Should I lift weights on my period?

On Ep. 204, Nikkiey walks through her own approach. For roughly days one through five, she still goes to the gym, but she lowers the weight, does higher repetitions and challenges herself as much as she can, knowing the intensity won't match what she did a week earlier. She adds recovery, self-care and light stretching, and she saves PR attempts for later in her cycle, when she feels strongest. The point is showing up, not proving anything.

Heavy days get their own answer. On Ep. 9, Nikkiey says that if you have heavy bleeding or cramping, a rest day can be very beneficial. If you feel good enough, just show up, reduce the intensity and move your body. Don't chase last week's numbers, because that isn't going to happen that week. Everyone is different, so listen to what your body is telling you.

On Ep. 114, guest Jessica Suchan, a board-certified holistic health coach, says she believes strength training matters all month long, and she makes the same point on Ep. 200. If you're more fatigued, go lighter or skip progressive overload that week, but you don't have to stop. She skips workouts on her first day and takes a long walk instead, then usually feels ready by day two. She also likes short treadmill sprints, 30 seconds on and 30 off for 10 minutes, which she says can help with inflammation and cramping. She wouldn't recommend other HIIT during this phase and suggests restorative movement like yoga.

There is some nuance. Jessica says many women actually feel strong during their period and can even hit PRs. In her view, consistently not being able to may point to a hormone imbalance worth investigating, which is a conversation to have with your doctor. Nikkiey also notes you can feel strong on your period. So if you feel good, train. If you feel flat, going lighter is the plan working, not you failing.