A Female Weightlifter's Guide

A Female Weightlifter's Guide

by Dr. LeiLani Vidal in Business Body Contouring

While some weightlifting advice is applicable to both men and women, some are not, particularly when it comes to training. Women's physiology, anatomy, and hormone levels, for instance, can differ from those of men's, which can have an affect on how training should be scheduled for women.

In the past, women's exercises tended to emphasize using lower weights at a larger repetition range. Similar to males, many women avoid lifting large weights because of a mistaken fear of becoming "bulky" or "too muscular," depriving them of the power and strength that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps a healthy concern for losing muscle should take the place of the fear of becoming "bulky." Women lose between 3 and 8% of their muscle mass every ten years after the age of 30, and this rate of loss increases around the age of 60. Another reason why muscular training is crucial is because it helps you retain muscle mass and strength as you age. Reduced muscle increases the chance of falls and injuries, especially as you age.

Hormonal changes
Unlike to men, who typically have more stable hormone levels, women's hormones cycle throughout the month depending on the stage of their menstrual cycle (if they have one).

Nonetheless, there are more hormones present during the luteal phase, which likewise lasts for roughly 14 days. As a woman's chemical constitution is more catabolic as a result, increasing the intensity of her workout may be harder for her. This is because from ovulation to the conclusion of the luteal phase, recovery may take longer, sleep is frequently disturbed, and energy levels may be generally lower.

Depending on how you respond to exercise, you could find it helpful to cut back on the amount of training you do during the luteal phase, and perhaps even the number of days you spend doing strenuous workouts.

Pay close attention to including muscular training into your program throughout your monthly cycle, but especially in the first two weeks. Even though training volume and intensity may need to be decreased in the last two weeks of the cycle, research suggests that muscular training during the first two weeks of the cycle may result in "a larger gain of lean body mass than regular training." The initial two weeks of your menstrual cycle may require you to strength train more frequently or with a larger volume (say, three to four times per week), and the final two weeks may require you to consider cutting down to two to three times per week.

Physical discrepancies
Because women frequently have wider hips than men, the Q-angle, which is the measurement of the angle between the long axes of the femur bone and tibia, is frequently larger in women than in males. Women are more prone to knee injuries for a variety of reasons, including this. For instance, women in their college years sustain two to six times as many knee injuries as males do.

Other Training Variations
Due of these distinctions between the sexes, it's crucial for you to concentrate on knee and lower back stability to reduce your chance of injury. Basic functional exercises including the squat, deadlift, horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull, and rotational exercises should be the focus of a well-rounded muscle-training regimen.

According to your goals, energy level, and hormonal cycle, aim for two to four days of muscle-building activity per week. Do a full-body routine that involves squatting along with upper-body push exercises (like a bench press or overhead press) on one day and deadlifts along with upper-body pull exercises (like pull-ups or rows) on the second day if you train two days per week.

Aim to separate your workouts into lower- and upper-body days if you train three to four days per week. On one day, concentrate on lower-body squatting and quad-centric exercises (such as leg extensions and Spanish squats), and on the following day, focus on pushing and/or pulling with your upper body (such as bench press, pull-ups, rows, overhead presses, Arnold presses, etc.). On the third day, finish with deadlifts and additional glute and hamstring-focused exercises (such as hip or glute thrusts, single-leg deadlifts, and forward-leaning walking lunges), and on the fourth and final day, focus on pushing or pulling with your upper body (don't repeat the upper-body work from earlier in the week).

No matter how many days you train, every day should have some sort of core exercise centered around planking, heavier carries (such farmer's carries or suitcase carries), and some rotating work (such as Russian twists or banded chops). For rep ranges, aim for 5–10 total sets per muscle group each week to maximize strength. To maximize recovery for the following set, rest periods between sets should last at least 1-2 minutes.

There is no need to significantly change your workout despite any physiological differences between the sexes. Instead, pay attention to any changes in your energy levels during the month, and strengthen your shoulders and knees to reduce any possible danger of injury. Concentrate on lifting more weight (while still maintaining proper form), push yourself appropriately based on how you feel, and keep in mind that this strength training will have a significant positive impact on your overall health and longevity.