Girls, it’s time to stop letting your menstrual cycle deter you from working out, and time to start working WITH your menstrual cycle! Optimizing your training with your menstrual cycle can help you make the most of your workouts and reach your fitty goals even faster! We’ve broken down exactly how you can use your period to your advantage to exercise with ease! Phase 1: Lift Like A Boss 💪 The first phase is when you are actually on your period (menstruation), which typically lasts up to 7 days. Whilst you may feel completely drab on your period, you can still workout and make the most of it! Focus on strength training: Believe it or not, lifting while on your period is actually a good thing! Low levels of progesterone actually helps increase muscle building ability. So now is the time to work for those gains! Go for a walk: now is the perfect time to incorporate some low-intensity cardio. Not only will walking benefit your fitness, but it is shown to help reduce menstrual cramps and can even help reduce bloating. Phase 2: Time to hit a PB! 🏋️ The second phase is the follicular phase, which is from the first day of your period and continues to day 14 of your menstrual cycle. You should be feeling the most energised and ready to work out in this phase due to high levels of estrogen. Try to get a PB! Now is the time to push your strength training to its limits. You will feel strongest during this phase, so try to increase those weights and reach a new personal best! Go for a jog - Due to increased energy, now is the time to break a sweat! Do some high intensity cardio like HIIT or jogging. Phase 3: Work on booty gains 🍑 Phase three is ovulation. If you’re feeling super sexy during days 14-16 of your menstrual cycle, there is a reason for it! Studies have shown that women feel most attractive during this phase due to high surges of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. So use this to your advantage girls 😉 Focus on booty gains - your strength capacity will be at its peak, so why not focus a little more on building that peach? Hip thrusts, deadlifts, good mornings - now is the time to schedule your glutes session! Phase 4: Listen to your body 💖 Ah, the dreaded PMS. Yep, the luteal phase is the premenstrual phase between day 16 of your menstrual cycle until the day you start your next period. Your energy may be a little lower, you may have bloating… but you still CAN train! Reduce the intensity - the decrease in energy may make it harder for you to lift heavy weights. If you feel like this, simply just decrease the weight you are lifting and do a few extra reps to make the most of it! Listen to your body - If you don’t feel like doing a heavy workout session, it’s okay! You can go for a walk, a gentle swim, or even try some yoga! Whilst having to deal with the ups and downs of the menstrual cycle can be mega frustrating at times, we CAN use it to our advantage! Working WITH your menstrual cycle can help you exercise to the best of your ability and help you get the results you're looking for! Need a little extra help reaching your fitty goals? Join our WBK Fit community today! WBK Fit Squad xx