Manipulate Workouts with Natural Cycle?

[MengJing]

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting.

I discovered a February 08 2001 posting from someone named "Willow" who said she was "trying to research how a females natural cycle, ie changes in hormone levels affect training" because she was "interested in how I could manipulate my workouts with my natural cycle to see what different results I can achieve." Please see http://www.elitefitness.com/ubb/Forum9/04-2001/001640.html

I am ecstatic to find I'm not the only female bodybuilder asking this kind of question, as I have been searching for information about that for quite some time now.

Perhaps because the thread was so old, I was unable to reply by clicking the link, so... Willow, are you still out there? What were the results of your research? Anyone else out there who can point me to some answers?

Thanks!

 

[wateengedoe2]

I exchanged some emails with Torbjörn Åkerfeldt, a Swedish researcher who developed the ABCDE-program. He gave me some specific information about women that he found in later research on this program.

First of al, after you read all this stuff and got enthousiastic like I did ... ABCDE itself might not be the trick! That's just my opinion, but everyone has to find out for themselves. The reason I mention this program anyway, is he thought the 2 weeks cutting cycle should be started around ovulation for women, so they'll start their two weeks of bulking at their menstruation. This seemed to give the best results (still only empirical data, he couldn't back this up by any scientifical explanation yet). OK, I know it's not much, but better than nothing.

Oh and if you decide to try the program, please note the cutting and bulking energy percentages mentioned in the above article aren't good, they will only bulk you up with fat in the long run. For women, good percentages are 90% of maintenance when cutting (first cutting cycle after a period of bulking should be 80%) and 140% at bulking. I guess, if you want to loose bodyfat and not just keep it stable, you should lower both of these a bit.

BTW Torbjörn told me this research would be published somewhere in 2003. While I'm engaging myself in regular cutting and bulking right now, I'll keep an eye on it for sure!

Re your question, I know of research into e.g. the visual spacial reasoning of women is better at times when they have more testosteron in their bodies, which changes during their cycle .. thought it was around ovulation, but I'm not sure ... Try a Google search on it.