During Mark Rippetoe’s Barbell Cert he mentioned that men are better able to reach their absolute strength than women.  So what is absolute strength and where does this difference come from?  Absolute strength is simply the maximum force one is able to produce in a movement (i.e. 1 rep max).  Rip explained to us that the gender difference arises from the concentration of testosterone found within men, and that the testosterone helps with the efficiency at which we fire our motor neurons and unleash the potential within the associated muscles.  It is true that testosterone has not only been linked to hypertrophy (increased muscle mass) and decreased body fat but also with an increase in motor neuron size.  As motor neurons increase in size, so does their production of force.  Testosterone ultimately increases absolute strength by its growth effects on both the muscle tissue and motor neuron, and the efficiency of the interaction between the two.  In general, men have about 10x more testosterone than women and although exercise causes a significant increase in testosterone in men, women do not experience statistically significant increases.

Rip explained that he uses this knowledge on a routine basis when he helps choose weights for his athletes to lift.  Because men are typically better able to recruit their muscles, they can take larger jumps in weight because as the load increases, in theory, so will their muscle recruitment.  When coaching his female athletes, though, he is very careful in the loads he picks and the jumps between sets because as discussed the same load-to-motor unit recruitment that exists in men is much less in women.  Be aware of this phenomenon when choosing your loads and don’t despair if you cannot make the jumps men make.

To our female athletes, please don’t despair.  Relative strength is the force one is able to produce in relation to their body mass and studies have found that although women hardly compare to men in absolute strength and absolute strength gains, they tend to produce better relative strength gains and are nearly equal to men in terms of relative strength.  Research has also shown that women are capable of longer endurance times compared with men for contractions performed at low to moderate intensities and are more fatigue-resistant than men.  Though gender differences regarding absolute strength exist, women are as able as men to develop strength relative to total muscle mass.  Ultimately, women should strength train in the same ways as men, using the same program design, exercises, intensities, and volumes, relative to their body size and level of strength, so they can achieve the maximum physiologic and psychological benefits.

WOD 01.20.10

Front Squat 3×5