Why should a woman train differently? Our hormonal makeup will not allow the average woman to get anywhere near the same results as a man in terms of muscle mass. However, that does not mean that we should not strive to reach our goals or potential. If I want shapely legs and glutes - I've got to hit them really hard and build muscle. If I want to be strong, I've got to grunt and sweat with chinups and weights as heavy as I can go - not do endless reps with light weights to "feel the burn" and tone and "sculpt" those muscles. If a woman who trains hard has a low enough bodyfat she will be defined, and if it is extremely low she may lose some feminine appeal.. but it is difficult to get to bodyfat levels that low.


Obviously different goals call for different methods. If a woman really doesn't care about strength or the firmness and shape of her biceps or back and all she wants is a small butt with thin legs - maybe it doesn't matter if she just diets and does cardio, with some light leg training. I personally love the look of well developed muscles on a woman, I think it gives her such a beautiful shape. But that is no different than a rock climber training differently from a sprinter.

I will say though, that the intensity of my own training will vary thoughout the month, where it might not for a guy. During a certain week I am tired, and easily fatigued, in pain and bloated. My body needs more rest and it gets it.

However, in order for me to answer the "why" question properly.. what do you consider "training like a guy" and what would be "training the way a woman should"

Just so that in my answer I'm not making assumptions