The Strength of a Woman
Neesha Maria Bukht Choksy
International contributor from Bombay, India

Women have traditionally participated in strength training less than men. It has never been considered feminine enough, and a lack of research and information regarding the effects of such training on women has made it a predominantly male activity. Girls have been discouraged from participating in gross-motor-skill activities and strength development. Such sex role stereotypes, formed early in childhood, can dictate behavior and limit women's ability to express their full potential. Over the years however, women's sports participation has increased, traditional gender roles have loosened, and strength training has grown in popularity among active women. The advent of the women's movement has allowed many women to overcome traditional socialization and participate more freely in sports and strength training. Nevertheless, the social stigma and lack of accurate information persist and feed misconceptions, keeping women away from strength training and preventing them from training in optimal ways. How often in the gym do we come across a woman who is really hesitant to weight train? She needs to lose weight and 'tone up' but really hesitant to take the approach of strength training that you are suggesting to her. Don't they all want to get "small", keep weight under control, and maintain a "fit and feminine appearance"? Maybe this will help all those Ms. Jones out there to pick that weight up.

All women fall under one of three body classifications, or are a combination of types. Mesomorphs tend to be muscular, endomorphs are more rounded and voluptuous and ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. Mesomorphs respond to strength training by building muscle much faster than their ectomorphic counterparts, even though they may be following identical training regimens. Endomorphs generally need to lose body fat in order to see a change in size or shape as a result of strength training. Ectomorphs are least likely to build muscle mass but will become stronger as a result of resistance training.

Women possess about two thirds of the absolute strength of men. The chief concern of women is that by weight training they will become big, muscular, and highly defined. Hormones play a role in the development of absolute strength in men and women. Women on average have about one tenth the testosterone of men, not enough to make them gain as much muscle as men. A safe bet is only several women out of 10,000 could ever develop the appearance of a top bodybuilder. Unless a woman reading this article is one of those several out of 10,000, becoming too big and muscular is not a concern of the other 9,996 women! Physiologic differences such as size and body structure are more likely explanations for the average strength differences between men and women. For example, the average male is about 13 cm taller than the average female and about 18 kg heavier. Men average about 18 to 22 kg more lean body mass and 3 to 6 kg less fat than women. Men typically have a taller, wider frame that supports more muscle, as well as broader shoulders that provide a greater leverage advantage. Big deal.

Strength is not always viewed in absolute terms. The gender differences in absolute strength, for example, are not consistent for all muscle groups. Women possess about 40% to 60% of the upper-body strength and 70% to 75% of the lower-body strength of men. The muscle at the cellular level has a force development capability independent of sex. Hence women can gain as much strength as men with weight training.

Women benefit from strength training in several ways.

" They can enhance bone modeling to increase bone strength and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
" They can have stronger connective tissue that increases joint stability and help prevent injury.
" They have increased functional strength for sports and daily activity
" They have increased lean body mass and decreased nonfunctional body fat
" They develop a higher metabolic rate because of an increase in muscle and a decrease in fat
" Strength training leads to improved self-esteem and confidence.
" Also, older women can improve balance and gait.

Exercises with free weights and dumbbells and exercises that use body weight resistance should be included in the training of both men and women, and women should train at the same intensities as men. Along with the use of strength training machines and abdominal exercises, emphasis should be placed on the use of free-weight exercises including lower-body exercises such as the lunge, diagonal lunge, walking lunge, lateral step up, and squat. Women should also include upper-body exercises that employ multiple muscle groups such as the bench press, incline press, lattissmus dorsi pull-downs, pull-ups, and back extensions. A training program should be multi-planar, multi-joint, and functional to develop inter-muscular coordination, proprioception, and balance that result in strength that transfers to daily activities. For example, the step-up exercise is superior to using the leg-extension machine because it offers functional strength for walking up a flight of stairs while carrying bags of groceries.
Dispelling a few Misconceptions about women weight training.

Myth 1. Women can't get strong. The average woman gains strength at a slightly faster rate than the average man. Though gender differences regarding absolute strength exist, women are as able as men to develop strength relative to total muscle mass.
Myth 2. Strength training de-feminizes women The truth is, strength training helps reduce body fat and increase lean weight. These changes may result in a slight increase in overall weight, since lean body mass weighs more than fat. However, strength training results in significant increases in strength, and decreases in body girth measurements. Culture has traditionally viewed strength as a masculine trait and promoted a small, frail body as feminine. It still does. But who says strength training can't give you that small lithe body? It can, and it does.

Myth 3: Women should use different training methods than men. Women are often encouraged to use weight machines and slow, controlled movements out of a fear that using free weights, manual resistance, explosiveness, or exercises that use body weight as resistance will cause injury. Women are not any more likely to be injured as compared to men. If both women and men are taught the proper mechanics of strength training, the risk of injury is reduced for both. This is where Certified Personal Trainers can play a major role in educating individuals with proper form and techniques.

Myth 3: Women should avoid high-intensity or high-load training. Women are typically encouraged to use limited resistance, such as light dumbbells, in their strength exercises. Honestly, they can train just as hard as men as long as they follow strength training procedures that include periodization--variations in the resistance training program that are implemented over a specific time--and exercise performed at intensities and volumes suited to physical ability and level of strength conditioning. Ultimately, each person should be assessed as an individual, and training programs should meet individual needs and goals, rather than those based on preconceived ideas about gender.

Myth 4. A woman's muscle will turn to fat when she stops training. Muscle doesn't turn to fat, and vice versa. If a muscle is not used it will shrink (atrophy). This causes it get surrounded by fat giving the impression that muscle turns into fat. Just like glass cannot turn into wood, this is equally impossible.

Myth 5. A woman can take extra protein supplements to enhance her physique. Extra protein does not enhance a woman's physique. An excess amount of protein is converted to fat and stored in the body. She needs the amount of protein required as per her training regimen.

Myth 6 . Strength training is for young women. It's never too late for a woman to improve her muscular fitness. Strength training can help extend a woman's functional life span. That doesn't mean that you can plunge into vigorous exercise regardless of your health history. A person must be in a stable health state to exercise. Check with your healthcare provider first.

Myth 7. Strength training is expensive for a woman. Not true. A muscle doesn't know the cost of a machine it's using. Muscle responds to the stress being applied to it...a pair of dumbbells or barbell can be just as effective as an expensive machine.

Myth 8. Strength training is not as important as cardiovascular conditioning Strength training is extremely important and needs to be added to most women's workout programs. Strength training has a great metabolic effect on the body which is essential to positive weight loss. Performing countless hours of lower-intensity aerobics will not melt away fat or "reshape" a woman's body. What it will do is waste a good deal of time and lead to terminal boredom.

Myth 9. Women just need to tone. Toning is a term that has no scientific basis. It is not a term that appears in exercise physiology books. It's a made-up term. But what does toning mean in popular parlance? The term implies using light weights or other resistance presumably to derive some small muscular effect -- for strength and appearance. With toning, the idea seems to be not to put forth much effort (intensity) but appear to do a great deal of work (volume) -- many sets, many repetitions. That however may be an ineffective training method. Such light training loads are substantially below those necessary for physiologic adaptations and certainly less than those commonly used by men. Most women are able to train at higher volumes and intensities and should, to cause adaptation in bone, muscle, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. When the exercise intensity fails to provide sufficient stimulus, physiologic benefits will not occur. Such training practices are not only ineffective; they are a total waste of time. They wear you out and give you nothing in return.

Though sex role stereotypes still powerfully shape our culture and behavior, physical strength is no longer the sole domain of men. More and more women are claiming strength as their own through participation in sports and especially in strength training programs. Such participation helps to counter the stereotypes and fosters an appreciation of strength as desirable for women. And at the same time it can give them that perfect body they have always dreamed about. So, don't you underestimate the strength of a woman!!

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