Dr. Cody Gao Fit

Hormones are not just accessories; they drive every aspect of our health, many of which in ways I'm certain we still don't understand. Regardless of whether or not you want to grow a baby inside your body, that is what a woman's body was designed to do. In order to do that, those hormones cycle, and every other aspect of our health was built on that foundation. Understanding this process reduces the friction for training, communicating, and simply navigating through the world.

I know we've been told over and over to rest and restore during your period and if light movement is all you can manage thats perfectly fine. We are meeting our body where it is at with gratitude. But let me make a case for short intense sprinting. SIT or sprint interval training is 100% of your max HR and can just be for 15 seconds with a full recovery in between so you are able to hit the same intensity for the next round. Yes, it is inflammatory in the moment because you are working but theres a compensatory mechanism after that releases powerful anti-inflammatory cytokines. It doesn’t have to take very long at all! 8-12 rounds and you are done and feeling better during your period. I do this twice a week cycle round but I always get in one session in the first couple days of my period when i'm feeling especially inflamed.

And we’ve launched 🚀 🚀🚀 Thank you ladies for those of you that jumped right in after the live webinar. Drop your questions below! ❤️ link in bio to join DM me “I want in” for $100 off fast action bonus.

Just me creepin' in other people's comment section. This was on a post about how relevant menstrual adjustments are in fitness programming. And tbfr it made me sad. In our effort to prove we can do what the boys to do we have lost sight of our differences that are to be celebrated, not neglected. Our inherent hormonal shifts are not "problems", they are a reality that can be ignored or capitalized on.

Want to learn more? Sign up for the free master class i'm hosting live next week.

If you are looking for a better understanding of how to use your cycling hormones to their fullest potential, i'm excited to share this free class with you.

Tag a friend or coach who you think would benefit from female hormonal education!

Register to join live and participate in the q & a, or to be sent the replay link. https://event.webinarjam.com/register/2/9201zf7

See you there! ❤ Cody

“Cody, make muscles like mommy.”

As mothers, we are not just raising children, we are raising the next generation of women who will change the world. We have the power to shape their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors towards their bodies and their health. That's why it's so important to teach our daughters about their female physiology, so they can grow up with confidence, knowledge, and respect for their own bodies. When we pave the way in this work of body literacy, we are creating a legacy of empowerment and self-love that will inspire generations to come. So let's keep flexing our muscles, both literally and figuratively, and show our daughters that being strong, healthy, and proud of our bodies is not just possible, it's essential. Because when we empower ourselves, we empower them too. Pictured: my mini Cody Jr Photographer

Training in tune with your body's natural rhythm us an act of self-love and respect. It's a journey of connecting with your inner wisdom and honoring the unique needs of your body. By embracing your menstrual cycle and aligning your workouts accordingly, you can unlock a new level of physical and emotional empowerment. I love this community of women celebrating the beauty and strength of our bodies. You ladies rock.

Going live tomorrow at noon on Instagram talking how the menstrual cycle impacts sleep, hydration, nutrition, and training intensity. Drop any questions you have below!

No more 'I have to go to the gym' mindset, it's time for 'I get to go to the gym', 'I get to do my home gym workout', 'I get to watch the sunrise'. 💪 🎉 Let's shift our focus from punishing our bodies to celebrating what they can do. Every step, every lift, every rest day is a small win towards a stronger, healthier you. Embrace the journey and trust the process.

🩸 Do you ever feel like you are at the mercy of what side of the bed you wake up on? Understanding how your body responds to your own menstrual cycle can give you control and ownership over your workouts. Allowing you to plan your workouts and know what to expect.

🩸 When we feel like we "should" be working out but our body is telling us something different the stress and the guilt sets in. If we haven’t seen the results we are looking for we don't know when to trust that instinct or when we are just being lazy. As a recovering "lazy" person, adapting your workouts to your menstrual cycle can help you avoid all the stress and give you the permission needed to rest.

🩸 When we workout according to the intelligent design of our cycling hormones we experience more energy and more motivation to exercise. This leads to a positive feedback loop where consistently enjoyable workouts push us forward into a lifestyle of fitness we identify with.

🩸 Once we are paying attention to how our body feels throughout our cycle we become intimately aware of our other physical and emotional needs. Self awareness around everything that impacts us like stress, sickness, alcohol consumption lends itself to making more informed choices about our fitness and lifestyle.

Trust me. This hurts me more than it hurts you. I was a fasting addict when I was a nuclear pharmacist before transitioning to hormones. I still love the feeling of cranking out a bunch of work on cortisol and coffee before I take a bite of anything. But as we age it becomes more and more important to get nutrition, especially protein, throughout the day. Otherwise we are breaking down more and more muscle and our metabolism and energy tanks with it. You'll still catch me "trying" to stop eating a few hours before bed but even that may not be the best for every woman.

🩸 If you are a women who hears of creatine and thinks, "that’s for the bodybuilders", this episode is for you.

🩸 We are talking about the current information on creatine for women, busting some myths, and easing your fears about the "scary" supplement.

🩸 Let me know what you think!



https://open.spotify.com/episode/4L5dM3gDg1AqZ9foym9g5F?si=e04e100c71fa4f81

🩸 You'll often hear people talk about how creatine can damage your kidneys. Current advice will now state that it's not damaging but avoid it if you have any kidney issues.

🩸 Here's the thing. Our kidneys rely on creatine to function properly. Dr. Candow who studies creatine states that as of right now it's the safest most effective compound that we can take even in diseased individuals.

https://amzn.to/3KVyjGb
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🩸 It can be helpful to throw things in your morning coffee so we don't forget. My morning coffee is my favorite part of the day. So it's easy to add our creatine, collagen, or protein.

🩸 Here's the thing. Often specific studies are not conducted until much later on the effects of combining certain compounds with coffee. Later we find out that those compounds are negatively impacted by the heat, caffeine, or tannins.

🩸 A good rule of thumb is to just keep your supplements out of your coffee. I add my creatine, protein, and collagen to a post workout shake. My coffee is kept free of impurities. If your soul is not as black as mine go ahead and enjoy your creamer. That is not what this is about. We can ritualize our supplementation separate from our coffee.

🩸 Discount link for toxin and mold free coffee through the link in my bio.

🩸 If you track your cycle you may notice lifting in the weeks leading up to your period can feel really hard. Our body is prioritizing growing a baby home (just in case). So what can we do to help? Work with our body’s needs.

🩸We cannot access carbohydrates as well for fuel for high intensities, make sure you incorporate carbs around your training.

🩸We have a 12% increase in protein needs. Already women are typically under eating protein and in this phase you want to be consuming even more. Skip the pre period chocolate bar and incorporate an extra protein shake, some hard boiled eggs, or another favorite protein source.

🩸Our basal body temperature is elevated. This makes it difficult to offload heat which can contribute to a more fatiguable state. Make sure to be well hydrated and possibly incorporate glabrous skin cooling intra workout.

🩸Speaking of hydration, fluid shifts make us more readily dehydrated. A good electrolyte balance and creatine supplementation can work wonders.

🩸Sleep may be disrupted with a higher core body temp or later in the luteal as we begin to withdrawal from progesterone. Magnesium supplementation has many benefits including sleep. I love magnesium threonate. Tart Cherry juice 30ml 1-2 times a day can also help here.

🩸We use fat for fuel more efficiently during this phase so I opt for more zone 2 training days over high intensity resistance training days (still getting in about 3 sessions in the week).

🩸Above all else be patient with yourself and track your own cycle to learn your individual body. Free tracker through link in bio.

The term "toned" is often used in marketing to create the illusion of a specific body type or fitness level, but it's not a quality of muscle at all. It's possible to have varying levels of muscle and fat. Leanness refers to the amount of fat on a person, and excessive leanness can negatively impact a woman's body function. It's better to focus on building muscle, as it has numerous health benefits, such as boosting metabolism, increasing bone mass, and improving mood. Layering in a slight caloric deficit on top of that if the goal is fat loss.

🩸 We actually burn deep fat around our organs (visceral) and the belly fat under our skin when we do heavy resistance training. These weren’t crunches and leg lifts either. These were exercises including squats, bench press, and lunges. Belly fat is believed to be burned during resistance training due to the release of specific hormones.

🩸Being in a small caloric deficit which may include moderate cardio remains important as well. But strength training is key to create metabolically active muscle and release belly fat burning hormones.

🩸I like to put more of a focus on my zone 2 cardio in the second half of my cycle when fat oxidation is high. For my peri and post menopausal women polarized HIIT/SIT cardio is going to do you more good.

Easier periods and better training. Omega-3s are a daily must for me.

Theories have been applied that simply don’t work for real training. Think real training isn’t for you? Would you rather do some yoga and “HIIT” from time to time. Do it! But also, start a real training program to make you strong enough for the activities of daily life until, well…the end of life. *t

🩸 I can't tell you how "easy" it is for me to remain consistent in my training these days. I NEVER thought this would be me. After soccer I thought I was destined to quit program after program for life. But when I learned what my body actually needed from me and when it required rest (hint: not for half your cycle). I finally had permission to take real rest cycles. Which made me more excited and motivated to train when the time was right.

🩸Free guide and tracker here https://drcodyvaunegao.ck.page/tracker to get you started on this journey.

🩸I went in depth into this topic via email, join the list for all things women's hormones and cyclical fitness. https://drcodyvaunegao.ck.page/0e7d7c31b9

Can't wait for our live tonight over on insta -> https://www.instagram.com/dr.codygaofit/ come check it out and drop in any questions you want answered for live #2. Ashley Khristine

Creatine is one of my favorite supplements for training, health, and longevity. The trifecta!