# #496 Dr. Tony Boutagy - Do Men and Women Need to Train Differently to Build Muscle?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/496-dr-tony-boutagy-do-men-and-women-need-to-train-differently-to-build-muscle
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/496-dr-tony-boutagy-do-men-and-women-need-to-train-differently-to-build-muscle.md
Podcast: [Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates](https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220)
Published: 2026-08-18T14:27:14+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liftfreediethard/episodes/496-Dr--Tony-Boutagy---Do-Men-and-Women-Need-to-Train-Differently-to-Build-Muscle-e3ni35j
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/4acb2b0/podcast/play/124373619/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-18%2F430047700-44100-2-bed4a23febdaf.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3074

## Resource

Dr. Tony Boutagy holds a PhD in Exercise and Sports Science and returns to dive into the research on sex differences, muscle growth, aging, cardio, recovery, grip strength, and several persistent myths in the fitness industry. Tony joins me to discuss: • Whether men and women need meaningfully different training programs to build muscle • Relative versus absolute differences in muscle-building potential • Whether sex-based differences matter more than individual differences between people • Why training goals should drive programming more than gender • How personal preference affects exercise selection, adherence, and results • Bone-health considerations for women • Why more credentialed professionals are appearing on large podcasts and making unsupported or misleading claims about women’s training • Whether grifting PhDs and doctors are actually outliers • Why misinformation can be financially and socially rewarded online • Whether evidence-based professionals are becoming more willing to publicly challenge bad information • The role of scientific consensus versus individual expert opinion • Whether cardio can support muscle growth • How concurrent training should be considered when hypertrophy is the goal • Whether recovery from resistance training meaningfully slows as we age • The relationship between grip strength and longevity • Why grip strength may function as a broader marker of health rather than a magical intervention itself • What people actually mean when they talk about “stabilizer muscles” • Why the stabilizer-muscle discussion needs more nuance • And much more Follow Tony on Instagram: @tonyboutagy CHAPTERS 04:12 Hormones and Muscle Growth 09:27 Program for Goals, Not Gender 13:20 Bone Health for Women 14:57 Why Misinformation Gets Rewarded 24:43 PhDs,…

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