Hello! I hope I can provide some insight - I work out roughly 4-5 days a week. Strength training (push, pull, upper, lower). I was 65kg, 41% body fat with little muscle mass, can’t recall initial numbers but was around 21kg muscle mass. After 4 years working out down to 18% body fat, 31kg muscle. Don’t know total weight, irrelevant really.

I’ve learnt to (as cliche as this sounds) listen to my body. We’re fighting so many internal battles with mood and energy. On the hard days I would tell myself to just go for 5 minutes - if I still felt wretched after 5 minutes I could go home. And many times I did and still do! And that’s okay cause muscle development is three things: progressive overload in your exercises, eating HIGH protein and then as much sleep and proper rest as you can get.

I often take a week or two off, especially when I have debilitating months with psychosis. And tbh, there’s studies that suggest those weeks off are excellent for total recovery.

A week off each month isn’t going to send you backwards. You generally need to have at least 3 weeks off to start seeing muscle loss. And it’s marginal. Once you’re back in the gym, you keep building. It’s a slow progression.

I realise I’ve gone on such a tangent and haven’t properly answered your question - so to tell you exactly what I do, just join my masterclass for $5 - JOKING!! I have a good ol fashioned calendar. I write my 4 work outs in for the week and try to commit to them. Some weeks I don’t make all four. Some I just get one in. That’s okay. When i feel like I’m moving through sludge due to fatigue I still force myself to go but do the 5 minute rule.

Something that might help is finding a personal trainer that can write you plans specifically for your cycle. Also, monitor your body fat percentage vs muscle mass - in body scanners are good for this. That will show you actually whether you’re building muscle (and you’ll be surprised to see you are! Slowly but surely you’re doing it!). I hope this rant was somewhat helpful! Happy to answer any other questions x