Body toning

[Mari]

Hello everybody
i have the following problem:

I started HRT over a year ago, and i was overweight back then.
I lost a lot of weight since then, even though i am still far from
ideal. During that time i didn't exercisse a lot, so even though i am
much slimmer now, my skin lost its tone on some places, especially
upper arms. I seem to have gotten "bat wings" as they call it
So what specific exercisses can u recommend for body toning, and
particualry upper arms? I am considering to join a gym/fitness centre
and will be able to consult fitess trainer there, but the porblem is
that i am still presenting as a boy, so i might be recommended stuff
like weight lifting, which is not good for ppl in transition, and i don't
ant to bulk up-- just to firm my body and keep losing weight. So
what do u think... pilates, tae bo? please share your experience
and opinion with me.
all the best
M.

[Virginia87106]

If you are not used to exercise please either see a doctor for approval or take things very slow and gradual.,

For toning keep the weight low, so you can do 20-25 reps with the weight.  This will tone but will not bulk you up.  For the fastest result, do  arm extensions:  elbow pointing at the sky and your hand behind your ear.  With the weight slowly extend your arm straight up.  Also do bicep curls with low weight also to stay balanced.  Do 3 sets each.  Start carefully so as not to injure yourself.  Use very light weight until you have your technique down.  Do the exercises every other day to give your arms a recovery period.Resist the tendency to do the exercises fast, go slow, with nice controlled effort.

Take pictures of your arms before you start, and compare them after three months.

[Valerie Elizabeth]

ROCK CLIMBING!  Sorry, I just need to get a rock climbing plug in every now and then.

It is definitely good for toning you up.  I like it because there is something else "going on" other than just lifting weights.  I found though, and have found that it is common for people to start climbing at a gym, and then you get hooked and HAVE to climb outside.  Just be careful!  In the beginning, rock climbing is pretty much a leg and arm workout.  After you get some technique, and start working some harder climbs, it turns into a whole body workout.



For just weights, high reps and low weight is the way to go.  Ask a trainer at a gym or something.

[Mari]

So i finally joined gym some 2 weeks ago. As i said, i am still pre full time but on HRT over a year now, so i go there  in boy mode (like there is any other, as of yet ), and i told the trainers there i don't want to bulk up, just to get in shape, tone my body and lose weight. I use treadmill, exercise bicycle and other cardio exercisses... (i'm not quite sure i will explain the following well in english but ill try):
I don't "lift weight" in a way bodybuilders do, i use those machines like for the abbs, arms, legs, butt so on, where you work on but with ceratin weight added on that you lift... Trainer said taht if you don't want to bulk up, you should do many repetitions but with low mass, and i have seen woman
at the gym use it the same way the same way i do... I hope you understood what i meant... so i am just little worried it might be contraproductive for my tranistion, and my aim to feminise my body? Or is it? I have never worked out before HRT, so i never had more than normal level of muscle mass for males, and now over a year on AA & E i am just worrined not to gain any muscle and look any more masculine due to my efforts to lose weight. Hope someone can help me with this. Thanx

[Hannah]

I think it's awesome that you're doing all that cardio, keep it up! I quit lifting any weight at all in the upper body area, I wanted to cooperate with what the hormones are trying to do and help atrophy those muscles as much as possible. No doubt resistance exercise would help with weight loss, I just personally can't bring myself to do it.