FAQ: I play women’s lacrosse, should I train the same way the men do?

YES! Even though there is less contact (I say less because even though there isn’t any allowed, I’ve certainly seen more than my fair share of ‘accidental’ contact during the game), in the women’s game an elite player still needs to be strong, fast, and powerful. Running is a single leg power activity and the stronger you are the better chance you have at being powerful. You still need to be able to decelerate yourself to make quick cuts to elude your check, and that is a function of being powerful. The only difference in training for women than men would be an increased emphasis on trying to prevent knee injuries. The female body has weaker ligaments and due to wider hips the angle (called the ‘Q’ angle) of the femur is medial, or more towards the middle of the body. Almost all knee injuries occur due to medial and rotational forces on the knee. Extra emphasis on stability and strength of the glute medius in particular will help to reduce (but unfortunately cannot prevent) these injuries in females.