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This one’s for the ladies…
You show up. You train hard. You’re chasing strength like everyone else in the room.
But beneath the surface, your body’s playing by a different rulebook, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s biology.
As Dr. Stacy Sims, a leading expert in female physiology, puts it in her conversation with Mel Robbins in The Body Reset episode:
“Women are not small men.”
While the workouts may be the same, how we recover, adapt, and respond can be completely different.
Our hormones, metabolism, and energy shift across a 28-day cycle. Yet most fitness advice ignores that.
Instead of pushing through like we’re supposed to “keep up,” it’s time to start training in a way that works with our bodies, not against them.
So what should women do differently?
Here’s your science-backed breakdown to help you feel strong, energised, and unstoppable:
1. Fuel before you train. Ditch the fasted workouts. The research behind them is based on men.
Fasted training can spike cortisol, slow your metabolism, and lead to muscle breakdown. Instead, go for a light pre-workout snack with carbs and protein (e.g. banana and yoghurt; Protein Coffee is Dr. Stacy Sims go-to). Your snack of choice will support your hormones and help you get more from your session.
2. Make strength training your best friend. We have you covered here! 
Yes, weights build muscle, but they also boost metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, and protect bone density (especially after 30). Strength training is also one of the most effective ways to navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence and power.
You’re not inconsistent. You’re cyclical.
Your menstrual cycle has two main phases that influence how you feel and perform:
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Follicular phase (Day 1–14, starting with your period):Oestrogen begins low and gradually rises. This phase is typically when women feel stronger, more motivated, and recover faster, making it a great time forhigh-intensity training, heavy lifts, and pushing performance.
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Luteal phase (Day 15–28, after ovulation):Progesterone increases and oestrogen drops. You may feel warmer, slower to recover, or more fatigued. Your body is prioritising other processes, so it’s a good time to scale back intensity, focus on strength maintenance, mobility, and recovery.
When you sync your training with your cycle, you boost performance and avoid burnout.
4. Prioritise recovery
Women often hold onto cortisol longer after training. Add work, family, and life stress to the mix, and recovery becomes essential.
Walks, sleep, mobility, breathwork – these aren’t luxuries. They’re part of the process.
5. Progress isn’t linear, and that’s OK
Some days you’re on fire. Other days, not so much. That’s not failure, it’s physiology.
Celebrate the small wins: showing up on a tough day, fuelling right, hitting a new lift, or taking a well-earned rest. It all counts.
In summary…
You don’t need to train harder – you need to train smarter.
You are cyclical, powerful, intuitive, and more than capable of incredible things when you work with your body.
So let’s ditch the one-size-fits-all mindset.
Let’s stop comparing.
And let’s start training like women, with strength, science, and self-respect.
Because when we understand our physiology, honour our recovery, and lift with intention – we don’t just get stronger today…
We become Future Proof.
See you in class. Let’s lift each other up.
Robinio
