Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hello lovely ladies [emoji257]
I've been googling a lot about what are the exercises that works towards feminizing the body. And I have to say some of them are pretty intense, but the only thing that I'm very concerned about and the reason that I'm reluctant to do these exercises is that I'm worried if I will started developing muscles in my body. I've been on hormones since 4 months now and there's still testosterone being produced in my body which can work towards masculining the body. I'm quite slim but I wanna workout to get curves, tummy flattening and feminization. I will really appreciate it if someone could guide or inform me about the workouts that aren't muscles gaining.
Thank you so much [emoji175]



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 A flat stomach comes from fat loss.  Curves come from fat gain.  What is your priority?


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 Wait until your T-levels drop, then you should start losing your bulk no matter what.

Even strength exercises (very good activity to burn fat) don't build bulk if done with lower weights and higher number of repetitions.

To target your tummy, do lots of 'plank holds', sit-up, crunches and maybe knee pushups (the way most ladies do pushups). With your own body weight - it shouldn't build any bulk


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Strength exercises with low reps (1 to 5) and high weight build strength without much size.  Moderate reps (6 to 12) with a lower weight build bulk.  High reps with a low weight just burns calories and builds endurance.


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Quote from: elkie-t on January 10, 2018, 01:14:48 PM
Wait until your T-levels drop, then you should start losing your bulk no matter what.

Even strength exercises (very good activity to burn fat) don't build bulk if done with lower weights and higher number of repetitions.

To target your tummy, do lots of 'plank holds', sit-up, crunches and maybe knee pushups (the way most ladies do pushups). With your own body weight - it shouldn't build any bulk


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Duly Noted.
But doing exercises like sit-ups and push-up, wouldn't that make my feet and hands look more stronger?
I was doing squats but I realised that it's a lot of work on legs than hips, I was feeling more pain in my feet and stopped doing exercises immediately


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Quote from: Bonita_Love on January 10, 2018, 01:21:14 PM
Duly Noted.
But doing exercises like sit-ups and push-up, wouldn't that make my feet and hands look more stronger?

No, those exercises won't have any effect on your feet and hands.



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Quote from: Deborah on January 10, 2018, 01:20:43 PM
Strength exercises with low reps (1 to 5) and high weight build strength without much size.  Moderate reps (6 to 12) with a lower weight build bulk.  High reps with a low weight just burns calories and builds endurance.

I've read exactly opposite... High weight low reps => bulk. Lower weights higher number of reps => no bulk.

Quote from: Deborah on January 10, 2018, 12:22:21 PM
A flat stomach comes from fat loss.  Curves come from fat gain.  What is your priority?


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I don't yearn for a kim k curve but juuust a little feminine curve. I'm slim but I don't have the curve that girls usually have which makes me pretty insecure about my body.
I have also started to see a little tummy bulge coming out. So I wanna work towards stomachache flattening and also curve (if possible)


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Quote from: Bonita_Love on January 10, 2018, 01:21:14 PM
Duly Noted.
But doing exercises like sit-ups and push-up, wouldn't that make my feet and hands look more stronger?
I was doing squats but I realised that it's a lot of work on legs than hips, I was feeling more pain in my feet and stopped doing exercises immediately

Stronger does not mean bigger. It's called functional strength and where I exercise (Thai boxing/ mma style gym) many women do the same exercises without any visible bulking.

Similarly, both guys and gals going through US Army boot camp don't show a lot of bulk (not as your regular body-builders at gym), even though they are very strong and fit.

You should be able to pull your own butt around, no matter what is your sex. Right?

Sit-ups aren't squats, btw. Another name is curl ups - you lay on your back and lift your body up, then back. No major effect on your legs in this exercise. Crutches are opposite - you lay flat on your back and lift legs. Still, other than flutes (butt muscles) - no effect on the legs, only on lower abdominal muscles.


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On another hand - female curves come not from muscles, but from fat... once you have enough E, new fat should start depositing itself into the right places. But it will take time. Brazilian butt lift, fat liposuction and transplantation might be faster means to achieve desired effects.

Dressing to hide lack of curves and some padding might help to achieve same results until your body catches up.


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Quote from: elkie-t on January 10, 2018, 01:32:48 PM
I've read exactly opposite... High weight low reps => bulk. Lower weights higher number of reps => no bulk.

High weight with 1 to 5 reps (more reps are not possible at that weight) primarily causes central nervous system adaptations that enable greater force production.  More reps (6 to 12) with a fairly heavy weight causes the muscle cells themselves to enlarge.  (There is some overlap)

Really low weight with lots of reps just burns calories and really does very little else.


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Quote from: Deborah on January 10, 2018, 01:32:12 PM
No, those exercises won't have any effect on your feet and hands.



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I believe you but it just doesn't sound promising


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@elkie-t looking forward to start these.


Your thoughts are MORE than welcome.


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Quote from: Bonita_Love on January 10, 2018, 02:25:24 PM
@elkie-t looking forward to start these


Your thoughts are MORE than welcome.

Looks good, but I'd do exercises on the back (like starfish crunches) with a straight leg, not a bent one.

I'd still supplement it with curl ups as well, and plank / knee pushups (with focus on keeping butt low and ab muscles tight).

What I liked about this routine is focus on side ab muscles as well (those twists and Spider-Man plank). Also, if you don't want to load arm muscles, plank can be done on your elbows.

Quote from: elkie-t on January 10, 2018, 03:26:05 PM

Thanks ton. I'll add these in my exercises list too...

I'm also considering about doing bikram yoga too. I heard yoga helps increase flexibility, femininity, and also lessens mental stress. :-)



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What I do to enhance my butt is a lot of squats and side lifts. Then I hold on to a support and bend over and raise one leg as high as I can backward and upward and then to the side. Don't forget to work the calf's as well. Doing a lot of waist twisting  will also enhance the waist to hip profile.

Also, get your weight down with aerobic exercise. Nothing feminizes like having a skinny figure.

Quote from: Bonita_Love on January 10, 2018, 11:12:47 AM
Hello lovely ladies [emoji257]
I've been googling a lot about what are the exercises that works towards feminizing the body. And I have to say some of them are pretty intense, but the only thing that I'm very concerned about and the reason that I'm reluctant to do these exercises is that I'm worried if I will started developing muscles in my body. I've been on hormones since 4 months now and there's still testosterone being produced in my body which can work towards masculining the body. I'm quite slim but I wanna workout to get curves, tummy flattening and feminization. I will really appreciate it if someone could guide or inform me about the workouts that aren't muscles gaining.
Thank you so much [emoji175]



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Dancing. perhaps?  I am not good on advice, but i hope it helps.

Quote from: Deborah on January 10, 2018, 01:20:43 PM
Strength exercises with low reps (1 to 5) and high weight build strength without much size.  Moderate reps (6 to 12) with a lower weight build bulk.  High reps with a low weight just burns calories and builds endurance.


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So since my goal is to increase booty and leg mass, I have to do the second option, moderate reps with fairly heavy weight (not super heavy) right?

Quote from: Charlie Nicki on January 11, 2018, 09:21:18 AM
So since my goal is to increase booty and leg mass, I have to do the second option, moderate reps with fairly heavy weight (not super heavy) right?

Rep range from 6 to 12 with weight heavy enough that you couldn't do more than one or two more reps will increase muscle size.  You also have to be eating sufficient protein, around 1.5g x bodyweight in kg and excess calories overall.  You don't need to go overboard in calories, just a little above your maintenance level.

In my opinion though it's best to get strong first so that you can lift enough weight to get the best results in muscle growth.  For that a good rep range is five so that you can lift heavier to stimulate nervous system adaptations while still stimulating some muscle size increase.  If you haven't been lifting already you can drastically increase your strength very quickly this way with a 3x5 program like Starting Strength (a book) or a 5x5 program like Stronglifts (a free website).  I used the 3x5 program starting at the end of last May and have increased my 5 rep squats by 122 lbs (83% increase) and 5 rep deadlift deadlift by 117 lbs (52% increase) so far.

Progress may be somewhat slower than it would be with high testosterone but steady progress to a pretty high strength level will continue with good programming and adequate sleep and nutrition.


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Women squatting heavy
Most men can't lift that much
https://youtu.be/YC5WuW5cNIQ


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I wouldn't go into bodybuilding domain for feminization... functional strength exercises with own  body weight should be ok, more than that - you'd better know what you're doing

Quote from: Bonita_Love on January 10, 2018, 11:12:47 AM
Hello lovely ladies [emoji257]
I've been googling a lot about what are the exercises that works towards feminizing the body. And I have to say some of them are pretty intense, but the only thing that I'm very concerned about and the reason that I'm reluctant to do these exercises is that I'm worried if I will started developing muscles in my body. I've been on hormones since 4 months now and there's still testosterone being produced in my body which can work towards masculining the body. I'm quite slim but I wanna workout to get curves, tummy flattening and feminization. I will really appreciate it if someone could guide or inform me about the workouts that aren't muscles gaining.
Thank you so much [emoji175]



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You're cute!!

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Quote from: Deborah on January 11, 2018, 09:59:31 AM
Rep range from 6 to 12 with weight heavy enough that you couldn't do more than one or two more reps will increase muscle size.  You also have to be eating sufficient protein, around 1.5g x bodyweight in kg and excess calories overall.  You don't need to go overboard in calories, just a little above your maintenance level.

In my opinion though it's best to get strong first so that you can lift enough weight to get the best results in muscle growth.  For that a good rep range is five so that you can lift heavier to stimulate nervous system adaptations while still stimulating some muscle size increase.  If you haven't been lifting already you can drastically increase your strength very quickly this way with a 3x5 program like Starting Strength (a book) or a 5x5 program like Stronglifts (a free website).  I used the 3x5 program starting at the end of last May and have increased my 5 rep squats by 122 lbs (83% increase) and 5 rep deadlift deadlift by 117 lbs (52% increase) so far.

Progress may be somewhat slower than it would be with high testosterone but steady progress to a pretty high strength level will continue with good programming and adequate sleep and nutrition.


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Thanks.

Quote from: Charlie Nicki on January 12, 2018, 07:58:32 AM
Thanks.

Also, as Elkie mentioned above, good form is important with heavy weights.  This is particularly true with squats and deadlift where the lower back is under a lot of load.  While it is easy to get injured, it's also easy to prevent that by learning the proper movement form at the beginning.  The most important thing is keeping your back flexed and rigid and avoiding letting it get rounded during the movement.  So it's important to start off with a somewhat easy weight until your body learns to feel the right positioning.  The book I mentioned above, "Starting Strength" goes into excruciating detail on the correct form for these movements.  That's what I used since I had nobody to teach me in person.


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Thanks Deborah. It does seem like a lot of work (and patience) ugh...I'm really considering just attending group classes at the gym.

Quote from: Charlie Nicki on January 12, 2018, 03:40:36 PM
Thanks Deborah. It does seem like a lot of work (and patience) ugh...I'm really considering just attending group classes at the gym.

That would be my advice to anyone but life-time fitness person (because lifetime fitness person won't ask my advice anyway). Join group classes, do routines the women way (as other women do, use women's weights, etc). With HRT (low T, average female E), you should get same results as other female, I would think

Thanks Elkie. What about the escalator machine? Does it help to get a cuter butt and legs? The times I've used it I can really feel my legs burn but my friends say it's just cardio. Isn't it the same as going up on stairs? People usually say doing that really works your butt.

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Quote from: Charlie Nicki on January 13, 2018, 09:28:39 AM
Thanks Elkie. What about the escalator machine? Does it help to get a cuter butt and legs? The times I've used it I can really feel my legs burn but my friends say it's just cardio. Isn't it the same as going up on stairs? People usually say doing that really works your butt.

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The stair stepper is good to work your legs and glutes (butt).  It's good cardio and will help to firm up those muscles.


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I don't know... Female butt is not muscles, but fat, you cannot replace fat with muscles and doing exercises might actually burn fat... I don't know.

To grow butt muscles bigger, I'd think squats (with weights), leg press or hiking mountains with a heavy backpack would be more beneficial than running escalators without any weight.


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