Over an 8-week training program targeting the elbow flexors, untrained females performed more total resistance exercise volume than untrained males, but both groups showed similar increases in muscle...

We analyzed one assertion on this topic and found that over an 8-week resistance training program targeting the elbow flexors, untrained females performed more total volume than untrained males, yet both groups saw similar gains in muscle thickness and strength [1]. This suggests that higher training volume in females did not lead to greater muscle or strength improvements compared to males under these conditions. What we’ve found so far is limited to this single study, and it only looked at untrained individuals doing a specific type of training focused on the elbow flexors. We don’t know if this pattern holds for trained people, other muscle groups, or longer training periods. The study did not explain why females did more volume or whether differences in recovery, hormones, or technique played a role. We also don’t have data on whether females needed more volume to match the same gains as males, or if males achieved the same results with less effort. The evidence doesn’t show that females gain more muscle or strength than males — it shows that, despite doing more work, their gains were similar. This doesn’t mean one gender responds better than the other. It just shows that, in this specific case, higher volume in females didn’t translate to bigger results. For anyone training, this suggests that muscle and strength gains aren’t always tied to how much volume you do. What matters more might be consistency, proper form, and progressive overload — regardless of gender.