Battle of the Sexes: How Men and Women Get Fit is Completely Different

Men pump iron and women hit the treadmill. That's such a ridiculous stereotype, right? Wrong, in fact men and women do get fit completely differently, according to research done by Weight Watchers and reported in the Washington Post.

First off, men and women have an entirely different approach to dieting. Men think that hitting the gym is enough to hit their goal weight while women think that weight loss is the result of both working out and dieting. According to the article, this may also explain why men make up just 10 percent of Weight Watchers' membership.

But men actually enjoy exercising and hitting the gym more than women when push comes to shove. Women are active so that they can enjoy that extra piece of dark chocolate or sip on a glass of wine with dinner while men love to break a sweat. Additionally, men dive right into a workout plan while women tend to take smaller steps toward a healthier diet and weight loss plan. "It's the Hundred Years' War versus the Battle of Normandy," chief scientist Karen Miller-Kovach says. And it's also true that men prefer the weight room while women don't. Women are concerned with bulking up more than men.

While there are of course many men and women that fall outside of this category, the research found that differences in workout strategy often fell along the lines of the sexes.

According to the Robert Sherman, the group fitness manager for Equinox's Washington area clubs:

"Guys are thinking about high school even though what they learned doesn't apply to a 40-year-old," If Sherman had his way? He'd make sure every man made time for yoga and that every woman put strength classes on her schedule.

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