ARMS LIKE WONDER WOMAN

WHILE it’s hard to argue that women are physically stronger than men, we’re far from complete waifs. A fit woman can generate the same force per unit of muscle as a similarly fit man — she just has a lower muscle mass (as opposed to muscle strength). What’s more, muscle for muscle, women may even be stronger. Comparing leg strength to lean body weight (excluding fat), a female’s legs are 5.8 per cent stronger than a male’s. And, in the past, we were even more powerful. Studies of ancient bones have shown that, between 5,300 BC and AD 100, women had stronger arms than today’s elite male rowers.