Jenni's Week

Week 15 of pregnancy · week of Oct 26

Stop and call your provider if

Bleeding. Fluid leaking. Regular contractions before 37 weeks. Chest pain. Pain or swelling in one calf. Dizziness that doesn't pass. A headache that won't go. The baby moving less than usual.

This week

You trained five days last week, every session a 4 out of 5, energy a 3, sleep around 7 hours, and three things hurt: cramps on Friday, a strained intercostal, and pressure near your tailbone after deadlifts. This week drops back to three classes plus the 20-minute home day, deadlifts move to a kettlebell or a bar from blocks at a weight you could do 3 more reps with, and anything overhead or twisting that brings the rib pain back gets skipped.

Cramps that come with movement and settle within an hour of rest are common around week 15. Cramps in a regular pattern, cramps with bleeding, or cramps that don't settle are a provider call before your next class. If the tailbone pressure moves low down into the pelvis, or you notice heaviness between your legs, put it on Sunday's form and jumping comes out of the plan.

The plan

Every class standing rules

Class
Whatever's posted. Apply these to it.
Swaps
Barbell only for back squat, deadlift and strict press, at a weight you could do 2 more reps with. Clean, snatch, thruster, push jerk: one or two dumbbells or a kettlebell. Box jumps: step-ups. Kipping pull-ups: ring rows or banded strict. Toes-to-bar and sit-ups: dead bugs, side plank, Pallof press, bird dogs. Anything on your back: 2 minutes at a time, roll to your side between sets. Run and row at a pace you can talk through; bike if running feels heavy.
Ceiling
Strength RPE 7, metcons RPE 6: you can say a full sentence at any point. Exhale on the effort of every rep, no breath-holding under load. Water bottle in hand on the metcon, 500 ml (17 oz) an hour as the floor. Stop a movement if you feel pressure low down or pain in the front of the pelvis, during or the day after.
Skip
Rope climbs, handstand work, kipping pull-ups, toes-to-bar, sit-ups, box jumps, any max-out or 1RM, AMRAP ladders to failure.

This week only from Sunday's form

Changes
Deadlift from a kettlebell or a bar on blocks, not the floor, 3 reps in the tank, exhale as you stand, and stop the set if you feel pressure near your tailbone. Strict press with light dumbbells, and stop the set if the rib pain comes back. Skip anything overhead or twisting that brings it back. Burpees to a box if the floor version pulls on the rib.

Days three classes

Classes
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: whatever's posted, standing rules plus this week's changes.

Friday 20 minutes at home

Do
10 minute walk, then 3 rounds: diaphragmatic breathing 10 breaths, side plank 20 seconds each side, glute bridge 12, bird dog 8 each side, pelvic floor contract-relax 10 with a full relax after each one. Side plank from the knees, or one side only, if the other side brings the rib pain back. This is the rebound work. Don't skip it.
Wednesday and Sunday are off. A walk is fine on either. Hard pieces earlier in the class or shortened on hot days. Eat something with carbohydrate within 2 hours before class. About 340 kcal a day more than before pregnancy, protein around 1.2 g per kg (0.55 g per lb) of bodyweight. If you get heaviness or pressure between your legs, leaking, or pain that stops a session, it goes on Sunday's form and the plan changes before you train again.

Next four weeks

Same three classes and the home day through week 19. At week 20, the end of November, burpees go to plank walk-outs or a box, and if running starts to feel heavy the bike takes its place. Deadlifts come back off the floor once the tailbone pressure has stayed away for two weeks.