"THE FEMALE ATHLETLE AND RESISTANCE TRAINING."

By: Jarrod Parra, MS, CSCS

Published: Monday November 24th, 2003

It is a common misconception that female resistance training programs need to be different than males. It is possible for females to make the same, or greater strength gains than males using the same training modes. Physiologically the musculoskeletal systems of both females and males have the same characteristics and responses to training. Research to date indicates that resistance training is at least as beneficial, if not more so, for females as males. However, resistance training in females can also result in increased bone density, which should be a major concern for females.

Participation in a comprehensive resistance training program designed to improve balance and coordination as well as strength and power will decrease the chance of injury to the female athlete. Traditionally, only males were involved in resistance training to improve sport performance. Now, with more females participating in sports as well as increased potential for earning a college scholarship, it is essential that female athletes start strengthening their bodies in preparation of a career in sports.

A common injury seen with the female athlete is injury to the knee joint. A female's predisposition to knee injuries, which were once thought to be attributed only to skeletal differences between females and males (i.e., wider hips in females which cause the upper leg to come down at a more "awkward" angle to the knee), are now believed to be partly due to a lack of strength and coordination in the muscles surrounding the knee joint. We are now finding that if females begin training at a very young age (as males have been doing for years) they may strengthen their bodies and therefore prevent injury and be even more competitive with the male athletes. In the last couple of decades females have narrowed the "competitive" gap between themselves and male athletes tremendously. When females begin participating in a supervised and comprehensive resistance training program at a young age, we will see this gender gap narrow even more.