Strength, Speed, and Sex: What Science Says About Men vs. Women on the Bench Press
New research reveals that men outperform women in strength and speed on the bench press—even after adjusting for muscle mass—but the gap narrows at the heaviest weights.
Are men and women really that different when it comes to strength and power in the gym—especially on the bench press? This study takes a deep dive into those differences, not just looking at raw numbers, but also adjusting for body size and muscle mass to give a fair comparison.
Key Points
Aim
To compare strength and power performance in the bench press between men and women, using measurements relative to both body mass and fat-free mass (FFM), and to analyze how these differences change across different loads.
Methods
Participants: 16 men (21.3 ± 4.1 years), and 13 women (22.6 ± 4.9 years), all with previous resistance training experience.
Testing:
Session 1: 1-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press test using a Smith machine.
Session 2: Incremental velocity-based bench press at 45%, 55%, 65%, 75%, and 85% of 1RM, measuring mean propulsive velocity (MPV) with a linear transducer.
Variables:
Strength (1RM)
Power-related metrics (peak force, maximal velocity, maximal power, etc.)
Adjusted for body mass and fat-free mass (FFM)
Standardization:
All women were tested during the menstrual bleeding phase to control for hormonal fluctuations.
All sessions are conducted in the morning.
Results
Strength and Power:
Men showed significantly higher strength and power than women at nearly all loads, even after adjusting for body mass and FFM.
These differences were especially pronounced when data was adjusted for FFM (large effect sizes).
Men outperformed women in 6 out of 7 power-related variables.
Movement Velocity:
At lower and moderate loads, men moved the bar faster.
At 85% of 1RM (very heavy loads), the difference in bar speed between men and women disappeared.
Optimal Power Load:
No significant sex difference in the percentage of 1RM required to produce peak power.
Practical Takeaways
For Lifters and Coaches:
Expect Differences: Men generally have higher strength and power output than women, even when accounting for muscle mass.
High Loads Level the Field: At very heavy loads (85% of 1RM and above), men and women move the bar at similar speeds. This suggests that both sexes may recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers similarly when lifting near-maximal weights.
Training Implications:
Load Selection: Women may benefit from tailored load and velocity prescriptions, especially at submaximal loads.
Velocity-Based Training: At high intensities, sex differences in bar speed are minimal, so similar velocity targets can be used for both men and women.
Programming: Consider sex-specific approaches for developing power and speed at lighter to moderate loads, but less so at maximal intensities.
