Training with your cycle & Hormonal changes
If you’re a woman, it’s highly likely you’ve noticed that your body does not feel the same every week. Why is that? And more importantly - what can we actually do about it?
Have you ever noticed that some weeks your workouts feel strong and energising, while other weeks feel heavier, slower, or harder?
You’re not imagining it and you’re definitely not alone.
The interesting thing is that it keeps happening over and over again every month, yet we keep feeling frustrated or surprised every time our energy dips again, or training feels more challenging. It’s easy to get frustrated with yourself and with your body without understanding why these changes keep happening.
Most women experience natural changes in energy, strength, recovery and motivation throughout their menstrual cycle. Why does this happen? It’s simple; our hormone levels naturally rise and fall across the month.
Understanding these changes can help you train smarter, manage expectations, and work with your body instead of constantly feeling like you’re fighting against it.
Why your body feels different throughout the month
Two main hormones - estrogen and progesterone - fluctuate across your cycle. These hormones influence:
Energy levels
Recovery capacity
Strength and endurance
Body temperature
Mood and motivation
How your body uses fuel
It’s important to know that every woman experiences these changes differently, which is why awareness and tracking your own patterns is more important than following strict rules.
The four phases of your cycle - and how to train with them
Before we go into the different phases and how training may feel during each one, there’s something important to remember: you have to learn to truly listen to your body.
I can explain what typically happens during each phase, but in reality, only you know truly how you feel and respond. While there are general patterns in how hormones affect training, every woman experiences them differently.
This also means something else: I don’t automatically recommend skipping the gym during low-energy phases. For some women, training is a way to clear their mind, reduce stress, and feel accomplished. If that’s you, continuing to train can absolutely be the right choice - just make sure you’re not pushing your boundaries.
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Hormone levels are at their lowest during this phase, and many women experience fatigue, cramps, or lower motivation. Some women may even notice increased inflammation or discomfort, which can make a high-intensity workout feel so much harder than usual.
This phase should be about maintaining movement, rather than chasing performance.
Training focus:
Lower intensity strength training
Walking or low-impact cardio
Mobility, stretching, or yoga
Listening to fatigue signals
Training can still be beneficial here! It just might require adjusting intensity or volume.
Coaching tip: If energy feels low, focus on showing up rather than pushing intensity. Consistency during lower-energy phases is often what supports long-term progress! Consistency here does not mean going overboard. It can look like taking a walk, or doing some yoga or stretching at home.
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Estrogen begins to rise during this phase, which often supports energy levels, coordination, and recovery. Many women feel mentally sharper and physically stronger during this phase.
Training focus:
Progressive overload (gradually increasing intensity in weights or reps)
Learning new movements or improving technique
Strength progression
Higher intensity training if energy feels good
Coach tip: This is often a great time to push strength progress, increase training intensity, or focus on performance goals.
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Estrogen peaks around ovulation, and many women feel their strongest and most energised during this time. Confidence, motivation, and coordination often feel higher as well.
Some women may notice their joints feel slightly less stable during this phase, which makes proper warm-ups and technique extra important.
Training focus:
Challenging strength sessions
Performance-based training
Higher intensity workouts if your body feels ready
Extra focus on proper warm-up and control
Coach Tip: If this phase feels like your strongest week, take advantage of it - but don’t forget to prioritise good form! We have to work to reduce injuries when lifting heavier.
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Progesterone rises during this phase, which can increase body temperature and energy demands. Some women notice fatigue, bloating, mood changes or stronger cravings (PMS).
Appetite increases during this phase are often a normal physiological response in this phase.
Training can still be very productive here, but your body may benefit from slightly reducing training volume and increasing recovery focus.
Training focus:
Maintaining strength instead of chasing personal bests
Slightly reducing volume or intensity if needed
Prioritising recovery and sleep
Managing stress and nutrition
Coach tip: If motivation drops during this phase, shorten workouts rather than skipping them! A shorter, consistent session is often more beneficial than missing training completely, but again; listen to your body.
The biggest mistake women make when training with their cycle
Trying to preform at maximum intensity all month long!
Your body is not designed to preform exactly the same every week. Progress comes from long-term consistency - not forcing every workout to feel like your best one.
How to practically apply cycle-based training in real life
Does this mean you should be changing your training program every week? Absolutely not!
Instead, use your cycle as a guide do adjust intensity, recovery, training focus and most of all: expectations.
A simple approach could look like:
Push progression when energy feels naturally higher
Focus on maintenance and consistency when energy is lower
Increase recovery strategies when symptoms increase
Track patterns to understand how your body personally responds
Once you start recognising these patterns, it’s easy to intuitively adjust as you go.
Don’t forget the power of walking
Walking is one of the simplest and most effective tools for supporting fat loss, recovery and even stress management throughout your cycle!
It helps maintain daily activity levels, without placing excessive stress on your body and can be especially helpful during lower-energy phases.
My recommendation: aim for 20-45 minutes at a comfortable pace where you can still hold conversation.
Your cycle is not a limitation - it’s valuable feedback from your body!
Some weeks you may push harder, while other weeks you may focus more on consistency and recovery.
Both are essential parts or long-term progress!
When you understand your body’s patterns, you can train smarter, feel more confident, and stay consistent without burning yourself out.
But the most important thing to remember is this: learn to listen to your body. Understanding the way your body works is the only way to work with it, instead of against it.