Why Strength Training Beats Cardio For PMOS Fat Loss, Coach Explains

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), now renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) to better reflect its broader metabolic nature, continues to affect millions of women worldwide. 

A fitness influencer has now shared her experience of struggling with weight gain in this condition despite doing daily cardio for long hours. She explained how she later discovered that her approach may have been working against her body's hormonal balance.

In a post shared on Instagram, fat loss coach Sunaina wrote, "I used to do 45 minutes of cardio every single day. My weight didn't move. My bloating got worse. I was exhausted. Then I learned why." 

Intense cardio raises cortisol levels. In people with PMOS, higher cortisol directly promotes fat storage around the abdomen. The more cardio you do, it leads to greater retention of belly fat. 

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A post shared by Sunaina | PCOS/PCOD Fat-Loss Coach (@nainaliftss)

The Switch That Changed Everything

The change came from switching to dumbbell training at a slow to moderate pace three times a week. You can also add low-intensity walking to your routine. The influencer recommended, "not fearing heavy weight lifting." 

Monday - Lower Body Strength

A lower-body strength routine focuses on heavy compound movements followed by targeted accessory work. It targets your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Perform exercises like squats, hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats, Romanian deadlifts and leg press. This full session should take about 60 minutes.

Wednesday - Upper Body Strength

The upper-body strength routine focuses on building power in your chest, back, shoulders and arms. It pairs pushing and pulling movements to keep your joints healthy and balanced. Some exercises include barbell bench press, bent-over rows, overhead shoulder press, lat pulldowns or pull-ups and more. 

Friday - Full Body

The full-body strength routine maximises efficiency by targeting every major muscle group in a single session. It utilises compound movements to build overall power and core stability. Barbell deadlifts, incline dumbbell bench press, goblet squats and seated cable rows are some of the major exercises. 

The influencer also suggested doing a "7-minute walk every 80 minutes, every day". 

"Strength training builds muscle, which directly improves insulin sensitivity, the root issue in PCOS. Walk to lower cortisol. Lift to fix insulin & hormones. That's the PCOS/PMOS formula," she concluded. 

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