Behaviors
3,474protocols, ranked by how often the world’s top health podcasts mention them.
- Avoid intermittent fasting in active women▶ 1
Avoid long fasting windows such as holding the fast until noon or doing very low-calorie restriction days; described as detrimental for active women unless there is PCOS or another metabolic issue.
- Avoid fasted workouts for women▶ 1
Women should not train in a fasted state because it increases cortisol and sympathetic drive and reduces ability to hit needed intensities; especially avoid fasted high-intensity or resistance training in perimenopause and beyond.
- Use reps in reserve for lifting intensity▶ 1
Use RIR/RPE to guide lifting; an 8 RPE corresponds to about 2 reps in reserve.
- Train heavy with about 2 reps in reserve as you get older▶ 1
For older/perimenopausal women, emphasize heavy lifting with about 2 reps in reserve rather than high-rep fatigue work. The key when older is working heavy, not making 20-rep fatigue sets the main strategy.
- Allow about 30 minutes after a pre-workout meal before training▶ 1
If eating a fuller pre-training meal, allow roughly half an hour before training.
- Avoid delaying food after exercise▶ 1
Do not stay in a prolonged post-exercise catabolic state; delaying food after training is described as harmful for lean mass in women.
- Do resistance training 3 to 4 times per week▶ 1
General recommendation is at least 2 to 3 sessions per week, with 3 to 4 times per week preferred for many younger women. In women in their 40s+, aim for a minimum of 3 sessions emphasizing compound movements.
- Train 45 to 60 minutes when going to failure in younger women▶ 1
If younger women are training to failure, sessions may need to be about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Use 6-week training blocks in your 30s▶ 1
In the 30s, periodize training into roughly six-week blocks and build on them.
- Use whatever training split works for your schedule▶ 1
Choose upper/lower, total body, or another split based on what works for your life and available time, while allowing adequate rest.
- Train to failure when younger▶ 1
For younger women, the key emphasis is working to failure to drive lean mass growth with strength.
- Emphasize unilateral movements as you get older▶ 1
Some literature supports emphasizing unilateral movements in older adults, not just bilateral simultaneous movements.
- Polarize training in women 40+▶ 1
In mid-40s to early 50s, emphasize heavy lifting plus very easy recovery work and true high-intensity intervals, rather than spending lots of time in moderate intensity or making zone 2 the main optimization strategy.
- Avoid moderate-intensity cardio as the main strategy in women 40+▶ 1
Avoid making OrangeTheory-, F45-, SoulCycle-, or similar moderate-intensity classes the main strategy in women 40+; they are criticized for keeping women in moderate intensity, raising cortisol, and not delivering the desired high-intensity stimulus.
- Use zone 2 only for mental health or recovery, not as the main optimization strategy▶ 1
Long easy zone 2 work is framed as fine for mental health, nature exposure, and recovery, but not the main route for optimal health/body composition in older women.
- Start with bodyweight training at home▶ 1
For beginners intimidated by gyms, start with bodyweight movements at home such as lunges and squats while learning foot and knee positioning.
- Use mobility work to identify sticking points▶ 1
Use mobility work, such as Kelly Starrett's approach, to find movement sticking points before progressing.
- Adjust machine setup for your body▶ 1
Take time to adjust seat height and machine settings to get the correct range of motion rather than just sitting down and lifting.
- Use lighter dumbbell movements to learn momentum and coordination▶ 1
Use lighter dumbbell patterns such as thrusters or hang cleans to learn movement, momentum, and coordination.
- Use walking as low-intensity recovery▶ 1
Walking is framed as the very low-intensity recovery side of polarized training; if doing something long, keep it very easy.
- Combine heavy lower-body lifting with sprint intervals▶ 1
Example polarized session: 20 minutes of heavy lower-body lifting followed by 30-second all-out sprint intervals with full recovery as needed between efforts.
- Track your menstrual cycle▶ 1
Track your cycle to identify personal patterns in performance, recovery, and symptoms.
- Schedule PRs and harder training in the low-hormone phase▶ 1
From day 1 of bleeding through ovulation, women generally have greater capacity for stress and may use this phase for PR attempts, heavier loads, and high-intensity work.
- Use the 10-minute rule before abandoning a workout▶ 1
If you wake up feeling awful, start the workout and reassess after 10 minutes. If you still cannot hit intensities or feel horrible, switch the session to recovery-oriented work.
- Fuel appropriately around exercise▶ 1
Prioritize fueling in and around the exercise stressor itself, including high-intensity and resistance training, to protect recovery and menstrual function. This applies even when appetite is low around ovulation. If pursuing fat loss while training hard, keep any deficit slight and away from training, around 150 to 200 calories at night.
- Get bloodwork 5 to 7 days before the next period if only testing once▶ 1
If only one blood draw is possible in the cycle, do it 5 to 7 days before the next period starts to capture mid-luteal estrogen/progesterone and inflammatory status.
- Get a second blood test on day 2 of bleeding if adding another cycle measurement▶ 1
If adding a second blood draw, do it on the second day of bleeding to assess baseline estrogen.
- Modify sauna position and head coverage for comfort▶ 1
If the sauna is very hot, move to a lower bench or the floor, and consider covering your head with a towel to protect from heat and make breathing more comfortable.
- Do not stack two high-intensity days in a row▶ 1
Avoid doing two consecutive days of high-intensity work because it is a significant stress on the body.
- Work with a sleep specialist for severe menopausal insomnia▶ 1
If insomnia is significant in perimenopause or menopause, consider working with a sleep specialist.