Should Women Work Out Differently Than Men?

There’s absolutely no such thing as gender-specific exercises.

The number 1 fitness question women ask is, “Will weight training make me bulky?” The simple answer is NO! All exercises do the same thing for everyone, regardless of gender.

That’s why women and men can train exactly the same. If you don’t believe me, here’s the science behind it.

Muscles Are Genderless

No matter what gender you are or which body type you fall under, all muscles look and function the same. Because of this, the National Strength and Conditioning Association states “there’s no sensible reason why strength training programs for women should differ from those of men.”

Still, the main fear from women is that strength training will make them look bulky. It won’t!

Strength training does the exact opposite—it increases muscle mass, which, in turn, speeds up metabolism. The faster your metabolism, the easier it is to burn calories. Therefore, the more muscle you build, the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day.

“Toning” and “Shaping” Are the Exact Same Thing as “Building Muscle”

When your goal is to “tone” or “shape” your body, what you’re essentially saying (without realizing) is, “I want to build muscle.” And that’s a good thing!

The more muscle you have, the more toned you look. To build muscle, you must stimulate muscle tissue. Contrary to popular belief, lifting light dumbbells for a high amount of reps won’t create the desired outcome. In fact, it’s linked to muscle hypertrophy, an enlargement of total muscle mass.

So, when you’re lifting lighter weights for 8-12 reps, you’ve entered the muscle hypertrophy phase. Anything over 12 reps builds muscle endurance.

Instead, both men and women benefit from lifting heavier weights for fewer reps. According to Dr. Forsythe, co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Women, “Most women lift weights for 8-15 reps. However, women would actually benefit from fewer reps and heavier weight to target muscle fibers that are only stimulated with those types of lifts.”

Because muscle is metabolically active tissue, it means it burns more fat. Simply put, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism!

Ban the Word “Bulk” From Your Vocabulary

If you think cardio is the only way to lose weight, it’s not. Adding strength training to your cardio routine will help you develop more lean muscle and increase your metabolic rate, which results in less body fat and more calorie burn long after your workout is over.

Because women have roughly 100 times less testosterone than men, there’s no need to worry about strength training making you bulky. It simply won’t happen. Increased fat creates bulk, not muscle.

Both strength training and cardio help you to burn more calories each day and reach a caloric deficit to lose body fat. And if you structure your strength training into a circuit-style workout, you’ll keep your heart rate elevated to burn even more calories.

So, if your goal is to lose weight, your best bet is to do both.

Aren’t There Some Differences in Training Between Men and Women?

In short, yes. The only difference in training between men and women comes from a hormonal standpoint, which impacts performance, energy levels and body composition. While the same exercises can be done for both men and women—squats, deadlifts, snatches—the weight used differs between each individual.

And while you can’t target fat loss, you can certainly target specific muscle groups and the frequency in which you train, regardless of gender.

Through regular strength training, your body will change and your strength will increase. But the biggest change you’ll notice is your level of confidence. That’s by far the most important change of all.

Takeaway

While it’s true that women aren’t generally as strong as men, it’s false to think both genders should train differently. When it comes to exercise, modern-day women are showing men a thing or two about being strong and fit. No exercise or training method is off-limits to ladies!

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