By Joseph Mapa as told to Karen Iorio Adelson

As a police officer and Marine Corps veteran, fitness should have always been part of my life, but it never really was. 

In the Marines, I ran because I had to, but I never enjoyed it. My current job is relatively sedentary. When I first became a police officer, I worked in the dispatch department and wasn’t out and about much. Now I’m a supervisor, so I’m mostly at my desk setting schedules and filing reports. 

Over the years, I got heavier and heavier. My clothes weren’t fitting anymore, and I felt increasingly uncomfortable. I’d see myself in photos and be surprised by how I looked. My wake-up moment came in January 2021 when I realized my uniform pants were getting too small. I had to call the supply officer at work and order pants the next size up—although I hoped I wouldn’t actually need to wear them. That’s when I knew I needed to take action. 

If I was going to be consistent, I needed a way to work out at home. Going to the gym isn’t easy for me since I work 12-hour shifts and commute an hour each way. I have to be at work by 5 a.m., and I want to spend time with my family when I get home. 

I knew I wanted to strength train, but I wasn’t sure what exercises to do or how to structure a lifting session. With workouts and programs led by expert coaches, Tonal made it easy to get started. After a month of working out regularly on Tonal, I began seeing muscle definition. My clothes were fitting better, and I had to make my work belt tighter. I lost 30 pounds in seven months, and even though I’ve gained some of it back, it must be muscle because I didn’t have to loosen my belt again, and all my clothes still fit. 

Tonal has given me the confidence to try a totally new-to-me activity: indoor rock climbing with my 16-year-old son. I never thought I could keep up with my son climbing, because I don’t have that lean body type you typically see at the climbing gym. 

But we’ve been going together weekly for a couple of months now, and I can see the connection between lifting weights on Tonal and climbing. When I’m pulling myself up on the rock face, I’m using the same motions. I do on Tonal. Even learning how to activate my hips in recovery workouts has helped me use them more in my climbs. I’ve also gained so much muscular endurance and I can hold myself up longer. I don’t get tired as quickly, and I don’t feel that sore afterward.

There’s one vertical climb at the gym that I’d always struggled with in the past. I just couldn’t grab the holds on it. It didn’t feel comfortable, and I didn’t feel strong. But after finishing the Go Big or Go Home 3 program on Tonal along with some custom workouts I created based on my favorite workouts in the program, I was able to do that climb on my first try when I was at the gym recently. And I went on to do it a second and third time. It was an amazing feeling. Another climber at the gym with a similar body type as mine actually saw me do it and asked for my help. I demonstrated my technique to him and showed him how I move my body. It felt good to help him out and celebrate with him when he did the climb. 

I know how important it is to inspire others because I’ve drawn so much support from the Official Tonal Community on Facebook. The biggest challenge for me has been carving out the time to exercise. I knew that just buying Tonal wouldn’t get me in shape—I had to make a commitment to myself. Seeing others in the community getting in their workouts, gives me the confidence that I can do it, too. I love how we’re all just regular people who’ve decided to change our lives. We’re all on our own journeys. Someone can lift 100,000 pounds or 5,000 pounds in a workout, and we still support them. Now, I post my daily workouts hoping that I can be that inspiration for someone else. 

Besides the physical changes, Tonal has also made it easier for me to show up for the people in my life. Putting my own health first gives me the energy to be a better leader at work. I feel like I can motivate and inspire my officers more because I’m proud of what I accomplish each day in my workout. It’s also helped me keep up with my kids. Since I lost my own dad when I was very young, it’s important for me to be there for them, whether that means rock climbing with my son or going to a concert with my 18-year-old daughter. 

I’ve now been working out on Tonal for two years and my goal is to keep it up as long as possible so I can keep being there for my family. Objectively, I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been. I genetically have very high triglycerides, but since I started on Tonal, my numbers have dropped to the lowest they’ve ever been. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to lower my risk of different health problems. 

As for those bigger uniform pants I ordered back in 2021, I ended up never having to wear them. I still keep them, though, as a reminder of how far I’ve come.

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Every time you do a coach-led workout on Tonal, you’re completing a specific series of exercises in a particular order designed by world-class fitness experts and credentialed coaches to maximize your results. In this series, The Why Behind the Workout, we break down the science behind a particular workout or program. 

Here, we go deep on Cycle Sync Strength, a four-week program developed in collaboration with leading female physiology expert Stacy Sims, PhD, and led by four female Tonal coaches: Ash Wilking, Kendall Wood, Tanysha Renee, and Kristina Centenari.

Who It’s For

Cycle Sync Strength is designed for people with periods looking to make the most of their training. Whether you ovulate naturally, use oral contraceptives, or have an IUD, you can make this program work for you. 

This is an advanced-level program, and you should have some lifting experience before starting. 

The Goal

During your menstrual cycle, levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate. In addition to their reproductive functions, these hormones affect numerous aspects of training including muscle protein synthesis, stress resilience, recovery, and strength and power development. 

By aligning your workouts to these hormonal changes, the Cycle Sync Strength program is designed to optimize your training by working with your cycle—not against it. You’ll push for strength and power PRs when your body is most resilient and primed for muscle development, and focus on endurance and recovery on the days when you’re lower on energy and less capable of handling stress. 

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As a result, you’ll be able to make bigger gains in your training and lower your risk of injury. It’s important to note, though, that training is different from performance. You can give your best performance in a race or competition at any point in your cycle. Training with your cycle is simply a way to get more out of your training by taking advantage of hormonal changes.

How It Works

To train with your menstrual cycle, you’ll need a brief understanding of its different phases and how hormone levels change. The first day of your period marks the start of your cycle and the beginning of the follicular phase. During this time, hormone levels are relatively low. 

In the days leading up to ovulation (the release of an egg from your ovary, typically on day 14 of your cycle), estrogen levels begin to climb and reach a peak. After ovulation, the luteal phase begins. In this phase, levels of both hormones rise before dropping off for the cycle to begin again.

Weeks one and two of Cycle Sync Strength coincide with the follicular phase when estrogen and progesterone levels are both low, and you’re most primed for stress, recovery, and adaptation. “From a physiological standpoint, when those hormones are low, we are able to really hit high intensities,” says Sims. “We have more carbohydrates available for hitting those high intensities, and we have more water available for sweating so we have better thermal regulation.” 

To take advantage of those benefits, you’ll concentrate on strength and power in these workouts with an emphasis on low-rep/heavy-resistance sets, high-intensity intervals, and plyometrics. Now’s the time to max out the power meter and give your 10 out of 10 effort in intervals. According to Jenna Moore, a certified strength and conditioning coach and Programming Specialist at Tonal, these are the “hardest-hitting weeks” of the program. 

If you feel fatigued or achy at the start of your period, don’t hesitate to turn on recovery weights in the first couple of workouts. Sims explains, though, that high-intensity work actually boosts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative responses, which can reduce cramping and pain. 

Although estrogen begins to rise toward the end of the follicular phase, estrogen on its own is anabolic (meaning it promotes muscle growth) according to Sims, so you’ll see a decrease in reps and an increase in load during week two for more strength gains. 

The training focus switches in week three following ovulation as you enter the luteal phase. “The body starts to shift from relying primarily on carbohydrates for fuel to relying on fat,” says Moore. She explains that while carbohydrates are excellent a fueling short bursts of high-intensity activity, fat takes longer to break down and, therefore, is best suited for sub-maximal effort activities. 

Therefore, these workouts emphasize endurance and stamina instead of all-out efforts that are more stressful and difficult to recover from. That means higher reps, lighter load, and longer but less intense intervals. Progesterone, which Sims explains is catabolic, meaning it breaks down lean muscle mass, also rises during this phase making strength adaptations more difficult. She says that keeping the intensity moderate this week lowers cortisol levels, inhibiting muscle breakdown. 

In the final week of the program, hormone levels peak and then begin to drop, which can make you feel sluggish and cause PMS symptoms. Since your stress resilience is at its lowest and your inflammation levels are high, this week serves as a deload with workouts that include mobility exercises, unilateral moves for building symmetry, and lifts with recovery weights. Light movement during this week can help you feel better without putting unnecessary stress on your body. 

The work you do in improving your range of motion, joint mobility, and balance during this phase will benefit your performance in heavy lifts later on. “There’s some skill acquisition you’ll do this week which is great because it’s not as taxing from a strength perspective,” says Moore, “but then you can take those new skills into your next phase.” You’ll finish the week feeling rested, recovered, and ready to push hard when your cycle begins again.  

If you still feel like you can hit big PRs during weeks three and four, go for it. Everyone responds differently to hormonal fluctuations, and ultimately you’re the one in charge. “There’s power in knowing your cycle and knowing the [typical] reaction to those phases, but there’s also power in being attuned to your body, listening to your body, and paying attention to the symptoms that you have,” says Moore.

The Key Moves

Week 1: Barbell Sumo Deadlift

Big, heavy compound lifts are a staple of week one, which is led by Coach Ash Wilking, and the barbell sumo deadlift (her personal favorite) is no exception. 

Since you’re primed for serious strength and power gains during this week, you’ll do this move with Chains mode activated to emphasize acceleration and power generation. It’s part of a power block full of other challenging lower-body moves that’ll fire up your legs and glutes. 

Week 2: Barbell Squat to Press

Coach Kendall Wood leads the workouts in week two, and she says this “powerhouse” move is perfect for tapping into your capacity for high-intensity work in the mid-follicular, low-hormone phase of your cycle. It’s also done with Chains mode for maximum power development. 

“It’s a great exercise for drilling the connection between the lower and upper body, generating power from the legs to transfer it to the core and arms,” she says. “The barbell squat to press not only makes you more aware of the kinetic chain and the power it holds but also makes you feel like a badass.” 

Week 3: Resisted DNS Star

The workouts in week three, led by Coach Tanysha Renee, are slightly less intense than in weeks one and two, but the movements are still challenging. She loves this exercise that trains hip abduction, which is essential for moving your legs away from the midline of your body. 

“Say hello to healthy hips and knees for greater ease of walking, running, and getting out of bed,” says Renee. “You also activate the core and the muscles that support the spine for improved posture.” 

Week 4: Single-Arm Rotational Punch

During the high-hormone luteal phase when you’re least resilient to stress, week four is all about movement quality and mobility. While you won’t be lifting as much resistance in these workouts, which are led by Coach Kristina Centenari, you’ll be priming your body to go heavy again once hormone levels drop. 

“It’s a move that’s not going to be loaded too heavily–perfect for my deload week–but still allows you to work through some sort of loaded spinal rotation,” she says. “This is so important for the overall health of our spine, and we don’t do it enough.”

When to Do It

With this program, timing is crucial for lining up the workouts with the phases of your cycle. Tracking your period and estimating when you ovulate will help with scheduling your workouts. 

Cycle Sync Strength consists of 16 workouts meant to be completed over the course of four weeks (four workouts per week) or 28 days, the length of an average menstrual cycle. Generally, you’ll start the program on the first day of your period. If you are on oral contraceptives, you’ll start with Week 2 Day 1 (Workout 5) on the first day of your pill pack and complete the weeks in this order: 2, 3, 4, 1.

If you ovulate naturally (that is, you’re not on oral contraceptives), you’ll want to complete the last workout of week 2 (Workout 8) 24-48 hours before ovulation. Because most cycle length variation occurs during the follicular phase, you may have to spread out or compress the workouts in the first two weeks of the program if you have an especially long or short cycle. That might mean taking an extra rest day if you have a longer cycle, or skipping a workout if you have a shorter cycle. 

As for what to do on your program off-days, Moore says it’s best to rest or consider gentle recovery sessions since these workouts are demanding. If you’re experiencing any PMS symptoms, try Yoga for PMS. With light movement and focused breathing, this session is designed to ease cramps, bloating, and lower back pain.  

Refer to the two calendars below to see how to fit these workouts into your schedule. 

Cycle Sync Strength Calendar Option 1

Use this calendar if any of the following apply: 

• You ovulate naturally.
• You’re not on combination oral contraceptives (pills that contain estrogen and progestin).
• You’re on a progestin-only oral contraceptive.  
• You have a copper or non-hormonal IUD.
• You’ve started ovulating naturally with a progestin-only IUD (typically 8 months after insertion). 

In this calendar, Day 1 represents the first day of your period. Aim to complete Workout 8 24-48 hours before ovulation.

Cycle Sync Strength Calendar Option 2

Use this calendar if you are on combination oral contraceptives (pills with estrogen and progestin). The main difference with this calendar is you will start the program with Week 2 Day 1 (Workout 5). 

In this calendar, Day 1 represents the first day of your pill pack.

What’s Next

Continue reaping the benefits of training with your cycle by selecting workouts and programs that align with your hormones. Moore recommends stacking these two two-week programs, the first focuses on power (good for weeks one and two of your cycle) and the second emphasizes movement quality (for weeks three and four). 

Power Gains – Coach Tim Landicho 

Ideal for the first two weeks of your cycle, this program will help you push through plateaus and hit new PRs in your heavy lifts. In these workouts, you’ll perform the same movement with Eccentric mode to build strength and Chains mode to develop power. 

Fun and Functional Strength – Coach Kristina Centenari

Similar to the final two weeks of Cycle Sync Strength, this program stresses endurance and movement quality over high-intensity work. Centenari guides you through foundational strength training exercises (including squatting, hinging, pushing, and pulling) so you can improve your technique, and then challenges you with more complex variations.

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No matter your fitness goals, if you’re following a well-designed exercise program, you’ll likely find that squats are a regular part of your routine—and that’s no accident. The squat is an incredibly effective compound movement that engages your entire body but only when performed with proper form. That can be tough if you’ve never done one before. A squat progression, in which you move from easier to more difficult variations, will set you up for success. 

“Most people are going to benefit from having the meat and potatoes of their program be compound movements,” says Tim Landicho, a certified personal trainer and Tonal coach. In these lifts, multiple joints and muscle groups work together at the same time, allowing you to build muscle more efficiently. Compound moves, including squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, are also more metabolically demanding than isolation moves, such as biceps curls or calf raises, meaning they elevate your heart rate and burn fat. 

According to Landicho, the squat is a unique compound move as it strengthens your quads and glutes, and works your ankle, knee, and hip joint mobility, all while challenging you to maintain a strong core and upright torso. 

Following the squat progression below will safely and effectively introduce your body to the movement.

First, Find Your Form

To get the most out of your squats, it’s important to learn the proper form before proceeding to more advanced variations. Here’s Landicho’s form checklist, which applies to most bilateral (two-legged) squat variations, whether you’re lifting a heavy bar or just your body weight. 

Starting Position 

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and toes pointed forward or out at an angle no more than 30 degrees. Try standing with your feet wider if that’s more comfortable. 
• Keep your weight distributed evenly through your feet from heels to toes. 
• Unlock your knees, standing with a soft bend. 
• Keep your pelvis upright. Think of it as a bowl you’re trying not to spill forward. 
• Engage your core by pulling your ribs toward your hip points. 
• Keep your head stacked over your body and draw your shoulders back and down.

Squat Movement

• Send your hips back and bend your knees, tracking over your toes, while keeping your feet pressed into the floor, as if you’re sitting into a chair behind you.
• Your knees should track over the second or third toe, not collapse inward toward the big toe. 
• Lower your hips as deeply as you can while keeping the ribcage stacked over your pelvis as you did at the start. 
• Push through your feet to stand up tall and return to the starting position.

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How Fast Should You Progress Your Squat?

Form and movement quality are key in progressing your squat, whether you’re adding resistance or moving on to a more challenging variation. Pay attention to how confident you feel going through the squatting motion and if you’re able to keep your form and full range of motion the whole way through. 

On Tonal, features such as Form Feedback and Smart View will keep an eye on your form and offer corrections as needed. If you’re able to consistently maintain good form in a movement—and you’re getting fewer form feedback cues—you’re likely ready to add weight or progress to the next variation. 

There’s also no rush in progressing in squat variations or weight. Studies show a minimum of 10 sets per week for each muscle group is ideal for gaining muscle, but that doesn’t mean you need to do 10 sets of squats every week. A well-rounded routine will include other moves for your legs and glutes, including lunges and deadlifts, which will also contribute to your squatting strength.

What’s the Best Way to Increase Your Squat?

Limited mobility and motor control may hinder your form and slow down your progress. You can improve motor control by simply practicing your squat form with bodyweight variations or doing core moves, such as the dead bug or pillar bridge, that will help you to stay upright in your squat. 

“Play with these to bring sensory awareness to proper engagement throughout the day or immediately before the workout or squat progression,” says Landicho. 

Mobility issues that limit squat form tend to come from the hips or ankles. Test your hip and ankle mobility and practice some drills that will build up your range of motion. 

If you’re still struggling to lift heavier, try adding unilateral (single-leg) squat variations (detailed below). “People who mainly only do bilateral squats would really benefit from throwing in some unilateral training,” says Landicho. He explains that single-sided moves will reduce asymmetries between your two legs, ultimately making you stronger when you go back to a bilateral variation.

Squat Progression: From Beginner to Advanced

As you work through the squat progression below, keep the form checklist in mind. Start at the beginning if you’ve never squatted before, or jump in where you feel confident.

Beginner Squat Progression

If you’re squatting for the first time, start with these exercises to lock in the movement pattern you’ll use in all your squats. 

Assisted Squat

Why it Works: Using Tonal or a wall for assistance, this movement will help you get used to the feeling of keeping your torso upright as you lower yourself down. Landicho says he’ll often use this bodyweight move as a warm-up before more complex squat variations. 

How to Do it: With arms straight, grip each side of Tonal. Reach your hips back like you’re sitting into a chair behind you. Press the floor away from you and squeeze the glutes to stand tall.

Bodyweight Squat

Why it Works: Practice your squat form before adding weight with a basic bodyweight squat. Learning to keep your core engaged and your chest upright will help when you start squatting with resistance.

How to Do it: Keeping your chest open to Tonal, reach your hips back like you’re sitting into a chair. Press the floor away from you and squeeze your glutes to power the hips forward toward Tonal and stand tall.

Goblet Squat to Bench

Why it Works: When you’re ready to add resistance, Landicho recommends this variation, in which you’ll use the bench to find the lowest point in your squat. Focus on just tapping your glutes on the bench—not fully sitting down—and then quickly standing back up. 

“The bench gives you a little bit of feedback [to see] if you’re getting consistent depth each time,” he says. “Having that quick touchpoint really helps drill that pattern into your head until you can do it without the bench.” 

How to Do it: Hold the handle strap with your thumbs wrapped around the top and place it in front of your chest. Stand over the end of Tonal’s arm with feet hip-width apart. Reach your hips back and bend your knees, as if someone is pulling you from behind, to tap your glutes on the bench. Stand by squeezing your glutes and pushing the floor away from you.

Bodyweight Split Squat

Why it Works: As you learn how to squat, you’ll want to include unilateral variations in your training as well. These single-sided moves improve balance, coordination, and stability. 

“In the split squat, where your feet are staying in place the whole time and you’re just moving up and down, that’s going to provide you the most stability,” he says, explaining why this exercise is a great introduction to unilateral squats. 

How to Do it: Lower your back knee to the mat creating 90-degree angles with both knees. Keeping your front heel down like it’s glued to the floor, push the floor away from you to power yourself up, and repeat on the same side.

Intermediate Squat Progression

Once the moves above feel like second nature, try these variations. See if you’re able to maintain the same form and muscle engagement when you remove the assistance of holding on to Tonal or using the bench as a guide. 

Goblet Squat

Why it Works: After mastering the goblet squat to bench, this movement should feel familiar. Try to reach the same depth as before while keeping your upper body upright. “When the weight is in front, it forces you to engage your core a lot more,” says Landicho.

How to Do it: Hold the handle strap with your thumbs wrapped around the top and position it in front of your chest. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. Reach your hips down and back like you’re sitting into a chair behind you. Push the floor away from you and stand tall powering the hips toward Tonal and repeat.

Racked Squat

Why it Works: Similar to the goblet squat, this position keeps the weight in front of your body to help with core activation. It’ll prepare you for adding in the barbell as you progress.

How to Do it: Facing Tonal, take a handle in each hand and bring them to your shoulders with palms facing each other. Stand with feet hip-width apart at the end of Tonal’s arms.  Reach your hips back as your knees bend like you’re sitting back into a chair. Stand by squeezing your glutes and pushing the floor away from you.

Goblet Split Squat

Why it Works: Keep up your unilateral training with this single-leg version of the goblet squat. You’ll maintain the same base of stability as in the bodyweight split squat but with added resistance for more of a challenge. 

How to Do it: Hold the handle at the strap with thumbs wrapped around the top, place it in front of the chest, and position yourself in a split stance over your mat, feet about hip-width apart. Drop your back knee to the mat, creating 90-degree angles with the knees. Press your front heel down like it’s glued to the floor and power up. Bend the knees to drop down to the mat, allowing the back knee to graze the floor, and repeat on the same side.

Advanced Squat Progression 

While the beginner and intermediate squat variations are very effective at strengthening your glutes and legs, to break through plateaus and keep the gains coming, you’ll want to take your squats to the next level with these more challenging moves. 

Barbell Front Squat

Why it Works: The barbell front squat may take some time to feel comfortable, but when you pin down the technique, you’ll be able to drive major strength and hypertrophy gains. “If you’re going to be pushing your strength and going for very heavy weight, then having one implement is going to provide you with more stability than two handles,” says Landicho. 

This move does have more of a learning curve as you find the correct positioning of the barbell on your shoulders. Landicho recommends first practicing balancing the bar without any weight and your arms extended. Once you’re able to keep the bar in position through the squat movement, add your hands for support and start loading the weight.

How to Do it: Place the barbell on top of the shoulders until it is just barely touching the front of the neck. Cross your arms and lift the elbows to keep the bar in place. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Reach the hips back and down like you’re into a chair behind you. Press the floor away from you by squeezing your glutes, powering your hips toward Tonal, and standing tall.

Barbell Back Squat

Why it Works: “A back squat will also allow someone to lift more overall weight [than a front squat] due to a more stable placement,” says Landicho. While this positioning may be more comfortable than the front squat, Landicho explains that keeping your core engaged is more challenging in a back squat. 

How to Do it: Load the barbell in a squat rack and stand facing away. Place the barbell across your back, gripping it with your hands wider than shoulder-width. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Reach your hips back and down like you’re into a chair behind you. Press the floor away from you by squeezing your glutes, powering your hips forward as you stand tall. 

Bulgarian Split Squat

Why it Works: One of the more difficult single-leg squat variations, the Bulgarian split squat requires both strength and balance. With your rear foot elevated, you’re shrinking your base of stability from two feet to one. 

How to Do it: Place one foot between Tonal’s arms and reach your opposite leg back, placing the top of the foot on the bench. Hold the handles and stand tall. Keeping your front heel down like it’s glued to the floor, bend both knees to drop your hips down until your front thigh is parallel with the floor. Press the floor away from you to stand and repeat on the same side.

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By Shelley Black as told to Karen Iorio Adelson

I was never a small person, but losing weight became even more difficult after a series of health challenges a few years back. 

At 38 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was a total shock. It was even more surprising when, less than a year later in 2016, I learned I also had thyroid cancer. If that wasn’t enough, I found out I had skin cancer in 2019. Luckily, all three of my cancers were caught early, and I was able to beat them. But my body wasn’t the same. 

I had my thyroid and uterus removed to prevent future cancers or complications, but the hormonal changes from those procedures made it very difficult to lose weight. My body simply wasn’t responding to diet and exercise. Whether I ate or didn’t eat, I gained weight. 

Even if I did lose weight, it would eventually creep back up again. My husband is very active and has a background in exercise physiology. Despite going to the gym with him four to five days a week for years, I still couldn’t keep the weight off. 

When our gym closed in 2020 during the pandemic, my husband started looking into other options. He suggested Tonal, and after watching a few videos online, we decided to order one. 

When I was setting up my Tonal profile and had to enter my weight, I really didn’t want to put in that number. I weighed the most I had since right before I gave birth to my daughter (who’s now 17 years old). It was discouraging, but I told myself, “This is where I’m at. Now I can go from here.” 

Since then, I’ve completed 32 programs and lost 92 pounds. 

I really started seeing results when I added HIIT workouts to my routine. My first HIIT workout was so hard that I thought I wasn’t going to be able to walk the next day. As I kept doing these workouts weekly along with strength training, the number on the scale started going down.

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Tonal changed the way I looked at working out. After starting my first program, I was hooked. I loved that it was so easy to use, even for someone like me who never tested it out before buying. I’m also very competitive, so I enjoyed maintaining my streak and following my progress on Tonal’s leaderboard. (Look for my username IAMSHELLEY1976 if you want to connect.) 

Since I can just walk to another room in my house and get my workout done, I don’t have any excuses. I don’t have to worry about driving to the gym or waiting around to use the equipment I want because someone else is on it. 

Community is important to me, too. I love cheering people on in live classes and posting my milestones in the Official Tonal Community. It’s so amazing to see that even in such a competitive society, people have rallied around each other. Feeling like you’re not alone in a workout makes such a huge difference. Just being part of it makes me smile. 

Growing up, I never had an issue with self-confidence, but as I got older and gained weight, that shifted. I didn’t feel like myself. That all changed with Tonal. 

This new confidence translates to living my life to the fullest. I’ve gone water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing, activities I hadn’t done for years because of my weight, on the lake near my home in Houston. When I do yard work or pick up a 50-pound bag of dog food at the store, I don’t have to think twice about whether I can do it. If someone asks me to go on a hike, I can say “yes” without a question. The old me would have been like, “Have you lost your mind?” I haven’t run a marathon, but I feel like I could if I put in the training. I have the tools to do something like that now. I’m even planning on starting my own business designing clothing and accessories, a challenge I’ve wanted to take on for a while but didn’t think I was ready.

Tonal has given me my life back and helped me love myself in a way I thought I’d never be able to again. Now, when I look in the mirror, I feel like I’m truly seeing myself.

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A challenging workout can push your limits and leave your muscles sore, but it shouldn’t cause you any unnecessary pain or discomfort. Yet, during the course of your fitness journey, you might encounter some common workout aches and pains including calluses, cable burns, or sore shoulders in barbell front squats. Fortunately, most of these have easy solutions that will make your workouts more enjoyable. 

Here’s a rundown of some of the most common workout aches and pains, and how you can fix them so you can keep your training momentum going.

Cable Burn 

When working out with cables, it’s not unusual to develop red spots or light brush burns where the cables rub against your skin. It often occurs during movements such as bench presses, overhead presses, and incline chest presses. According to Tonal movement specialist Shelby Hicks, this is especially common if you have broader shoulders. 

When this happens during pressing exercises, you might be flaring your elbows out too much, says Troy Taylor, Senior Director of Performance at Tonal. “If you tuck your elbows in, that actually pushes your shoulders into a stronger and safer position, then you’ll tend to get less burn,” he says. 

With Tonal’s adjustable arms, you can change the position of the cables to find one that won’t rub if tucking in your elbows doesn’t provide relief. During pressing exercises, Hicks recommends rotating the arms outward one click (using the round button). Tonal coach and certified personal trainer Tim Landicho agrees that “one click makes a difference.” If the cables are rubbing your arms in triceps kickbacks, resisted dead bugs, or pullover crunches, Hicks says to rotate the arms inward an extra click instead. 

If you experience cable rubbing with the standing alternating push-pull exercise, Hicks recommends standing one step closer to Tonal, while leaving the arms in the recommended position. When all else fails, you can always throw on a long-sleeve shirt or arm sleeves for an extra layer of protection.

Calluses

For some, developing calluses from lifting heavy weights is a rite of passage and a symbol of accomplishment. Calluses thicken the skin on your hand and ultimately protect it as you keep lifting heavy. “Once they develop, it actually leads to less pain down the line,” says Landicho. 

However, calluses can be painful or unsightly annoyances. In that case, Landicho says you can use a pumice stone to soften calluses. Soak your hands in water first and then gently rub the pumice stone over your calluses to remove dead skin. 

In general, Landicho recommends lifting bare-handed as it enhances grip strength. However, if calluses are becoming a significant issue that’s preventing you from lifting, you can use fingerless gloves. “I would rather have you deadlift and wear gloves than not deadlift at all,” he says. 

Some weightlifters use chalk to get a secure grip without risking calluses. For a less messy option, Taylor recommends liquid chalk, one of his own home gym essentials. “It stops the bar from slipping and rubbing against [your hands] quite as much,” he says. 

Hand Pain from Heavy Lifting

In lower-body exercises such as goblet squats and deadlifts, it’s typical for your glute and leg strength to progress faster than your grip strength. Even if you have the strength to deadlift 100 pounds, a weak grip could make the movement more challenging. 

For barbell deadlifts, Hicks and Landicho both suggest trying an alternate grip on the bar, with one palm facing you and one facing away. 

If that doesn’t work, or if you’re focusing on handle moves, there are two paths you can take: working on your grip strength or using lifting straps that connect your hand and wrist to the weights to ease the pressure on your grip. Which one you choose will depend on your goals. As Landicho says, “It’s not just about the exercise in a vacuum. It’s what’s the intention of this exercise in this program.” 

For example, if you’re doing a hypertrophy program where the goal is to lift as much volume as possible and build bigger lower-body muscles, Landicho says, “I would want someone’s legs to still be able to receive the stimulus and not have grip be an issue.” Therefore, he’d have no problem if you want to use lifting straps since grip strength is not your primary goal. 

Taylor agrees, noting that some of the world’s top lifters use straps when doing extremely heavy deadlifts. “By using straps, you’re essentially taking away the limit of your grip strength, but allowing your glutes and legs to work,” he says.

That said, if you’re in a get lean or improve fitness program where you’re not trying to accumulate as much weight as possible, Landicho says, “I would actually be more in favor of letting your grip catch up to your legs.” In these workouts, it’s often important to maintain a certain pace to stimulate metabolic adaptations or improvements in endurance and work capacity. The time spent putting on and taking off lifting straps could slow you down to the point where you’re missing out on those benefits. You might also be lifting lighter weights for more reps in these workouts, so grip strength may be less of a limiting factor. 

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Additionally, Taylor says if you want to gain functional fitness and improve your ability to lift heavy objects off the ground in everyday life, you’ll need that grip strength. To build it up, Landicho recommends practicing the farmer’s march or suitcase march exercises that take out the lower body factor and emphasis working on your grip.

Shoulder Pain During Barbell Front Squats 

Finding a comfortable position for the barbell front squat can be a little challenging, especially if you’ve never done this exercise before. Part of the issue could simply be getting used to the movement. “Even if you are doing this as correctly as possible, there is a little bit of a learning window where there will still be some discomfort,” says Landicho.  

Your first step, though, should be locking down the correct form. To do so, Landicho suggests trying to balance the barbell (without any resistance) on the top of your shoulders with your arms extended. “You want to find a position where, even if your hands weren’t helping, you could still keep it balanced,” he says. “We want to create a shelf, and the shelf is going to be on the [shoulder] muscle.” Hicks adds to look for “the meaty part of the front of the shoulder.” 

Once you’re able to balance the barbell on your shoulders standing up straight, try descending through the squat movement, still with your arms extended, to see if you can keep your chest upright and the bar balanced. “Without that ‘chest up’ accountability, people will start to dip forward or start to lean forward too much and it’s that rolling forward of the bar that causes a lot of pain,” says Landicho. “Once you find that [balance], then it’s just a matter of placing the hands in for support and letting them be an extra guardrail as you descend.”

As an additional check, Hicks suggests activating Smart View in workouts with this exercise. Positioning the barbell too far forward or backward can throw off your form, so if Smart View confirms your form is on point, you’re likely holding the bar correctly. 

If you still can’t find a comfortable position, Taylor says there’s nothing wrong with using Tonal’s movement replacement feature to swap in a move you feel more confident with, such as the racked squat.

Hip or Back Pain During Bulgarian Split Squats

The Bulgarian split squat is notorious among Tonal members for challenging lower-body strength and balance. While this movement should get your muscles burning, it shouldn’t cause any pain in your knees or back. 

Similar to the barbell front squat, this is another exercise where finding the right starting position can make a big difference. Often, Landicho says, people position the bench too far back, which leads to arching in the back and too big of a stretch in the back hip. 

“You want to find a distance from the bench that allows you to keep your front foot planted while keeping your hips tucked,” he says. To quickly find your starting spot, he says to sit on your bench with your legs extended straight out on the floor in front of you. Then, simply start with your front foot on the spot on the floor where your feet land. 

This is also another move you can try with Smart View activated to check your form. Once you’re positioned correctly, you’ll be able to rep out your squats without any pain—except for some healthy fire in your quads.

Wrist Pain During Pushups

Pushups can be difficult, but wrist pain can make the movement even more challenging than necessary. It’s one of the most common workout aches and pains lifters experience. Landicho explains that this is typically a result of a limited range of motion in your wrist joints or overloading the wrist joint with more volume than you’re ready for. 

First, check your form. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, with your weight evenly distributed between your palms and all 10 fingers. “It’s almost like you’re suctioning the floor to your hand,” says Landicho. This creates a stable base for your pushups. 

To build range of motion in your wrists, you’ll want to practice positions that put your wrist into extension (in which you bend at the wrist, moving the back of your hand toward your forearm). You can do a simple wrist extension by using your opposite hand to pull your fingers back toward your forearm, or practice on the ground in a quadruped position with your fingers pointed toward your knees.

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The Bottom Line

Don’t panic if you’re experiencing any of these common workout aches and pains. These are very typical when lifting weights and aren’t a sign that you’re doing anything wrong. Instead of giving up your exercise habit completely, try the fixes above to find one that works for you. Keep in mind that you should feel the burn in your muscles when you lift, but you shouldn’t be in actual pain. Don’t hesitate to modify an exercise or take a step back if it doesn’t feel right. 

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Every time you do a coach-led workout on Tonal, you’re completing a specific series of exercises in a particular order designed to maximize your results. In this series, The Why Behind the Workout, we break down the science behind a particular workout or program. 

Here, we go deep on Lean, Mean, Athletic Strength with Tonal coach and certified personal trainer Kendall “Woody” Wood.

Who It’s For

Lean, Mean, Athletic Strength is an intermediate-level program designed for the everyday athlete who wants to build foundational strength and muscle while losing fat and shifting their body composition.

Getting all of these results in just one program isn’t easy, but Wood explains, “we’re doing that by way of foundational compound lifts and movement patterns in higher rep schemes with lighter weights, then weaving in plyometric bursts and off-Tonal intervals.”

This program is a great choice for someone who used to play sports and still loves to challenge their athleticism, the weekend warrior who dabbles in recreational activities with friends, or anyone who wants to bring out their inner athlete.

“Lean, Mean, Athletic Strength, is a great program to tap into for people who want to push their limits and have the goals of getting lean and shaping up,” Wood says.

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How It Works

In this program, Wood uses a combination of traditional strength training and plyometrics over four workouts per week: an upper-body day targeting chest and back, a lower-body day, a second upper-body day working the shoulders and core, and then a full-body day. 

In weeks one and two, you’re establishing proficiency in the movement patterns before you progress in terms of level and complexity in weeks three and four. The idea is to progressively overload the muscles and stimulate adaptation.

“To move the needle, we need to have novel stimulus of progressive overload every couple of weeks,” says Jenna Moore, a certified strength and conditioning coach and Programming Specialist at Tonal. “The plyometric nature of the program stimulates fast-twitch muscle fibers to create the bigger, faster, stronger aesthetic and mentality.” She adds that the compound lifts are done at a moderate rep range of 8-10 reps to build muscle. 

In each workout, the purpose of the first block is preparation, with movement variations that are slightly less intense to prime your body for the bigger, more technical movements you’re going to see later on. Think of it as an extended warmup.

The moves in the second (primary) block feature big compound lifts. In the first two weeks, those main movements are accompanied by active recovery exercises to give you additional time to rest, but in weeks three and four, it’s game on; they’re paired with explosive plyometrics with similar mechanics creating what is known as contrast sets. “Super-setting two movements of the same muscle group in this manner increases our force production and subsequent muscle growth,” says Wood.   

The third and final block of each workout is all about cranking up your metabolism with more cardio and conditioning movements to improve agility, coordination, and explosiveness. This is when you really challenge your inner athlete, build resiliency, and strengthen the stabilizing muscles around the joints creating a more durable body.

The Key Moves

Rotational Row

Wood is a huge fan of this move along with the rotational lift and chop because, as she says, “they train the body how to transfer power and force.” These moves help you become familiar with how your kinetic chain—the interrelated group of segments within your body that work together to perform moves—functions. 

Bird Dog with Row

This is a challenging move that combines two exercises, the bird dog and the single-arm row, and taps into your back, glutes, core, and shoulders. “This is a move where you need to self-correct, a term I use a lot because it empowers you and helps you notice any inconsistency in your movement pattern without me pointing it out,” explains Wood.

Barbell Hip Thrust

The barbell hip thrust is one of Wood’s all-time favorite moves because of how it isolates and strengthens the glutes from a shortened position. “Stronger glutes equals a stronger body. The stronger the glutes, the more support for the spine and the entire trunk,” she says. 

Barbell Sumo Deadlift

This lower-body compound move targets the quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, and back. “We’re really tapping into the hips here,” she says, “and asking a lot from the glutes especially the glute medius,” a key muscle that stabilizes the pelvis and helps keep your trunk upright when walking or running.

When to Do it

Lean, Mean, Athletic Strength has 16 workouts designed to be completed in four weeks, with four workouts per week. “The cadence of this workout is set as on, on, off, on, off, on, off. People should fit them in when they can, but minimally getting in one or two rest days in the cycle is ideal to get full recovery,” says Moore. Wood agrees about the importance of the scheduled rest days. “You don’t want to run the risk of burning out by skipping rest days,” she says. “Listen to your body.”  A typical week might look like this:

Moore says that the most important thing is consistency and setting your intentions for each day.“You will get out what you put in. If you’re looking to maximize your results, show up every workout ready to give it your all,” she says.

What to Do Next

Power Hour 2 – Coach Kendall Wood

“If your momentum is high after completing this program, you should tap into my recently released Power Hour 2,” says Wood. It uses the same general idea of incorporating the most fundamental compound lifts and maximizing your power by pairing them with off-Tonal plyometrics. “It will be a fun test of how far you’ve come and how strong you’ve gotten, but it’s not for the faint of heart,” she says.

Power Gains – Coach Tim Landicho

In this program, “The rep ranges are in the 6 to 8 range, which makes it a perfect progression from the 8 to 10 we used in Lean, Mean, Athletic Strength,” says Moore. It utilizes the Bulgarian Method to build strength and power. This method uses Eccentric and Chains mode to vary between slower, more controlled, and faster, more dynamic reps of the same movement.

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In the vast sea of supplements and vitamins promising to enhance your performance and boost your workout results, there are few that have been as extensively researched as creatine—and even fewer that live up to their claims. 

According to a position paper by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, creatine has been the subject of over 1,000 studies, with findings indicating it provides myriad benefits and few side effects. In the same paper, researchers conclude, “creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes with the intent of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.” In other words, there’s a lot of scientific evidence showing creatine can help you push harder to make bigger gains. 

Tonal coach and certified personal trainer Joe Rodonis experienced this firsthand when he started taking creatine a few years ago at the recommendation of his dietitian. 

“When I went on it, my muscles felt fuller,” he says. “My recovery was a little bit better, too, but the main thing was—and it’s not dramatic—you feel like you have a bit more in the tank during  your workout session.” 

For Rodonis, that meant feeling strong through the last rep of a long workout. “Without it, I felt like I kept hitting a wall. I would literally hit failure,” he says. “You can imagine that if you’re just doing a couple more reps, a few more movements, or a couple more minutes in a workout, you can improve your training and performance capacity over time.” 

Here’s a breakdown of creatine pros and cons, how it works, and how to know if this supplement is right for you.

First, What Even is Creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein, explains John Christie, registered dietitian and Tonal’s Director of Applied Training Science. It’s stored in skeletal muscle and aids in the resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate (or ATP), which provides energy for short-term, maximum-effort muscle contractions. It’s this process that gives Rodonis the extra boost he needs for cranking out those last tough reps. 

“Creatine can be used as an energy source for the highest-intensity efforts,” says Christie. “Having additional creatine on hand, it will be more readily available to use in those moments when it’s needed most, like with a max-effort bench press under near maximal load.” By being able to do 9 reps instead of 8 or 6 in a given exercise, you’ll accumulate more volume and better resistance to fatigue, he explains. 

You can get creatine through animal proteins in your diet or as a supplement, typically in powder form that you mix with water and drink. Creatine comes in many forms, but Christie recommends looking for creatine monohydrate as it’s considered the “gold standard” in terms of bioavailability, research-backed efficacy, and safety.

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When choosing a creatine supplement, look for certification from the NSF (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation, now NSF International). Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, but NSF certification indicates a product has been third-party tested and meets basic safety standards. Professional sports leagues including MLB, NFL, and NHL recommend products that are certified by sport by the NSF.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Creatine?

As the subject of hundreds of studies on athletes across multiple sports, the creatine pros and cons are well-established—and overall the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros:

By giving you the energy to push harder in your workouts, you’re able to make greater strength, power, and hypertrophy gains. Additionally, studies have shown that creatine can speed up recovery by reducing inflammation and increasing glycogen storage in muscles. Since intense exercise depletes stores of glycogen—your body’s main source of energy—rebuilding these stores quickly promotes recovery. In another study, creatine was shown to enhance performance during periods of increased training intensity that could otherwise lead to overtraining. 

The benefits of creatine go beyond fitness, too. In aging populations, creatine has actually been shown to improve cognitive function and, when combined with resistance training, reduce bone loss. 

Cons:

In the hundreds of studies conducted on creatine over the years, the only significant side effect that’s been reported is a small amount of weight gain. Because creatine increases water retention and pulls water into muscles, some of this weight gain is due to an increase in water weight while some may be due to increases in lean muscle mass. 

Christie explains that this weight gain is not harmful, but could be discouraging if you’re measuring your progress by pounds or inches lost. One study has demonstrated that taking a smaller dose of creatine (around 2 grams per day) can improve fatigue resistance during high-intensity exercise without leading to weight gain. 

While early studies linked creatine with kidney damage, more recent research has shown that creatine does not cause kidney dysfunction in healthy individuals. However, if you have pre-existing kidney disease or take any medication that affects your kidneys, consult your doctor before taking creatine or any other supplement.

When Should You Take Creatine?

Some supplements and nutrients are most effective when taken at a specific time–like beta-alanine before your workout or protein afterward—but timing is less important when it comes to creatine. According to a review of studies from 2021, there currently isn’t enough evidence to suggest that it’s better to take creatine before or after exercise. Instead, focus on consistency—simply taking creatine every day. 

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Studies have shown that, with the recommended dosage of 3 to 5 grams per day, it takes roughly four weeks to achieve peak creatine saturation in both men and women, after which that saturation can be maintained by the same dosage. The benefits of creatine aren’t often felt until creatine levels are raised following long-term supplementation, so you likely won’t see an immediate effect after a single daily dose. The creatine pros and cons remain the same no matter what time of day you take it.  

“It’s more important that you’re taking it than it is when you’re taking it,” says Christie. “It’s fine to maintain reserves of creatine so you have it on board when you need it for intense training.” 

How Long Should You Take Creatine?

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition position statement, creatine has been shown to be safe and effective when taken for up to five years. That doesn’t necessarily mean there are risks beyond five years, but rather that most studies don’t follow subjects for a longer duration. However, over the course of several years, your goals and workout routine will likely change, so you may naturally take time off of creatine supplementation. 

Can You Mix Creatine with Protein?

Optimal protein intake is essential for building muscle, but protein and creatine work in different ways. Creatine helps with generating the energy you need to perform in your workouts, while protein assists with post-exercise recovery and repairing damaged muscles. 

It’s not surprising then that a lot of athletes who take creatine for muscle gains also supplement with protein. If you want to take both supplements, it’s considered safe to take them together for the sake of convenience. Rodonis, for example, mixes creatine into his daily protein shake. Research suggests that combining creatine with carbohydrates and protein actually increases creatine retention.

Do You Need a Creatine Loading Phase?

In the early 1990s when creatine began gaining popularity among recreational athletes, researchers believed that a creatine loading phase was necessary to build creatine stores and achieve the best results. In a creatine loading phase, athletes take a high dose of creatine, typically 20 to 25 grams daily, for 5 to 7 days. This loading phase was then followed by a standard dose of 3 to 5 grams per day for maintenance. 

While a creatine loading phase can be used to boost reserves quickly, taking the maintenance dose has been shown to ultimately raise creatine levels by the same amount (over four weeks instead of one) without the gastrointestinal side effects sometimes seen when taking larger doses.

This is Rodonis’s strategy, too. He simply takes 5mg of creatine daily. “I think people overcomplicate this,” he says of regimented creatine loading phases. “It’s more about the consistency of having it every single day.” 

The Bottom Line:

There’s ample research to support taking creatine as a nutritional supplement to power your workouts and give you the energy for high-intensity training. Along with protein, creatine promotes lean muscle development and muscle recovery. For most, it’s safe to take a moderate dose (3 to 5 grams) of creatine daily. Staying consistent with your creatine intake is key to seeing results.

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For Tonal coach Kendall “Woody” Wood, two of the scariest moments of her life were also events that would forever change her as a person: being laid off from a job in digital media and walking into a boxing studio for the first time. 

After moving to Los Angeles to start said job, boxing reconnected Wood to her roots in sport. But when she moved on from her position in 2016, the place where she learned to jab, cross, and hook helped her find stability and rediscover her calling to connect with people as a fitness professional and certified personal trainer.

“There’s nothing like fulfilling your passion, chasing your dream, and ultimately finding the happiness you seek,” she says. “Making a [big] salary doing something that you don’t love pales in comparison.”

This determined attitude felt natural for Wood, who was an athlete growing up. She played softball and was a competitive cheerleader before studying public relations at Penn State University. Classes and college life snuffed out her athletic fire, but later, throwing punches in the ring reignited the flame. Boxing also gave her a place to find community and foundation to shift her career path to become a full-time trainer.  

After relocating from L.A. to New York, Wood now leverages her decade-plus experience in the fitness industry to continue helping people craft improved versions of themselves at Tonal. 

“The lesson to be learned here is that you can always make it happen for yourself,” Wood says. “You can always find a way to attain what you need. You can always find a way to get to where you need to be and I think you stand to surprise yourself every time you do that.”

Here, Woody shares the details of her journey, why she loves being a coach, and what you can expect when you tap into one of her classes. 

What’s your vibe as a coach?

My vibe is energetic, lighthearted, and fun! I like to find the humor in things. While fitness should be taken seriously because your health is serious, it’s also meant to be fun. I want to eliminate the intimidation factor that people might feel if they’re new to fitness or have big goals. I like to add a level of lightheartedness and humor to make fitness feel more approachable and palatable to everyone. 

What’s it like to train with you? 

It’s my mission that when you take my class, you walk away with a different experience every time whether you learn something new, achieve a new PR, or push past your limits. But 100 percent, every time you take my class, no matter how the experience changes, the constants are that you’re going to have a good time, but it’s also going to be really hard. It’ll be challenging. 

Why should someone take your class?

I think I’ve always had this ability to connect with people on an interpersonal level. I see you. I see you for who you are. I like to help people let down walls. I like to help people work through things. I like to be a support system, an advice giver, or just someone who’s going to be there and listen. So in short, to the community, I want to provide what feels like a safe space. 

What do you love about coaching?

It’s all about the human connection. That’s always been what drives me. Coaching is about so much more than providing technical cues. It’s a level of support and interpersonal connection. I’m going to guide you through your fitness journey and make sure you see success, but I’m also there to be your friend and your support system. Fitness can be like therapy for people. It’s a physiological release and a mental escape. If I can be the person who is the catalyst for that for you, that’s fulfilling to me. 

How do you create a connection virtually?

I like to connect with members on Instagram and the Official Tonal Community on Facebook. We do a lot of Q&As in the OTC, and I try to pop in there as often as possible to see what’s going on and respond to feedback and questions. I hope the community knows I’m really just a message away. Additionally, the social zone in the live classes brings members of the community together and allows me to connect with members.  

Tell us about your athletic background.

Growing up, I was a competitive cheerleader and a softball player. I was always drawn to athletics, but when I went to college, I lost sight of all that. After graduating, I didn’t know where to turn or what I loved. I discovered boxing when I moved to Los Angeles and that reignited my love for fitness.

How did you decide to pursue a career in fitness? 

At the boxing gym, I started diving into honing my craft. I became obsessed with the intricacies of the sport and how I could become better at it. Being in love with the sport and having this supportive community and these passionate coaches was eye-opening and so fulfilling. I wanted to be there all the time. I started at the gym as an assistant and then became certified as a trainer and group fitness instructor. I got a job touring the country and filming digital workout programs, which gave me experience in front of the camera. That led me to Tonal. I saw Tonal as an opportunity to connect with a whole new community. 

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are today?

Changing my career was one of my biggest personal challenges, but it was also one of the most gratifying things I’ve done in my life. It made me second-guess myself countless times. The biggest takeaway from that experience was that you have to be your own biggest fan. You have to believe in yourself and know that you’re capable of achieving what you want. Undoubtedly, you will fail along the way, but failure paves the way to success. Failure doesn’t make you a failure. It contributes to your story and your growth. 

What are you passionate about outside of fitness?

Friends and family are extremely important to me. I’m very lucky to have lifelong friends who I’ve grown up with. It’s important to be reminded of who you are at your core, and the people who do that are your friends and family. 

I also love to cook. I’ve always been a food fanatic. My family jokes that even when I was 7 years old, I was ordering three courses off the menu. I still do and I eat every last bite. 

What does strength mean to you?

Strength is performing at your best, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. It’s being unwavering in whatever you set out to do, and believing that you can do it.

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Turn Your Cycle into a Superpower

Shifting levels of estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle affect muscle protein synthesis, energy levels, strength development, and other factors that influence athletic performance. That’s why the new four-week program, Cycle Sync Strength, was designed specifically for athletes with periods and includes cycle-syncing workouts that complement the hormonal phases of your menstrual cycle for optimal training.

Launching on Tonal Monday, April 3, each workout is led by one of four female coaches, Ash Wilking, Kendall Wood, Tanysha Renee, and Kristina Centenari, and focuses on playing up your strengths during that particular week.

Taking advantage of these hormonal shifts by aligning your workouts with your cycle will help you break through plateaus and crush your goals. 

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Science-Based, Expert-Backed Workouts to Get Stronger Faster

Cycle Sync Strength was created in collaboration with female physiology expert Stacy Sims, PhD. Sims is a leading global expert on exercise nutrition and performance for women, and the author of Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness To Your Female Physiology For Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body For Life. She’s a senior research associate at Auckland University of Technology, has directed research programs at Stanford and the University of Waikato, and has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers on athletic performance.

An advocate for training with your physiology, not against it, Sims helped design these workouts so you can lift heavy and push for PRs when your body’s most resilient against stress, then focus on recovery and mobility on days when you’re more fatigued. It’s a smarter way to train that’ll help you perform at your best every day of the month.

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Make Your Cycle Your Superpower With Cycle Sync Strength

Break through plateaus, reach new PRs, and reduce injury risk by training with your menstrual cycle.

Shifting levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones during your menstrual cycle affect training variables including muscle protein synthesis, strength and power development, and the ability to recover from hard efforts. Cycle Sync Strength is a new four-week training program designed in collaboration with female physiology expert Stacy Sims, PhD, that aligns your workouts with your cycle, so you can train more effectively and reach your goals faster. The program launches on Tonal on April 3, 2023. 

Athletes who menstruate know that exercise can feel different depending on the phase of their cycles. As hormones fluctuate during the month, an easy workout might seem more challenging on one day, and on another day, you might be surprised by how strong and powerful you feel. When you learn how to track your period and harness the power of your cycle, though, you can actually use these shifts to boost your training. 

Understanding your cycle and the changing hormone levels that come with it can unlock a new level of potential in your training. By tracking your cycle, you’ll understand which days you’re feeling more resilient and can push for big PRs and which days you should focus on recovery. 

Ultimately, you can give your best performance at any point in your cycle, so there’s no need to panic if your big race or competition falls during a week when you typically train lighter or expect to have your period. Instead of letting your cycle dictate what you can or can’t do, use this information to empower you to work with your hormones—not against them. 

Here, female physiology expert and Tonal Advisory Board member Stacy Sims, PhD, breaks down the different phases of the menstrual cycle, how to use your hormones to your advantage, and how to track your period.

How Your Menstrual Cycle Can Inform Your Training 

During your menstrual cycle, your levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone rise and fall, triggering ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary) and the growth and shedding of the uterine lining. A typical menstrual cycle lasts 28 days (although yours may be longer or shorter), and breaks down into the following phases: 

Week One: Menstruation/Early-Follicular Phase

Starting on the first day of your period, the follicular phase is typically the longest phase of your cycle. It’s also when the most variation occurs, so if your cycle isn’t exactly 28 days, it’s likely because of a longer or shorter follicular phase. During this time, your estrogen and progesterone levels are the lowest they’ll be all month, making you more resilient and primed to take on the stress of hard training. It’s a good time to lift heavy, sprint, or do high-intensity workouts.

“From a physiological standpoint, when those hormones are low, we are able to really hit high intensities,” says Sims. “We have more carbohydrates available for hitting those high intensities, and we have more water available for sweating so we have better thermal regulation.” 

Sims explains that pushing yourself during the first few days of your period may actually help ease menstrual symptoms, too. “A little bit of high intensity actually feeds forward into giving a boost of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative responses, which then helps to reduce cramping and pain,” she says. 

Week Two: Mid-Follicular Phase 

The follicular phase continues as estrogen and progesterone levels are still relatively low, so you can continue hitting hard workouts and going for strength and power PRs. Toward the end of this phase, though, estrogen levels begin to rise in preparation for ovulation. Because estrogen on its own is anabolic and promotes muscle building, take this opportunity to push hard in your workouts, Sims says. 

Ovulation

Typically occurring around day 14 of your cycle, ovulation is marked by the release of an egg from your ovary. Signs of ovulation include a slight rise in body temperature and increased discharge. Estrogen spikes right before ovulation and progesterone starts increasing so Sims advises completing your more difficult workouts 24 to 48 hours before ovulation, as rising hormone levels make it harder to recover from challenging efforts.

Week Three: Early-Luteal Phase

Rising levels of estrogen and progesterone following ovulation may leave you feeling less resilient to stress, more prone to inflammation, and less explosive than you were the previous two weeks. 

“Estrogen and progesterone together inhibit the body’s ability to access carbohydrates, so it becomes harder to do those top intensities,” says Sims. “We also know that progesterone is catabolic, so it breaks down lean mass.” 

You’re still capable of training hard, but if you want to take advantage of your unique strengths during this phase of your cycle, focus on steady-state aerobic work as your body is more efficient at burning fat as fuel. 

Week Four: Mid-Luteal Phase

If you suffer from symptoms of PMS including bloating, cramping, or fatigue, they’ll start to pop up in the week leading up to menstruation as estrogen and progesterone levels peak and then start to fall. 

“It’s very individual as to when these hormones start to drop, but as they start to drop, we have a significant shift in increased inflammation and an increase in our baseline cortisol,” says Sims. “From that physiological perspective, this is the point where your body is least resilient to stress so we look to deload.” 

Now’s the time to focus on recovery and mobility. You’ll prime your body so it’s ready to work hard again next week when hormone levels are low and the cycle begins again. 

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How to Track Your Period

Tracking your cycle can be as simple as noting down the first day of your period on a calendar each month. Eventually, you’ll be able to gauge your typical cycle length and predict when your next period will begin. 

For a more detailed understanding of your cycle and the length of your follicular phase, take your temperature each day, as body temperature can indicate when you’re ovulating. According to Sims, the estrogen surge right before ovulation lowers your temperature slightly. After ovulation, rising progesterone levels cause an increase in temperature. 

“Once you see that upsurge in temperature, you know you’re in the luteal phase. When you see a dip and then a rise, you know you’re around ovulation,” she writes. 

There are also apps available for logging your cycle. Once you log your period a few times, some apps will start telling you what phase you’re in and predicting your next period, taking the guesswork out of tracking. 

You can also log additional information such as your daily mood, energy level, or any symptoms including cramping or fatigue. Over time, you might see patterns appear. For example, you may feel more tired than usual on the days leading up to your period or feel a surge in energy the week after you finish menstruating. Use these data points to inform your training, scheduling more demanding workouts on the days you typically feel your best. 

If you use oral contraceptives, it’s still worth tracking your energy, mood, and symptoms to understand changes in your body during each week of your pill pack. If you have a non-hormonal copper IUD, you’ll still experience ovulation and can use the same method for tracking natural cycles. With progestin-only IUDs, Sims notes that ovulation typically resumes about eight months after insertion. 

Just like dialing in your nutrition and getting plenty of sleep, tracking your cycle is another strategy for getting the most out of your training. Just remember that you can perform your best at any point, but when you learn to work with your cycles, your period can become a superpower for you.

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