Girl: Stop Training Like the Boys

Newsflash - men and women are structurally different. So why do we all insist on following the same training programmes? Here why female physiology requires a different approach to workouts, recovery and performance.

We get it - there is a particular kind of pride that comes with keeping up.

Matching the pace, lifting the same weight, pushing through the same sessions without hesitation. For years, the message has been clear. Train harder. Do more. Keep going. And if you can do it like the boys, even better.

It sounds empowering on the surface, but in reality it’s not all that effective.

Because while equality in opportunity matters, physiology still exists. And when it comes to training, ignoring those differences does not make you stronger. It just makes you more tired (sorry).

The rise of women in strength training, endurance sports, and high performance fitness has been a long overdue shift. Weight rooms that once felt exclusive are now filled with women who are redefining what strength looks like. The problem is not that women are training hard. It is that many are following frameworks that were never designed with them in mind.

Most traditional training models are based on male physiology. Hormones, recovery patterns, even the way energy is utilised during exercise, these variables differ significantly between men and women. Yet the programmes, the expectations, and the metrics of success have largely remained the same.

And it shows.

Persistent fatigue. Plateaued progress. Hormonal disruption. A sense that despite doing everything “right”, something still feels off. It is not a lack of discipline, it is a mismatch.

One of the most important distinctions lies in hormonal rhythms. Unlike men, whose hormone levels remain relatively stable day to day, women operate on a cyclical pattern. Energy, strength, and recovery capacity can fluctuate across the month, influenced by changes in oestrogen and progesterone. (Note: this is not a limitation. It is information).

There are phases where the body is primed for intensity, where strength gains can be maximised and recovery is more efficient. There are also phases where the focus may need to shift towards lower intensity movement, mobility, or simply maintaining consistency without pushing to extremes.

Training in alignment with this rhythm does not mean doing less. It means doing what is appropriate at the right time.

Then there is recovery, the most overlooked part of most routines.

Women are often more resilient in certain types of training, particularly endurance based work, but that does not mean they are immune to overtraining. In fact, under fuelling and overexercising can have a more immediate impact on hormonal balance, affecting everything from energy levels to sleep to menstrual health.

And the kicker? The culture of pushing through, of wearing exhaustion as a badge of honour, does not serve long term progress.

Same goes for fasted training, skipping rest days, or treating nutrition as an afterthought.

Strength is built in the balance between stress and recovery. Without that balance, the body adapts by conserving energy, not by building capacity.

And then there is the question of goals.

For a long time, women’s fitness has been framed around shrinking. Smaller waistlines, lower numbers on the scale, less of everything. Training like the boys was often seen as a way to accelerate that process.

But the narrative is changing.

More women are training to build, not reduce. To feel strong, capable, energised. To support their mental health as much as their physical wellbeing. In that context, blindly following programmes designed for a different body, with different hormonal patterns and different recovery needs, starts to feel less like empowerment and more like oversight.

Of course, there is no one single way that women should train. Preferences, goals, and lifestyles all play a role. But understanding the underlying physiology allows for more informed choices. It opens the door to training that feels supportive rather than depleting.

It might mean adjusting intensity across the month. Prioritising strength training while respecting recovery. Eating enough to fuel performance rather than restricting to meet an aesthetic ideal. Listening to signals from the body rather than overriding them.

Small shifts, but meaningful ones.

Because the goal is not to prove that you can train like someone else - it is to find a way of training that actually works for you. For stabilised energy, consistent progress, purposeful workouts. Workouts shift from something you endure to something that supports you.

The irony is that when women stop trying to train like the boys, they often become stronger than ever. Not in spite of their physiology, but because they are finally working with it. And that is where real progress begins.