Strength Training and the Female Athlete

[Sistersteel]

Every athletic program should emphasize strength training for women just as vigorously as it does for men. Unfortunately, there are coaches who discourage women athletes from lifting, as well as women athletes who reject it for the wrong reasons.

Both scenarios are unjustified.

Most of the problem lies in a mythology steeped in hand-me down misinformation, gender stereotypes, and unfounded fears about losing flexibility, gaining too much bulk, and developing masculine features.

Here are a few Facts on Females you might have missed:

Scientific studies dating back to the '60s prove that women gain strength without the hypertrophy experienced by men. Meaning that the vast majority of women do not have to worry about overly developed muscles in order to gain strength :)

The studies also indicate that women can lose body fat while increasing muscle size, much like their male counterparts. So a firmer physique can be attained with either a slight or no change in body weight, but considerably less muscular hypertrophy than men. How awesome is that? :)

Women tend to have lower muscle-to-body fat ratios than men.
Several factors account for this:

1. Women have only about one-tenth of the testosterone of men which plays a huge role in muscle building, as you all know.

2. Women are smaller than men....well...most women at least. ;) lol

All of which means that they carry less overall muscle weight and possess shorter muscle bellies.

Continued...


SS

[Sistersteel]

Absolute vs. Relative Strength

Simply put, since women inherit less muscle tissue than men, they may not have as much absolute strength as men, but can compare favorably in terms of relative strength.

In absolute terms (total weight lifted), the average woman is about two-thirds as strong as the average man.

In relative terms (based upon identical areas of cross-sectional muscle), the strength-gain potential between women and men is identical.

Women tend to be weaker than men in the chest, shoulders, and arms because they have less overall muscle tissue in these areas. But, the imparity is not as pronounced in the lower body.

Interestingly, Wilmore (1974) found (through leg-press testing) that women surpass men in relative strength....(Women have stronger legs...so don't be hatin boys ;)

***Female and male muscle tissue is uniform, indicating that the ability of muscle tissue to gain strength and produce power is independent of gender. In short, many women are capable of becoming proportionally as strong as many men. ***

[Sistersteel]

The Knee

Both scientific and popular literature have been doing quite a bit of speculating on the more pronounced pelvic width and inward femur of women and its relationship to knee injuries.

The literature has also postulated that women have more lax muscles and joints than men, which suggests a tendency for hyperflexibility and instability.

However, there is no scientific data to validate these suppositions.

What is alarming is the high incidence of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)
injuries in women's athletics. Certain studies have presented data indicating that women basketball players are eight times more likely than men to sustain an ACL tear.

Similar data in The American Journal of Sports Medicine indicate that women soccer players are incurring ACL injuries two to five times more frequently than men.

In light of these findings there is no question that the knee complex deserves special attention in the training of female athletes. There appears to be some solid scientific evidence that the hamstrings (posterior thigh), abductors (lateral thigh/hip), and adductors (medial thigh/hip) require specific training.

Multi-joint movements such as leg presses, squats, deadlifts, and lunges should be staples in the female strength-training regimen.

Single-joint exercises should include leg curls, leg extensions, adduction, abduction, hip flexion, hip extension, calf raises, and dorsi-flexion (upward flexion of the front of the foot).

Special attention should be given to leg curls, due to the previously mentioned deficit that women seem to have in this area. This can be accomplished with higher rep sets (12-15) on this exercise, or by adhering to a 2:1 ratio of leg curl to leg extension sets.

This comprehensive approach will not only strengthen the muscles and connective tissue of the knee complex itself, but also the proximal and distal compartments that support it.

[Sistersteel]

Running, Jumping, and Landing

Women should also engage in a variety of movement drills performed in the "athletic position," a position that necessitates good bend at the ankles, knees, and hips, with a relatively flat back.

Sport-specific and/or position-specific agility drills from this position should be enacted on a regular basis.

When running, cutting, and stopping, women should keep their feet under their hips on contact and take short, choppy steps. These techniques will aid in averting two identified causes of ACL injuries -- externally rotated legs and hyperextended knees.

When jumping, the chest should be aligned over the knees and the knees over the balls of the feet.

During landings, the knees should be flexed and in alignment between the first and second toes.

When the legs are adducted (bowed inward) and/or straightened upon landing, there is an increased likelihood of knee-ligament strain and hypertension, a common cause of serious connective tissue and meniscus (cartilage) injuries.

[Sistersteel]

Shoulder Considerations

The shoulder area also merits accentuation, as most women have a wider carrying angle from the upper to lower arm ( the lower arm has a more pronounced outward angle than it has in males). It is believed that this inherent anatomical variable can lead to an increased incidence of shoulder injuries.

Although some of these concerns are still speculative, I recommend a comprehensive shoulder program that involves the anterior, posterior, medial, and intrinsic rotator cuff musculature.

This can be accomplished with a variety of forward, lateral, and posterior arm raises, along with internal and external cuff rotations. Seated military and/or incline presses should also be performed, unless they are contraindicated due to joint pain or the residues of past injuries.

[Gerb]

Good stuff SS, thanks.

[Sistersteel]

Menses Considerations

One other special consideration deserving mention is the onset of menstrual cycle disruptions.

Irregular menstrual cycles (oligomenorrhea), or the cessation of menses (amenorrhea), can lead to more serious problems. Amenorrheic athletes are more prone to musculoskelatal injuries (e.g., stress fractures) due to reduced estrogen levels, which weakens bones.

Women athletes must be counseled on these conditions and urged to seek medical advice from their gynecologist should either one surface.

Though there is no significant scientific data indicating that the onset of a normal menstrual period negatively affects training or athletic performance, any time an athlete experiences as adverse physical problem during her premenstrual cycles, she should seek medical counsel.

[Sistersteel]

Good stuff SS, thanks.

You are welcome :)

[7_Deadly_Sins]

Keep it coming!