Women and men gain similar relative strength and muscle from the same resistance training programme, so the same lifts suit both
Interpretation
Three meta-analyses agree in direction. Roberts et al. 2020 (young to middle-aged, mostly untrained) found no sex difference in hypertrophy or lower-body strength and larger relative upper-body strength gains in women. Refalo et al. 2025 (29 studies, ages 18-45) found similar relative muscle growth, with a small absolute advantage for men. Jones et al. 2021 (30 studies, 1,410 over-50s, 651 men and 759 women) found women gained more relative lower-body strength and similar relative muscle size, while men gained more in absolute terms. Vikmoen and Rønnestad's cyclist trials found similar 40-minute power gains in both sexes. Graded moderate rather than strong because participants were mostly untrained non-athletes in short studies, and the endurance-athlete data compare sexes across separate studies.
Practical implication
Programme exercise choice, frequency and progression the same way for female and male triathletes, set starting loads by ability rather than sex, and judge progress relative to your own baseline. The evidence is mostly from untrained non-athletes over a few months, and life-stage factors (pregnancy, menopause, bone health, energy availability) still need individual attention.
Sources
4 sources, independently verified.
Pre-registered meta-analysis of young to middle-aged men and women on the same resistance programme. No sex difference in hypertrophy (12 outcomes, 10 studies, ES 0.07, P = 0.31) or lower-body strength (23 outcomes, 23 studies, ES -0.21, P = 0.20); relative upper-body strength gains favoured women (19 outcomes, 17 studies, ES -0.60, P = 0.002). Mostly untrained participants, short studies, high heterogeneity for strength (I² 72-75); total n not reported in the abstract.
Bayesian meta-analysis of 29 studies in healthy adults aged 18 to 45. Absolute muscle size gains slightly favoured men (SMD 0.19, 95% HDI 0.11 to 0.28), driven by the upper body; relative gains were similar (difference 0.69%, HDI -1.50% to 2.88%). Training experience did not change the result; highly trained people under-studied.
In adults over 50 doing identical resistance training (30 studies, 41 comparisons), women gained more relative lower-body strength than men (g -0.21, 95% CI -0.33 to -0.10), with no significant sex difference in relative upper-body strength or relative muscle size. Men gained more in absolute terms (upper-body strength g 0.48, lower-body strength g 0.33, muscle size g 0.45). Study quality moderate; sex differences depend on absolute vs relative reporting.
Review of the authors' separate trials in male and female cyclists: 11-12 weeks of twice-weekly heavy lower-body strength training added to endurance training. Strength +38.6% in women vs +26.0% in men (p = 0.08); quadriceps size +7.4% vs +4.6%; 40-min power +6.4% vs +6.0%; no VO2max change; cycling economy improved only in women. Sexes not compared within one study; men trained more (9.9 vs 5.1 h/week); no elite female data.