This is true in both senses, since some hormones undergo the effect of motor activity and the consequent metabolic situation, while other hormones directly affect the performance of the workout and its physical recovery.
Taking advantage of hormonal variations effectively would therefore be a great advantage, in the short and long term, especially when it comes to women's training. In fact, the woman's body undergoes periodically (monthly) real "hormonal storms" which can be summarized in the term menstrual cycle.
So let's start by specifying what the menstrual cycle is and how it differs.
For further information: Female Aesthetics and Muscular Hypertrophy and prepare the endometrium for the implantation of the fertilized egg. On average, the menstrual cycle lasts from 25 to 35 days. This period is characterized by 4 distinct phases:
- Menstrual flow (4-5 days): if pregnancy is not established, there is a collapse of estrogen and progesterone levels due to the exhaustion of the corpus luteum, with the flaking of the uterine mucosa and consequent menstruation (haemorrhagic phase)
- Follicular phase (10-16 days): it is the maturation phase of the dominant follicle through the stimulation of FSH and estrogen secretion
- Ovulatory phase (36 hours): LH and FSH peak phase with bursting of the Graafian follicle and release of the oocyte
- Luteal phase (14 days): formation of the corpus luteum and increased secretion of progesterone. The endometrial glands appear to be fully active and abundantly vascularized.
These considerations are the basis of the "POM" method.
For further information: Weights and Femininity , or Post menstrual, Ovulatory, Menstrual. The POM method is in fact based on the cycling of training based on the typical hormonal flows of women.
The POM method provides for a different type of training for each of the individual phases mentioned, each lasting 9 days.
The schedule, which must start on the first day after the end of menstruation, is structured as follows.
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