Guardian: women gain muscle as well

Muscle growth is your body rebuilding muscle fibers after they are stressed by lifting, bands, or bodyweight work. The Guardian’s April 27 explainer says women do that as effectively as men when training is matched. (theguardian.com) (europepmc.org) Men usually start with more muscle mass because puberty raises testosterone sharply in males, while women typically carry a higher proportion of body fat. That baseline difference changes how bodies look, not whether training works. (theguardian.com) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis in the *Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research* pooled studies using the same resistance-training protocols in males and females. It found no significant sex difference in hypertrophy, or muscle growth, and no significant difference in lower-body strength gains. (europepmc.org) That same review found women posted larger relative gains in upper-body strength. The authors said untrained females may have a higher capacity to improve there, though they called for more research on why. (europepmc.org) A 2021 study in *Scientific Reports* followed 18 untrained men and women through seven weeks of biceps curls and squats, twice a week, at 60% to 70% of repetition maximum. Researchers found similar relative changes in strength and muscle size in both sexes. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) The American College of Sports Medicine updated its resistance-training guidance on March 17, 2026, its first major update since 2009. The group said the review covered 137 systematic reviews and more than 30,000 participants. (acsm.org) That guidance says the biggest gains come from moving from no resistance training to any resistance training. For most healthy adults, ACSM says training all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters more than chasing a “perfect” plan. (acsm.org) For hypertrophy, ACSM says higher weekly volume of about 10 sets per muscle group can help. For strength, it recommends heavier loads above 80% of one-repetition maximum for two to three sets per exercise. (acsm.org) U.S. public-health guidance lines up with that floor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults need muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days each week, alongside 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. (cdc.gov) The practical takeaway is narrower than the myth suggests: men may add more absolute muscle because they start bigger, but women are not poor responders to lifting. The evidence says the main variables are showing up, adding challenge over time, and doing enough work to recover and repeat. (europepmc.org) (acsm.org)