Hello all,
I did a search of the forum and wasn't able to find much good info on the menstrual cycle for female lifters, so I wanted to share some pointers based on the research and my experiences with clients that could offer a potential benefit to you if you want to maximize your results.
This is an important consideration, and oftentimes it goes unrecognized or ignored by saying "just suck it up" which is unfortunate
NOTE: if you are on birth control, then this will not have much of an impact on you
TRAINING
1) Most research has shown markedly better muscle growth (up to 46% in one study) by shifting the majority of your training to the first two weeks of your cycle (follicular phase) rather than the last two weeks (luteal phase)
This means that the first two weeks of your cycle are where you are primed to make muscle gains (and be able to diet with little detriment).
Opt for 3-4 sessions per muscle group per week.
However, make sure to factor in your total volume! DO NOT just do what you're doing now and add more days. Start at a moderate volume of 3-4 sets per muscle 3-4 times a week and see how you respond before increasing.
Exercise and rep range variation can and should be incorporated here as well. There are benefits to that already in fuller development of the muscle (
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24832974)
If training is uncomfortable or unfeasible during menstruation, don't worry. You can train hard once it is over.
Example studies of superior gains in follicular phase:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8776210
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4236309/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26558833
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DIET
2) Hunger and cravings increase during the last two weeks of your cycle. This is also not the ideal muscle building time as shown in research.
So don't start diets or diet hard in these last 2 weeks. Here is where you should allow a little more food and do a little low intensity cardio to create your deficit as opposed to hard weight training.
If you are going to have refeeds or diet breaks, this would also make sense to include them here, especially due to increased hunger and cravings.
You should also look to reduce training volume/frequency here. 1x/week is what is used in research and has worked quite well, although 1.5-2x/week can also work with a reduced volume
If in a gaining phase, here is where you would like to taper training and even potentially have a deload/light week the last week before your cycle starts again and you're back to training hard. This works especially well if you have PMS during that last week anyways
Example Studies
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...ct&holding=npg
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26043860
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Of course, it isn't "bad" if you just do things normally across your whole cycle, but based on the scientific research and experience with clients, this isn't optimal as opposed to the alternative, so it's worth the changes.
When done right, you can also get a little "recomp" effect by doing these things. (bulk during follicular, cut during luteal)
Also I should note that this has to be personalized to YOU. I can only give you general guidelines, but an evidence based approach always has to be customized to your individual needs and how you respond
If you're interested in the full write up, I wrote a full comprehensive article on it back in October that has all the studies and points:
http://josephmurci.com/menstrual-cyc...owth-fat-loss/
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What are your experiences with training during the menstrual cycle?
Give these suggestions a shot and report back with your results.
Hope this helps you maximize your results from the gym. Good luck
by Batarang via Bodybuilding.com Forums - Female Bodybuilding