PBF FAQ's
GET STRONGER AND BUILD MUSCLE WITHOUT SACRIFICING YOUR HORMONE HEALTH.
When it comes to exercise, if we aren't taking into account the energies of the four phases of our cycle, then we are likely not working out in an efficient way that aligns with our unique physiology.
Phase Based Fitness takes the guesswork out of the question "what workout should I do today"? And puts the confidence back into your hands to move your body in a way that you know will be supporting your cycle, all while sustainably building strength and muscle tone.
FAQ'S:
Q: Are the exercises good for both beginners and experienced fitness goers?
A: Yes! This program is designed for both beginners and advanced athletes. Although beginners and intermediates are taken into account quite heavily throughout the e-book, athletes/advanced fitness goers (or anyone) can make each workout more challenging by upping the weights, adding resistance bands or doing extra circuits.
Q: What kind of equipment is required?
A: Minimal equipment is needed. We highly recommend having at least one pair of dumbbells (10's are a great place to start), and a set of resistance bands or booty bands. A bench would be helpful for some workouts but is not necessary.
Q: Are these at-home or gym style workouts?
A: Either! Since minimal equipment is necessary, the program caters a bit more to at-home style, but you can absolutely do these workouts in a gym as well and add on more challenging elements by using barbells, squat racks, etc!
Q: What if I'm totally new to formal exercise, will I know what to do?
A: Absolutely. Every single workout in this program comes with a hyperlink that you can click on which will take you to a short YouTube video so you can see exactly how that specific workout is supposed to be executed.
Q: Can I do this program if I don't have my period or have an irregular cycle?
A: Yes! If you currently don't have your period (post-partum, menopause or other factor), then we have a section on how to use the moon phases to help pinpoint what phase you can use to follow along. If you have an irregular cycle, we have created a section where you can easily Build Your Own Workout if your cycle phases are much longer than how we have it mapped out in the program.
If you are currently experiencing amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), we don't recommend diving into a workout program right now, we would encourage you to work with a practitioner first to begin healing your body and getting your period back. THEN it should be safe to begin a fitness program such as PBF since the focus is to keep hormone health in mind.
Q: Will this program still work well for me if I'm on birth control?
A: You can certainly follow along with the workouts for each phase, just note that birth control suppresses our natural cycle, so we don't technically experience our four phases. However, you can still mimic the energy of each phase while on birth control to maintain the connection with your body, and a program like PBF is a great fit for that! In addition, it is hormone friendly and won't further deplete your body.
Q: What if I am beginning to experience menopause or have already gone through menopause?
A: You can still do this program! Menopause is stressful on the body and many women often gain weight. Strength training is important because estrogen drops significantly in menopause which can cause a reduction in bone density. Phase Based Fitness puts an emphasis on strength training!
Q: What are your certifications?
A: Aimee McKee is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Menstrual Cycle Health and Fitness Coach and Dr. Sears Family Health Coach.
Emily Waterfield-Buttner is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who specializes in Hormone Health and Menstrual Cycle Education.
Q: What's the workout split and how many workouts per week?
A: The workout split is: Lower Body, Upper Body, Core/Cardio, Full Body, Legs/Glutes. There are 5 workouts per week with 2 rest days factored in each week as well.
Q: How long are the workouts?
A: The workouts are designed to be anywhere from 15 to approximately 40 minutes long. For optimal hormone health it's usually best to stay within that range (there are exceptions of course). Your Menstrual phase workouts will be shorter than your Ovulatory phase workouts for instance. With this program you can truly customize it to YOUR cycle and hormone health needs. If you want to make it longer and more challenging, great! If you want to make it shorter, that's great too.