Unshakable: The Hidden Durability of Female Athletes

When you think of a high-performing female athlete, what comes to mind? Speed, agility, confidence, maybe even grit. But what’s often overlooked—and absolutely essential—is strength.

Strength training isn’t just about building muscle. It’s about unlocking performance potential, reducing injury risk, and helping female athletes move with power and confidence. Unfortunately, many female athletes either start strength training late, don’t receive quality coaching, or are told (implicitly or explicitly) that lifting weights isn’t “for them.” That needs to change.

Why Strength Training Matters—Especially for Girls

Adolescent female athletes go through a unique physiological journey during puberty. Unlike males, whose testosterone surges and naturally drives lean muscle mass and neuromuscular strength, females often experience:

• A shift in body composition (increased fat mass)
• Decreased neuromuscular control due to a growing center of mass
• Increased joint laxity (especially in the knees)

These changes can leave young athletes feeling less coordinated and more injury-prone—especially if they haven’t been taught how to move well and move strong.

That’s where resistance training comes in.

Strength training improves:

• Explosive power (think sprints, jumps, first-step quickness)
• Injury prevention, especially ACL and ankle injuries
• Confidence, especially in developing bodies
• Posture and alignment, which translates to more efficient movement

“You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe.”
Translation: without a strong base, it’s hard to express athleticism.

Breaking Down the Basics: What Should Strength Training Look Like?

If you’re picturing a teenage girl doing max-effort barbell squats or dangerous Olympic lifts in a crowded weight room, take a deep breath. Strength training doesn’t have to be intimidating or unsafe. In fact, it shouldn’t be.

Start with:

• Bodyweight strength: squats, pushups, planks, lunges
• Foundational movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry
• Core training: beyond crunches—think anti-rotation, stability
• Glute and hamstring work: bridges, deadlifts, RDLs for posterior chain balance

Progress with:

• Light dumbbells, resistance bands, and medicine balls
• Eccentric control (slow lowering), which builds strength and protects joints
• Short, structured workouts 2–3x/week

If possible, female athletes should work with a coach or physical therapist who understands developmental strength programming, especially during growth spurts.

The Confidence Factor

One of the most powerful effects of strength training? Confidence.

Female athletes often feel pressure to look a certain way, move a certain way, or not take up too much space. But in the weight room, they get to take ownership of their power—literally. When an athlete learns how to deadlift her bodyweight or perform a clean push-up, she’s not just training her muscles—she’s building belief in herself.

And that belief carries over into every arena: the field, the court, the classroom, and life.

“Strength training taught me I’m not fragile—I’m capable.” —HS Soccer Athlete, Age 17

What Parents and Coaches Should Know

If you’re supporting a female athlete, here are a few key takeaways:

• Don’t delay strength exposure—start simple, but start early (age 12+ is safe when done correctly)
• Supervise and support—form matters more than how much weight is lifted
• Normalize strength—avoid language that frames lifting as “bulky” or “manly”
• Celebrate function over form—how her body performs is more important than how it looks

Final Thoughts: Strong Girls Stay in Sport

Strength training isn’t optional—it’s a critical part of injury prevention, performance development, and psychological resilience. Girls who train with strength are more likely to stay in sport longer, perform better, and feel empowered along the way.

Let’s give female athletes the tools—and the belief—they need to become their strongest selves.

References:

• Hewett TE, Myer GD, Ford KR. “Biomechanical measures of neuromuscular control and valgus loading of the knee predict anterior cruciate ligament injury risk in female athletes.” Am J Sports Med.
• Myer GD, Faigenbaum AD, Ford KR, Best TM, Bergeron MF, Hewett TE. “When to initiate integrative neuromuscular training to reduce sports-related injuries and enhance health in youth?” Curr Sports Med Rep.
• de Borja C, Chang CJ, Watkins R, Senter C. “The Female Athlete.” Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med.
• Nystrom L, et al. “Confidence and body image in female athletes who strength train.” J Strength Cond Res.