WOMEN'S SPORTS SCIENCE · SPECIAL
Women Are Not Small Men
Stacy Sims, Made Actionable
Most "efficient" advice online comes from studies on men and backfires on women. This page breaks Sims' ideas into "which exercises, what to eat, how much, and when," with evidence flagged.
Source: Stacy Sims — ROAR (2016) & Next Level (2022)
1 · Lift heavy, not light2–3 heavy strength sessions/week; exact moves & sets below.
2 · Cycle = a frame, not a lawAdjust by how you feel, not by an app's cycle formula.
3 · Hit your protein first1.6–2.2 g/kg; 30 g ≈ a palm of meat / 10 shrimp / 1 whey scoop.
4 · Just 3 core supplementsCreatine 3–5 g daily, vitamin D, iron only if low — see the table.
1Strength: exactly what to do, how many sets
Stop "waving a light dumbbell around." Do 2–3 full-body strength sessions/week (every other day), built on big compound moves. Here's a session you can copy today:
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Trains |
|---|
| Goblet squat (hold one dumbbell) | 3 × 8–12 | Legs + glutes |
| Barbell / dumbbell hip thrust | 3 × 8–12 | Glutes |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 × 10 | Hamstrings + glutes |
| 1-arm dumbbell row (or cable row) | 3 × 10–12/side | Back |
| Dumbbell bench press (or push-ups) | 3 × 8–12 | Chest + shoulders |
| Standing dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 10 | Shoulders |
| Lateral raise | 3 × 12–15 | Shoulders (shape) |
Evidence: direction clear; women adapt well to (and need) strength work
✅ Key details
- How heavy: pick a load where the last 2 reps are hard but form holds. If you sail past the top of the range, add weight next time (+1–2 kg, or an extra set).
- Rest: 60–90 s between sets on the big lifts; catch your breath before the next.
- Frequency: 2–3×/week, every other day; one full-body session beats hitting one body part a day for most people.
- Demos / home versions: see the site's "Women's Training Plan" page—every move has a figure and a gym/home option.
2Training with your cycle—a frame, not a law
Rough pattern: period → ovulation (first half) you have energy and can push hard; ovulation → next period (the week or so before your period) hormones rise—you may run hot, tire easily, sleep worse, crave carbs. Nudge training accordingly, but variation is huge—don't treat an app's "cycle formula" as an order.
Evidence: affects how you feel (mechanistic); strict cycle periodization for performance is weak
✅ Do this
- Track first: 10 seconds a day—energy/sleep/how training felt + which cycle day. Find your own pattern in 2–3 months.
- Go by state: good day → schedule your heaviest lifts or sprints; flat day → easy cardio or skill work, don't grind.
- Three small things pre-period: +5–10 g protein per meal; carbs around hard sessions; more water + sodium when sweaty (a pinch of salt or an electrolyte packet).
- Heavy periods → iron-rich food: a palm of red meat, or liver 1–2×/week, or a bowl of legumes, with vitamin C (peppers, orange) to absorb.
Note: on combined oral contraceptives you don't have natural swings—skip "follicular/luteal," just go by feel.
3Hit your protein first—in portions you can picture
Sims' most-stressed, best-evidenced point: an active woman who chronically eats less than she burns sacrifices menstruation, bone, thyroid, and immunity first (clinically: REDs). Step one isn't eating less—it's eating enough protein.
Evidence: strong (REDs is an internationally recognized syndrome)
🎯 How much protein per day?
- Target: 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight, split over 3–4 meals at 30–40 g each.
- 50 kg → ~85–110 g/day; 60 kg → ~100–130 g/day; 70 kg → ~115–155 g/day.
| ~30 g protein in one meal = | Roughly |
|---|
| Chicken breast / lean beef / fish (cooked) | a palm (~100 g) |
| Large shrimp | about 10–12 |
| Salmon / tuna | a palm (~120 g) |
| Eggs | 4–5 |
| Greek yogurt | 1 big tub (~170 g) + 1 egg |
| Firm tofu + edamame | half a block (~200 g) + a handful |
| Whey protein | 1 scoop (~25 g) + a glass of milk |
✅ What to eat pre / post workout
- 30–60 min before (don't train fasted): easy carbs + a little protein. E.g. half a banana + a scoop of whey; or toast + an egg; too rushed at dawn? a few sips of honey water / an energy gel.
- Within 1–2 h after: 30–40 g protein + carbs. E.g. chicken + a bowl of rice; whey + a banana; salmon + potato.
- Hit 30 g every meal: breakfast is the usual gap—2 eggs or a tub of Greek yogurt fixes it.
🚩 Self-check: under-fueling? (2+ = take seriously)
- Periods lighter or stopped
- Always tired, irritable, poor sleep
- Frequent little injuries / getting sick often
- Strength stalling or dropping, easy fractures
A stopped period always warrants a doctor. To lose fat, don't starve—enough protein + heavy lifting + a modest deficit is what lasts.
4Perimenopause / menopause—the heavier weekly plan
As estrogen falls, muscle is harder to build, bone goes faster, belly fat creeps up, recovery slows. The answer is a stronger stimulus—not switching to walks and yoga. Copy this week:
Evidence: resistance + protein + creatine solid; exact sprint/jump dosing is more inference
| Day | Do this |
|---|
| Mon · Strength A | Squat 4×5–8 · DB bench 3×6–8 · Seated row 3×8–10 · Box/pogo jumps 3×5 |
| Wed · Sprints | Run or bike sprints 20–30 s × 6–8 (walk 2 min between) |
| Fri · Strength B | Romanian deadlift 4×6–8 · DB shoulder press 3×8 · Lat pulldown 3×8–10 · Skipping 3×30 s |
| Other days | Walk / light activity + stretch; sleep enough |
✅ Supporting basics
- Protein: push to the top end (~2.0–2.2 g/kg), 30–40 g/meal (use the portion table above).
- Creatine: 3–5 g daily, any time, every day (details in the next section).
- Protect joints: only jump if knees/ankles are healthy; old injury → uphill brisk walk / stairs instead.
- Hormone therapy (MHT): ask your doctor separately—it runs in parallel with "lift heavy," no conflict.
5Supplements: what, how much, when
Bottom line first: the foundation is "eat enough + lift heavy + sleep well"; supplements are just add-ons. Don't buy a cabinet full. The ones actually worth it:
| Supplement | How much | When | Notes |
|---|
| Creatine (monohydrate) | 3–5 g/day | Any time, every day | Firmest evidence; benefits women's muscle & brain, safe, no "loading phase"; especially recommended in perimenopause |
| Protein powder (whey/plant) | ~25 g/serving | Post-workout or to top up meals | A tool to hit your target; real food works too—not mandatory |
| Vitamin D3 | 1000–2000 IU/day | With a meal containing fat | Deficiency is common; test 25(OH)D first to set the dose |
| Iron | Only if deficient, per doctor | Empty stomach or with vit C; avoid coffee/tea/calcium | Don't supplement blindly (overload harms); for heavy periods / low ferritin; every-other-day absorbs better |
| Omega-3 fish oil (optional) | 1–2 g EPA+DHA | With a meal | Consider if you rarely eat fish |
| Magnesium glycinate (optional) | 200–400 mg | Before bed | Sleep/cramps; weaker evidence, a nice-to-have |
Evidence: creatine / vitamin D (if low) solid; fish oil & magnesium optional
🚫 Traps to avoid
- Long-term high-dose iron without a blood test—overload harms the liver and gut.
- Expecting a "fat-burn/anti-aging" influencer supplement to replace eating enough and lifting heavy—no shortcut.
- Treating a pile of pills as meals—hit your protein at real meals first.
🎯 5 key points
- Lift heavy, not light: 2–3 heavy, compound-focused strength sessions/week; lifting builds tone, not bulk.
- Hit your protein first: 1.6–2.2 g/kg, ~30 g per meal (≈ a palm of meat / 10 shrimp); don't train fasted or live on fasting + low-carb.
- Cycle = a frame, not a law: adjust training by how you feel that day, not by an app's formula.
- Ramp up in perimenopause: heavier lifting + sprint intervals + bone-loading jumps + more protein—not lighter and lighter.
- Keep supplements to a few basics: creatine 3–5 g daily, vitamin D (if low), iron only if deficient; the foundation is always eat enough + lift heavy + sleep well.
This page is evidence-based general information, not individual medical advice. Supplement doses are general ranges; if you take medications or have a chronic condition, check with a doctor/pharmacist first; for a stopped period, suspected REDs, or joint injuries, see a professional.