How I Cycle Sync My Workouts | Menstrual Cycle Training
Вставка
- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Let’s talk about the current trend, cycle syncing! Looking at the science and research, it doesn’t seem there’s much evidence to back up this theory, but that’s not to say your individual symptoms won’t affect your training. I’m Meg an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Precision Nutrition L1 Coach, Certified Pre- & Postnatal Coach, USAPL Certified Club Coach, and I’m Safe Sport Certified.
Here are two studies where they evaluate menstrual cycle-based training.
pubmed.ncbi.nl...
www.sciencedir...
Join my program, Stronger by the Day, our group training program. I run this program with thousands of other members who are lifting to gain strength, lose body fat, and feel more confident in the gym and in their lives. This program includes in gym and at home programming for the times when you can’t make it to the gym.
Join for only $12/mo: ✦ strongerbythed... ✦
Ready to start strength training, but don’t know where to begin? Check out my FREE program, Before the Barbell, that will take you from gym newbie to confident lifter in 8-weeks.
✦ / beforethebarbell ✦
Are you pregnant or recently postpartum? Your body’s changing, and your training plan should too. Join our strength training program, Plus +1 that is designed to help you feel confident, strong, safe, and knowledgeable in every phase of pregnancy (trying to conceive phase included) - both in the gym and at home.
✦ www.strongstro... ✦
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Looking for a supplement company that’s transparent and will never target your insecurities? Checkout my new company, Buff Chick Supplements for all your supplement needs. All of our products are third-party tested so that you know exactly what you’re getting.
✦ buffchick.com/ ✦
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Connect with me more:
INSTAGRAM ✦ bit.ly/35qajTY
FACEBOOK ✦ bit.ly/2KHufKl
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
BUSINESS INQUIRIES: kat@megsquats.com
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
I personally like to go as hard as I can to feel the two gallons of the blood of my enemies pour out of my body with each lift. Very motivating.
🤣 Hey whatever works!
can relate. i feel like a viking wounded in battle when training with heavy weights on my first day of period 💪
Hell yeah! 🩸 💪🏼
I love this so much! So motivating to think of it that way. I’m going to try this next time 😆
Can totally relate to this 😂 👌🏾 especially with ab moves
i’m so glad that scientifically minded women athletes are out here disproving “cycle syncing”. i love yoga on certain days, but yesterday was day 1 of my cycle and i still wanted to lift heavy, so i did. i really think the best way to go is to just listen to your body EVERY day, regardless of whether you’re on your period or not.
in no way does this disprove cycle syncing?? day 1 of your cycle is the beginning of the follicular phase and a great time to lift heavy. listening to your body every day is still great advice tho.
“I’m woman! I bleed! I lift heavy even when bleeding!” I want that one a shirt.
My strength tends to go up once my period starts. I've hit a lot of PRs during my period. 💪
My only issue with training on my period is that menstrual cup leakage becomes much more likely when you're doing heavy lifts. 😂
SO many people hit PRs during their periods!
I’m the same! The week before I feel like SpongeBob lifting marshmallows, then my period hits and BOOM I’m deadlifting 225 for reps on reps on reps
I don't change my workouts around my period. I tend feel strong on my period, not always but most times. I think because of the naps I take and the extra food I consume due to cravings, lol! PMDD yes, sucks! Was diagnosed with it 5 years ago. Thank you for mentioning it! Nice workout! You are too funny!! Hope your having a great day!
I usually PR right before my period.
If you struggle with leaks, try a flex disc. I’ve been using it for a little over a year and I prefer it to my cups. I keep my cups as backups, but the disc
Is more comfy and less likely to shift due to where it’s placed. At least for me~
That said, I don’t plan my workouts around my period so sometimes I can do more pull ups, other times I end up 50 lbs heavier on my deadlift, and sometimes I run 5+ miles “just ‘cause”…but it’s because my period is coming in a day or two.😂
Stephanie Buttermore did a video on this topic and apparently it was found that we can lift the most during our periods, while we are the most tired during our luteal phase, so that could explain it.
"Cycle syncing is basically a form of regulation and a good strength program will already have some sort of auto-regulation built into it." YES. This. I'm a massage therapist and holistic health practitioner, and every body is different every day, even for my regulars. Blanketed cycle syncing doesn't make sense, and is even potentially dangerous. We should be ENCOURAGING women to learn THEIR bodies and limits, not to put their symptoms and cycles in boxes. You also made the great point about challenging the fuckery going on in your head about pulling the period card and not wanting to stay committed to your routine, which is just one example of what can get overlooked when a system is incomplete.
Also, just saw the quick transition for your dips and am so happy that you film your workouts!! Seeing you notice your limit and then quickly shift your exercise mid-workout without criticizing yourself is like a bonus tip!
Uhm??? "Period card" ?? Having your period is a valid reason.
God I love you. I saw this video and was like nooooo not Meg too 😭 my favorite fitness guru. Another theory I’ve heard is that it’s basically just a deload week and that’s why women think it works so well
Me too. Almost didn’t click on it.
Why not? There's a lot of evidence that this is an actual thing for some women with clinical studies being done. Why would you be so against something that it finally starting to come to light?
@@Ailieorz I’m against the marketing of this as such a blanket statement. It’s not as complex as “cycle syncing” - just listen to your body and deload and load as necessary. It’s just not a new concept. It’s a marketing tactic and way to go viral lol
@@Ailieorz the only clear evidence on this topic is how much variability/no systematic trend there is
I don’t love cycle syncing in the traditional way, but I’ve noticed that certain movements feel more risky around my period so I tend to switch it up to avoid injury when I’m not feeling as strong 💪🏾
I wish that women fitness trainers were actors because we need to see more bodies like this on the big screen! ❤ I love your content.
I'm new to the strength training world. As someone with a chronic illness I have to listen to my body daily not just when I'm on my period.
I usually just make sure I have rest days for my period, my cycle is pretty regular and I track it, so even if it means I lift like 7 days in a row so I can have rest days on my heavy days that’s what I typically do. But I definitely noticed when I started running regularly it had such a positive impact on my periods, I barely have pms symptoms now I just get a little fatigue, and then my cramps are far more manageable.
Do you think its running or just cardio that's positively impacting your pms? I am at my wits end with my cycle and will try anything to make it better.
@@ginab.900 I think it’s just regular, challenging cardio. I’ve been lifting for like 10 years, and my cardio regime used to be long bike rides 1-2x a week, and I’ve always gotten lots of walking in with my dogs, but it wasn’t til I started doing 2 mile runs 4-5x a week that I really noticed a difference.
OMG, I started running about a month and a half ago and I noticed my PMS symptoms decreased significantly. Granted, I have been working out 5 times a week on average for the past 8 years. However, I never incorporated a solid cardio routine. Now I do 3 5Ks a week and my PMS symptoms have improved so much.
Thank you for this!! I base my mesocycle training around my menstrual cycle because my PMS symptoms sometimes get in the way of my strength training. 😮💨
I totally agree - we are all so different , so it’s important to listen to what our own bodies are telling us and not some general advice. For me, I feel the weakest/most fatigued the week leading up to my period. Once my period hits, I’m actually good to go! I have been blessed with a pretty mild period my whole life, so it’s really just the hormones dipping pre-period that knock me out for a few days.
Happy international women's day Meg! Thanks for repping being strong and confident. You can tell your wedding prep is going well, those muscles are looking DEFINED in this video.
As a man, the information in this video is very useful. Thanks ! :D
On a serious note, love your videos and funny personality, great stuff !
You are the first fitness person who I have heard saying the cycle syncing is kindda bull***t.
Sometimes, I have the most energy during my menstrual periods, contrary to what cycle syncing says. So this felt a little off to me.
Glad that I am not the only one who thinks along these lines 💚
To be fair, what I had seen before on synching suggested that the strongest times were in fact the week of menstruation and the week after, so the first 2 weeks in the cycle. This happens to be mostly true for me, and I for sure don't feel my strongest the week before my period (last week in cycle). But I totally get that it is not evidence based and highly individual
I think it’s totally dependent on how your cycle is. For me, there’s no chance I would be in the gym on day 1/2 of my period. Maybe the odd time I’ll have an amazing one where I feel ok but I can barely move and am in bed for most of them. But then once it’s done I’m so energised and hit max lifts, run faster etc. the week before I can genuinely feel myself slowing down. Even if I try to push it it’s so much harder than it feels post period. I genuinely think it’s just genetics. You’re so lucky if you can carry on as normal. Make the most of that! Go hit those PR’s for the rest of us 😂💪🏻
Hello from India! I have JUST now subscribed to your channel after watching the new 1st pull-up video and saw this new video posted a minute ago! Fairly new to strength training here (2023 resolution) but I'm already feeling my biceps and quads :) I like your way of communicating and your general demeanor. Thanks for addressing this. I usually give myself a couple days break on my period and schedule my rest days based on PMS and crampy days and it's been alright so far!
Thanks for subscribing! And welcome to strength training!! 👏
Thank you for always giving us evidence-based info! I just completed Plus+1 - I followed it all through pregnancy and postpartum and LOVED it :)
I'm glad you loved it!
As someone else who just started cycle fitness, that makes me soo fucking happy. It has been a really great experience for me so far, bc it's really been about reestablishing my connection with my body. It also reminds me to vary my workouts and give myself more grace.
This was a great video! Some of my best workouts are on my period. I tend to feel weakest in the week leading up to my period but I still try and push it when I can. Loving this macrocycle of SBTD so much!
On my period I am actually better than the week before. I get crazy light headed the week before and a few days in so I can't go as hard. I get pissed hahahahaha but otherwise I go hard. Love how it feels!
I just found this video because I searched "can't lift as heavy when on period" and I'm glad I did!
I have only been training for a few months but I immediately noticed that when I start my period, and for the first 4 to 5 days (9 day length) I am completely worn out after just a few sets! I was so confused and disheartened at first because I was making such good progress! Then my hubby was actually the one who pointed out that I had started my period! So I started taking notes and Lo and behold, he's right! I still lift on those weeks, but I do a kind of deload week so I don't get frustrated.
This week I had noooo energy to workout, and it is definitely period related, getting it today or tomorrow; it just doesn't happen every month the same, so I do different things depending on how I feel
I appreciate this perspective. It comes down to studying our own bodies and planning according to that.
I'm similar to you in that I shift around a few days instead of moving my entire month. I've never had a regular period so I couldn't plan ahead if I wanted to, it's more about listening to my body, pushing where I can, and switching my days when I need.
I showed my wife this video. Very high quality info meg this is something that hasn't been researched much and you nailed it. I appreciate the time and research you put into this
This is hysterical, you are so silly!!! 💖💖💖
lol
what?
Yesss! I love this. Admittedly I tried out cycle syncing myself a year or so ago to see how I'd feel, but it didn't do much for me. Funny enough, I found my strength was the highest a couple days before and during my period! As long as I took measures to ensure I had no/minimal leg weakness during the first day of my period ( for some reason my cramps do that to my poor hams) I can still train.
Also, can you imagine competing in a strength sport and taking 2 weeks off of your program each month in order to emphasize more gentle movements? You'd get almost nowhere with your goals.
Not weird at all! Listen to Dr. Mindy Pelz on Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast. I listened to it this morning; it was sent by a friend from the gym. I think it is a recent upload.
My cramps make my hips and quads really weak and sore so I avoid squats when they're like that
THANK YOU FOR DOING A VIDEO ON THIS. I have been so confused by this concept and needed someone to lay it out for me
This was the topic of my lit review for my masters dissertation. Essentially not enough studies in the population (strength athletes/experienced lifters) to be conclusive and so many variables.
Personally hoping to come off hormonal bc soon and try a copper IUD as I want to feel my natural body and see what changes I experience in and out of the gym💪🙏
You won’t be in it during your period 😂
No seriously though. As someone who hasn’t been on birth control since I was 18 (now 35) I’ve never had a good period. Cycle syncing makes a lot of sense for me. I can feel when I’m slowing down and getting weaker and then also when I have lots of excess energy to push myself. My friends always used to think I was putting it on and whinging (they were all on BC). Then they came off around the age of 30 and they’re all now whinging to me about how they having such crap periods 😅 It’s totally genetics imo though. You might be one of the lucky ones (I hope so) because it really sucks. I eat healthy, I limit inflammatory foods, I don’t drink caffeine around it, I take supps to help and still it’s absolute shit. But I’m around the age of children etc so BC just isn’t worth going on annoyingly. x
Super cool!!
Im a pre med scientist and I have a similar outlook. I think that there is definitely an overarching theme that science will be able to simply define for women its just theres not enough data focused on this exact issue. So like the answer is in there somewhere we just dont know it yet lol
@@pooppoop3595 I hope so! It’s in the same realm of research into endometriosis. Just not enough of it yet it clearly is a huge problem. If it was in men though, maybe we’d have the answers already! 😬
@@Brimfulofbeauty oh 100% and ppl would accept the pain they feel.
So important that you know yourself and your body. Menstration affects each and everyone differently, so what works for one bleeding person might not work for another bleeding person. My fatigue and cramps are crazy during at least the first two days of my period, so I like to do low impact or NOTHING during those two days. I also get super nauseous in the beginning of my period and that does affect my appetite so I tend to save my heavier lifting to a later day during the week. After the third day my body is starting to adjust a little and feels more "normal", still some cramps and can feel bloated but my fatigue level is pretty much back to normal and so I can do more high impact training again. But that is just me and my period, and my symptoms varies from month to month as well (nausea, cramps and fatigue are consistent symptoms for me but the levels might change, and additional symptoms like back ad leg pain do happen from time to time). Overall point is that each period is different for different people, adjusting your workout during your period is totally fine but it should be adjusted to YOUR individual needs, as there is not really any one size fit all.
Love this video!!! What’s funny for me is that I can PR my lifts during luteal phase which makes absolutely no sense because I feel like trash. Maybe it’s my rage and anger that helps me get that weight up 😂😂
I’m weakest and most fatigued the day or two before & the first day or two, then my strength spikes
Luteal phase is my girl 🔥🔥🔥I’ve also grown to love the follicular phase too tho ! I just try to take the benefits from each phase as much as I can. I definitely hit big PRS during luteal . It’s insane 🔥🔥
Also why do people assume yoga is generally always easy?? Yoga can be pretty intense and very challenging
Take a look at Roar by Dr Stacy Sims - she slices out why research seems to never be able to account for female hormones and their effect on athletic performance.
Oh my god ! I just found you on YT and I already love you. You are funny, authentic and beautiful 🤩
It would be helpful if you talked about the hormonal component of cycle syncing and weight lifting. During menstruation, our estrogen and progesterone is at our lowest - how does that influence our abilities?
This video was great btw! And I love how you are pushing back against a narrative that says women are weak on their periods.
For me the first couple days of my period, I ain’t lifting shit because I’m so tired and the cramps are too much for me to go to the gym. So I adjust my training to accommodate 2-3 days of no lifting.
Check out Natacha Océane's channel, she did a science review of the topic recently, basically the main conclusion is: it depends on people
@@gingerbrh2052 Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check her out!
Yesss,so agree! Which is the reason cycle syncing came around..it was for the hormonal aspect and honoring our cycle as woman and understanding the impacts of what do and how we eat. Influencers hopped on it and started another trend but there are studies and proof just not based around the lifting aspect.It’s the same for fasting. We can’t do it based off how we feel persay bc need to understand what the hormones and the impacts.
Thanks Meg! So glad you made a video on this. I feel so yucky/fatigued/cramp hard af during my period, i don't enjoy lifting for most of it😅. It's really cool to hear differently from the ladies here tho
I have PMDD 🙄 it’s a nightmare but diet and fitness are essential to do lose your mind and replan your whole life. I personally get physically sick like I have the flu…
I just give myself some grace if needed, goal changes to just get sweaty.
I feel this. PMS hits me like a ton of bricks. Weak, lethargic, sometimes I feel like I have a cold, migraines and my stomach turns into a bottomless pit 😩 Usually all I want to do that week is lay down and absorb food like a sea sponge.
Endometriosis here 🙋🏼♀️there’s so many here saying their period doesn’t bug them, thought I’d comment to let you know mine knocks me flat sometimes. Other times I crawl through it.
I don't know why I'm watching this. I'm bedridden 100% of the time for that week.
Yes!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I just found you and I’m so happy about it!
Man, everything has to be so "scientific" these days lol! I just listen to my body and go from there, no rhyme or reason.
As someone with Endometriosis when I can get cramps at any time during the month I totally agree. I have to train hard when I can and train lighter or not at all when I need to as well.
I feel pretty good once my period starts but the week before is an ACTUAL NIGHTMARE. So tired, so weak, so bloated, so bitchy. Plus my boobs suddenly feel like they weigh 80lbs. good lord lmao
Saaaaammeee!
I have endometriosis, the week before feels like that and often the actual week does too, but sometimes it gets way easier by official day two or three. So I feel ya.
Love the reference to field work. Extremely valuable and completely pushed out these days.
Very interesting!
I've actually decided to try training last menstrual Cycle.
I do get heavy pain and bleed a lot.
So I always assume that training would hurt more.
Surprisingly, I lifted more, and it helped the pain!
Happy to see a video that do talk about woman training in cycles.
❤️
Ugh. I’m 5 days to my period . So emotional and tired. Life!
You deserve all the awards in the world because you are the first. I love you so much. More huge awards. You deserve it I love you my love
This was a great video! I liked the music and sound effects. Topic was awesome too. We get our periods every month, what’s the big deal? We don’t stop living just cause we’re bleeding💁♀️ Cycle syncing is just another fitness fad with zero scientific basis. Listen to your body, do what’s best for you. Thanks for being honest and straightforward and for taking all the bs out of training 🙌
Love your videos, love how you approach your content.
A couple random tidbits I'd love to share for you and your audience-
I have an IUD but I still get periods (common with the Kyleena).
In general, I have pretty moderate to severe PMS symptoms that range from depression, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, and cramping, a loooot of bloating. Sometimes It's just two of those symptoms- sometimes it's all of them. the week leading up to my period and the first two days of my period are typically the worst. But I don't adjust my workouts or EFFORT. That might mean running slower and moving lighter weight than during my ovulation/fertile window, but I still push myself the same amount. I've been hybrid training for a couple of years, finding what works for me, and running 3 days a week and lifting 3 days a week is what's working, and I haven't lost my period or had issues! I noticed that increasing my caloric intake around PMS/period (intuitively) also makes me feel a lot less fatigue.
Through trial and error, I've found that being in a deficit worsens my PMS and period symptoms. I used to be a yo-yo dietier/deficit queen and last year, when I finally reversed up to maintenance and pushed my caloric intake (as in, 1000+ calories more per day), my symptoms improved a TON. This won't be the case for everyone, but I really encourage people to ensure their caloric intake is actually adequate for their level of activity! I now go into a deficit knowing my PMS/period will be worse, but I make sure my cuts are much shorter in duration becaues once my period becomes irregular (as well as other biofeedback cues changing), that it's time to get out of the diet.
Yal better than me… my body completely shuts down around that time… can’t pass go…can’t collect my 200 dollars.
I'm 45 and lemme just tell ya, it's crazy. When I was younger, my cycle was very much linear in my experience of symptoms. Like maybe I'd be a little moody before I started, cramps on day one, but then I was on my way. Still played basketball, hard workouts, I was fine. But NOW...omg. The fatigue and lethargy (and really bad mood) hit right around ovulation. So my PMS symptoms are lasting for a good two weeks sometimes. It's probably the number one reason I feel weight has gotten out of control (per my own standards) because when you feel like a powerhouse only two weeks out of the month and a pile of weepy mess the other two, you aren't going to maintain muscle mass. So I'm trying to come to terms with the fact I can't just set up a macrocyle and do it like I could before. It's so aggravating and a huge mind eff. One thing you can do is make sure your diet is super clean so you're moving as much excess estrogen out, giving progesterone a fighting chance to do what it needs to do.
Thank you! When this started to pop up Natacha Oceane did a scientific video dissecting topic. That was very helpful since I have no deeper knowledge of human biology. By now I‘ve seen so many posts that promote cycle syncing, some even coming from certified PTs. Please, your job is to provide knowledge, don‘t promote half truths. Listen to your body by all means but quit the pseudo science.
Not me watching this on the last day of my period!! Menstruation Muscle Mommy lol love it.
I take a week of during my period and it's been great for my recovery
Meg is my ultimate hype woman because adult friends with similar hobbies are hard to find! I even have the book shes featured in “strong like her” just to be surrounded by empowered women. 😂 need free labor in exchange for learned skills & good vibes? I’m your girl ✨
Hyping you up friend!!
I can barely lift a feather right before mine. I've had an IUD in for 7 years and never really had a period per se but I definitely noticed my shit weeks always lined up with some kind of period symptom like sore boobs and maybe some spotting. That and I need frequent deloads, so for me it's a no brainer to try and sync it, especially now I'm getting older.
I just want to say, I love your program and recommend it to everyone I meet who wants to get stronger, or feel like they need a trainer, or has no idea wtf to do at the gym.
I will ALSO say- I used it for maybe 6 months and decided to opt out for two reasons- typical strength bread and butter lower body lifts really make my knees shit (they are shit already- shallow patellar grooves and relaxed ligaments holding my knee cap 😤); but I also had to give it up because of all the supersets being REALLY unrelated to one another. I do supersets at my gym, but the way your supersets are written, it is *so* hard to do them at a busy gym. At a busy gym, a lot of your supersets are in different locations or going from a rack to a cable machine - the typical super sets that you can manage in a dead gym or your own gym if you have $$$, but where people are hopping on your stations because they have no idea it's a part of your set. Something to think about if you ever tweak your set ups. I was having to do most of the lifts seperately, and lifting for more than an hour isn't my jam as a nurse who is trying to get everything done in life on a time budget.
Thank you for being jacked and strong as fuck. Also thank you for this video, because I also don't want to go to yoga on my period. Feels like a great way to keep women weak by shutting down their fitness for 7 days a month
By saying "the supersets are REALLY unrelated", do you mean they're inconvenient? Or that the supersets make no sense from a programming aspect, and doesn't permit adaptation? I completely understand how difficult certain supersets can be in a busy gym, but to say the supersets are really unrelated, implies she's just throwing random supersets together for the heck of it. Which doesn't sound at all like a Meg program. It might be that the supersets are related, and that a solution could be substituting alternative exercises or equipment, that targets the same muscle group. So you're not having to contend with equipment in use, or having to cover too much ground mid-superset. Again, I'm acknowledging the challenge. I just also understand how difficult it is for trainers to design programs for multiple people, knowing every gym is designed differently, and that trainers have no control of what times people workout, or how crowded the gym is when they train. If people have no other options than to train during peak hours, and their goal is hypertrophy and/or increasing strength, they often run into similar issues, even if their program doesn't incorporate supersets. We also have to keep in mind the adaptations may be convenient, but not necessarily help them reach strength & hypertrophy goals. Which can't always be attributed to bad programming.
@@suzi_in_zone6B unrelated in terms of location in a typical gym. I've had three gym memberships over the last year and the only way to do this program in supersets as prescribed is to take up a lot of space and hope nobody slides into your space. Or maybe gym culture where I live is savage.
By no means was I saying the programming is unrelated. I'm not questioning her. Just constructive feedback as the program is basically stacks of supersets every week
Ugh! I love that you’re talking about this!!! Thank you!!! 🥰
Meg, this is why I can never stay on SBTD! The heaviest weeks fall on my cycle. I would LOVE to buy a printable that I could schedule out accordingly. I am weak as water before my menstrual cycle. 🥺
It reminds me of muscle soreness, sometimes it hits hard but then my performance is fine
I've been hitting prs on my period for the past few months... And I've found that going hard the day before/day one of my period on cardio, and finishing with some good stretching has drastically decreased the pain I usually experience.
It would be interesting to see a study on woman trying cycle syncing who don't always work out/ don't work out consistently.
From watching a couple fitness channels on youtube who has covered cycle syncing, it seems they may have the benefits of; muscle memory, feeling a bit more uplifted when they put on their workout clothes as well as being in their usual workout environment which encourages them - Of course these factors can help anyone.
But I feel you might get some more interesting results on woman who don't train or who haven't made fitness part of their lifestyle.
For instance I watched a tiktoker cycle sync because she wanted to be consistent with her exercising, and it really helped her achieve her goal.
Also an interesting perspective could be woman with vastly different personalities such as one end of the group being very shy and the other being lazy. It could potentially show that in different stages of their cycle they're more determined to perform exercises or it could show other aspects we haven't considered such as a release of emotions they've been holding in the body during the different phases.
I see a lot of videos about how the little evidence that we have shows that our cycle doesn't effect our output of training, but what about the other factors of being human? i.e our emotional wellbeing during our cycle
Interesting
You re the first fitness influencer i've seen that says its bs.
I tried following this cycle theory. But it didnt work for me. First day is usually my rest day regardless of the training plan, no way am i doing Yoga or any exercise except for getting my ice cream or an extra pillow.
But from day 2 i can hit leg day and do it using my heaviest weights. So i thought something might be wrong with me😅
I generally 'listen' to my body (which tbh came with time) and if i feel like shit at any point of my cycle i just go easier or rest, nothing mind blowing, really 😂
Thank you for this. I can always tell when my period is coming like 2-5 days before everything feels a million time heavier.
But I will say sumos on the first day of my period are the weirdest feelings in the world.
That's why I like to swap my days around. 😅
A lot of the period syncing I’ve would essentially only allow you to strength train like one month of the week, which is truly wild and prevent effective progressive overloading
It's really weird because even if I feel weak esp if it's my first day, I would still start doing workouts and my fatigue just goes away. It's insane 😂 the key is to just start. Sometimes it relieves my cramps too.
For ME...luteal phase is the toughest - so, if I go too high intensity, there is more likelihood of experiencing panic attacks at a higher HR level (typically in the high 150s - I'm 45yo)...but when my period starts? It's my strongest week. We truly are unicorns. Who knew?
Thank you for this and setting the context! For me this weakest-at-period thing is personally the opposite, I feel freaking STRONG! ovulation kills me!
p.s. lowkey eyeing the shoulder mobility on pvc pipe warmups 😱 contortionist 😀
I never knew how to do this but sometimes I get SO weak and then realize later it's my period. I just ignore it and hope I'm always strong lol.
On my period today and I definitely had a harder time. I had to go 10-15lbs less on every lift than my last session. I did two sets less on my legs as well than typical. I do fullbody x3 a week. My period symptoms are awful on day 1 and 2, a lot of pain, cramping, bloating and just feeling like garbage. It's definitely harder, impacts performance. I was fine on the treadmill for the most part, however. Just doing some incline brisk walking, nothing crazy. I don't tend to jog or run anyway. I don't personally think it's the physical discomfort or pain, but the hormones being very different. I felt lacking something, perhaps I need to up iron around this time. I just know everything felt a lot more difficult today, lol. I've only been strength training for 4 weeks, so this was my first time while on the rag. I really did not want to skip the day though, so I just did what I could.
Love your humour and approach ❤
This all makes sense to me. I started following some of the principles of cycle synching, but then would randomly hit a lifting PR during my luteal phase or while on my cycle, or increasing my running pace somehow in those periods. The take away for me has been “listen to your body”, because rest and properly fuelling your workout are two big levers. Mind you, I’m someone with very very minimal period symptoms so it could very well be that the fluctuations that I experience are low.
I definitely noticed a loss of strength about a week and a half before my period. Once my period starts, it returns.
My comment has zero to do with the topic of the video but I just wanna say I love that you aren't always rocking a perfect tan like most influencers, as a former pasty girl I love to see you wearing shorts even if you aren't tan ❤️
3:55 I am audibly gasping at your warm up with the stick thing. Holy fuck. I need to get my shoulder mobility together
15:44 that's true !
I thought cycle syncing was a cool idea but you seem so fit. What do I know ? I'm getting more serious about fitness.
For me this would mean don't do strength training until luteal phase and than when I have a SBD day where I maxout 😅.
I have really clear symtoms from different parts of my cycle, my energy varies ALOT, so I've been trying to sync my cycle with my training for years. I think the only time it actually worked for me was when I just intuitively listened to my body, and gave myself what I needed from day to day. Sometimes that meant I trained 7 days in a row, and other days I trained every 3-4 days. Always including yoga in between to de-stress.
As far as I know, it doesn't really matter what kind of training you do when, it's about how much stress it causes your body. More intense and less rest means more stress. When you stress, your body favours cortisol production over progesterone. And after ovulation, your body needs to produce progesterone. By causing too much stress your body can't produce it and it may cause more severe symtoms.
I feel terrible for about 7-10 days before my period, then while mentally i feel better once my period starts, day 1, 2, 3 i feel physically terrible.
I have Endometriosis and that’s how I feel, my actual flow goes for like maybe 3 days but the whole period feels like it last about two weeks, meaning I’m physically trash but I may not even be on my actually period yet.
someone finally said it
I did deadlifts today whilst on my period and oh Lord! It was a challenge. I could not lift nearly as much and my inner legs were cramping like crazy.
When I improved my health with diet and lifestyle changes, my period symptoms disappeared
During my menstrual specifically the first 3 days of my period, I only do some workouts like walking and stretching cause my energy those days super low like I can’t lifting or doing high intensity workouts like usual! But everyone is different and at this point you should listen to your body and Give It What It Needs
My cycle syncing is simple: I don`t train if I can`t stand up straight on my feet (my menstrual days + an ovulation day)
It all comes down to listening to your body!!!!
Love your videos so informative also love that you incorporate that you can train when on your period
I agree that every cycle will not be the same. Hence, regulating your workout of the day by volume & intensity should be fine. But I’d rather cycle sync my diet, sleep & personal errands. Meaning, during that second half-part of our cycle, when we experience more fatigue, we also gonna be needing more sleep than our usuals, should be avoiding stressful situations, be kinder to ourselves and eat food with less hormones in it.
I feel lethargic and not motivated at all BEFORE my period is like a whole week between the days before and the 2 first days of my period. But if I move and do something, I feel much better
Mine lasts 2 days these days. But that first 24hrs KILLS me, so I let myself have that day off except for a 30min walk. I feel like that gets things moving quicker.
LOVE THISSS, im a woman i lift heavy when i bleed!
Checking the info under the video for any proof of studies that menstrual cycle in no way impacts fast twitch muscle fibers. This doesn’t just FEEL like gaslighting, it’s literal gaslighting.
I use the Whoop fitness tracker and it's interesting how my markers change throughout my cycle. It says that I don't recover as well during and after ovulation. The day my cycle starts is when my readings say my body is ready to go hard. I am not always feeling it but when I am I can put more effort in with better recovery. So I agree that cycle syncing is garbage 😂
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
As a rock climbing athlete i peak around day 14 and get really tired, weak and burned out right before my period. By day 3 im all better.
On a Test cycle atm, will try a menstrual for my next cycle
As for me, at 47 with 4 children I bleed 7 days, the first two days like after giving birth ( wearing baby pampers) and yet: of course use autoregulation more than anything, which I do, too. Thank you for the encouragement and motivation!
I never work out during my period because my first 3 days are hell of pain and heavy bleeding....but once the M is over I usually have the most productive time in gym. I did notice I can build muscles much easier first 2 weeks post M. A week before never mind how hard I try body does not cooperate with my will power.
*adds song to Spotify playlist immediately* 💖you sm
I did a PERSONAL RECORD of 320lb trapbar deadlift in the middle of my cycle... lol!
Luckily my period doesn’t usually effect me that much other than the actual bleeding, so I just go w the overall of how my body feels. If I need an active rest day, I’ll do a track or treadmill walk. I still like to do some form of movement.