Men vs. Women in Fitness: Who Really Has It Harder?

Men and women both have their own unique biological makeups that increase the difficulty level of reaching their fitness goals. Whether it's age, hormones, lifestyles, or just simply bad luck, we're going to dive in and find out, who really has it harder?

The Age-Old Debate

For probably as long as anyone can remember, possibly back to our caveman origins, men and women have argued who has it worse.

We won't get into the topics of everyday lifestyles and expectations, but what we can get into is the scientific makeup of what makes our fitness journeys harder, and what makes us tick like clockwork. And speaking of clockwork, let's get into our first topic.

Women's Biological Clock

No, we're not talking about your reproductive ability, but the hormone imbalances caused by that not so special time of the month.

Due to imbalances in estrogen and progesterone, this can lead to:

1. Hunger spikes

2. Decreased metabolism

3. Water retention and bloating

And for our menopausal era, we haven't forgotten about you. You have it just as hard with much of the same symptoms.

With something so out of your control, surely women have it harder; right?

Men's Biological Clock

While women have it pretty bad, men aren't much better off in this front. As men age, your testosterone levels start to fall, leading to symptoms such as:

1. Reduced muscle mass (which leads to a lower BMI)

2. Slower metabolism

3. Increased fat storage (which means the test you do have turns this fat into estrogen)

And that's just on the physical side of things. This can also lead to symptoms of fatigue, making it that much harder to get up and do something productive in the gym.

So with that, I'd say we have a draw on the age category. But there's still so much more to cover before we can put this behind us. Which leads us to the next topic.

Where Does the Fat Sit?

For women, this fat tends to be more around the thighs, hips, and butt in a form of fat known as subcutaneous fat. Unlike visceral fat, which men tend to store more of, subcutaneous fat sits just under the skin and is pretty tricky to get rid of. Visceral fat on the other hand sits around your organs. While not harmless, it is seen as easier to get rid of.

But why do women naturally store much more subcutaneous fat? Well, science tells us that this is to prepare women for pregnancy and nursing.

This takes a tremendous number of calories, in excess of thousands, to carry out these feats. To prevent the mother from burning out or dying, her body tends to carry more subcutaneous fat stores to help fuel her through these processes.

But science also tells us the reason for men's visceral fat storage. See visceral fat is highly receptive to cortisol, a hormone released by stress. When cortisol is released into the body, the visceral fat is then used up as a source of fuel to power intense activities.

And I'm sorry to say men, but in this case, women do have it harder. Due to visceral fat being easier to strip away and is generally less visible, we've got to give it up to our women on this one. But it's not over yet, we still have a calorie dense topic to discuss next.

The Double Edge Sword with BMR

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body uses at rest just to keep you alive. For men, this averages ~2,500 calories per day, where women average ~2,000 per day. But what does this mean?

Well, the double-edged sword is for men. See while men can lose weight easier by doing the same amount of work as a woman, this also makes it harder to gain muscle as well. If you've ever attempted to put on some serious muscle, you know that packing in the calories at five meals per day is rough. You're bloated and full all the time, making it harder to find that motivation to now put all that fuel to work in the gym, though it does eventually even out as your stomach expands.

So yes, while women have it harder for losing weight in this category since you have to eat less from less calories, men aren't out of this running either. So, for that, we're calling this one a draw. But don't sleep on this next topic. Men still have a chance for a comeback!

The Hidden Weight of Stress and Sleep

Let’s talk about two major silent killers of progress: chronic stress and poor sleep — and yes, men, this hits you hard.

High stress spikes cortisol, your stress hormone. While this may sound like it helps burn fat (since we said visceral fat responds to cortisol), when cortisol is constantly high, it actually causes:

1. Muscle breakdown

2. Sugar cravings

3. Fat retention, especially in the belly

4. Lower testosterone levels

Pair that with less than 6–7 hours of sleep, and you're now sabotaging growth hormone production, recovery, and your body's ability to burn fat efficiently.

So while women battle hormones on a cycle, men often burn out slowly — over time — through high stress and poor recovery.

Yep. This one goes to the men.

Final Thoughts: Different Battles, Same War

Whether you're battling monthly hormone fluctuations or slow-burning testosterone drops, your body isn’t broken — it's responding exactly how it was designed to.

But just because the game is harder doesn't mean you can’t win.

That’s where we come in.

MetaMentor - Built for Every Body

Whether you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or just get back into a routine that doesn’t suck the life out of you:

Our AI-powered coaching adjusts to your body’s changing needs

You’ll get macro goals, custom workouts, and real-time guidance

You’ll stay accountable with your personal AI coach, available 24/7

Your journey doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be personal. And we’ll help make it that way.

Start Your Personalized Plan with MetaMentor Today