits? It’s correct to say that healthy people in general live longer than sick people, so if we look at factors that affect longevity, we will have some indication of how our training and lifestyle should be structured. The institute that has perhaps carried out more research than any other on the subject of longevity is Tufts University.
In 1991, professors William Evans PhD and Irwin Rosenberg MD (working for the USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging located at Tufts University) released a book called Biomarkers.1 In it, they detailed the results of the factors that influence aging based on almost a decade of research; the top two markers to predict life expectancy were muscle mass and strength.
Strength
Many studies have shown women to be weaker than men. Lloyd Laubach reviewed nine studies in 1976 and came to the conclusion that women have, on average, 63% of men’s total strength.2 Indeed, if a 60kg woman was compared in strength to a 60kg man (both being trained subjects) the male would test stronger. However, if the test is based on a cross-sectional area of muscle, the differences in strength seem to disappear – females have the same potential for strength development if strength in the genders is compared per cross-sectional area of muscle.3 Simply put, women have the same potential to get stronger as their male counterparts if they train using correct protocols.4
Bulking Up
One of the biggest concerns that women have when it comes to the subject of weight training is the fear of bulking up. Not only does a picture paint a thousand words, it can also leave an indelible mark on the psyche of any woman who has ever seen a professional female bodybuilder.
Some of these competitors knowingly inject themselves with steroid hormones and a cornucopia of drugs to generate a massive bulk.5 The fact is that women who train naturally have a very limited potential to develop a large increase of muscle bulk. In his 30 plus years spent training genetically gifted females of Olympic caliber, Charles Poliquin has stated that he typically sees a gain of about 4kg of muscle with a corresponding reduction in fat mass and overall girth reduction.
Again, to quote the last study by Staron et al., significant increases in maximal isotonic strength (1RM) were observed over a 20-week weight trainingprogramme for the lower extremity with no change in thigh girth. So, if women train naturally without steroid hormones, it is highly unlikely they will turn into Ms Olympia.
The Benefits of Good-Quality Mass
In the bodybuilding culture, the holy grail of progress is good-quality mass. Unbeknown to most women, they actually want the same thing – except ladies call it toning up. Tissue types cannot morph into other tissue types. What can and does happen every day (when you are training and eating correctly) is the phenomenon of developing increased lean body mass with concurrent fat loss.
Do Women Have the Capacity to Build Muscle?
Based on the research, the answer is a resounding yes. In a groundbreaking paper published in the NSCA Journal, multiple studies are cited that show clearly that weight training in women causes “a reduction in fat weight, an increase in lean weight and either no change or only a slight increase in total-body weight. All demonstrated significant increases in strength and in most cases these changes were associated with no change or a decrease in lower-body girths and only minimal increases in upper-body limb girth.”6
Sample weight training program: Beginner whole-body hypertrophy
Exercise / Reps / Tempo / Sets / Rest IntervalA1 Split squat, pulley / 8-10 / 4-0-2-0 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
A2 Flat bench dumbbell press / 10-12 / 4-0-1-0 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
B1 Romanian deadlift barbell / 10-12 / 3-0-1-1 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
B2 Semi-supinated grip seated row to waist / 10-12 / 3-1-1-0 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
C1 45° back extension / 8-10 / 3-0-2-0 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
C2 Reverse abdominal curl-up / 8-15 / 3-0-1-0 / 2-3 / 45-60 secs
D1 Seated dumbbell biceps curl / 12-15 / 3-0-1-0 / 2-3 / 30-45 secs
D2 Supine triceps extension EZ bar / 12-15 / 3-0-1-0 / 2-3 / 30-45 secs
Intermediate program: Functional hypertrophy – legs
Exercise / Reps / Tempo / Sets / Rest IntervalA1 Back squat / 6-8 / 4-0-1-0 / 5 / 120secs
B1 Split squat dumbbells / 6-8 / 4-0-1-0 / 4 / 90secs
B2 Standing unilateral hamstring curl (machine or cable) / 4-6 / 6-0-1-0 / 4 / 90secs
C1 Side step-up heel elevation / 12-15 / 1-0-1-0 / 3 / 60 secs
C2 Seated calf raise / 8-10 / 2-1-1-0 / 3 / 60 secs
All A exercises are performed before moving onto B exercises, etc.
In Brief: Benefits of Weight Training for Women
1Can result in positive changes in self-concept and self-esteem6
2Alleviates symptoms of depression7
3Improves insulin sensitivity8
4Burns up to an estimated 50 extra calories a day at rest for every 1lb of muscle gained9
5Reduces the risk of osteoporosis as it may provide greater osteogenic stimulus than endurance-type sports10
References
1Evans, W. & Rosenberg, I. (1991), Biomarkers, Simon and Schuster.
2Laubach (1976), Comparative muscular strength of men and women, Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 47(5):534-542.
3Ikai, M. &Fukunago, T. (1968), Calculation of muscle strength per unit cross sectional area of human muscle by means of ultrasonic measurement, InternationaleZeitschriftfürAngewandtePhysiologie, 26:26-32.
4Staron, R.S. et al. (1990), Muscle hypertrophy and fast fiber type conversions in heavy resistance-trained women.
5Strauss, R.H., Liggett M.T. & Lanese R.R. (1985), Anabolic steroid use and perceived effects in ten weight-trained women athletes, JAMA, 253(19):2871-2873.
6Strength training for female athletes; a position paper, Part 1, NSCA Journal, 11(4).
7Doyne E.J., Ossip-Klein D.J., Bowman E.D., Osborn K.M., McDougall-Wilson I.B. & Neimeyer I.B. (1987), Running Versus Weight Lifting in the Treatment of Depression, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
8Cuff et al. (2003), Effective exercise modality to reduce insulin resistance in women with type II diabetes, Diabetes Care, 26(11).
9In his book Life Fit, America's leading epidemiologist Ralph Paffenbarger MD makes the following statement regarding the effects of muscle gain and metabolic change: “Indeed, when you replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle, your weight remains the same, but you can expect to expend 500 or more additional kilocalories each day at rest.”
10Heinonen, A. et al. (1993), Bone mineral density of female athletes in different sports. Journal of Bone and Mineral, 23(1):1-14.
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