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Women - don't really 'train' do they..?

Hi Conehead

I notice your post was at 8.19 am this morning.......it is now 7.58 am are you a Timelord ?

Don't they say that 70-80% of training should be slow ? Perhaps the girls are getting it right and we should ease up a bit.

Comments

  • joolzdjoolzd Posts: 245
    Ooo I like a good debate!!

    I'd have to agree to some of what you say Mr C... alone, I don't really push myself hard enough but get me in a group & my competitive edge kicks in and I work so much harder (not that I train in a group very much! ) but ultimately it's the results that count isn't it and given that men and women compete together in a fairly tough sport, I for one don't think that kicking sweat and testosterone noises makes the blindest bit of difference!! Just shove on some pink and you'll be fine!

    ps...somone once said to me that triahletes compete to train and not train to compete...is that true I wonder sometimes!!????
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Good debating point Mr C

    You pinched my observations Joolzd. 7 months training until your eyes bleed for half a dozen events over a 5 month period, how many posts about injuries, DNS, DNF through injuries etc and you can bet your bottom dollar that there will also be a female in a higher position unless you are in the top 10% or so

    A possible cross posting to another 'pink' related thread, putting on the 'pink' and doing sufficient training rather than the 'max' is what is needed. All about diminishing returns. If I can do 10K in 45 minutes then the extra training to get to 44 could expose me to increased risk of injury.

    And perhaps one could throw the argument the other way around whilst paying homage to the adage 'men and horses sweat, women perspire and young ladies glow''
    why is it that men have more muscle mass, sweat buckets, train their nads off and still get their arses kicked by girls who perspire or glow when they train
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    Apples and Pears.

    The good women athletes train at least as hard as the male ones.

    The ones bring up the rear train as hard as the men bringing up the rear.

    You're a bloke - your eyes are only attracted to the men that are working hard, but to _all_ the women. There are also a lot more men than women. So, you might notice 10 blokes working hard, and 10 women, not working hard, and draw your conclusion. You just never noticed the 90 other blokes not training hard.

    You a see a difference, but that is just your bias*.

    *Yeah, I know your don't really think that; I'm playing devil's advocate too.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    I have 2 words..Chrissie Wellington.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    I shall share the wisdom I have accumulated from too many shifts in the gym.
    There are as mentioned committed trainers, sweat work hard etc..more male than female.
    Many of these trainers work hard at doing the same thing year in year out, stay fit, but never improve, even split M & F within this subgroup.
    Many turn up do the same old every time, never break sweat will not ever change routine but maybe accumulate health benefits (better than couch potatoing). Poss even split here but still more men in the gym than females, so I mean that proportionately
    Both genders are possibly equally split as to knowing what a hard workout is & being willing to find out, (or unwilling)
    If you ever want to know which machine is the hardest work & least accomodating to taking it easy, don't ask the instructor...watch for oooh 10 mins in a busy gym, there will be 1 or 2 machines least used..those are your friends. Rowers & summit trainers in my gym, used to be versaclimber & crossrobics.
    So on balance I don't see much gender divide in the gym, most tri clubs have more male than female members, ours is that way, but not a huge disparity..last time I checked, but we have more males performing well at age group level than females, but in the club relays our female teams have done at least as well if not better than males.
    ooooh its a conundrum & no mistake.
  • I'm with Joolz. To me it only really matters when racing. Until the day comes when I'm not beaten by a laydee (EXTREMELY unlikley) I don't diferentiate. Besides which you can never tell what session anyone is doing at any one time so comparrison is always unfounded.

    However I did have one thought, as a generalisation most men are heavier, and as such it takes more energy to do similar training, this in turn means their bodies have to work harder at keeping their temp down - ie. sweat more. Prob b*ll*cks but just a thought.
  • My opinion would be that there are alot of women out there who are happy to just do some exercise for whatever reason. It is those ladies that you notice plodding down the street at slower than walking pace in a jogging motion. However, most of those ladies are not the type to be competing, it is most likely for weight loss/maintenance of weight or physical well being.

    I would say that there are less women who perceive their training to be hard, mainly because us men are idiots with a compulsion to test ourselves and push ourselves and we just find it harder to back it off a little when training. (mainly due to evolution!)

    However the women that do train hard tend to be more discreet about it and more proficient, so you are almost less likely to notice them as they make it look easier.

    Another thought - men crave hobbies - I know I do, as well as having a full time job, three children, and a (very) forgiving and understanding wife, i still desperately fill my time with as much as possible, motorbikes, cars, triathlon, PS3 for the rest days etc etc, i find it hard to comprehend not having something i should or want to be doing!
    Women on the other hand are less driven to have "hobbies", and can manage very nicely without them and without feeling like they are letting the gender down.


    As an example - if my wife goes out without me, unshackled from the children, she will ask me did i miss her, and I always have to think, generally I dont, not because i dont love her, but because time like that is gold to be filled with as many man activities as possible that would not normally be allowed in an evening, the flipside is that if I go out in an evening (not training) my wife will miss me alot, mainly because she does not have any singular hobbies that can fill her time so she will tend to do what we would have been doing together but alone.

    To sum up - men have more hobbies and are driven to continually improve, women are much happier to achieve a certain level and maintain it

    Rambling post over!
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    to further stimulate the debate - i think it is because women are lazy
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    and now for my real thoughts,

    Men seem to be more competitive in 'everyday' situations, and I think that translates to training. Men seem to speed up when they see anyone else while they're training. i've never seen a woman out running who has been plodding until i past (mainly because i don't pass many people at my speed) then speed up and almost kill themself to stay ahead of me only to die half a mile up the road (they only make it a quarter mile ). But seriously, i see a lot of women out running and in the gym, there are a lot who do just bimble around with no real purpose, but there are some who are seriously training and put my effort levels to shame.
  • I didnt want to say that, but only because i am afraid of my wife.
  • I think it's really quite simple. The women who train hard, do so during the day whilst the men are out slaving their guts out trying to earn enough money to keep them. This is why when the men get home f' all has been done, and you still have to get your own evening meal, the house is a tip, the washing up hasn't been touched, the kids homework needs doing, and once you've bathed and got the kids to bed, you have your iron your own shirt for work the following day.

    If I was at home all day and was free to train between 09:00 and 15:30,not many people would see me sweating outsie of these hours.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335


    if bimbling means I get to finish and the fellas don't I'll keep bimbling - whoever thinks that women don't put more effort in when others around obviously hasn't spent time watching women getting ready to go out - we don't doll up for you lads I'm afarid its the female competition.

    wish I did glow I seem to drip everywhere My training is more about beating the voice in the head telling me that I'm nuts doing something for this long rather then physically beasting

    think women are also slightly better at doing things for the long term, waiting for changes over time while men are more into the instant NOOOOOWWWWW

    completely unscientific off course
  • CCSCCS Posts: 53
    If I was at home all day and was free to train between 09:00 and 15:30,not many people would see me sweating outsie of these hours.
    Err - I think you find that some of us women do actually have jobs as well...

    Personally, I am far to busy shopping for shoes and handbags to ever train hard
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