Female Strength Training Programs: What's the difference?

The Big Question
Why train female athlete’s differently? What is so structurally different in females that will cause a Strength Coach to implement different exercises? Why are female athletes more prone to knee injuries, specifically the ACL, than men?

According to Timothy Hewett, the director of the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, as many as 250,000 people suffer ACL injuries. We’ve all heard the term ACL before, but do we truly know and understand its function?
Anatomy
The knee joint is a hinge joint, made up of 3 bones (femur, tibia, patella). There’s a smooth protective layer of cartilage which allows the bones to move and slide over each other. Within the knee joint, there are two major ligaments:
-ACL & PCL (Anterior & Posterior Cruciate Ligament)

These two ligaments cross in the center of the knee and prevent excessive motion forward or backward. Ligaments are strong, dense structures made of connective tissue that help to stabilize a joint. Remember, Ligaments connect Bone to Bone. The ACL originates in the notch of the femur (thigh bone) and attaches in front of the intercondyloid eminence of the Tibia (shin bone).
Function
The function of the ACL is to prevent anterior translation of the tibia in relation to the femur or in other words, excessive forward movement of the tibia in relation to the femur. The ACL also helps to limit rotational movement of the knee.

So what’s the connection between ACL injuries and female training protocols?
Read on in PART 2