Feminization Fitness

[RedheadWhovian]

Not entirely sure if this is a good place to post this question, but does anyone have any good tips on exercises for feminization? I was thinking of jogging a lot, and stretching. I'm also doing 15-minute daily breast massages.

[V]

I'd be interested to find out about this too.
I'm on a drive to try and 'rescue' my femininity.

[Confetti]

I know a lot of celebrities like Kim Kardashian exercise wearing a waist trainer which helps get their curves, obviously there are other factors to achieve her body too lol..
I think i'm going to give that a go, but as i've never done it i can't vouch for it yet haha!

[Michelle_P]

I use a combination of moderate intensity aerobics, and variations of plank poses to work on tightening core muscle for a better waist shape.

Stats, so far:
Weight: 140
Height: 5' 8"
Chest: 38". (Alas, little AAs on that...)
Waist: 28"
Hips: 36"

I also track every bite, for calories (protein, fat, carbs), sodium, and potassium intake.  Helps with keeping my endocrinologist happy with the blood work. I use MyFitnessPal, the free version, for that.

[RedheadWhovian]

Thank you for the tips, ladies .

[ChasingAlice]

I've seen what jogging/working out can do with a waist trainer vs waist trainer vest. go with the vest if you can.

[barbie]

Just running and some stretching before and after it.
In summer, I tend to eat less as I have to expose my body more.

barbie~~

[V]

I use a combination of moderate intensity aerobics, and variations of plank poses to work on tightening core muscle for a better waist shape.

Stats, so far:
Weight: 140
Height: 5' 8"
Chest: 38". (Alas, little AAs on that...)
Waist: 28"
Hips: 36"

I also track every bite, for calories (protein, fat, carbs), sodium, and potassium intake.  Helps with keeping my endocrinologist happy with the blood work. I use MyFitnessPal, the free version, for that.

I am really impressed with your waist measurement!
I would like to achieve that, but I'm not very up on exercise routines. What plank poses do you use?
My stats are:
Weight: 140
Height: 5' 6.5"
Chest: 33" (A-cup on top of that)
Waist: 31"
Hips: 38"

I have broad flat shoulders unfortunately, so when my weight goes much below 140, I start to look really gaunt, plus my Adam's Apple really starts to show then too
But I'd really like to trim my waist down a bit so I get some semblance of curves instead of being so "straight".
I broke my back in an accident so doing sit-ups and such are out of the question.
I had to wear a back brace for months after that, but then I swapped it for a waist cincher which really helped to give me support (and shape), but as soon as I took it off, my waist underneath just assumed it's usual girth, so I doubt a waist trainer would work for me.
Hence the questions about specific exercises.

[EmilyMK03]

I run for 30 min, 6 days a week.  One day for rest.  Without testosterone, we have less muscle mass, so we burn less calories while in a resting state.  So doing cardio exercise on a regular basis is more important than ever.

I also do strength training 3-4 days a week.  I do hip abductions, squats, and lunges to help tone my gluteus muscles (to get a bigger and firmer butt!).  And I do twist crunches and leg lifts to strengthen my core.  I also throw in a few dozen pushups to keep my upper body strong.  Yes, pushups!  They're great for women too!  Since I don't have any more testosterone, I don't have to worry about bulking up.  Doing pushups will help your arms look lean, removing that flabby fat in your upper arms that plague so many women.  You'll also end up with a naturally better posture and the appearance of larger breasts.  (I really don't think massaging breasts does anything btw)

I run in the morning, and on the days that I do strength training, I do it in the evening.  That way my metabolism gets kick-started with the morning cardio.  And my muscles have time to recover from the strength training while I sleep after working them out in the evening.

I'm 5' 7" and have gotten down to a very lean 125 lbs with this workout routine and healthy eating.  Oh, and no equipment or gym membership either... running doesn't cost anything, and all of my strength exercises are done on a $20 yoga mat I bought at Wal-Mart.  I use two 1-gallon milk jugs filled with water for my weights when I do my lunges.

[V]

@Emily, Wow! That sounds intensive!
All I do is go for a brisk walk for 1 hour every day.
I remember losing weight before and I got down to about 125lbs, and my work colleagues and family thought I was ill because I looked so thin. In fact a couple of women at work asked me if I had cancer because they thought I looked gaunt and emaciated.
My goal isn't really to lose weight though, I'm happy with being 140. I just want to be a bit more 'curvy', so I figure if I can trim my waist down a bit that might work...

[jujubes1986]

omg i have to work out and lose weight before my srs... emily is right after srs no more testoterone and muscle mass will go down and it will be hard to lose weight,,, im 29 145 lbs now height is 5'6... im gonna try emily's work out...

[EmilyMK03]

omg i have to work out and lose weight before my srs... emily is right after srs no more testoterone and muscle mass will go down and it will be hard to lose weight,,, im 29 145 lbs now height is 5'6... im gonna try emily's work out...

You're still quite young, so it should be a lot easier to lose weight once you put in the effort.  It gets more difficult as you get older.    I'm 39 yrs old, so if I can do it while 10 yrs older than you, you can most definitely do it too!

Oh, and here's a photo of me from a few weeks ago (I don't take pictures very often).  You can see my upper arms in this photo, and see that I don't have any flabby fat there.  That's due to doing pushups and strength training on my arms!  A lot of women ignore upper body strength training, but it's actually really important if you want slender, toned arms.

[Michelle_P]

I would like to achieve that, but I'm not very up on exercise routines. What plank poses do you use?

I'm using an elliptical trainer at a moderate resistance level for 60 minutes, 5 times a week. (It shows a distance of around 5.3 miles and 470 calories burned when I'm done, for whatever that's worth.).   I try to just push on the arm levers, not pull, as I've gotten some tendon problems from pulling in the past.

The planking exercises are something to try to get in several times a week:

The side plank-up is performed by lying on the side of the body with the feet staggered for support and the forearm perpendicular to the torso. The hips are lifted so that the body forms a straight line; the body is then returned to the original position.
With the fly-up, the legs are held against the wall with the knees at a 90-degree angle. The legs are extended against the wall as the torso rolls forward as the hands touch the feet. The abs should be kept tight the entire time.

The side planks seem to do OK at keeping the waist under control.

I've got some back issues, and I am in my early 60s, so crunches, sit-ups, and other things that are rough on the back muscles and spinal column are off-limits for me.

[V]

omg i have to work out and lose weight before my srs... emily is right after srs no more testoterone and muscle mass will go down and it will be hard to lose weight,,, im 29 145 lbs now height is 5'6... im gonna try emily's work out...

Nah! Don't fret so much. 145 is not overweight by any means. I recently lost 30lbs by simply watching and regulating what I eat, and doing a brisk 1 hour walk every day. I am 13 years post op and in my mid 40's.
By all means lose weight if you feel it's what you need to do, but it's entirely possible to do so after SRS and later in life too. I have really poor motivation so if I can lose weight, others should easily be able to.

I'm using an elliptical trainer at a moderate resistance level for 60 minutes, 5 times a week. (It shows a distance of around 5.3 miles and 470 calories burned when I'm done, for whatever that's worth.).   I try to just push on the arm levers, not pull, as I've gotten some tendon problems from pulling in the past.

The planking exercises are something to try to get in several times a week:The side planks seem to do OK at keeping the waist under control.

I've got some back issues, and I am in my early 60s, so crunches, sit-ups, and other things that are rough on the back muscles and spinal column are off-limits for me.

I won't be able to get one of those elliptical trainers, so hopefully my walking will suffice. Anyway, me and my other half both walk together, after work. We chat about the day and try to push each other to complete the walk.

I will definitely try those planking exercises though, thank you for the info.
My back is a disaster area so I must be careful what I do.

- EDIT - So I tried the normal planking exercise, and that wasn't too bad. I was surprised I could hold that for 40 sec. Then I tried the side planking ones, Oh My! They are TOUGH!
I managed just 10 up and down reps both sides. Now I am knackered! But strangely feel good too.
There's no way I can do the fly-up one though, my back won't allow that one.

In fact I now feel I can face going into work today, after all.
I will try and do these moves every day. The whole thing took less than 3 mins, so not difficult to fit it in.
Thanks again

[SadieBlake]

I think it's hard to beat running or cycling as paths to being fit without bulking up. Swimming is great also and if you know how it can build core strength.

Having more upper body strength than is ideal for those, I've addressed strength training with a combination of 3-4 reps to failure, sets of 3-4 which will build strength with minimal muscle bulk and very high rep counts, 30+ at light weight for endurance.

Be very careful doing those high intensity reps, that's limit by definition and poor form can result in injuries.

p.s. also be sure to fully recover from strength workouts before doing more, pushing sore muscles builds muscle mass.

[Debra]

First few years of transition, I did a lot of yoga and zumba (1 hr each 2x/week) but after a while, I started doing regular fast walking cardio and extensive ab work. I never really felt like I got any muscle atrophy going.

More recently I've gone into full blown weight lifting mode, strength training all muscles (except pecks due to BA).

At this point, I'm trying to own my 'fit' body. I'm a fit girl and I work out 6 days a week. It's been that way for years and I've gotten used to people commenting on my 'guns' lol. My gfs are even jealous of my fitness so I can't complain too much. My muscles do match my 5'9 frame.

I count calories and try to eat a low carb, whole food diet.

The thing I will say is I do have somewhat of an hourglass shape (not as extreme as I'd like but 39"-32"-38")

[jujubes1986]

You're still quite young, so it should be a lot easier to lose weight once you put in the effort.  It gets more difficult as you get older.    I'm 39 yrs old, so if I can do it while 10 yrs older than you, you can most definitely do it too!

Oh, and here's a photo of me from a few weeks ago (I don't take pictures very often).  You can see my upper arms in this photo, and see that I don't have any flabby fat there.  That's due to doing pushups and strength training on my arms!  A lot of women ignore upper body strength training, but it's actually really important if you want slender, toned arms.

Thank you girl... but i will definetly try your work out regime at home... i just need a little motivation hahaha... i cant do push up because of my breast implants being under the muscle... im scared that it will pop...

[jujubes1986]

Nah! Don't fret so much. 145 is not overweight by any means. I recently lost 30lbs by simply watching and regulating what I eat, and doing a brisk 1 hour walk every day. I am 13 years post op and in my mid 40's.
By all means lose weight if you feel it's what you need to do, but it's entirely possible to do so after SRS and later in life too. I have really poor motivation so if I can lose weight, others should easily be able to.

thank you for the advice V...

[V]

OK, so in part due to reading and contributing to this thread, I've decided to try a daily workout in addition to my 1 hour brisk walk.
The routine I've come up with is as follows:

Some warmup stretches
Planking hold for 40 seconds
Side planking 10 reps each side
Attempt to do 10 press-ups
60 star jumps on the spot

After that little lot I'm completely knackered and my heart is racing, which I guess is a good thing.
Have done this for 3 days now and my muscles ache something terrible, so I'm only going to do this Monday Thru Friday, and have a break at the weekends. Hopefully give my poor body some time to recover.
I found the push-ups the most difficult by far, and I can't actually do them properly, I just lever myself up somehow. This is in stark contrast to 20 years ago before transitioning or hrt, when I could do push-ups easily, and actually do that thing where you clap your hands at the top of the push-up. HRT really takes away those muscles!

I will do this routine for a month and then measure my body again and compare it with what I posted earlier. My target is that 28" waist. Lets see how many months it takes...

[EmilyMK03]

I found the push-ups the most difficult by far, and I can't actually do them properly, I just lever myself up somehow. This is in stark contrast to 20 years ago before transitioning or hrt, when I could do push-ups easily, and actually do that thing where you clap your hands at the top of the push-up. HRT really takes away those muscles!

If you can't do proper pushups yet, that's ok.  You can start by doing them on your knees instead of on your toes, then eventually move up to the standard pushup form.  Here's a short video of a woman demonstrating how to do pushups correctly:

Code Select Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSZjbGUTsdI

It's not necessary to do a lot.  In the notes for the YouTube video, Dominica writes: "Push-ups are a great upper body and chest exercise for both men and women. They're my favorite exercise for women. Start by doing 3 sets of 10-15 reps 3x per week. Do them on your knees if you have to when you first start. After the first week increase to 4 sets then 5 sets.  Push-ups are also great for your core, abs, triceps, and shoulders."