The aim of this study was to compare the results ofmaximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and maximal rate of force development (MRFD) in women andmen during handgrip exercise performed following three different instructions:Oral instruction (OI):Started with audible tripping andaccompanied by encouragement during the whole muscle contraction. Triggered instruction (TI): Same as oral instruction, but without encouragement. Self-initiated instruction (SI): The subject himself decided to start and to stop the contraction.Women’s MVC and MRFD withOI were higherthan SI. No significant differencehas been found between instructions in men. Our results suggested that women are more sensitive to the instructioneffect compared to men. Further explanations will be proposed using surface EMG and fMRI measurements.