Whether you're male or female, if you lift weights, you're likely to gain muscle and strength at about the same rate — even though guys usually start with more testosterone than girls.

Men and women gain muscle at about the same relative rate when they train the same way—women just start with less muscle, so they gain less in absolute numbers.

Men and women start with different hormone levels, but when they both do weight training, they gain muscle and strength at about the same rate relative to where they started.

Men tend to get stronger faster than women when lifting very heavy weights, possibly due to differences in how their muscles and nerves respond to intense training.

One study with women showed a much bigger muscle growth difference than the others — all of which were only with men — suggesting sex might matter, but we need more studies to know for sure.

Whether you're new to weightlifting or have been doing it for years, men and women still gain muscle at similar rates compared to each other—experience doesn't change that difference.