Nakul Kumar, PhD

Training can differ based on an individual's goals, specific needs and capabilities, but there is no reason for training to be different simply based on the s*x of the individual.

Now, besides the whole 'women are not small men' argument, the menstrual cycle is also commonly brought when trying to pitch this idea of women needing a different approach to training compared to men.

But here's what we currently know,

(i) Menstrual cycle-related hormonal fluctuations do not seem to have an effect on long-term adaptations (Colenso-Semple et al., 2023; D'Souza et al., 2026).

(ii) Recent research has reported no greater anabolic effect of resistance exercise in the follicular vs luteal phase (Colenso-Semple et al., 2025; D'Souza et al., 2026 ).

(iii) Research has also highlighted the inability to recommend general phase-based exercise protocols (McNulty et al., 2020; Ryman Augustsson and Findhé-Malenica, 2025).

Now this isn't to suggest that women don't experience fluctuations in strength and fatigue across the cycle.

Menstrual cycle-related variations in strength, fatigue, readiness, motivation and even symptoms are unique to the individual (Dam et al., 2022; Dos'Santos et al., 2026; McNulty et al., 2020; Munteanu et al., 2026), and therefore need to be addressed at an individual level.

This can be done easily and effectively by prescribing training intensity via subjective measures such as RIR/RPE and/or even something as simple as having a conversation with the individual, and then scaling the session as and when needed, on a reactive basis.

The health and fitness space right now 🤦🏾‍♂️

Youth S&C is about ensuring that youth of all ages and abilities are provided with a suitable plan for the development of their overall health and physical fitness, so as to maximise physical activity participation rates, reduce the risk of sport- and activity-related injury, and ensure long-term health and well-being.

Now understandably, a vast majority of parents are still unaware of the abundance of scientific evidence demonstrating the safety and efficacy of children engaging in S&C.

However, it is inexcusable when sport coaches and personal trainers advise parents to avoid enrolling their children in S&C programmes until they are 16-18 years of age.

The problem is that Youth S&C is viewed as children doing bodybuilding work, or just generally training like adults or professional athletes.

However, it actually revolves around developing the athletic motor skill competencies (AMSCs), along with general strength and other physical qualities.

Why the emphasis on the AMSCs?

Well, the AMSCs are considered the foundation movements, or precursor, to more specialised, complex skills in sport, dance and recreational activities (Lloyd et al., 2015; Radnor et al., 2020).

These childhood motor skills seem to predict leisure-time physical activity behaviour in later childhood, adolescence and even adulthood (Barnet et al., 2009; Lloyd et al., 2014).

Now effective motor skill ex*****on is dependent on efficient combination of cognitive processing, fundamental movement patterns as well as force production and absorption (Lloyd et al., 2019).

So the ability to perform any movement requires some level of force to be produced and absorbed, making it important to improve muscle and connective tissue strength synergistically alongside coordination and overall motor skill competency (Radnor et al., 2020).

If you're looking to learn more about coaching youth, we're running the 'Young Athlete' S&C workshop for coaches on the 31st of October in Bangalore.

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Here's an example of what that reactive approach can look like..

Let's assume you're squatting 50kg for 5 reps at an intensity of 2 RIR (i.e., 2 reps short of failure), and next week you squat that 50kg for 6 reps @ 1RIR or 55 kg for 4 reps @ 2 RIR, that's not progressive overload.

That's an example of the prescription of the training stimulus (i.e., the physical stress) being changed.

And while changing of prescription is an integral part of programming to manage overall training load, this is not progressive overload i.e., it is not the physical stress being scaled based on your training-related adaptations so as to continue eliciting an adaptive response.

So on the subject of progressive overload, let's stick to that example of you squatting that 50 kgs for 5 reps @ 2 RIR i.e., 2 reps short of failure.

Now let's assume that a few weeks from now 5 reps at that weight starts to consistently feel like 3 or 4 RIR.

If it's feeling like 3-4 RIR consistently, you've probably adapted to that loading and gotten stronger.

You can now up the weight to 52.5/55 kg and stick to those 5 reps or stick to that 50kg and add another rep or two, whatever has you working at that intensity of 2 RIR again.

And just like that, you've now added progressive overload based on the adaptations you have made.

Yes, anecdotal experiences do have utility, but if the quality of service that a Strength & Conditioning coach provides hinges on whether or not he/she has played the sport or their own personal experiences of working out, then they're doing their athletes/clients a disservice and probably shouldn't be coaching at all.

Sure, different sports can have certain specific demands.

But the general physical qualities (e.g., strength, rate of force development, power output, speed, agility, endurance) driving performance and helping to reduce risk of injury are the same for most sports.

An understanding of how to develop these general underlying qualities (and the ability to do so in different settings) is the most basic requirement for an S&C coach.

Now context will dictate if any added nuance is needed, or which qualities (if any) maybe need a little more focus than the others.

And an understanding of this comes from looking into the research around the demands of the sport, relevant positions, playing styles and common injuries (aka a sport and athlete needs analysis), alongside engaging in conversations with the athletes (and in MDT settings, with the technical coaches, nutritionists and the physio/sports med team).

Again, these are things that are a fundamental part of being an S&C coach.

And the same logic also applies within fields like personal training, physiotherapy and nutritional support.

Note: now before someone pipes up with the whole "oh but empathy" argument (something which is very commonly brought up, particularly in the health & fitness space), here's a fun fact: empathy does not require shared experience.

Brilliant effort from Abhishek at his third full-distance ironman (IRONMAN Thun 🇨🇭 2026)!!

Super proud of all the hard work that was put in during the training camp, and that's alongside his full-time job (he's a Medical Oncologist 🤓) and of course being a family man.

As it always does, race day came with own challenges including a dislocated shoulder after being kicked during the swim (which he then reset with the help of a volunteer before continuing the race), mechanical issues on the bike and two unfortunate time penalties.

Of course none of that was going to stop him. Abhishek took it in his stride finishing his third full-distance ironman in 14.29 hours!

Enjoy the downtime Abhishek Raj , before we start building towards IRONMAN Roth 2027!