LUTEAL PHASE
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #1
Type: Chest + Triceps + Core – Strength
What you need: Heavy weights
Suggested time: Morning
Total time:
- 40 minutes total
- Cycle through the entire circuit 3 TIMES
Why?
At the start of your luteal phase, your energy levels should still be high. However, the increase in estrogen and progesterone levels are going to make you more sensitive to the effects of cortisol, your stress hormone. Because of this, you don’t want to add to that strain by doing workouts that are TOO intense.
Instead, you want to take advantage of the energy by using heavy weights. But, you will start to Tone It Down by keeping your movements slow and controlled with a focus on form.
This maximizes lean muscle mass while minimizing stress on your body and mind.
BLOCK 1 – Chest
- 6 Wide push ups
- 16 Alternating chest fly
- 12 1 + 1/2 Chest press
- 10 Hand release push ups
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 2 – Core
- Side plank hip dips (8 LEFT + 8 RIGHT)
- 16 Mummy kicks
- 12 Plank shoulder taps
- 16 Mummy kicks …again :)
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 3 – Triceps
- 12 Overhead diagonal tricep press (6 on LEFT + 6 on RIGHT)
- 12 Triceps kickbacks
- 12 Triceps dips
- 12 Triceps chest press (dumbbells close together over chest)
Rest for 1 minute
^ Repeat entire circuit 3 times through^
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #2
Type: Legs + Shoulders + Core – Strength
What you need: Heavy weights
Suggested time: Morning
Total time:
- 40 minutes total
- Cycle through the entire circuit 3 TIMES
Why?
Continued higher energy at the start of this phase allows you to keep using those heavy weights.
Remember: keep your movements slow and controlled to maximize lean muscle mass and minimize stress on the bod.
BLOCK 1 – Legs
- 10 Front weighted squats TEMPO: 4-0-1 (down slow for 4 seconds - no pause at the bottom - up quick for 1 second)
- Bulgarian split squat (8 on LEFT + 8 on RIGHT)
- 10 Weighted sumo squat + heel raise
- 10 Deadlifts TEMPO: 4-0-1
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 2 – Shoulders
- 5x through: 1-1-2 overhead press
- 12 weighted arm circles FWD + 12 weighted arm circles backwards
- Squat + neutral grip one armed overhead press (8 on LEFT + 8 on RIGHT)
- 12 Upright row
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 3 – Core
- 16 Cross body mountain climbers (L + R = 1)
- 14 Suitcase crunches
- 10 V ups
- 6 Low plank step outs (out out + in in = 1
Rest for 1 minute
^ Repeat entire circuit 3 times through^
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #3
Type: Back + Biceps + Core – Strength
What you need: Heavy weights
Suggested time: Morning
Total time:
- 40 minutes total
- Cycle through the entire circuit 3 TIMES
Why?
Continued higher energy at the start of this phase allows you to keep using those heavy weights.
Remember: keep your movements slow and controlled to maximize lean muscle mass and minimize stress on the bod.
BLOCK 1 – Back
- 12 Bent over reverse fly
- 4x through: 3 Upper supermans + 3 lower supermans + 3 full body supermans
- 12 Bent over neutral grip row
- 12 Renegade rows (ends up being 6 reps on each side) - modification
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 2 – Biceps
- 6x through: Close + wide bicep curl
- 12 Hammer curls
- 12 Concentration curls (6 on LEFT + 6 on RIGHT)
- 3x through: 4 curls on 1 arm + iso hold on other arm (you should end up doing 12 curls total on each arm)
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 3 – Core
- 12 Suitcase crunches
- 6 Plank walk ups (up up + down down = 1)
- 20 Opposite hand to foot v-ups
- 12 Plank hip dips
Rest for 1 minute
^ Repeat entire circuit 3 times through^
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #4
Type: Steady state cardio
What you need: Whatever you prefer!
Suggested time: Morning/afternoon
Total time: Aim for 35 minutes
Why?
At this point in your cycle, you are going to start to lean in the Tone It Down process.
Metabolism is picking up on its own, effects from cortisol (stress hormone) are more likely to be felt during this phase, and energy levels may be on their way down.
Because of this, keeping a steady pace for about 30 minutes of cardio is a great way to move without over-stressing your body.
STEADY STATE CARDIO
- Warm up for 10 minutes at a moderate pace
- Following the warm up, be sure to pick a pace that you can hold for 20 minutes
- Of course take “warm up pace” breaks if need be
- Cool down for 5 minutes at a moderate pace
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #5
Type: Total body – Strength
What you need: Medium weights
Suggested time: Morning/afternoon
Total time:
- 30-35 minutes total
- Cycle through each block 3 TIMES in a row before moving on to the next one
Why?
As you near the end of your luteal phase, you’ll want to focus on mobility and technique vs. muscle building, which is why medium weights are perfect to use for this workout!
BLOCK 1
- Weighted lateral lunges (8 LEFT + 8 RIGHT)
- 8 push ups (any style! regular, wide, incline, tricep, modified…etc!)
- 6 Inchworms
^ Repeat block 3 times in a row ^
Rest for 2 minutes
BLOCK 2
- 45 seconds: Stuck in the middle squats
- 12 Arnold press
- 12 Weighted good mornings
^ Repeat block 3 times in a row ^
Rest for 2 minutes
BLOCK 3
- Weighted tick tock lunges (8 LEFT + 8 RIGHT)
- 12 Tricep dips
- 20 Plank shoulder taps
^ Repeat block 3 times in a row ^
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #6
Type: Total body - Strength
What you need: Light weights + light resistance bands
Suggested time: Late afternoon/early evening
Total time:
- 2 or 3 rounds: 20-30 minutes total depending on energy levels
- Cycle through this circuit 2 or 3 TIMES
Why?
As you near the end of your luteal phase, energy levels are likely low and hormone levels are up. In order to lessen any further strain placed on the body, I’m having you should use light weights & bands for this workout.
Also, if you experience PMS symptoms, now may be the time they arrive. It’s important to remember that while we don’t want to push it with exercise at this time, gentle movement lowers inflammation. So completing 20 - 30 minutes of the below workout during this stage in your cycle will greatly help reduce that while burning some calories and getting the blood flowing at the same time!
BLOCK 1
- 16 W Pulses (go very light here)
- 14 Prisoner squats
- 12 Supermans with lat pull down
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 2
- 12 Bicep servers
- 24 Banded clam shells (12 on LEFT + 12 on RIGHT)
- 12 Bird dogs (6 on LEFT + 6 on RIGHT)
Rest for 1 minute
BLOCK 3
- 20 Standing banded straight leg kick backs (10 on LEFT + 10 on RIGHT)
- 16 Plank shin taps (alternate - ends up being 8 on each side)
- 12 Underhand grip bent over row
Rest for 1 minute
^ Complete entire circuit 2 or 3 times through ^
STRETCH
LUTEAL
WORKOUT #7
Type: Walk or low intensity cardio
What you need: A pair of sneakers!
Total time: Aim for 20 minutes
Why?
Gentle movement is the perfect way to prep for your menstrual phase while honoring your hormone and energy levels at this time. Don’t forget to thank your body for everything it has done and continues to do for you :)
LOW INTENSITY CARDIO
- Keep a comfortable, steady pace for 20 minutes
STRETCH