Benefits of Strength Training for Women

Strength training benefits women greatly, possibly even more than it benefits men. Men already have the advantage of producing large amounts of testosterone (much greater amounts than women), a hormone that allows them to have strong muscles and keep their body fat low.

Anatomically speaking, girls are usually about two years ahead of boys when it comes to bone ossification. Girls' estrogen levels cause the growth plates in their bones to close more quickly than they do in boys. So although girls may be taller than boys for a few years of adolescence, the girls' bones stop growing and the boys soon catch up and surpass the girls. On the average, girls' bones are completely formed by the time they are 18, as opposed to boys' bones, which can continue to grow until they are 21. Higher amounts of human growth hormone account for the larger, heavier, and taller frames of men. At the end of the growing stages, men tend to be about five inches taller than women. Men also have larger, longer, and denser bones than women. Their shoulders are broader relative to their hips, whereas women have broader hips relative to their shoulders. These bone characteristics allow men to have much more muscular tissue as a whole on their limbs, especially in the upper body.

Another difference between men and women that makes strength training even more beneficial for women is fat ' probably our least favorite three-letter word. Both men and women must have some fat to live, which is called essential fat. Essential fat is present inside vital organs such as the heart, and it is found in most of the central nervous system and bone marrow. Women also have sex-specific essential fat in their breasts and in their pelvic, buttock, and thigh regions. Such fat is only found on women, specifically for hormonal functions and childbearing. We need this fat to produce estrogen and stay the beautiful women that we are. We also need the fat that surrounds our reproductive system, just in case we want to have a baby. But even if we don't want to procreate, it is extremely difficult to get rid of sex-specific fat ' it is genetically programmed into our bodies, and is nature's way of supporting the survival of human beings.

We usually want to lose the storage fat, but some of this fat is important too. Some storage fat provides energy reserves, and some protects our internal organs and bones. Surprisingly, men and women have very close relative percentages of storage fat, but the sex-specific essential fat makes the difference between the amount of fat men and women have. Women also have more fat trapped between their muscle fibers than men do. We can change this amount slightly, but not a great deal. Physiologically, then, nature intends women to be a little more rounded, a little bit softer, and a little bit smaller than men. We can do our best to decrease nonessential body fat and get as lean as possible, but a little fat will always need to remain.

Men often have the advantage of being more active throughout their growing years. Girls are more likely to be sedentary and are often taught to play in ways that are less active, whereas boys are more likely to be encouraged to be outside running, jumping, and wrestling. Although hopefully the ways in which girls and boys are encouraged to play are changing, many women have already grown up with this mind-set and haven't experienced as much physical activity as many men.

We have seen that women possess a very specific genetic makeup that differentiates us from men and from any other organism. Our two X chromosomes give us certain genetic traits that simply won't allow gender confusion. On average, a woman's body structure is smaller than a man's, so she will have difficulty ever becoming as large. Women also have lower levels of testosterone, the anabolic hormone that contributes to increased muscle mass (see chapter 2). Rather than causing big and bulky muscles, weight training actually promotes changes in body composition that most women find favorable (such as decreased fat, tighter musculature, and increased strength), without their restricting calories. So maybe strength training really is the Holy Grail of fitness and exercise for women. Think about all of the benefits that strength training produces. From a health and longevity aspect, strength training can increase bone density, improve the immune system, and decrease or reverse the effects of aging. Also, as anyone who has ever lifted a weight in her life knows, strength training can elevate your mood, give you confidence, and just plain perk you up.

Increased Strength

Increased Muscle Mass and Decreased Body Fat

Increased Bone Density

Improved Immune Function

Reversed Effects of Aging

Improved Mood and Increased Confidence

Improved Quality of Life