When it comes to strength training and achieving the heaviest possible 1 Rep Max in a particular lift (Maximal lift for 1 repetition) its generally males that are going to achieve the heavier loads… Not saying there aren’t females out there far stronger than most men, but on average males have about 20 times the testosterone levels of women (Yes women have testosterone) and this is one of the major reasons strength training for men and women can be so different.
So yes a male may have a far heavier 1RM, however there are quite a few notable aspects within resistance training where women out perform the men:
- Females tend to be able to do more reps with a higher % of their 1RM than males (Strength Endurance) – A woman can usually work at about 95% of their 1RM for 5 reps, whereas a male usually works at around 85% of their 1RM for 5 reps (Obviously the fact that the males 1RM may be considerably heavier would be a factor resulting in this difference)
- Females tend to have far more eccentric strength and endurance – After the concentric strength has failed a women can keep on working with negatives (Holding the load through the eccentric phase) far beyond what most males can achieve (It is the eccentric phase that is most associated with DOMS)
- Females tend to recover faster between sets
- Females tend to suffer less from DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and so can deal with the stresses of resistance training more often – This may be due to a female not being able to achieve the same levels of loading during a single session as a male (DOMS are not fully understood and there may be other factors involved)
As a result of these points above you can see why strength programming needs to be different for both males and females… For example if females are able to recover faster as a result of not being able to lift the loads a male can achieve during a single session, then the frequency of heavy loading for females may need to be increased to achieve the strength gains wanted.