Full Armor: Menstrual Phase

Point One Vision

Coach
Sarah Loogman

Whether you have a regular period, irregular period, no period or are pre or post menopause, women who utilize this template will gain unique insight into how to become more aware of the natural fluctuation of female hormones and how to capitalize on these unique qualities. This may help to restore irregular or painful menses, or generally alleviate disruptions that come from misunderstanding the female body.

Each session schedules three separate choice variants of a workout adapted to follicular/ovulation, luteal or menses (or other factors that may help to identify similar phases) to build or maintain in strength and endurance. This method of training may have significant impacts in the emotional wellbeing of a female who's physiological state is particularly sensitive to empathetic changes.

Although this template is 7 weeks in length, it may be repeatedly adapted to an individual's calendar for indefinite use that maintains unique options according to a woman's cycle.

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Daily Warm Up
Each week you will have a new series of progressive daily warmup exercise. These are intended to increase and progress core activation and facilitate better breathing mechanisms to increase your physical awareness. Say goodbye to foam-rolling and passive stretching, and hello to an awakened sense of purpose in your training.
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Awareness Prompts
Don't know Sally about your period? That's alright... we'll teach you! With weekly prompts and questions, we'll help you learn more about how to identify your own patterns of hormone fluctuations and how to take advantage of these changes. Even if you're pre or post menopausal, we've got metrics to help you!
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Cycle Specific
Sometimes you're going to feel strong, sometimes you'll want to go long and sometimes you really just need someone to tell you what to do - there's nothing wrong or right or better or worse with any of that. Each session, you'll get one of three options to choose for your workout depending on your best indicators of your hormonal state.
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Take Charge & Kick Butt
Let's face it: women are just different. And that's a wonderful thing. But a still male-dominant world of sports means that when it comes to the menstrual cycle and how to train about it, there's not a lot of information available out there. Your period isn't a disadvantage - it's one of the coolest things about you. We'd like to show you how.
Features
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Access to your coaches
Coaches who will hold you accountable and provide the feedback you need to grow
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Programming 3 days per week
Daily strength, conditioning, and skill training that’s accessible and challenging for athletes of any level or background
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Mental Exercises
Structured mental training exercises to cultivate your inner strength
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Exercise Video Guidance
Instructional videos to guide your practice and make execution easy
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Detailed, expert instruction
Coaches who will hold you accountable and provide the feedback you need to grow
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Committed Teammates
A vibrant community that will keep you pushing to unlock your best
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Delivered through TrainHeroic
Sweating over a lifeless PDF is so last year. Your coaches and team will push you harder, know you better, and keep you going longer.
Equipment
Required
Regular gym membership
Recommended
Sandbag
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Sample Week
Week 1 of 7-week program
Sunday
Option: Menstruation

Nasal Breathing ONLY

A

10 minutes air bike or stationary bike, nasal breathing only The intended stimulus of this workout is to maintain nasal inhales and exhales throughout the entire duration of 10 minutes. Go at the necessary pace to achieve this, even if it feels significantly slower than what you believe yourself to be capable of.

B

Sandbag Carry

Sunday
Option: Follicular/Ovulation

A

Reverse Overhead Medball Throw

3 x 5

B

Bottom Up Squat

7 x 3

Heavy Intervals

C

4 Sets: 100ft sandbag hug carry 10 sandbag hug squats Rest as needed between complete sets. Aim to use the heaviest weight you are capable of maintaining continuous and unbroken sets.

Sunday
All: Week 1 Day 1

Breath Awareness

A

Today, you will walk a distance of 200m (an approximation is fine) in as few total breaths as possible. The intent is not to cause a sense of suffocation or significant breathlessness, but slow your breath down as comfortably as possible. These should be nasal inhales and exhales. Record the total number of breath cycles taken where one inhale and one exhale equal one "rep" or one complete cycle. We will be retesting this later.

B

Diaphragm Opener

1 x 5:00

Warmup

C

3 sets: 5 active hip CAR's, per side 10 alternating 90/90 hip rotations 20 glute bridges

Sunday
Option: Luteal

Hip Development

A

3 sets: 10 alternating curtsy lunges 10 cossack squats 10 alternating box step ups Rest 60 seconds Complete movements for quality rather than speed. Optional: add weight by holding a kettlebell or dumbbell in a front rack "goblet" position

Interval Conditioning

B

Every 3 minutes for 15 minutes (5 total sets): 100m run 40m sandbag hug carry 15 wallballs Aim to use weights and make necessary modifications to complete each interval under 2 minutes (the first couple of sets should fall in the range of 90 seconds in order to be able to maintain these intervals). Any remaining time after the completed interval work is rest time, so move as quickly as possible during the work periods. In the rest period, aim to retain ability to nasal breathe by first practicing extended nasal exhales.

Tuesday
All: Week 1 Day 3

A

Breath Awareness

1 x 3:00

B

Diaphragm Opener

1 x 5:00

Warmup

C

1-3 sets: 30 second shoulder taps in plank 30 second scap pushups 5-7 breath kettlebell goblet hold 5-7 goblet squats This is intended to be a warmup and should not be highly exerting of your energy and effort. Focus on nasal breathing throughout these exercises and complete the number of sets that help you feel prepared for your selection of today's main session.

Tuesday
Option: Follicular/Ovulation

A

Push-Up

1 x 50

Push and Pull

B

4 sets: 5 bench press, heavy Immediately into... 350m row, as fast as possible Rest 2-3 minutes between complete sets Increase in weight for each set of bench press up to a maximal load for the day.

Tuesday
Option: Menstruation

Circuit

A

3-5 sets, nasal breathing - 50m dumbbell farmer carry 50m medball pec carry Choose light to moderate weights that you can maintain all sets unbroken and as a continuous effort.

Movement Flow

B

Complete in any manner of partitions or order: 1000m row or ski erg 60 dumbbell or sandbag floor press 400m plate or sandbag hug carry

Tuesday
Option: Luteal

Circuit

A

5 rounds: 15 calorie row 15 dumbbell or sandbag floor press 30 second floor press extension hold Aim to maintain a consistent rate of intensity throughout all 5 sets that is a moderate pace to maintain mostly nasal breathing. For the floor press, choose a weight that you can maintain unbroken sets.

Circuit

B

4 supersets: 20 chin-down bicep curls 8 ring rows or strict pull-ups or 15 lat pull-downs Rest exactly 2 minutes between complete sets.

Thursday
Option: Menstruation

Hip Articulation

A

3 sets: 3-5 active hip CAR's, per side 8-10 alternating 90/90 hip opener

Running Intervals

B

2-4 Rounds: 6-8 Minute Run or Walk 1-2 Minute Walking Lunges Aim to maintain nasal breathing as much as possible.

Thursday
All: Week 1 Day 5

A

Breath Awareness

1 x 7:00

B

Diaphragm Opener

1 x 3:00

Thursday
Option: Luteal

Plyometrics

A

4 sets: 5 "power" box jumps (increase in height each set) 10 wall drill single switch

Conditioning Intervals

B

Every minute on the minute for 12 minutes: 5-10-5 sprint ladder, as fast as possible

Thursday
Option: Follicular/Ovulation

A

Box Jump

1 x 1

B

Wall Drill Single Switch

3 x 10

C

100 m Sprint

Coach
coach-avatar Sarah Loogman

Sarah Loogman is a breath and movement specialist with 9 years of experience in the fitness industry. With a particular interest to the impacts of lifestyle and exercise upon the nervous system, her approach to coaching is one that looks at the comprehensive whole of wellbeing. She was a dual-sport collegiate athlete, CrossFit Games competitor and now practices Jiu Jitsu and ultra-endurance.

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Man, it feels good to be a woman.

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Get Full Armor: Menstrual Phase
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Full Armor: Menstrual Phase