Can Women Achieve True Lean Muscle Gains? Discover What It Takes

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“Women Can’t Get Bulky!” Actually, Research Suggests Otherwise

Ah, the age-old myth: “Women won’t get bulky.” It’s been passed around like a sweaty gym towel, and if you’re in the fitness world, you’ve probably heard it—or even said it yourself.

But here’s the thing: the term ‘bulky’ is so nuanced, and each woman’s concern about excessive weight gain—whether it’s mostly muscle or fat—is totally valid. However, the belief that women won’t get “huge” from weight training is also a relative argument. In today’s blog, we’re going to break all of that down.

Absolute vs. Relative: A Tale of Two Numbers

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s get some lingo out the way. When we talk about muscle gains, we have to understand two key concepts: absolute and relative changes.

Absolute Change: Imagine you go from lifting 50 pounds of pure, lean muscle to 55 pounds. The absolute change? That’s five pounds—pretty straightforward.
Relative Change: Now, if we’re talking relative, we’re looking at percentages. That same increase from 50 to 55 pounds? That’s a 10% gain. The twist? Smaller numbers make those percentages look more impressive. Think of it like this: gaining one pound of muscle when you started with four is a big deal (25% growth!), but if you already had 1400 pounds of muscle, gaining one more is barely a blip on the radar.

So, what does this mean for the ladies in the weight room? Women generally start with less muscle mass than men, so while their absolute gains might be smaller, their relative gains can be just as impressive—if not more so.

Now with that stuff out the way, lets move on to the research…

What Does The Meta-Analysis Say?

A recent meta-analysis gathered data from 27 studies, involving over 1,082 women and 853 men, all between 18 and 50 years old. These participants didn’t just lift once and call it a day—they committed to resistance training programs lasting between 6 and 24 weeks, with most hitting the gym two to three times a week.

The results? As expected, men showed larger absolute gains in muscle size. But here’s where things get interesting: when we look at relative increases, women were right up there with the guys. That’s right—percentage-wise, women can build muscle at a rate comparable to men.

And get this: the differences in muscle growth didn’t hinge on how heavy the weights were, what kind of training experience participants had, or whether they focused on upper or lower body. Even when more sets were added, the difference between the sexes was so tiny that it’s practically negligible.

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** Image Credit: Precision Nutrition**

A Deep Dive Into Muscle Fibers (If You’re Into That Sort of Thing)

The study also looked at muscle fiber types—because who doesn’t want to know about type 1 and type 2 fibers, right?

In a nutshell, both men and women saw gains in both types of muscle fibers. But here’s a fun twist: women seemed to build more in type 2 fibers, which are your “let’s get this heavy thing off the ground” muscles. Meanwhile, men had a more even spread across both types. But hold up—before we jump to conclusions, the researchers caution that there’s more to explore here. It’s possible that women have fewer type 2 fibers to begin with, making their gains look more dramatic.

What Does This Mean for Your Training?

Yes, Women Can Build Muscle!
But you already know that if you’re reading this. And let’s also be clear here that muscle doesn’t mean bulk. The appearance of ‘bulk’ is when there is fat on top of muscle which is more to do with your nutrition than what’s happening in the gym.
So while you won’t morph into a bodybuilder overnight, women absolutely can gain muscle—enough to make a difference you’ll see (and feel). You know like how you’ll be able to haul huge bags of groceries over your shoulders without even the slightest grunt.
Men and Women Aren’t All That Different When It Comes To Muscle Gains
Forget the old-school advice that women should stick to light weights and high reps to avoid “bulking up.” It’s outdated, and frankly, nonsense. Both men and women benefit from the same training principle: progressive overload. Just keep pushing yourself a little harder, and you’ll see results.
Any Resistance Training is Better Than None.
This study doesn’t dictate the perfect workout plan, but it does reinforce that any resistance training is better than none. So if you’re just getting started, aim for two to three sessions a week, with exercises that challenge you by the last few reps. You’ll be on your way to building some serious strength.

So, next time someone tries to tell you that women and men sholdn’t train the same way, feel free to drop some knowledge bombs (and maybe flex a little while you’re at it). The science says you can absolutely build muscle the same way as men—now go out there and prove it!

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