Women are not small men

[smokedpaprike]

I've name changed as I rave about this woman a lot and it would be immensely outing!

Dr Stacy Sims - I've got 'roar next level' and working my way through it and how I'm managing exercise while on breast cancer hormonal therapy. I really do find her advice helpful (bar supplements.)

I've hunted a few podcasts and she is completely focused on sex specific language. Including "sex specific differences in utero." Obviously she talks about sex difference between boys and girls and especially at puberty. It's so refreshing!

This episode goes rather 'invisible women' when she describes the research balance between men and women. (Which is shocking.)

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/effin-hormones/id1573210740?i=1000634708744

She focusses on 'lifting heavy shit' (power based training) without hrt in peri and post menopause, and she herself is vegan. And it's the lifting and hitt / Siit that I'm finding so very helpful.

Her Ted talk

www.drstacysims.com/wansm

It actually sounds like she really does have a wealth of information about sex differences in sports science, despite the lack of research, from the bits she says here and there.

Which is infuriating wrt certain sports bodies being idiots about it.

I haven't time to watch/read now, but this is definitely the kind or research we need.

Definitely.

she also talks about seeing physios rather than personal trainers to give you specific strengthening exercises with physical bands etc before you attempt harder stiff. As they will know more about how the body works - and men and women's bodies are very different. As well as variation between individuals.

The book is getting focussed on bone density and getting older which I love - as you get older lift heavier...!

And you don't have to actually go to a gym. She is realistic about working mothers.

Or just mothers!

Placemarking!

I both love realism AND lifting heavy shit (or attempting to. My callouses are developing faster than my muscles 😐).

Also I got my first 'OMG hateful bigot' on Twitter about 4 years ago for saying women are not small men.

I stand by it.

Is yoga enough heavy lifting according to her? I feel like downward dog etc is heavy lifting and it's great for your core but I often see it being described as just for flexibility.

Personally I think downward dog is good for wrists, shoulders and a good leg stretch, but if you can transition to plank and hold for as long as possible I believe they're extremely good.

I'm only at the start of sorting out my 'regimes;' following treatments. plank is one I want to include a lot of and a physio I saw a while ago for lower back issues gave me side planks do side planks. He made me do figure of 4 stretches and pigeon pose too, which I do have to do most days.

Lifting heavier weights that I might have if I hadn't come across her has definitely increased my grip strength.

I'm intrigued that she doesn't seem to get any of this...

I've had the Roar book for a while now - she's FAB. I'm interested in how her research has moved on since the first edition as she's re-releasing it in light of recent research. She's so knowledgeable. She has very particular advice WRT intermittent fasting for women - plays absolute havoc with your hormones and female digestive system! No one else seems to care and is being peddled by lots of women who only hear about research done on young healthy men.

Yes I don't know why that's got so much traction. Lots of discussion about that on her instagram.

Something I can't fathom; Is not eating for 12 hours a day intermittent fasting?

I came off hrt due to BC and I've noticed a massive difference with stamina and recovery.

I've also noticed that, if I'm lifting (and I'm also rowing a bit which is very strength based) I really have to eat. I've been doing a 12 hr break if I can but simply can't do more than that. I get very tired. And I definitely can't do keto, I need healthy carbs. But if you eat more vegan protein foods, you generally are also getting really good carbs. Eg legumes, lentils and quinoa (I'm not vegan)

Im finding what's she's saying about sleep Disturbances and hypoglycaemia interesting.

And having a rest week every 2-3 weeks

Are you able to say briefly any more on this? I don't know if what I do (eating within 8 - 10 hour window then fasting for 14- 16 hours) counts as intermittent fasting?

It has given me tangible benefits pretty fast, I'm really hoping it's not going to make peri any worse when that happens.

I think it's if you're doing the recommended resistance training, some low intensity cardio and the siit/ hiit - your muscles need feeding (?)

I've only read the next level book, and on kindle; I think I need a physical copy tbh for notes....

You'd need to read the book, but she especially says that fasted cardio is a really bad idea. She's not super into hiit too, much more about lifting heavy.

I’m interested in this.

I lift (and do hiit) and have done for years- including through pregnancy I can’t recommend picking up weights and increase them regularly. I’m in the menopause now and it’s not always easy but there’s lots of research into bone health, mood etc.

I get it’s not everyone’s thing but I’d tell every woman (esp peri/menopausal ones) to do some big weights targeting the big muscles.

She's not super into hiit

She's more into Siit which is sprint interval training. Really hard sprints for a v short time and then a decent rest in between. And as you get older, less duration and more frequency. But I do think everyone is different. (And obviously completely depends what you're already doing.)

I have found in the last 6 months I have to listen to various podcasts she's done to gain a better understanding of what exactly she's saying and why. And where I fit into it.

I've just been googling and time restricted eating is different to intermittent fasting; she's says time restricted is ok for women (12-16 hrs) but not intermittent- it's the not eating in the first half of the day that's at odds with the female body.

Yessss OP! Love Stacy Sims! Lifting heavy is the best and I wish more women would embrace it

I'm trying to get back into strength training after having a frozen shoulder, it's such a slog to get little gains, but I know it'll be worth it! I mean to get this woman's book too, sounds similar to Stacy sims https://www.instagram.com/katerh_fitness?igsh=MWgxZzNpNjdxcjIzZw==

Thanks that's really helpful and interesting.

I'm actually relieved to hear that about fasted cardio! I have tried it and wondered why I can't get on with it. My other half is really getting into fasting so I obviously can't just replicate what he's doing.

it's the not eating in the first half of the day that's at odds with the female body.

That's interesting. I always wake up starving and am basically hungry all morning even with breakfast and a decent mid morning snack (I do swim first thing which I love but obviously contributes to my hunger). When I was pregnant I had to keep a banana by my bed and would eat it before I got up because I'd be so light headed. I was amazed when I realised runners don't eat before a morning run.

Thanks for this post, I absolutely love Stacy Sims, have listened to a few podcasts and just bought both books too. I’m adapting my exercise regime quite a lot in response to her advice! I’m assuming she’s very reputable and her advice is completely evidence-based - she definitely seems it and it’s so refreshing to have such specific advice for (older) women where most exercise research is on younger men!