Strength Training + Your Period

Here’s how I recommend approaching lifting

(from a coach, PhD student, and human who actually lifts heavy things)

As a strength coach and PhD candidate investigating the menstrual cycle and its effects on strength-sport athletes — weightlifters and powerlifters — and their performance, I want to offer you something that’s often missing in this conversation:

Practical advice that respects both the research and the realities of being an athlete who has a menstrual cycle and trains hard.

Now, there is a lot of hype and a lot of BS out there, as it is an interesting and hotly debated topic... and conveniently been packaged up into tidy little solutions to sell (BS) products or promise performance "hacks" that don’t always hold up in the gym — and definitely don’t hold up to the science.

So here’s what you need to know:

Currently, research is mixed, and there is no clear research that suggests there is a direct link between your hormones/menstrual cycle, or period, or any phase of the cycle and reduced objective performance (think 1RM strength, power, bar speed etc). 

But… absence of evidence does not mean evidence of absence.

Just because the research hasn’t found consistent performance declines doesn’t mean individual experiences aren’t real or valid.

Research, by design, shows the most common response — the average. As in, on average, most of the population included in the study responded in this way or that.

It also isolates one single thing, to see if another single thing has an effect on it.

But in reality, the human body, the menstrual cycle, and performance are multifactorial and bidirectional and complicated as f*ck.

Research definitely has its place. Research is the foundation of good advice. It gives us a structured, objective way to understand patterns, mechanisms, and averages across lifters.

It helps separate evidence from anecdote, and it’s critical for identifying what holds up under scrutiny versus what that influencer on Instagram said to sell their program.

Research keeps us grounded. But we also need to layer in coaching experience, athlete feedback, and individual context. That’s where the real magic happens — and where I come in as a coach and researcher. I have a pragmatic view of both worlds, with one foot in the lab & one foot in the gym.

A few more things to note:

Every menstrual cycle is individual — so how you approach your training may not be the same as your teammate next to you, or even how your coach approaches their training.

This means that you may experience (both negative or positive) symptoms at certain times or phases in your cycle relatively consistently, but this may not line up with the exact timing of others. Some feel great around ovulation — but for me personally, this is generally when I feel pretty moody and sluggish. Day 2 of my period — we are ON; while for others, day 1 or 2 they feel weaker or more tired. Everyone is different.  So don't get too fixated on what phase you are in. Get curious about your patterns; listen to your body; and track the trends.

Respect the trends…

But don’t let them overwhelm your decision making. If every month you have 2–3 days or even a week where training feels off, or motivation is low — respect it.

Drop your expectations slightly. This isn’t weakness — it’s awareness.  If you need to drop the load on the bar by 5–10kgs — that is OKAY.

I know mentally that may be tough, but your body won’t remember that small change in load. It will remember the quality of your movement.

So no use pushing a slightly higher load, only to have technical breakdowns, or inconsistent or failed lifts. If you are experiencing bad or extreme menstrual cycle-related symptoms — like back pain, cramping, headaches…

I did a post a while back with 𝟴 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙 (or are experiencing PMS or menstrual cycle related symptoms) — and it’s a goodie. One I stand by.

So go have a look if you need a practical action plan: 🔗 Instagram Post

Your Cycle Isn’t Holding You Back —

But Ignoring It Doesn’t Help Either The goal isn’t to obsessively plan your training around your cycle — or ignore it.

Your menstrual cycle is just one more piece of the performance puzzle. Treat it as such & use it as information. The goal is awareness.

Know your patterns. Track what matters. Make adjustments as needed.

If you want to work with a coach who deeply understands female physiology but is just as focused on what actually works on the platform, let’s talk. I combine science, strategy, and athlete experience — and I’m here to help you train smarter, not softer.

-Coach Brooke