For years, I trained myself and my clients the way most people in the fitness industry were taught to train women. Instead of focusing on how women should train differently, I focused on:
- High volume workouts (lots of jumping, lots of reps)
- Long cardio sessions (elliptical = BFF)
- Strict dieting (eat less, track every morsel)
And for a while it worked, until it didn’t.
Back when I competed in Figure Competitions, the goal was simple: get lean at all costs. My life revolved around my training schedule and my meal times…eating the same foods on rotation, so much cardio like that one time I climbed the stairmill for 70 minutes (yes, you read that right), pushing through fatigue and everlasting soreness. Sure, it required disciplined, but it also required that I ignored my body’s signals and pleas for rest a lot of the time.
And then I got older and my clients got older; I stopped competing, but I kept trying to push my body in the same old ways. I pushed my clients hard, too, and I was surprised when they didn’t make drastic transformations with my rigid advice.
But the longer I worked with women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, the more I studied and changed up my own training, I realized something crucially important:
Women’s bodies don’t respond well to the same training philosophies designed around male physiology.
That’s one reason I resonate so much with the work of Dr. Stacy Sims.
Her core message is simple: “Women are not small men.”
How women’s training needs differ from men’s
Our hormones, stress responses, and recovery patterns are different, and our training should reflect that. Instead of doing more cardio, focusing exclusively on weight loss, or generally just trying to do “more,” Dr. Sim’s research emphasizes a different approach that centers on strength, power, recovery.
Women’s strength training
We benefit from lifting heavier than we think we can (or that we’re encouraged to) because of our hormonal differences and higher fatigue resistance. Having a higher fatigue resistance means that we can sustain muscle contraction longer than men.
That said, we can:
- Handle heavier loads to stimulate muscle and bone
- Prioritize progressive overload
- Avoid the “light weights + high reps” approach and lift heavier relative to our ability!
Women’s power training
We lose power as we age, and it’s often the most overlooked component of our training. Power is critical for:
- Preventing falls
- Maintaining muscle mass
- Improving metabolism and athleticism
Training for power can seem intimidating as we get older, especially if we’re already nursing injuries. But, it’s more accessible than you might think!
Adding power to your workout can look like:
- Medicine ball slams at the beginning of your workout when your energy is fresh
- Intervals on the elliptical for 20mins at the end of your workout
- Incorporating battleropes on your upper body training days
- Adding jumps and jump training to your lower body training days
Women’s recovery needs
Women are more sensitive to life stress and the stress from physical training, from a hormone standpoint. Couple this with hormone fluctuations, under eating, and poor sleep, and recovery becomes the bottleneck for results.
How women should recover properly
- Prioritize nutrition and protein – focus on balanced meals and at least 20g of protein at each meal
- Never train in a depleted state – listen to your body and adjust your program for lower-energy days
- Respect cycle phases – if applicable, get to know how your body responds to different training methods when you’re on your cycle. Do you need to swap a heavy leg day for a gentle yoga practice?
- Be proactive about rest – schedule in time to truly rest (do nothing) and down-regulate your nervous system
The more I’ve aligned my own training and the way I coach women with these principles, the better the results have been in terms of energy, resilience, long-term health, and yes, aesthetics.
Your workouts should be designed to build your capacity, not drain it.
Two takeaways for better results, starting today
1. Lift heavier than you think you can
Muscle is one of the most powerful tools for metabolic health, bone density, blood sugar regulation, and body re-composition. Progressively challenging your muscles via strength training is what signals your body to adapt.
2. Worry less about burning calories and more about training your nervous system
Constant high-intensity workouts and long cardio sessions can keep your body stuck in a stress response. This stress response is often characterized by reduced motivation, persistent fatigue, insomnia, prolonged soreness, and even irritability.
Aim to balance your training week with: stretch sessions, mobility work, lower-intensity movement like walking, proper recovery (sleep is the best choice!)
So much has changed since I started personal training 15 years ago. And after seeing what actually works for women long term, I’m much more interested in a training method that supports their bodies rather than fighting against them.
You are stronger than you think!
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Learn more about my personal training services here, and contact me to schedule your consultation