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Every week I’m sent another reel from another self proclaimed menstrual cycle guru coach telling people yet again they should basically nap and hide and are weak 50% of them month. Or that if they don’t program their training around their cycle they will gain fat, overly stress their body, get injured, grow a third leg and die.

Dramatic, but you get the point.

If you aren’t on a pill based oral contraceptives or even THEN your hormones do not make you fragile. They may change how you feel and this is likely unique to YOU & cycle to cycle but you do not need to stop training or worry about it being perfect with your period.

I worry that in a group of people who is often under trained to begin with we’re just adding another over complicated variable for data we just don’t have yet.

If you WANT to, or track your cycle (which I fully support doing!) or notice how you feel changes by all means use that for feedback (see my using RPE around your cycle post).

But BEFORE you get too caught up in the weeds of how to perfectly adjust your training or change it weekly (a headache am I right?) do these things first.

THESE are the things that will have major impacts on your 1) performance 2) hormonal health 3) metabolic health

Periodized programs in underfed people with poor program structure isn’t doing anything. Especially if it has them detraining 2 weeks out of the month (which is often what I’m seeing pushed).

There isn’t anything wrong with an easy day or rest day in ANY week or ANY phase.

But don’t overcomplicate it or worry about things beyond where your energy should be at first.

Poor energy availability is likely MORE of a major concern here! Along with not following solid training programs (lifting or running). Once you have these dialed in nutrition would be what I adjust to your cycle first. Training last. & that should be individual!

If you enjoy it by all means, do it. But make sure you’re doing the basics first or along with it! Those things will impact training + health far more than if you “do HIIT in your luteal phase”.