How a Bit of Guidance Can Increase Strength and Speed in Female Athletes

Dec 19
07:14

2006

Lynn VanDyke

Lynn VanDyke

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Strength and speed training are necessary for all atheletes. This article sheds light on female atheletes in particular.

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A strength and speed training guide for women throws a new curve on the topic of fitness. It's obvious women are different from men on the outside. And also obvious is the fact that women have some differences on the inside too.

But not everyone knows that there are basic differences affecting almost every biological function. There are differences in how stored energy is burned,How a Bit of Guidance Can Increase Strength and Speed in Female Athletes Articles how the skeletal system is designed and even how much fat is on the body.

These differences mean that a strength and speed training program should be designed differently for women as opposed to men.

Changing PronounsA strength and speed training guide for women should not be a manual that changes the pronoun use from ‘he' to ‘she'. To be effective, it must address the differences in a female athlete's physiology.

- Women have more body fat – there is an extra layer that men do not have

- Women have a different pelvis structure which affects the way they move

- Women burn fat differently because of differences in enzyme levels

- Excessively low body fat can affect hormone levels

- Women do not have the same muscle strength as men

These are just a few of the differences that female athletes have, and they affect their training and nutrition requirements. A strength and speed training guide will offer a fitness program that takes into consideration these unique features of the female body.

For A Common GoalThough female athletes are different than male athletics physically, they have one thing in common throughout all sports – a competitive spirit. Any athlete wants to perform at peak levels.

This means developing strength and endurance and flexibility. In some sports speed is also a requirement. A strength and speed training guide will assist female athletes with developing an individualized program.

- Sport specific exercises that build proper movement flexibility

- Instruction in proper technique for avoiding injuries

- Strategies for building endurance

- Nutrition guidelines that maintain vitamin and mineral levels in the body during extreme activity levels

- Fitness regimen for overall conditioning

- Program for maximizing speed

- Explanation of exercises that female athletes should avoid

Women athletes have concerns they must accommodate during athletic training. Women are more prone to neck injury. Shoulders that are used for backward momentum during sports events can weaken from excess stress on the joints. Some sports overuse elbows and wrists.

The pelvis is particularly subject to painful injuries because of the muscles and ligaments connecting the spine to the hips and legs. Ligament looseness can affect an athlete's effectiveness.

Active women must also protect knees from injury during both fitness training and sports participation. A strength and speed training guide offers a complete plan for avoiding athletic injuries while maximizing conditioning.

Hear Me Roar!As the old song says, "I am woman, hear me roar …" The days of considering women athletes as weaklings are long gone. Female athletes set world records, participate in every sport and are as physically fit as any male athlete.

Strength training and conditioning increases speed, builds muscle and improves endurance. Get prepared for that next sporting event. Make sure your body is conditioned and primed for winning. A strength and speed training guide will help you roar!