In the gym, there’s often a pattern: women on the cardio machines, men in the weights section. It's a divide that says a lot about how we think women should train, but how much of that is science, and how much is just habit?
This week, Greg and Charlie sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, a researcher specialising in female physiology and strength training,to answer the question: should women train like men? Lauren is also the co-owner of the MASS Research Review, which helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical fitness strategies for coaches and trainers.
As always, we’ll start with the science, unpacking the key biological differences between the sexes and what they actually mean for how women should train, their risk of injury, and their relationship with exercise across different life stages. From hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle to the effects of menopause symptoms, we explore how the body changes and what that means for getting the most out of your training.
From there, we move into the practice, where Lauren, Charlie, and Greg discuss tangible ways to improve our training routines. They discuss:
- How socialisation shapes women's access to sport from an early age (19:08)
- Why resistance training is conducive to healthy aging (26:23)
- What should we consider before pursuing Hormone Replacement Therapy? (31:52)
Lauren walks us through what physical training can look like across different life stages, including how contraception and menopause factor into the picture.
Finally, in the experience section, we turn to your questions. How to get back into training post-partum? Can pilates and stretching help relieve period cramps? Are there exercises we should be prioritising to better manage our cycles? Tune in to find out.
While we’re here, just a note on language: throughout this episode, we use the term "women" for accessibility, but this episode makes an important distinction between gender and biological sex.
To explore further:
If you’d like to send us your health questions for future episodes, you can email us a voice note, or simply write in with your question at themethod@thriva.co
About Thriva:
Thriva is a proactive health platform built for the modern age. The promise of longevity often comes with years spent in poor health. We want to bridge the gap between
lifespan – how long we're living – and
healthspan – how well we're living. We combine powerful at-home blood testing with wearable insights and expert guidance. So you can know exactly what’s going on inside your body - and what to do about it -
before issues arise. With this podcast, we hope to bring listeners confidence in everyday health decisions.
What is The Method - Health in the Real World?
Health advice is everywhere. Cold plunges, macro tracking, strength training, microplastics. Everyone's got an opinion. So what's actually worth your time? That's what this show is for.
Dr Greg Potter is an expert in sleep, nutrition & metabolism. Charlie Edmondson isn’t. She's someone trying to feel better, get better sleep and not get fooled by wellness trends. They work through health topics together, with Charlie asking the questions you’re probably already asking yourself, and Greg cutting through the noise with what the science really says.
This isn't about chasing the next biohack. It's about the long game of building a healthier, longer life without losing your mind trying to optimise every minute of it.
Whether you're just getting curious about your health or you've been deep in it for years, The Method is here to give you advice you can actually trust. Explained by someone who knows, questioned by someone who wants to know too.
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About Thriva
The Method is brought to you by Thriva, a proactive health platform built for the modern age. The promise of longevity often comes with years spent in poor health. We want to bridge the gap between lifespan - how long we're living - and healthspan - how well we're living.
We combine powerful at-home blood testing with wearable insights and expert guidance. So you can know exactly what’s going on inside your body - and what to do about it - before issues arise. With this podcast, we hope to bring listeners confidence in everyday health decisions.
To learn more about Thriva’s values and services, visit https://thriva.co/.