important training info for women

 The problem as I see it is that women have been sold short when it comes to training.

Over the years outdated ideas that women shouldn't lift weights, should only do cardio & should starve down to 900 calorie a day diets have persevered.

This THANKFULLY is changing......

At the end of the day we believe women CAN and SHOULD be strong and that living a healthy lifestyle should take the following into consideration:

• Strength is beneficial to long term fitness, health & independence
• It's ok to eat a wide variety of foods (that you enjoy)
• You shouldn't train exactly like the person beside you
• Being in pain after every session is NOT normal
• There will be times you can push more but also times to go easier
• Training should make you feel good AND build your confidence
• Exercise is less about weight loss and more about empowerment & achievement!

(^^ This applies to women AND men by the way!)

Anyway.

One of the things we do within our private members only group on Facebook is to share lots of useful info with our members.

Things like training tips, nutrition tips & anything at all to support our members more towards their goals.

It's something our members tell us they really value & appreciate.

Last week coach Karen shared some very useful info for women on training in relation to the menstrual cycle.

(If you're a man reading this then make sure to share this with your better half!)

Here's what Karen had to say:

[------ So, what's the deal??

The science behind cycles

The 28 day cycle is broken up into 2 halves, the follicular and the luteal phase. Early follicular is (days 1-5) with low oestrogen and progesterone, late follicular (days 6-12) with high oestrogen and low progesterone, and the mid-luteal (days 20-23) with high oestrogen and progesterone.

(Take note that this is just one example of a cycle and that everyone is different) <--- Important!

Hormones and training:

• There are many symptoms which include nausea, dizziness, migraines, and back pain, which is a good signal to slow down your training or recover on these days as training could lead to injury.
• It has also been shown that more moderate intensity exercise is beneficial during your period, such as yoga, as it can alleviate symptoms.
• In the late follicular to mid-luteal phase, oestrogen is higher. One of the benefits of oestrogen is that it helps to build muscle.
• During ovulation, testosterone is higher, this makes it an ideal time to push yourself and increase training load.
• Be aware that training around ovulation can be linked to higher rates of injury due to the higher levels of oestrogen which makes your ligaments lax. Make sure to include a good warm-up to avoid possible injury.

The main takeaway is to listen to your body during this time. If you feel like training, do. :)

If you feel absolutely shite, don't! ---------]

^ Make sure to save this for future reference OR pass it on to your partner or someone else who might find it useful.

Talk to you soon....

David "the messenger" Knowles

P.S. I've had a few asking about getting involved with our program. Applications are now closed. If you are interested we are adding people to our waiting list for March. Drop me a message and I can fill you in on the process....