Cycle-aware, real reply
Woke up with really bad cramps, first day of my period, and I feel drained. HIIT is on the plan this morning. What should I do?
Priya, sorry you're dealing with that on day 1 — let's dial today *down*, not skip, per your rule to adjust on heavy symptom days.
Your plan this morning is HIIT conditioning with kettlebell swings, burpees, box jumps, and rower — all high-impact / high-pressure moves that are the worst mix for bad cramps and feeling drained.
Here's what I'd do:
Swap HIIT for a low-intensity movement session, 25-30 min in the gym morning slot:
- 10-15 min easy rower or walk - conversational pace, RPE 3-4/10, no intervals
- Then gentle mobility: cat-cow, hip flexor stretch, thoracic openers, slow bodyweight squats, glute bridges - 10 min
- Stop the burpees and box jumps completely today - jumping + cramping rarely goes well
- Skip kettlebell swings today unless cramps ease a lot with the easy warm-up
If even that feels like too much when you start, it's fine to make it just a 15-20 min walk + stretch. Keeping the morning habit matters more than pushing intensity.
This won't hurt your squat 80kg x 5 goal — one adjusted conditioning day preserves recovery for your next lower strength days.
A couple quick checks:
- Do you feel okay to try that gentle version, or are you dizzy, nauseous, or in too much pain to move at all?
- Does light walking usually ease your cramps a bit, or make them worse?
Rest, hydrate, heat if that helps you, and let pain be the guide — if cramps spike, get sharp, or you feel faint, stop and rest today and tell me, we'll shift HIIT to later in the week.
Want me to officially lighten today's workout in your plan to that recovery version?







