When it comes to training, we all have different goals, whether that’s to lose weight, gain strength or tone up. Generally, training should only differ based on your goals and not your gender.
Women shouldn’t necessarily be training differently to men, it’s more that they may need to do more or less of certain movements. As previously mentioned, all training types are down to your end goal, but there are some ways in which training may differ between the genders.
Reps
Men and women can gain muscle just as easily as each other. When muscles are worked at any weight and repetition range, they will naturally get bigger, regardless of gender.
When it comes to reps, women may respond better to a higher number of reps due to fiber type distribution.
For women, muscle fiber either converts to type 1 or not at all, whereas for men they typically convert to type 2. This means that women are more resistant to fatigue, meaning they should train their fibers more.
This in turn grows their strength, and the easiest way to do this is through more reps per set. Overall, men won’t need to do as many reps per exercise as women. Adding a few more sets in a woman’s workout could therefore help to achieve the same results as men.
Muscle Training
Muscles typically function in the same way in both men and women, which indicates that there’s no real reason why men and women would have to train differently. However, it should be considered that hormones differ between the genders, which can impact performance and energy levels.
Because women have lower testosterone levels, this will affect how they build muscle and could potentially make it more difficult in some instances. What’s more, some men also struggle to bulk build muscle, which is why we offer a range of products that can support all athletes, regardless of gender.
Our key products that support athletes to build muscle are our Klean Isolate Whey Protein Powder and Klean Creatine Powder. Containing 20g of protein per serving, Klean Isolate provides the essential amino acids for musclebuilding, all while enhancing daily protein intake. Creatine also helps you build muscle mass, increase body strength and recover quickly from intense exercise. ‡
Rest Time
When it comes to giving your body a well-needed break, it’s recommended that men should be taking longer breaks than women. Due to men typically carrying more muscle mass, this means the strain on their muscular and nervous system is greater than on women’s.
As a result, women should focus on short rest times, as it allows them to use their ability to burn fatty acids to their full potential. For men, this just means taking a slightly longer rest between exercises.
Training Frequency
It’s believed that little and often is the best way for women to train, whereas men train best with more weights and fewer reps.
This means women should focus on high-frequency training by working out the same muscle groups 2-3 times a week with fewer sets and more weights involved. For men, the focus should be more on working out different muscle groups and having specific training sessions for different body parts.
Overall, when it comes to training, your session should be dictated by ability rather than gender. The more experienced you are, the more you’ll be capable of doing.
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