Should Women Train Like Men?
Should women train like men?
Equals When it Comes to Fitness
Those days when people think only men go to the weightlifting section of the gym are over. More and more women these days are looking to attain that toned and chiseled body. Recently, getting those "11" abs or the classic six-pack abs are also popular among females. Women are just as powerful as men and are capable of doing the same workouts as men. But maybe you're wondering if females can train like males even if they have different body composition and capabilities?
Here are a few reasons why women shouldn't train exactly like men:
- The female body is better equipped when it comes to handling metabolic stress. This means that women can actually have better endurance than men when doing workouts. The reason for this is that the female body has lower arterial blood pressure during physical activity which enables it to transport more oxygen and blood to the muscles.
- Women actually recover faster than men after workouts. This means that women can do workouts at a higher frequency than men. The reason for this is that the female body transports nutrients to muscles quicker. This results in fewer chances of suffering from muscle damage and faster repair of muscles.
- This might be surprising but women can absolutely handle a higher training volume than men. The main reason for this is estrogen since it helps repair the muscles and protect the body against muscle damage.
- It might be hard to believe but women respond better to a high-fat diet than men. The reason for this is that women rely more on fat for fuel and not on carbs.
- One interesting reason is how women tend to do well in cardio exercises than HIIT or high-intensity interval training. Women also tend to improve their moods after cardio workouts.
- Women can do more reps than men, even with the same intensity. The reason for this is that women are less prone to fatigue than men.
- Explosive training is more suitable for men than women because explosive exercise does not allow women to do as much volume as men. Women also recover less well after explosive exercise like sprints. For example, women don't build as much muscle protein after high intensity sprints as men.
- While high-intensity workouts are more suitable for men, slow workouts but with more reps are the ideal choice for women.
- Since women recover faster than men after workouts, they need less amount of rest after each set.
The Verdict: Should Women Train Like Men?
The answers are yes and no. Yes, it wouldn’t hurt for women to train like men. However, there are teeny tiny modifications that women have to apply. It all depends on the reason why you’re working out. If it’s because you have body-building dreams, then you’ll definitely train like them or even more intensely, because you’re a woman.
Sources:
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/gender-differences-in-training-and-diet/
https://mennohenselmans.com/why-women-should-not-train-like-men/
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/women_training_differences.htm