Muscle loss

[Joanna Dark]

How long does it take for muscles to atrophy and become markedly less noticeable after starting HRT? I know I have only been on it for three months and that's probably not enough time for any difference and I guess I'm quite tiny and it doesn't matter but I do feel like my neck muscles are huge. I used to work them out constantly in order to make my neck look bigger and now that is seeming like a huge mistake. I guess it's not that big at 12.5-13 inches but proportionally I think it looks big. Mainly I think this cause I am just as strong as I ever was and I tested it out and I can bench 120 lbs. and lift all kinds of other weights. I actually think I might be stronger, though that doesn't seem possible. Maybe my neck isn't that big. I don't stare at people's necks very often lol

[Alainaluvsu]

Around the 10 month mark was when I started noticing very serious atrophy. It wasn't until the 1 year mark that I was wearing tank tops or anything that would show off my upper body. Around the 14 month mark, I was still as muscular as one of my cis gendered female friends who has quite a bit of muscle. When I came back to see her after 6 months (this weekend) at the 20 month mark, she was finally saying she wished she had feminine arms like I have. I used to be able to do 15 pullups, 30 situps a minute, and 50 pushups. Now she's tossing me around the room when we play around.

[Kristen Wave]

Lol I have the same problem Alaina. I was always pretty scrawny because I was a long distance runner in highschool and would run 15-20 miles a day. I was never weak though I could do core workouts like nobodies business. Though after being on hormones for 24 months I can barely fight back against my 5'2 girlfriend lol.... she usually ends up pinning me to the bed and I struggle and then give up.... I don't miss being able to win at all 

Muscular atrophy usually starts at 6 months or so on hrt but it's a slow process so you should really be able to tell that it's happening after 12+ months on hrt. I was on the pill for the first year and a half of hrt but switching to injections sped things up a bit

[Alainaluvsu]

Injections sped things up for me too. The thing is, I was still crawling through attics up til my 8th month on HRT, so I didn't really lose much til my 10th month. Sometimes I wish I had my old strength back just because my roommate still muscles me around. I think he's gotten the point that I don't like it anymore because I am no match for him because he hasn't done that in a few weeks.

[Joanna Dark]

Thanks <hidden member> and Alaina. I had this idea that it should atrophy quick but I guess not. And since both of you were quite active (like I was) I feel better knowing I won't have so much male-type muscle forever.

[<hidden member>]

yea the best advice I can give is to just chill and let things happen. You'll be going about your everyday activities and then suddenly you'll notice it

[Sadie]

<hidden member>
yea the best advice I can give is to just chill and let things happen. You'll be going about your everyday activities and then suddenly you'll notice it

So true.

-Urgh, can't open jar.   
-My 7 year old seems amazingly heavy (45 lbs)? 
-OMG, what's up with this trash?!! 

At 23 months, since I never had much strength to start with, I am so weak!   

[Alainaluvsu]

I always eat what I want, when I want. Hasn't stopped me from losing muscle.

[A]

Sigh, I wish I were seeing such results. I'm on cyproterone (which is supposed to be a stronger antiandrogen than spiro) and my testosterone is really, really low, yet I've only noticed minor change. My biceps are still... yeah, repulsive, my shoulders are still far from thin (though these at least have improved) and my trapezius muscles show but minor improvement. The only exercise I do is bring back the heavy bag from the grocery store, but hey, that's less than once a week, and only for about 10 minutes. :/

My estradiol does is awful, but I'd expect this kind of thing to go well at least. Nope. Super low testosterone and zero muscle training for, uh, ever, and still not-so-good results. Sigh.

If anyone ever tells you there are good sides to being the "wide and large" kind of person, they're lying or delusional. Seriously.

I can still hope it'll improve once my estradiol levels are in an acceptable range, but... Lately, life has been advising against that by crushing my hopes repeatedly for a few years.

[Just Shelly]

I think muscle atrophy is real and does happen...years ago I measured my flexed bicep and it was almost 11 inches...now its little under 10. This isn't big even for a girl...many girls are equal if not bigger...its just I have more muscle then most girls have. I still look so muscular to myself but many people have said I just look in good shape.

I definitely feel weaker then years past but I think so many trans exaggerate their weakness to the extreme. I seemed to have lost more endurance then strength...though my children would argue against that...they always think their so much stronger then me!  I keep telling them I wish they were!! its just that their such skinny minnies...I'm even trying to get my middle one to work out more for football.

[A]

Ew, that's even more extreme than I. Well, what's extreme with me is hunger. If I don't keep an eye on myself I can eat... pretty much endlessly.

[Nicolette]

Something more practical and down to Earth is in order, but the ultimate muscle loss treatment has got to be spending 6 months on the ISS.

I suppose bouncing one's weight down and then up may prove helpful and lay fat and muscle down in a more aesthetic manner. But does muscle build up to where it was after discontinuing a calorie and protein deficient diet?

[A]

Uhm, no, mine has gone down by a lot. Before, I became obese in 3 months. Over fifty pounds, just like that. I still have the stretch marks. I would eat supper, then eat a big 450 g of yogurt with a few cookies, and then I'd still be hungry.

[JennX]

About a year... but it also depends on how receptive your body is to E. I've met more than one MTF on hormones for years that changed very little physically. The little blue pills are not magic. They just push things in the right direction.

[Alainaluvsu]

I definitely feel weaker then years past but I think so many trans exaggerate their weakness to the extreme. I seemed to have lost more endurance then strength..

My experiences too. I had a roommate that swears she has become so weak and fragile after 8 months of hormones, yet she has a fold up bed that I can't even put up, which she does with 1 hand. My lung endurance has gone to crap though. It was never good before, now I can barely run from my door to my car without being out of breath.

I still think I'm probably more stronger than maybe 60-70% of cis women, but I've definitely met some (including my best friend) who undoubtedly are stronger. But all in all, I've only had to ask for somebody to open a jar or something twice since starting HRT.

BTW there's no way I'd ever wear that dress in my avatar pre-hrt. I had very cut and muscular shoulders from crawling around in attics and underneath houses.

[Just Shelly]

Alaina

You do look very natural!! You wear that dress well!! I still feel like I have that muscular look...but I compare myself to other women at the gym and Its not that noticeable...and there are mirrors everywhere their!! maybe its just me!!

I do wear tanks and some dresses with spaghetti straps and I seem to blend well!

I still feel I have the upper strength especially compared to other women...but I also have attempted similar weight routines other women have on machines at the gym and I have a difficult time matching them...so maybe I'm not that strong. I always thought my legs were strong.....but then there's women older then me and half my age that kick my but on a leg press!!

I also get short winded more quickly....but smoking doesn't help either!!

[Kristen Wave]

well Muscle is maintained by testosterone so an anti androgen will prevent muscles from growing larger and should cause them to shrink. Estrogen speeds up the process but the more muscle you have the longer it will take to go away but for the most part it will go away. I guess it's the hardest thing we have to deal with in our transitions, we have to be patient and keep pushing forward.

[Alainaluvsu]

I still feel I have the upper strength especially compared to other women...but I also have attempted similar weight routines other women have on machines at the gym and I have a difficult time matching them...so maybe I'm not that strong. I always thought my legs were strong.....but then there's women older then me and half my age that kick my but on a leg press!!

Women have actually been found to have the same if not slightly more strength in their legs than men do. So I imagine if you're doing leg routines that women have been doing for years and you've just started, I'm sure they'll blow you out of the water.

[JennX]

<hidden member>
well Muscle is maintained by testosterone so an anti androgen will prevent muscles from growing larger and should cause them to shrink. Estrogen speeds up the process but the more muscle you have the longer it will take to go away but for the most part it will go away. I guess it's the hardest thing we have to deal with in our transitions, we have to be patient and keep pushing forward.

You ever see a female bodybuilder? Some are ripped. Its more than just T alone. Muscle use, genetics, and other physiological factors also play a part.

[Keaira]

Alaina

You do look very natural!! You wear that dress well!! I still feel like I have that muscular look...but I compare myself to other women at the gym and Its not that noticeable...and there are mirrors everywhere their!! maybe its just me!!

I do wear tanks and some dresses with spaghetti straps and I seem to blend well!

I still feel I have the upper strength especially compared to other women...but I also have attempted similar weight routines other women have on machine's at the gym and I have a difficult time matching them...so maybe I'm not that strong. I always thought my legs were strong.....but then there's women older then me and half my age that kick my but on a leg press!!

I also get short winded more quickly....but smoking doesn't help either!!

I still look muscular too and its kind of depressing. But it is all shrinking slowly. I started on a really low dosage of E so I just have a little bit of catching up to do. I just wish it were a lil faster.