Your Hormones Aren’t the Enemy How to Train With Your Cycle, Not Against It

Ever had weeks where your training feels effortless and others where just putting on your trainers feels like a chore?

You’re not lazy. You’re not inconsistent. You’re hormonal.

And that’s not a bad thing it’s biology.

At Gill Blake Coaching, I design training and nutrition plans that work with your hormones, not against them. Because when you understand what your body’s doing each week, you can train smarter, recover better, and perform your best without burning out.

The Science - What’s Actually Happening in the Female Body

The female body operates on a roughly 28-day hormonal rhythm that influences everything from mood and energy to muscle recovery and fat metabolism.

🔹 Follicular Phase (Days 1–14)Estrogen gradually rises, increasing energy, motivation, and pain tolerance. This is an ideal time for high-intensity or strength-based sessions your body can handle the load.

🔹 Ovulation (Around Day 14)Energy and strength often peak. You may notice better coordination and confidence great for performance testing or heavier training.

🔹 Luteal Phase (Days 15–28)Progesterone rises, body temperature increases slightly, and recovery can take longer. You might feel more fatigued or crave carbohydrates that’s your body asking for fuel. This is not the time to open a bottle of wine ;-

💡 Ignoring these natural shifts often leads to burnout, poor recovery, or hormonal disruption especially for women training intensely around work, family, and stress

The Struggles Women Face and Why They Matter

Many women I work with are high achievers in life, work, and family, but that drive can sometimes turn into frustration when their training doesn’t “go to plan.”

What’s often missed? The impact of hormonal imbalance.

• Irregular periods from stress or overtraining

• Poor sleep and cravings in the luteal phase

• Mid-cycle dips in recovery or mood

• Weight fluctuations that knock confidence

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These aren’t failures they’re feedback from your body.

At Gill Blake Coaching, I help women read those signals, not fight them

The Science of Hormones & Performance

Hormonal balance affects every aspect of performance from oxygen uptake to muscle protein synthesis.

• Estrogen supports muscle repair and enhances insulin sensitivity, improving how you use carbohydrates for energy.

• Progesterone, while essential, can slow recovery and elevate core temperature, making endurance training feel harder.

• Cortisol, the stress hormone, can further disrupt both when training intensity isn’t matched with recovery. I have a magic drink which helps reduce Cortisol!

This is why my coaching programs use a cycle-aware approach adapting training load, recovery protocols, and nutritional strategies to support each hormonal phase.

Nutrition is equally important: strategic carbohydrate intake during the luteal phase, adequate protein during the follicular phase, and micronutrient support (iron, magnesium, B-vitamins) to maintain balance.

How Gill Blake Coaching Approaches Female Performance

At Gill Blake Coaching, I don’t hand out cookie-cutter plans.

Every program is tailored with three things in mind:

1. Cycle-Aware Training in line with your goals – adjusting load and recovery around hormonal fluctuations.

2. Performance Nutrition – fuelling for energy and hormone stability, not restriction.

3. Lifestyle Balance – supporting women juggling families, work, and their own ambitions.

It’s not about perfection it’s about alignment.When your training matches your physiology, everything clicks: energy, results, and confidence.

You don’t need to fight your hormones you just need to understand them.

When women train with awareness, they don’t just perform better they feel better.

Ready to learn what your body’s capable of when everything works in sync?

👉 Work with Gill Blake Coaching performance coaching for real women, built on science, balance, and strength

Thanks for spending your time reading. Please follow me on Instagram for more great hints and tips. @GillBlakeCoaching

Gill Blake BSc (Hons)

DipLSSM,ARNI