Cycle Syncing Your Class Schedule
Use Your Cycle as Context, not a Command
For something that happens every month, the menstrual cycle can be surprisingly… Mysterious! Some women barely notice theirs, while others can tell you exactly which day they’re on because their energy, appetite, mood, sleep, bloating, motivation and exercise tolerance are all affected.
And then there are women somewhere in between… And that’s one of the reasons we’ve always been cautious about treating “cycle syncing” as a rigid set of rules. You’ll often see advice online telling women that they should lift heavy during one phase, take it easy during another, avoid certain types of exercise around ovulation and essentially organise their entire training calendar around their hormones.
It all sounds wonderfully scientific… The problem? Our bodies are incredibly individual.
Current research does not support one universal training prescription for every phase of every woman’s menstrual cycle! Studies looking at exercise performance across cycle phases have found inconsistent results, with some research suggesting small differences in certain measures and other research finding little meaningful effect.
Because of this variation, researchers generally recommend a personalised approach based on the individual’s symptoms and response to exercise, rather than assuming that every woman should train the same way at the same point in her cycle. And honestly, we think that’s much more empowering… Because it means your cycle can give you context without dictating your entire routine.
At its most useful, cycle syncing is simply the practice of becoming more aware of where you are in your menstrual cycle and considering whether changes in hormones, symptoms, energy, recovery or how you feel might influence the type of exercise that feels best for you. That doesn’t mean your hormones are going to completely determine your workout; it just means you notice what your body is telling you.
And that’s exactly how we want you to approach the cycle-syncing aspect of our new class programming at uniti studios…
Track your symptoms, energy and recovery, then choose the adaptation your body needs today. Because your cycle might be 28 days… Or 31, or 24. Ovulation might happen around day 14, or it might not! And hormonal contraceptives can change the hormonal picture again. Even among women with cycles that appear broadly “typical”, the experience of each phase can be completely different.
So, rather than giving you 4 rigid workout rules, we’ve created something much more useful: a recommended class menu for each phase. Think of it as a guide; a starting point… And we absolutely love that our new programming gives us the ability to offer this!
1. Menstruation (Approx. days 1–5; day 1 = the first day of bleeding)
Menstruation is the phase most people immediately associate with cycle syncing because, well… Sometimes, your body makes its opinion very clear. For some women, this is barely noticeable... And for others, the first few days can come with cramps, backache, headaches, fatigue, bloating, digestive changes, or simply a feeling that their usual workout is suddenly requiring considerably more negotiation.
So, the message here is simple: listen and adapt…
If your symptoms are noticeable, a lower-intensity or recovery-focused session may feel much better. And if you feel fantastic? You don’t need to train lightly simply because your calendar says you’re menstruating! There’s no gold medal for forcing yourself through a gentle workout when you genuinely feel capable of a hard one… Your body gets the final vote!
Suggested class menu:
bounti LITE; an accessible full-body session without demanding that you go straight into maximum effort.
STRETCH and ASSISTED STRETCH, which can both support mobility, recovery and that satisfying feeling of letting your entire body unclench.
bounti FORM offers a more technique-focused approach, where quality and control matter more than simply chasing intensity.
bounti ZONE; if you feel good and want your heart rate up, go for it.
2. Follicular Phase (Approx. days 6–13; after bleeding and before ovulation)
As menstruation ends, you move into the follicular phase! For many women, this can coincide with feeling more energised, motivated or ready to push themselves… Although, once again, this is not a guarantee.
This can be a useful phase for: building and progressing!
If your energy is up, this may be a great time to progressively challenge yourself through greater load, intensity, complexity or training volume, based on how you respond! And this is where our Strength and Power and Muscular Endurance offerings can become particularly exciting…
Suggested class menu:
STRONG and bounti STRONG; your opportunity to lean into heavier resistance, controlled strength work and progressive loading.
SCULPT and bounti SCULPT… Slower, more precise movements that build muscular endurance, stability and control while still giving you plenty of room to challenge yourself!
bounti BURN; high-rep, pulse-heavy work that keeps your muscles under tension for longer, making it a great option when you’re ready to turn up the challenge.
bounti BARRE; controlled pulses, holds and balance work that build endurance and strength while keeping things precise.
bounti HIIT; short bursts of high-intensity effort for when you’re feeling energised and want to challenge both your cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.
bounti CIRCUIT; a varied mix of strength, cardio, coordination and endurance that lets you challenge your body in lots of different ways in one session.
The exciting thing is that our new programming doesn't just categorise workouts by whether they are “hard” or “easy”… It tells you what adaptation you're actually training. That means you can use this phase as an opportunity to progressively challenge yourself in the areas that make sense for your body and your goals!
And yes, progressive overload is still important… But progression doesn't always mean adding more weight! It can mean better control, more repetitions, greater range of motion, more complex movement, improved technique, or simply being able to do something that once felt difficult with greater confidence.
3. Ovulation (Around day 14; the short window during which an egg is released)
This is where cycle-syncing advice on social media can get particularly enthusiastic… You may have seen claims that this is automatically your “superwoman” phase; the moment you should smash your personal bests, and lift the heaviest weights of your life. It’s optimistic, but not necessarily evidence-based!
Research on exercise performance across menstrual phases is mixed, and experts do not currently support a universal rule that every woman will perform better at ovulation. Some reviews have reported small differences in certain measures, while others have found little meaningful influence of cycle phase on strength performance or training adaptations.
So, our advice is… Push if you feel strong, energised and ready for a challenge!
Suggested class menu:
STRONG and bounti STRONG; ideal for leaning into heavier resistance and strength-focused work when you’re feeling strong, energised and ready to progress.
bounti BURN; a fiery, high-repetition session that challenges your muscles to work hard and stay under tension… Perfect when you’re ready to push!
bounti BOOTS; dynamic, high-energy movement with wearable rebounders that combines cardio, strength, balance and a whole lot of fun.
bounti HIIT; explosive intervals that get your heart rate up and challenge your body with short, powerful bursts of effort and recovery!
bounti ZONE; a more cardio-focused option for when you’re feeling energetic and want to spend some quality time working your heart and lungs.
bounti STRIDE; take your bounti BOOTS outdoors for a fun, energetic cardio session that gets you moving, bouncing and enjoying the great outdoors.
bounti CIRCUIT; a varied, high-energy workout that combines strength, cardio, coordination and endurance so you can challenge your body from multiple angles!
This is your higher-intensity menu, if that's what your body is asking for… You can challenge strength and power, you can train muscular endurance, you can push cardiovascular fitness, you can have a sweaty, fiery, ridiculously fun bounti BOOTS or bounti HIIT session.
Or you can take the whole thing down a notch! Missing the opportunity to do a hard workout on day 14 isn't going to totally derail your fitness if your body is asking to take it easy.
4. Luteal Phase (Approx. days 15–28; comes after ovulation, continuing until your next period)
This phase is a fantastic example of why rigid cycle-syncing rules don't always work. For some ladies, early luteal feels completely normal… And for others, the later part of the phase can bring PMS symptoms; such as fatigue, bloating, mood changes, breast tenderness, sleep disruption or changes in perceived readiness to exercise. Again, individuality wins!
So, our approach is… Adapt and recover, as needed!
Feeling good? Keep going. Not feeling so great? Choose something that matches the version of you who has arrived at class that day.
Suggested class menu:
bounti SCULPT; controlled, focused movement that lets you work your muscles and maintain strength and endurance, without demanding all-out intensity.
bounti BARRE; a beautifully precise mix of small pulses, holds, balance and controlled movement that can feel challenging without being relentlessly high-intensity.
bounti ZONE; a steady cardio option for when you still want to get your heart rate up, but would prefer to work at a more sustainable rhythm.
bounti FLOW; flowing, rhythmic sequences that bring together cardio, coordination and concentration in a way that feels energising rather than punishing.
bounti LITE; a gentler full-body option for days when fatigue, bloating or lower energy means your body is asking for a little less intensity.
STRETCH and ASSISTED STRETCH; ideal when mobility, relaxation and recovery feel like the more useful ways to spend your movement time.
One of my favourite things about smart training is that it gives you permission to understand that recovery is not the opposite of progress… It’s part of progress.
"Well, here's where I have to put my own hand up and say that my cycle has never really been a major factor in how I train. I don't personally experience significant changes in my energy, strength or ability to exercise across the phases of my cycle, so I’ve never had to structure my training around it.
I train according to how I feel, what I want to work on, what I'm enjoying and what my body is capable of that day. But my experience is not your experience! Just because my cycle doesn't noticeably affect my training, doesn't mean that every woman should feel the same.
Our bodies are different, our cycles are different, our symptoms are different… Our stress levels, sleep, nutrition, training history, health, life stages and hormonal circumstances are all different! And all of those things can influence how we experience movement… That's why I don't want cycle syncing to become another set of rules women feel they have to follow correctly."
- Lisa Raleigh
The most important part? Track your pattern.
Rather than relying on an app telling you that you should be energetic today, start paying attention to what actually happens! You could track things like:
Energy: How switched on do I feel?
Symptoms: Am I experiencing cramps, bloating, headaches, fatigue or other noticeable changes?
Recovery: How do I feel after my workouts? Am I bouncing back normally?
Motivation: Am I excited to move or forcing myself through it?
Perceived effort: Does today's workout feel unusually difficult for the same amount of work?
Performance: Am I noticing meaningful changes in strength, endurance or coordination?
Over a few months, you may begin to spot your own patterns… And that’s far more useful than somebody on social media telling you what your hormones are allegedly doing.
Your cycle is not your entire physiology…
If your cycle is consistently making exercise extremely difficult, or if you have severe pain, unusually heavy bleeding, extreme fatigue or symptoms that interfere with your everyday life, that's something worth discussing with an appropriate healthcare professional! Cycle awareness can be incredibly useful, but it is not a substitute for medical care.
With this offering, our goal is to bring you ladies more awareness, more options, and a better understanding of what your body might be asking for… Ultimately, we don't want you to become obsessed with training according to your cycle; we want you to become better at listening to your body.
We're so excited that our new class programming at uniti finally gives us a way to support the women who do find their cycle has a meaningful impact on how they feel and train! Your hormones can be part of the conversation; they just don't get to run the whole meeting. Your cycle is context, not a command!
Disclaimer: Approximate phase days are based on a 28-day example and are not a prediction of when ovulation or each phase will occur for every person. Cycle length and ovulation timing vary from person to person.
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