From a performance standpoint, a females dedication to a strength training program can change her athletic career.
A female athlete has the opportunity to separate herself from the pack by a long stretch. The reasons for that tend to outnumber the reasons for the guys. From the athletic side, to the body image and long term exercise effects, a female's time in the weight room is essentially life changing.
Problems and Solutions
Injuries
This one is huge. At some point I always try to ask our female athletes, "What is the most prevalent injury amongst female athletes?" I am beginning to notice that more and more girls seem to be able to get me the answer of "ACL." Just the simple fact that they are starting to truly understand this is key. Once they can understand, they can begin to implement measures to reduce the risk of injury.
So why ACL? Let's take a look at the female structure of the hips.
This right here may single handedly be the biggest reason for a female athlete to train.
So as you can see in the image, females tend to have more knee valgus (internal rotation). Most of the time this is due to the structure of their pelvis. This is why females will have wider hips than males. Look at the image, and it is pretty clear to see why risk of injury at the knee is quite prevalent. Does it mean it's going to happen? No. Every body is built different and some females have the muscle tone and ligament stiffness to avoid ACL injuries just like males. Either way, proper training can help to decrease this risk.
Strengthening and helping girls learn how to utilize their glutes is a major component to addressing the problem. Implementing glute activation work prior to a workout in which the glutes will be utilized is a great approach. The glutes are what gives the knees the ability to drive outward away from that valgus position. For an example. When I see a girl doing a single leg squat to box, a frequent issue is that knee caving in. A simple "Hey look in the mirror, straighten out" can fix this. We see knee valgus in sports and can actually be a natural position when cutting. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be training in a way to keep the knee out of a vulnerable position.
Here's an activation example for you:
Another key component to ACL injury prevention is plyometrics. Plyometrics should always be taken with a step by step approach. For Example: In a 12 week workout program, the first 4 weeks could be working on things such as hurdle jumps or single leg hops and sticking each landing. Learning how to absorb force as you hit the ground. This will not only teach and rehearse proper landing mechanics, but it will also help build stiffness in the tendons and ligaments surrounding a joint. The ACL for example can benefit greatly from minor impacts to build up its resiliency. The middle 4 weeks could be spent progressing towards a quicker movement off the ground. This can come from what we love to use, a double bounce. The same exercises as before, but instead of sticking the landing, utilizing a quick double bounce in between. This is the stepping stone to our final phase. The final 4 weeks could be utilized by rebounding off the ground as quick as possible (while staying under control of course). The same exercises apply but beginning to learn to be quick and explosive off the ground immediately after impact. This phased plyometric programming has shown time and time again to help reduce lower body injuries in athletes, especially female.
Another problem is that collectively as a whole, females train less frequently than males. This is simple. As a girl, if you find the love for training, you separate yourself from a lot of girls that you will compete against. Set yourself apart in as many ways as possible!
My final problem here is confidence. I try to make the female experience in a weight room as enjoyable as possible. It can be hard mentally for a girl to step into a weight room for the first time. For many, it can be intimidating. Understanding as a girl, that anyone can fit right into the gym is huge from a confidence standpoint. Once you can get past that initial fear, you can begin to learn to fall in love with training. From a bettering performance standpoint, to a self confidence and body image standpoint, this will carry you a long way in life. Change my mind, the new societal trend for females is athletic. Athletic is healthy, so I fully support this. It is time to get rid of the old school idea that muscle tone for girls is bad, because that idea is long gone!
How Girls are "Simpler" to Train
Girls tend to pick up on movement patterns far easier than males at a young age. It seems to even out later into high school. Why this is, we do not know. What it does mean is that getting girls started early in the gym can be life changing. They can pick up on these movement patterns while young, and carry that with them through training as an adult.
I absolutely love the atmosphere with my college guys. It is unmatched most of the time depending on the group. With that being said, girls groups tend to attack the buy in much better. It is rare that I see girls disappointed that they have to do certain exercises. Females tend to not have a preset and diehard background on a bodybuilding approach. Never have I been asked when we will train biceps for a girl. When you have an open minded state to improve athletic performance, the buy in comes a lot easier.
The Bottom Line
Strength training is key to success in all athletes. In the female population, that culture has not yet reached the same level as the males. Until we can bridge that gap, females that prioritize training will continue to separate themselves from the girls they compete against. My hope is that one day, female athletes will all prioritize training for their athletic performance. I will continue to preach this idea and its reasons to all female athletes that I come across.
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