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by Mark Rippetoe
"[T]he reality of human sexual dimorphism must be dealt with. How? By taking into account what we know about the differences in male and female neuromuscular efficiency, understanding the implications for training, and planning appropriately."
Article
****This is the full version of the article that originally appeared in truncated form on t-Nation, with discussion in Rip's Q&A here.****
Can't all the examples of differences b/t men and women cited just be attributed to relative percentages? In other words ,5 and 10 pound jumps will be a big percentage in lighter maxes than heavier maxes and heavier weights will take longer to recover from than lighter weights as there is more cells affected......??
No.
Just seeing this now. Rip's curt here because it's already explained in the article. The problem is not just the difference in how long women can progress/jump on the program. Even advanced female lifter appear to be able to handle a greater volume of work at the same intensity (%1RM) and have a 5RM that's much closer to their 1RM than a male with an equivalent 1RM.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainstream
You also can't explain it as a simple question of difference in lean mass. Even granted a 20% handicap (more than making up for the lean mass differences between a male and female due to minimum-safe-BF%), women's records in maximal strength events (powerlifting, Olympic lifting, etc.) are significantly behind those of men which (again) suggests some factor which limits women's expression of maximum strength relative to men's.
Physiologically, women even appear to develop muscle differently, with certain anabolic hormone factors responding very poorly to training (testosterone) and others (like IGF-1) responding as-much-as-or-more-than a man's.
The differences are complex, but women aren't just "small men."
I certainly do not consider myself a "small man"! Great statement! I have read BB Prescription as well as the Blue Book and this article cements in my mind the way a female should be trained, especially an older female like I am. I could see myself in the article. Rip's article helped me understand more about why my SS coach programs me the way he does. So thanks coach! I am still making progress with my lifts, am 63 today, and stronger than I have ever been in my life. Thanks for the article Rip and the comment Gotcher.Quote:
Originally Posted by CJ Gotcher
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/a69...=1578668890484
This recent statement has a pretty good summary of the science around the performance differences between males and females
My wife has the issue you mentioned about being very horizontal att he bottom of the squat. We've tried many things to get both depth and a good 45 degree angle, but it's still a miss. Is there a solution for a woman, who is big chested and has had 2 C-sections, for getting a good back angle/position of the bar over the foot while also achieving below parallel depth?
If you're trying to lock someone in to a specific angle, you're doing it all wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by James Lamar
