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What’s Really Going On (And Why It Changes Everything)
Let’s be real: we’ve all heard the basic version of what a menstrual cycle is.
Bleeding. Hormones. Mood swings. Maybe some cravings. Cool.
But this post isn’t about that.
It’s about the real, deep-level stuff — what’s happening somatically, what’s happening in your nervous system, and how your body is going through a process that’s not just physical, but emotional, neurological, and in a lot of ways, spiritual.
I once heard someone say that the body experiences a menstrual cycle — the actual bleeding and shedding — as a kind of loss. Almost like losing a child.
At first, that might sound dramatic. But when you really think about what the body’s doing… it kind of makes sense.
Every cycle, your body prepares for life. It doesn’t just wait to see what happens — it actively builds a space for a potential baby. The uterine lining thickens. Hormones rise in a specific sequence. Your body is gearing up for the possibility of new life.
And then — nothing implants. So the body resets. And it sheds everything it built.
No, this doesn’t mean you’re grieving a baby. But from a nervous system perspective — which is your body’s internal communication system — it feels like you built something important, and then had to tear it all down.
That’s why some people feel emotional during their period. Or wiped out. Or just “off.” Your system is releasing something — not just physically, but energetically too.
If we understood that? We’d stop expecting women to just push through like nothing’s happening.
Because something is happening.
Let’s walk through it — week by week.
Phase 1: Menstruation (Days 1–7)
This is the start of the cycle — Day 1 is the first day you bleed.
Hormone levels — estrogen and progesterone — are at rock bottom. That’s why you feel low energy, more inflamed, and emotionally raw.
You’ve just let go of the entire uterine lining your body built last month. This is the reset — the cleanup. It’s the end of one cycle, and the start of another.
What you feel:
- Fatigue
- Sensitivity
- Lower motivation
- Brain fog
- Cramping, inflammation
- Need for warmth, stillness, and quiet
What your body wants:
Recovery. Restoration. A return to baseline.
Phase 2: Follicular (Days 8–14)
After the reset, estrogen begins to rise again — and this changes everything.
Estrogen is an anabolic hormone — meaning it helps you build things: muscle, energy, and brainpower. It increases insulin sensitivity, improves mood, enhances coordination, and gives you that “let’s go!” energy.
It also stimulates the growth of a new follicle (which contains the egg), prepping the body to ovulate again.
What you feel:
- Motivation returns
- Energy builds
- Mood stabilizes
- Confidence rises
- Workouts feel fun again
- You can take on new challenges, mentally and physically
What your body wants:
Progress. Movement. Strength. Skill building.
This is the perfect time to go hard in the gym, try new workouts, increase training volume, or pursue new goals.
Phase 3: Ovulation (Around Day 14)
This is the peak of estrogen, and the body releases an egg. You also get a brief surge of testosterone, which boosts strength, sex drive, and risk tolerance.
Estrogen peaks = your brain is firing on all cylinders. You’re sharper, stronger, more coordinated, and more socially tuned-in. Your pain threshold is higher. Your nervous system is on — but in a regulated way.
What you feel:
- Strong, magnetic, energized
- Focused and social
- Explosive power in the gym
- Ready for bold moves
This is your peak performance window.
What your body wants:
To go all-in. This is the time for PRs, max lifts, hard training, presentations, performances, or social events.
But after ovulation, hormone levels shift fast — and this leads to…
Phase 4: Luteal Phase (Days 15–28)
After ovulation, progesterone rises. Estrogen drops slightly. Your body is preparing to support a pregnancy just in case — so it slows things down.
Progesterone increases core temperature, reduces insulin sensitivity, and makes you more reactive to stress. You start to retain water, and digestion slows down. Energy drops not because you’re lazy — but because your nervous system is shifting into “preserve and protect” mode.
What you feel:
- More inward, tired, or emotional
- Hungrier or craving carbs
- Less motivated to train
- Slower recovery
- Less stable moods
This is the fall of your cycle — a time to slow down, reflect, and conserve.
What your body wants:
Maintenance, not max effort.
Gentle strength work. Walking. Restorative movement. Emotional space.
And if no pregnancy occurs — progesterone crashes — and you’re back to menstruation.
Why This Matters for Fitness (And Everything Else)
Here’s the big picture:
You have four distinct hormonal environments each month — not just one.
Trying to eat, train, and push the same way through all of them? That’s not strength. That’s misalignment.
When you train in sync with your cycle, you’re not being “soft” — you’re being biologically smart.
You’re adapting your workouts based on what your body is built for that week. And that’s how you build consistency, resilience, and results that last.
Let’s break that down:
Cycle-Synced Training Plan
| Phase | What’s Happening | How to Train |
|---|---|---|
| Menstruation | Shedding. Reset. Inflammation. | Gentle strength, walking, breathwork, restorative yoga |
| Follicular | Estrogen rises. Brain and body fire up. | Strength training, HIIT, new skills or movement patterns |
| Ovulation | Peak performance. High estrogen + testosterone. | Max effort lifts, sprints, bold training, PR attempts |
| Luteal | Progesterone rises. Nervous system downshifts. | Moderate strength, slow cardio, yoga, mobility, light flow |
Final Thoughts
You’re not “too emotional.”
You’re not “unmotivated.”
You’re not “inconsistent.”
You’re cyclical — and the sooner you start working with that cycle instead of fighting it, the stronger, healthier, and more self-connected you’ll become.
Every single month, your body:
- Builds something
- Prepares for life
- Lets go
- And regenerates
That’s not random. That’s brilliance.
So train like it.
Eat like it.
Live like it.
And stop trying to be linear in a body that’s literally designed to flow.
Written By: Edgar Benitez, Director
