Hello all,
My name is glen and i am a long time member of T-Nation family. Recently, a few of my female friends have enlisted my services in the training and the healthy lifestyle department. I was hoping that some light could be shed on the differences between male and female training, or if anyone could direct me to an article with useful information.
THX MUCH!!!
ps You girls are awesome
pps Gorgeous too 
Check out the articles on the front page of the MWA forum:
http://www.musclewithattitude.com/
There really isn’t much difference, though. Basic compound lifts, moderate cardio and a solid nutrition plan.
Also, Sandy Joyce wrote a great article a while ago that might be helpful (especially with the mental aspect):
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459789
A lot of older articles are linked to in this old post, too:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=645666
Good luck!
There is no difference, people, male or female aren’t that much different. The most effective exercises for males are still the most effective exercises for females. In fact due to lower testosterone levels and other differences, it is even more important for females to train with the most effective possible exercises and programming.
An article CT co-authored points out a few differences. http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459296
There are two main points in that article that I found very useful in my own training.
Slightly more reps per set.
Strenth training for women should be in the 3-6 reps range compared to men (1-5 reps). For hypertrophy women should use 7-12 reps vs. 5-10 reps for men.
One to two more sets per exercise.
Poliquin also believes in more reps per set but disagrees with increasing sets. Though increasing both (reps and sets) slightly has worked for me.
Also some women find that squating will puts more emphasis on the glutes and vastus lateralis (especially ones with a greater Q angle - the angle between the femur and tibia). In those cases they may find they single limb exercises like lunges, bulgarian squats, step-up, etc. work better to achieve balanced leg development.
Women have wider hip than men and usually find a wider stance more comfortable when squating.
I’d like to know the reasoning for differences in repetitions. Because I sure don’t see any reason to do so. Muscle is muscle whether it is on a male or female.
I prefer to work on performance and let aesthetics be a side effect than trying to train for aesthetics. You look at some of the best bodies, they belong to female athletes, like that female pole vaulter people post pictures of. When the body performs at a high level it will be appealing for reasons that run DNA level deep, imo.
If you are performing squats at a high level of performance, you will get more out of it than all the single leg and special exercises put together, IE the most effective exercises are the most effective. The others are a distraction.
[quote]Jillybop wrote:
Check out the articles on the front page of the MWA forum:
http://www.musclewithattitude.com/
There really isn’t much difference, though. Basic compound lifts, moderate cardio and a solid nutrition plan.
Also, Sandy Joyce wrote a great article a while ago that might be helpful (especially with the mental aspect):
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459789
A lot of older articles are linked to in this old post, too:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=645666
Good luck!
[/quote]
HEY!!! new avatar!
It’s Jilly looking kick-ass!
[quote]OctoberGirl wrote:
HEY!!! new avatar!
It’s Jilly looking kick-ass!
[/quote]
LOL! It must be that subtle glisten of perspiration and that confident, sexy gleam in the eye we women get when we wear garter belts and stockings… 
[quote]Jillybop wrote:
OctoberGirl wrote:
HEY!!! new avatar!
It’s Jilly looking kick-ass!
LOL! It must be that subtle glisten of perspiration and that confident, sexy gleam in the eye we women get when we wear garter belts and stockings…
[/quote]
I’ve been diggin’ Jilly’s new avatar…in an entirely platonic way…honest…but now…dammit…garter belts and stockings! I’m having a difficult time not picturing her replaying the scene in the movie Slapshot where Ned does the striptease during the championship game/fight…
Also…as far as motivating and training your girl…check out this thread http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1615259 the OP is some sort of mad genius…