Susan's Place Transgender Resources

NOTE: The diet in this article is aimed at bulking up (gaining weight in muscle), but the exercise routine is general (may be used by people who want to be fit and trim, whether they want to lose or gain weight). As a general rule, aerobic exercise of any kind, for at least 12 continuous minutes at your Target Heart Rate, is the way to go to lose fat. The ideal combination is a mix of bodybuilding (weights) and aerobic exercises, split on different days of the week, and always starting and ending your routines with stretching exercises, to avoid injury and keeping flexible/nimble muscles and joints.

Well, some of you guys already know who I am; for those who don't, before I became a MTF, I was a high-level bodybuilder, my arms were bigger than 18 inches, naturally (no steroids). I did bicep curls for reps with more than 220 pounds (no one else at the gym could do this) and I did all that without ever touching steroids (taking testosterone). I really want to help you guys because I know I can, I spent more than 5 years of my life becoming a top athlete before my feminine side really took over, and I really want to share with you the world of knowledge I acquired while being a bodybuilder.

Now, please bear with me, this is very long but very useful, specially for beginners. There may be lots of typos and spelling errors, because it's lengthy and I had no time to spell-check it thoroughly.

Next are some ideas to get you started, with special focus on avoiding injuries and making sure you get results from day one, BEFORE you ever hit the gym -- most of the ideas described here are based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's  book: "The Education of a Bodybuilder" and my own experience as a bodybuilder.

Start for maybe a couple of months with free hand exercises, in your case as FTM, geared to emphasize your upper body. I'll mention some specific exercises later. Following I'll describe the main aspects of starting an exercise routine, from square one.

WARNING: BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, SPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NEVER EXERCISED INTENSELY BEFORE, OR ARE OF AN OLDER AGE, OR HAVE ANY KIND OF SERIOUS DISEASE:

PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN AND ASK HIM/HER TO GIVE YOU GREEN LIGHT TO START A FREE-HANDS TRAINING PROGRAM AT HOME, AND IF IT'S THE CASE, TELL HIM/HER YOU PLAN TO START A WEIGHT-TRAINING PROGRAM AT THE GYM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. WHEN I STARTED BODYBUILDING FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS 16 YEARS OLD AND IN OPTIMAL PHYSICAL SHAPE, SO I HAD NO PROBLEMS OR INJURIES AND I WAS ABLE TO PROGRESS INCREDIBLY FAST, AND I WISH THE SAME THING HAPPENS TO YOU!


The best time to exercise is: about an hour before you eat, or two hours after a full meal. Always eat something about two hours before exercising, to have the necessary energy for a workout.
NEVER TRAIN right after or before a meal.
The hour doesn't matter, but if the place is cold, you should ve very careful and really warm up with stretching exercises and sets with high repetitions, before starting a hard workout.

Wear something comfortable always, and cotton-made (the best sweat absorber). If weather is cold, wear a tank top and a sweatshirt with pants; if it's hot, shorts and a tank top.


Correct breathing general rule: Breath in (inhale) when there's no pressure, breath out (exhale) when there's pressure. IOW: Inhale when you prepare to lift the weight, exhale while you are actually lifting the weight, pretty simple. When doing very demanding exercises, like squats or lunges, it is best to fill both your chest and stomach (diaphragm breathing). You accomplish this when your stomach bloats up first and then your chest, while inhaling. It is best to inhale solely through your nose (the air is 100% clean this way) and exhale through your mouth, although for very demanding exercises, like heavy-weight squats, inhaling from both nose and mouth is advised.


To gain muscles fast, you need a high-protein high-calorie diet. Your body can utilize only 30-50 grams of protein per meal. It is by far better to have 5-6 smaller meals a day, than three large ones. You should eat every 3 hours approximately (example: 7 and 10 am, 1, 4, 7 and 10 pm). That doesn't have to be followed religiously, but it is best to have a 2 1/2 and 4-hour space between meals, as a margin.

Milk, lean protein from animals (fish, meat, chicken breast) protein shakes with fruit and vegetables are the basis of a bodybuilder's diet. If you're a vegetarian, you must really emphasize on protein shakes, from soy protein and soy milk, and include lots of beans, lentils, peas and similars, for protein and fiber, and it will be essential for you to take amino-acid tablets, because plant protein don't provide you with all the necessary amino-acids that animal or milk protein does. This article is generally aimed at people with "regular" diets including everything, though.

Below is an example of a bodybuilder's diet:

Breakfast should include a lot of protein ( a large milk-protein powder shake, maybe a piece of beef or fish) and some fruit. A couple of slices of non-fat whole-wheat bread.

Mid-morning snack should include protein again, but in smaller amounts: a meat/fish sandwich with vegetables, milk or yogurt with fruit.

Lunch should be similar to the earlier snack, only larger: two sandwiches, two glasses of milk and more fruit.

Mid-afternoon snack: Similar to mid-morning snack or a smaller version of breakfast

Dinner: meat, fish or chicken breast (at least half a pound), lots of vegetables, specially green leafy ones, uncooked is much better, --be very careful on cleaning/washing/sterilizing/disinfecting them (whatever applies in your country); some people just wash their vegetables with running water; I personally don't trust that, so I do disinfect them colloidal silver drops dissolved in water, soaking them for a few minutes, after I washed them thoroughly; others use iodine or chlorine drops; others just wash them carefully in running water, but I don't trust doing only that myself-- milk and some potatoes or cheese (cottage cheese  or similars are the best option), a big pasta serving or rice.

Supper: A protein drink like the one in breakfast, only smaller, or a sandwich with some fruit.


VERY IMPORTANT BEFORE STARTING:

Always do a general warm-up session before starting the exercises.
Warm-up: Run in place or jump a little bit for about a minute (to start blood flowing through your system). then:

Do a few stretching exercises, for the areas you are about to work. You have to hold the stretch WITHOUT FORCING THE AREA for about 15-20 seconds. Knowing how to stretch is very easy: When you contract one muscle, the opposite one stretches, examples: You contract your back you stretch your chest and vice-versa; same for biceps-triceps, quads-hamstrings, back-stomach, front-back and left site-right side of neck... Get the idea? remember always: Don't force yourself (because forcing a stretch could cause rupture=injury) and hold the stretch for about 15-20 seconds.

Stretching before and after your workout is very important because will accomplish several things:
* will prevent muscle injury because of forcing muscles before they are ready to contract with force
* will keep you nimble (flexible), which also avoids injury, specially from delicate areas like the back, hips, neck and shoulders
* will prevent you from looking "muscle-bound", that is, that ugly look many bodybuilders have, where they look "contracted" all the time, with the muscles bent all the time (big and ugly)


It is advisable to do this day on-day off (weekdays) and two days off maybe, on weekends, because muscles need rest to grow, but mainly to avoid getting bored/stuck, which happens frequently among bodybuilders, specially with people not very committed  to exercise and to anything in general, who are excited at first but later lose interest and could even drop it.

It should take you about an hour, and each exercise you should do no less than 10 repetitions per set, a minimum of 3 sets of each one. when it comes to free hand exercises, there's no upper limit to the number of repetitions, but, as a general rule, if it seems way too easy to do, say 50 reps or more of any exercise non-abdominal or waist related, you probably may not be utilizing correct form (contracting the muscle all the way, properly), and doing an exercise incorrectly is generally speaking a waste of time and energy and a big risk of getting injured.



The following list is found here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker20.htm (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker20.htm)

Please look under "suggested Exercises"; there are links for you to see how each exercise is done.


**Deep Knee Bends (squats)** --You may search for "squats" on YT.

Here's how squats should be done --personally i prefer to put my hands on my neck, but my technique is exactly as shown below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRnGI3c5Jjs# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRnGI3c5Jjs#)

Now, if you really want to get motivated, the following video is a must-watch (note: you may disregard Arnold on this one, because he's not applying a correct squat technique. Instead, he's bending his back too much, to a dangerous angle; but Ed Corney, the guy with the mustache, is on the contrary doing perfect squats, and I believe they are squatting around 375 pounds! --I think each disk is 55 pounds, the bar is 45, you do the math: (55*6)+45!, and that was a zillion years ago!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SJf1TcMks# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SJf1TcMks#)

**Chin-ups or Pull-ups**

NOTE: THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST EXERCISE EVER, TO BUILD SHOULDER WIDTH, A FEATURE MANY FTMs WISH TO DEVELOP; the trick for me was to do the "behind the neck" version (which many say it is more injury-risky) for both pull-ups (free weights) and pull-downs (with machine), as my priority, and leave the regular "popular" version (chin up, chest-touching version) as a  secondary exercise. I never got injured from doing that, but I always made sure I had a very good warm up before starting the exercises.

I mentioned a variety of examples of that exercise, here:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,84448.msg597954.html#msg597954 (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,84448.msg597954.html#msg597954)

Look for Reply #4 , in case you don't get directly in there.

Then, scroll down to: 2) HOW TO REALLY, REALLY BROADEN YOUR SHOULDERS,
I thorougly describe the exercises that helped me really broaden my shoulders, my back, build powerful biceps and indirectly help develop my trapeze muscles.

Now, for those who might say "hey, I can't do that, I don't have a chin-up bar at home!" That's no excuse, guys, are there doors in your house? Then, simply google this: (exactly as I write it, quotes included) "Doorway Pull-up Bar", there are thousands offered at very affordable prices --even 30 dollars or so-- so go get yourself a bar, install it on your door, and do as she does below --look at her arms and shoulders, many genetic guys would like to have those!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluqGShKncc# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluqGShKncc#)


**Push-ups**

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Most beginners will have to start with "Bent Knee Push Ups", because they lack strength in their shoulders and triceps; I highly recommend this version instead of the regular one, because the latter could REALLY injure your shoulders!).

Here's A GREAT example of several versions of the push-up exercise, that are less demanding than the "popular" one; in fact, she shows a whole push-up routine, which in and of itself, could be most of your free hand-training routine for a day, combined with chin-ups as i explained above,if you are really focused on getting broad shoulders!

Notice her shoulders are broader than her hips, she's a perfect example! also, please don't mind her kids running around, i guarantee you based on my years of experience as a bodubuilder, she's doing the exercises in perfect form, in spite of the distraction!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXpNLO98YdA# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXpNLO98YdA#)

**Crunches**


**Hyper-Extensions**


Sorry, I'm kind of tired of writing now, if I see a good response to this, I promise I'll consider writing another post on a SPLIT (DIVIDED) WEIGHT-LIFTING ROUTINE, to be done at the gym and using machines and free weights which is suitable for more advanced athletes, or for people who followed the routine above, at least for several weeks and are ready to really pump up their muscles!

Take care you all!

Your exercise-loving friend

Bibi

P.S. Any questions about exercise, diet, supplements or any other thing (even about me, haha!) are welcome, I love helping others because I know what many of you are going through, trying to change your bodies radically, and that's a very difficult thing to do, but very worth the effort!

Oh wow :o, I'll need some time to go through this all, but it's as thorough and organized as your other posts. I really appreciate you going through the effort to post this stuff for us ;D, especially the videos (I don't do well with instructions alone  ::)). Well awesome, this out to get stickied or something, but since I'm posting I guess I could always just check back on it for reference. Thanks again Bibi, I hope you don't mind I referred to your posts in the motivational thread cuz people ought to check this stuff out.

On the contrary, I appreciate your promoting whatever you consider useful to you guys, anywhere you deem appropriate. In fact I wouldn't feel very comfortable promoting my own posts on FTM forums (even just posting on here), because I'm a MTF, and it could be taken as intruding or something, but the real-life experience I have in the field --and the fact that I was born a male, and my experience as a bodybuilder was as such--  could also help you guys see things from the perspective of an "insider".  That compelled me to start trying to help, since today I struggle a lot myself, trying to do exactly the contrary to what I achieved in the past (a very masculine figure), and I am very happy to help ease your struggle a bit, guys. In fact, the advice I give here is good for everybody, not exclusively you guys, because a healthy way of life is good for us all!

Thumbs up to you!

Take care

Bibi

Quote from: Meepit on September 25, 2010, 05:22:23 PM
Thanks again Bibi, I hope you don't mind I referred to your posts in the motivational thread cuz people ought to check this stuff out.

Hey Bibi, thanks for this. I've already been working out, but the youtube references will help me with new exercises I can do at home.

Whoa. I definitely have to sit down tomorrow afternoon and read this thoroughly. Ever since I had my surgery I've been inactive and have gotten horribly out of shape, so this'll come in handy. (It has also really shattered my incorrect assumption that all I had to do was lift weights and not change any of my bad habits to build muscle, lawl).
I also like the idea of this being a sticky.

Big post!
Awesome, much appreciated, just,..
A couple things with the diet twitch with me.
like, mixing meat & leafy greens with milk. If you take iron and calcium at the same time, they bond and pass through your system, largely without being absorbed.
And, "disinfecting" vegetables?... o.O
(other than that it looks like my post-surgery suggested meal plan ^^)

I really appreciate this! I need to get back into some physical activity, I kind of slacked off after I graduated high school and wasn't on a sports team anymore. I'm going to try to do some of this stuff soon! Thanks again!!

Oh holy wow thank you <3 I'm still on a weight loss program to tone back up but oh man I need this for later.

I have a question about pull-ups/chin ups... how do I begin? I'm fine with push ups but I can't do a pull up or chin up to save my life. I recently bought a doorway pull-up bar but I haven't put it to good use. I read online that I should hang for 15 seconds in a "pull-up position" if I can't do an actual pull-up or chin up which I have been doing but it's not helping me progress enough to do a real pull-up/chin up

HOW DO I DO ONE???

To TheOtherSide: Well at least you've got a pull-up bar, you're already well on your way  :).

This info is quoted from Bibi's other post:

Assisted pull ups chin up, with chair --you may use a chair, like she does here, or a bench, or someone to hold your feet, the idea is not to do it with your own weight just hanging, if you don't have enough strength to lift yourself up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluqGShKncc# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluqGShKncc#)

Here's another video you might find helpful:

Home lat workout, assisted pullups exercises for beginners (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WvH8at_xJw#)

Good luck :).

Thanks Bibi!

Also, I wanted to make a note that the diet rec's are definitely for body builders. If you don't plan to actually become a body builder you can certainly change up the diet. Also, some people do really well with lots of protein, some don't. Seeing a really good nutritionist is a good bet. But watch out - there's also really bad ones out there that think a "one size fits all" solution is a good one ... even if it is healthy food, there is no one size fits all solution ... a good nutritionist will work with you, run tests, and come up with an eating plan -not a "diet"- that's best for you, your body, and your goals. I'm not certified or anything but I know tons about general nutrition. I'd be happy to add in notes here and there.

:)

Wow, lots of good information. Thanks Bibi. I gotta get myself one of those doorway pull-up bars.

Some very good info in this post, I was worried it was going to be a fad diet sort of post and I was all ready to come in and drop some knowledge :D

As for the pull ups, if you just can't manage them don't sweat it, build up slowly until you feel more comfortable with it. If you can do push-ups you will eventually have enough strength to manage the pull-ups. Better to take it slow than injure yourself.

Hey thanks! I was wondering when someone would get around to posting something like this. :)

hey guys.. working out works. I just started hitting the gym 2 weeks ago.. and people have already been commenting on visual muscle growth in my upper body.. and I've noticed a large increase in strength as well. Been going 3/4 times a week and spending 20 to 30 minutes there working through various machines, then chugging down some whey protein afterwards, and making sure I get lots of other outside sources of protein (for my size I try and aim for 60 to 110 grams of the stuff a day)

The chin ups are definately hard.. but man.. they work the muscles hardest by far. :) If you have access to a gym - they often have assisted chinup machines... where your choice of weight will counterbalance you... making them easier, and  you can use less and less weight as you get stronger. :)

I almost think this should be stickied. I really don't want it to fall off the last page and disappear because it's very helpful.

Quote from: Aegir on September 30, 2010, 12:20:37 AM
I almost think this should be stickied. I really don't want it to fall off the last page and disappear because it's very helpful.

I agree, this is too useful to risk losing behind all the other posts.

Okay, I'll sticky it, for now, cause there's so much interest.

This is really great info, thanks for posting this Bibi! I'll have to read through it all later, and if I have any questions I'll be sure to ask.  :)

Quote from: Miniar on September 30, 2010, 10:17:59 AM
Okay, I'll sticky it, for now, cause there's so much interest.

Thanks Miniar!

Dear Miniar:

I appreciate very much your brief insight and observations on my post.

Disinfecting means removing most of the organisms present in/on the vegetables, fruits or water, which may cause infection or disease. It is the same as saying "cleaning vegetables", but the correct term is to disinfect. Some people use chlorine for this, others use commercial brands sold at the supermarket, in the fruits and vegetables section. If you think "disinfecting" is an incorrect universal term in global English for what I'm referring to, please suggest a better/more suitable word/term and I will gladly change the post.

About the absorption thing: Well, today I am not much into SUPER-SPECIFIC food-absorption and diet issues --years ago, when I was a bodybuilder, I was, for a brief period of time; I tried doing specific diets with "compatible" food groups and IT NEVER WORKED OUT FOR ME, so I stopped caring much about "right combinations" of food--. The traditional approach of eating large meals for muscle gain, watching the protein intake (no more than 50 grams per meal) and the fat intake (avoiding excessive fats from animals during a single specific meal) was what worked out for me, and still does.

BTW, the diet I show for illustration purposes on my post above is based on Arnold's book, that's the way HE SUGGESTS a beginner seeking to gain weight, to eat. He includes milk in every single meal. I think it is excessive and I agree that milk doesn't combine very well with many foods (gosh, some people CAN'T EVEN DIGEST MILK AT ALL, whether it is animal, vegetable or both!), but that's the way HE suggests people in general to do, to start gaining muscles and weight fast. It worked very well FOR HIM, and, when I was starting, it worked fine for me as well.

I believe the first two-three months of bodybuilding in your life, your body will absorb well almost everything you give it, BECAUSE IT WILL NEED IT for the new challenge presented to it: Growing muscles that are being trained as they were never trained before, so they can withstand the next workout.

A proper "scientific" diet with specific combinations for "perfect absorption" is a subject that would take a post far larger than the one I presented here.

We could talk for example,  about different groups of food

Group 1: proteins
Group 2: complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta and the like), including starchy vegetables
Group 3: non-starchy vegetables, seeds, nuts, roots, spices 
Group 4: fruits.

Then, once defined the "groups" --which is a subjective matter, the above is just one classification; different nutriologists (nutrition experts AKA dietitians and/or nutritionists) define THEIR OWN classifications, according to their own subjective experiences and opinions-- we would proceed to define the "RIGHT" or "ADVISABLE" combinations:

Group 1 and 3 combine "well" in the same meal
Group 2 and 3 combine "well" in the same meal
Group 3 and 2 an  or 3 and 1 combine "well" in the same meal, as long as 1 and 2 are not combined together
Group 4 doesn't combine well with the other three; then, it must always be eaten on its own, or at least 30 minutes away from other food groups. It's best to eat fruit on an empty stomach.

You may notice in this theory, that fat is not even mentioned there, which could mean two things: 1) Fat can be taken generously with everything else (highly unlikely) or 2) WE ASSUME many of the protein foods included in any diet (specially those from animal origin) include fat in them. And that fat should be enough for the low percentage of fat needed in a human's diet. I believe 2) Is the correct answer.

The above nutrition theory of "correct combination" of food groups is based on the following:  the fact that certain foods are digested more quickly than others, therefore some require different digestive enzymes, and others need different conditions in the stomach for proper absorption. For example, proteins need acid digestive juices, while carbohydrates need alkaline juices for their digestion.

Now, according to nutritionists who advocate theories like the above, what happens if you don't combine foods adequately?

** You get gas
** You don't absorb nutrients well (you "waste" food taken, just as you told me)
** If you are dieting to lose or gain weight, you will not achieve your desired results, unless you eat exactly the same you are eating, but in the "right food combinations".

But that's just theory. In my breakfast for example, I combine all groups, end eat lots of fruit with everything else. I have a fruit milk shake (vegetable and animal milk combined) with strawberries, apple, a hamburger or a sandwich with meat/fish/chicken with tomato sauce and green leafy vegetables, powder flaxseed, powder wheat bran, powder egg protein. So far, I've had no malnutrition problems, no upset stomach or flatulence, no nothing.

A nutrition "expert" would say I'm totally crazy doing what I do, yet my stomach is very happy with this and I feel great after breakfast. And my waist es rarely above 28 inches. I KNOW FOR A FACT I'm supposedly doing a nasty combination of food groups, mixing starches with proteins, acid and alkaline juices, wrong minerals that may bond together and bypass unabsorbed, as you mentioned, and yet... I'm perfectly fine and my waist and general shape is not affected by it.

I just put special emphasis on not eating excessive animal fat with other groups (like animal milk, fatty meats, butter, etc.) or too much of very starchy/hard to digest  foods, like beans, peanuts, lentils. Yet, believe it or not, sometimes i do that and I have no problems. The only times I have really "killed" my stomach is when I eat an excessive amount of foods like peanuts or cashews, by themselves, and sometimes beans. Other than that, my stomach seems to absorb any food combination pretty well, but that's just me.

Nutrition, as I said before, is a very complex subject, and I am very far from declaring myself even barely knowledgeable of such. But as a bodybuilder I was very successful, without putting much stress on scientific dieting, and without even ever touching steroids. I just followed a simplistic, traditional diet-exercise-rest approach, with a zero "scientific" approach, just as Arnold did during his early bodybuilding years, and I did more than fine myself.

I'd be very glad if you posted a "correct food combinations for a healthy diet, to lose/gain/maintain weight" thread or something similar, on this website and please inform me about it, to possibly improve my food combinations. It would surely enlighten the vast majority of us!

Quote from: Miniar on September 25, 2010, 07:32:43 PM
Big post!
Awesome, much appreciated, just,..
A couple things with the diet twitch with me.
like, mixing meat & leafy greens with milk. If you take iron and calcium at the same time, they bond and pass through your system, largely without being absorbed.
And, "disinfecting" vegetables?... o.O
(other than that it looks like my post-surgery suggested meal plan ^^)

I don't think I'd come anywhere near veg that has been "disinfected" with chlorine or any such stuff.
I rinse mine off with cold water.
That is all.

I've actually never heard of using chemical cleansers on fruit or veg before.

It sounds rather dangerous or unhealthy.

this is great!

Yay, thanks for those instructions. Much appreciated.

I hope I didn't miss this part somewhere: anybody knows reliable sources on the net (pictures) on how much muscle a transman can build up even before starting on T?

Hey Kev, pretty sure that's mostly down to genetics, but I have a place that might be what you're after. It's a bodybuilding group of transmen check it out it's pretty motivational what these guys can achieve:

here's the youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeefheadsFitness (http://www.youtube.com/user/BeefheadsFitness)

More importantly, their site, sign up it's well worth it for the pics: http://beefheads.ning.com (http://beefheads.ning.com)

Hope that helps.

Hi Bibi,
could you name other products to switch with in the diet? What about oat meal for breakfast. Cause I can see myself getting tired of fish and meat when eating it too often (and chicken breast is not among my favorite)...

Hey Meepit, those guys look like they are already on T, I was just wondering how much muscle I can built before getting on T.

The guys on their main site are more varied. Some are, some aren't xD they're just jacked.

Yo Kev, I've read that Fish Oils are a great way to boost muscles results as well as boosting natural T levels as they are essential fatty acids that are needed in the production of T. I've been working out for a month now, eating whey protein after every workout section and incorporating a lot of fish and fish oils into my diet, and have seen alot of gains. I can lift more then alot of the bio guys that are my size. Yeah, likely genetics and such. But just with working out in the past month - I've seen huge gains both in muscle size and strength.

I guess, really - you just need to get out there, work out yourself, and see what is possible for you!

This where I'm at.. 1 month in.. not that great, but alot better then when I started out a month ago. Could stand to lose a lot of fat off them, but I figure I'll post a pic every month to show progress? T isn't going to be anytime soon for me. :/

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-snc4%2Fhs917.snc4%2F73006_10150283687390220_789905219_15170813_6140579_n.jpg&hash=752b9a82383fde38c04993ba36d2a7917c4ddb82)

Quote from: Tad on October 20, 2010, 02:09:17 PM

This where I'm at.. 1 month in.. not that great, but alot better then when I started out a month ago. Could stand to lose a lot of fat off them, but I figure I'll post a pic every month to show progress? T isn't going to be anytime soon for me. :/

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-snc4%2Fhs917.snc4%2F73006_10150283687390220_789905219_15170813_6140579_n.jpg&hash=752b9a82383fde38c04993ba36d2a7917c4ddb82)

Hardcore jealous of your build, dude. I think that's a brilliant idea, sharing photos each month. I might copy you.

Quote from: Kev on October 18, 2010, 01:42:23 AM
Hi Bibi,
could you name other products to switch with in the diet? What about oat meal for breakfast. Cause I can see myself getting tired of fish and meat when eating it too often (and chicken breast is not among my favorite)...

Try oatmeal/muesli with a tablespoon or so of whey isolate powder, with almond milk, walnuts and bananas. I have that often in the morning, and it's pretty packed with protein, complex carbs and fatty acids.

Thanks for the info.  I guess it's time to go dust off my oh-so-manly 5lb weights. 8)

If you don't mind me asking, I popped my knee cap out of alignment about a month ago and am being nice to it for a while.  Is there anything on here you'd suggest me not trying?  I can always do the "if it hurts, don't do it" test, but it'd be nice to have some heads up too.

Wow, thanks! I've been searching for something like this but wasn't sure what to try out. I deffinetly needed a a routine to work with. I really hope you'll post more stuff about using weights.

thanks!!!!!

-James

I work with a Registered dietician and pro bodybuilder and we do one on one training and nutrition consults with vastly reduced rates for the trans community. We also do diets and training specific to those with diabetes type 1.
Anyone interested please contact me.....

I'm just curious, and this may have already been asked (I'm so tired, I just got off work so I'm being lazy, my bad), but referring to the diet thing, is it also the same if you're trying to lean out first..? Like, loose weight then build muscle..? I've been trying to eat 1&1/2 oz. of raw almonds and either two boiled eggs(just white not the yoke) or two veggies/fruits for snacks and lunch and one main meal, usually towards protien like turkey, fish or chicken. Is this ok, or am I being an idiot..?

Quote from: DaddySplicer on October 30, 2010, 08:06:30 AM
Hardcore jealous of your build, dude. I think that's a brilliant idea, sharing photos each month. I might copy you.

Well.. month up. Not to much visible growth in the bicep area.. if any at all. Appears to be some growth in the shoulders... though perhaps not that much. I didn't get out to the gym as much this month either. Apparently from behind I have alot of growth in width/squared off in the shoulders.. I never thought to take pictures of that though.


(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi890.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac103%2Fwycliffe500%2FIMG_0215.jpg%3Ft%3D1290755071&hash=d9e7e5e25b2af078d2c334351379541f5338004d)

is there any way to add muscles to my forearms? mine are really skinny & out of proportion  :-\
do these work? http://www.acasports.co.uk/images/images_big/fitness_e_foamhandgrips.jpg (http://www.acasports.co.uk/images/images_big/fitness_e_foamhandgrips.jpg)

I found they don't particularily bulk up down there.. however do add strength emil.

i see, thanks...guess i'll work with them anyhow....is there any other way to bulk up there?

@ Emil: It is hard as hell to build up your forearms. I feel your pain because I have monstrously (absurdly disproportionate to my smaller upper arms ) long, thin forearms. Testosterone has helped bulk up the muscle a little, but there are exercises that you can use to help build from there.

Forearm curls, with barbells and dumbells
Behind-the-back curls, where you hold a weight barbell behind your back, let the bar roll to the very tips of your fingers, and then roll it back into your palms
Also try grippers and those small forearm stretchers

Remember to squeeze the grips of your weights when preforming flyes and presses. It will add up to forearm size and strength.

Ooh, lots of useful information here, even for those just aiming for some definition (as opposed to the body-builder 'look').


I'm sure some of you guys have heard of this, but I though I'd toss up the link, seeing as it's relevant -

The 100 Pushup Challenge. (http://hundredpushups.com/)

They have separate programs based of your initial fitness, and the routines only take ten or eleven minutes tops, three or four times a week, no gym needed. I'm nearing the end of week two and have already noticed a bit of a difference - not so much in visible definition yet, but in strength (carrying my schoolbag and stuff).
(There are also a few other ones - 25 chin-ups, 200 squats, et cetera. Haven't tried them yet, but I'm guessing they're pretty good too.)

It's been said I know but let me add a big THANK YOU!!
I'm sick and tired of looking the way I do, but budget is an issue.
This gives me that extra push to keep going even if it is  on my own for now..
Thanks!

So there is a downside of working out, over the last couple months I've started to get stretch marks around my biceps. Muscles are growing too fast for my skin apparently.  >:(

That's EXACTLY what's happening to you, just as you put it. Quickly adding on muscle mass will force the skin to stretch beyond its ability. Stretch marks are the result of skin being stretched beyond its natural elasticity. This stretching causes a disruption of the body's collagen production. Collagen is a special protein that helps keep the skin elastic and, therefore, able to stretch when we gain weight. When this collagen production is disrupted, however, the skin loses its elasticity, which makes it more prone to stretch marks. Stretch marks are scientifically known as a form of scarring.

Here's a couple of recommendations:

1) Drinking plenty of fluids helps maintain the skin's elasticity. Water is the preferred choice.

2) Apply lotion to the areas that typically get stretch marks or already have them, for prevention and/or stopping growth (typically body joints). A natural cocoa-butter lotion is good for that and fading them away a bit, according to popular wisdom. Others say Vitamin-E based lotions work marvels on them. Vitamin K-based lotions are another alternative many stretch-mark sufferers swear by. You can do your own research

3) Take lots of Vitamin C (by lots I mean far more than 500 mg. daily). This Vitamin is a natural all-around healer and will help your skin adapt better to and repair itself from those excessive stretches.

4) Improve your diet. Green leafy vegetables are a must, they have lots of vitamin K and lots of antioxidants, which help skin elasticity among many other things.

5) You can also try exfoliation by removing dead skin cells to make stretch marks less prominent on skin. Use an exfoliation body scrub. I myself do this 2-3 times a week, with an affordable exfoliating glove purchased at Walmart, for every area in my body.

I hope any of these suggestions help you. I stress this: Drinking plenty of water all day long is a must, as well as taking lots of vitamin C, either in its natural sources (food, specially fruit and vegetables) or as a supplement, to keep you healthy in general and of course for your stretch-mark little problem!

Cheers

Bibi

Quote from: Tad on January 16, 2011, 02:06:56 PM
So there is a downside of working out, over the last couple months I've started to get stretch marks around my biceps. Muscles are growing too fast for my skin apparently.  >:(

I've heard some people just rubbing straight Vit. E onto stretch marks (the capsules of it are usually gel so you just break them open). Not sure if that works as I haven't tried it.

The place I got stretch marks (and I'm afraid they're pretty permanent at this point)  is over my hips, right around the crest of the hip bone. Kinda looks like stripes haha. I had gained weight years ago and then lost it and that's where they came from. So far I've escaped the bicep stretch marks. Of course I've also been slowly increasing my weights. I started with only 10lbs on the barbell and after 4 weeks I've increased it to 30lbs.

Im still pre t  but ive been liftin dumbells 15 mins a day for 3 days a week on average,
my shoulders an arms seem to be bulkin up pretty nicely, but i still have that feminine
curvature at the hips.

Anyone got any tips or pointers for tryin to lessen the curve of the hips?
are there any excercises that not neccesarily remove the curve completely but help to
shape it in a more masculine way? if that makes sense.

cardio really works the hips

Quote from: Afakasii on January 27, 2011, 10:45:13 PM
Anyone got any tips or pointers for tryin to lessen the curve of the hips?
are there any excercises that not neccesarily remove the curve completely but help to
shape it in a more masculine way? if that makes sense.

Work out your obliques.  There is only so much you can do for hip shape (especially pre-T), but if you build up your obliques, it will make your hips look like they have less curve since there will be less of a difference between hip circumference and waist circumference.

Any advice for those of us naturally curvy and narrow waisted? I love that my arms are starting to shape up a bit and that I've been loosing weight as well. I do however remember being slightly underweight and still having a very noticeable curve.. And to be honest I'm a little worried about actually passing less than I already do.. Any tips?

Allright, took a month and a bit off from lifting weights or doing any exercise, and got back into it a few weeks ago. Few muscles around my neck/shoulders have visibly grown, upper arms have grown too, but since I'm fat and haven't been lsoing any, not much for definition has resulted.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi890.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac103%2Fwycliffe500%2FIMG_0254.jpg&hash=1cba5ced8227a9c8bb9463a5e899e4081ddbc1f3)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi890.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac103%2Fwycliffe500%2FIMG_0249.jpg&hash=cc959edfff45c1228f03cea8bc2e56c630a2cb60)

Here's some advice for those seeking to look less curvy -more manly, inverted-triangle shape as opposed to guitar-shaped--

I can tell you this with 100% assurance, since currently I'm struggling to get the feminine shape many of you guys hate to have, and I still have the manly shape you guys long for. I ALREADY DEVELOPED HIPS, I MEAN HIP WIDTH, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH FOR AN MTF SUCH AS MYSELF, yet my shape is still more masculine than feminine. WHY?

My shoulder and back width. I'm telling you, if you want to look like men, forget "losing your curves" and focus on broadening your back and shoulders!

I'm sure my hips do compete with or even surpass many of yours guys, yet I just can't accomplish looking like a guitar, because of my shoulder and back width. I totally HATE looking at so many GGs --and even a few transwomen as well-- who have ridiculously narrow shoulders and LOOK VERY curvy --even though they have much smaller hips than me-- because their hips look broader than their shoulders and back. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I developed wide back/shoulders by doing lots and lots of chins and pull-downs. You don't even need to develop your shoulder muscles themselves --i never did myself!--; by just broadening your shoulders through back-widening exercises, you will look way more masculine than a guy with small hips and narrow shoulders and back. It took me years to do broaden my back and shoulders and I looked extremely manly, because that's what I wanted to look like at that time, and I thoroughly regret having done that today, because once you broaden those areas, they stay like that for good!

As a secondary thing, very developed oblique muscles help your waist look less curvy, so if you want to look more blocky and less curvy in your waist, then you should do side-bends, with enough weight to do sets of 8-12 reps. Use dumbbells preferrably. Here's an interesting version of the exercise:

STRONG Gym - Grappler Side Bends. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZS6SOpHtyM#)

Sit-ups on an inclined table, bending to a side as you go up, (right elbow touches your left knee/thigh and vice-versa-- also help.

Today my measurements are 38-30.5-41 AND I STILL DON'T HAVE A FEMININE SHAPE, because of my broad shoulders and back, which make my hip width look almost non-existent  --I'm hardly an A-cup, in case you wondered why I don't look curvy with a 3-inch difference between bust and hips--. I think my hips would need to be around 45 inches for me to start looking guitar-shaped as I dream of being!

Here's a wardrobe tip as well: Wear light colors for the areas you want to make look big and dark colors for the areas you want to be less noticeable. Here's the extreme example: White for above your waist and black for below it. When I wear light-blue jeans I look curvier than when I wear black jeans, because my legs, hips and butt look bigger in lighter colors.

Hope this helped!

Bibi

Quote from: Afakasii on January 27, 2011, 10:45:13 PM
Im still pre t  but ive been liftin dumbells 15 mins a day for 3 days a week on average,
my shoulders an arms seem to be bulkin up pretty nicely, but i still have that feminine
curvature at the hips.

You will find that estrogen blockers and T will significantly reduce this as it is classic female pattern fat distribution

Thanks for the tips again Bibi. I've been working very hard for the past couple of months doing many chin ups and lat pull downs, and I think I'm starting to notice a difference in my back width. I've also been doing oblique exercises too, and it does help. Been going to the gym 5-6 days a week, and I'm seeing results very quickly, small bits changing at a time. It's a really neat thing to experience. Also thanks for the tip about color. I have to admit, the other day I was wearing a white tank top with my white binder underneath and a light button down jacket draped on my shoulders and back, while wearing some dark blue jeans. I looked in the mirror and I noticed how much of a difference a different wardrobe can change how you look! My normal attire is usually a very dark T-shirt (almost always black) and blue jeans, and the jeans contrasting with my dark shirts must have drawn attention to my large hips. Guess I'm doing some shopping for new clothes very soon lol.

Quote from: Kohdy on February 16, 2011, 12:32:29 PM
Thanks for the tips again Bibi. I've been working very hard for the past couple of months doing many chin ups and lat pull downs, and I think I'm starting to notice a difference in my back width. I've also been doing oblique exercises too, and it does help. Been going to the gym 5-6 days a week, and I'm seeing results very quickly, small bits changing at a time. It's a really neat thing to experience. Also thanks for the tip about color. I have to admit, the other day I was wearing a white tank top with my white binder underneath and a light button down jacket draped on my shoulders and back, while wearing some dark blue jeans. I looked in the mirror and I noticed how much of a difference a different wardrobe can change how you look! My normal attire is usually a very dark T-shirt (almost always black) and blue jeans, and the jeans contrasting with my dark shirts must have drawn attention to my large hips. Guess I'm doing some shopping for new clothes very soon lol.

Clothes most definitely make a huge difference. Best thing to do is when you go clothes shopping try on things together (like outfits) and take a bunch of things with you in the dressing room and mix and match it.

On a different note about clothes, I just threw out half the stuff in my closet because it was too tight around my back and arms. And I've only been working out for 12 weeks now. I really didn't see that much difference but by trying on some old clothes it was definitely noticeable.

This thread is awesome! I've only begun working out 4 weeks ago at a gym, before that I'd been working out at home (pre hysto, had to take a while off to recover from that). I've seen a fair amount of progress in just four short weeks, and can't wait to continue developing my muscles!

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg251.imageshack.us%2Fimg251%2F1168%2Fmarch113.png&hash=85f0e766ef818915e9a92cbc30130565d2f71fa5)

I've been working out at the gym now for about a month and a half, twice a week- or three times a week at best. I am doing pretty well as far as I know (I haven't really dropped any excess weight yet, but I feel better) but there is one thing that keeps concerning me.

My joints pop. Especially my knees- really dramatically. I don't have to have any weights, but if I am crouched and I stand up straight, my knees pop. Every. Single. Time. It doesn't hurt, but its concerning me. I don't know if its the fact that I'm just that out of shape or if I should be worried that its medical. I don't have a bad diet, and although I am technically overweight for my height, I'm not considered extremely overweight or anything. My knees have always kind of popped when I did stuff, but I'm just now starting to worry since I started working out.

Shimei:
I used to have the same thing, mostly noticeable with my shoulder joints. When I started working out at the gym about a year ago I used to kind of avoid the shoulder press because I was worried about the weird popping, and because I found it really hard. :P
When I started working out at home I decided to concentrate on the shoulders, hoping the popping would eventually go away.. And I'm happy to say it has! It improved quite quickly in fact, and I rarely ever get it now.
There's probably some vitamins you can take, but I didn't change my diet at all. So my advice is just keep at it, don't avoid the problem areas, and your joints should get much healthier. :)

Just started doing pushups would highly recommend them for convenience and the workout really gets the heart pumping and builds chest muscles, I'm busting out 1 rep of 30 deep all times of the day lol.  I'm thinking of getting this (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asseenontvus.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F01%2FPerfect-Pushup.jpg&hash=54a3ff60537ad0ed23dc7a9a687f271cedb44b92)

Quote from: bibilinda on September 25, 2010, 05:16:39 PM

**Chin-ups or Pull-ups**[/b]

NOTE: THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST EXERCISE EVER, TO BUILD SHOULDER WIDTH, A FEATURE MANY FTMs WISH TO DEVELOP; the trick for me was to do the "behind the neck" version (which many say it is more injury-risky) for both pull-ups (free weights) and pull-downs (with machine), as my priority, and leave the regular "popular" version (chin up, chest-touching version) as a  secondary exercise. I never got injured from doing that, but I always made sure I had a very good warm up before starting the exercises.

I mentioned a variety of examples of that exercise, here:

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,84448.msg597954.html#msg597954 (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,84448.msg597954.html#msg597954)

Look for Reply #4 , in case you don't get directly in there.

Then, scroll down to: 2) HOW TO REALLY, REALLY BROADEN YOUR SHOULDERS,
I thorougly describe the exercises that helped me really broaden my shoulders, my back, build powerful biceps and indirectly help develop my trapeze muscles.

First, thank you for posting this--I'm just starting to work out and it was very useful to read!

I tried the machine lat pull-down behind my neck at the gym today--and I can see why you mention the in front versions as being safer! I hit my head with the bar! It was only the once and not too hard, frequently, but the machine was set up (with a padded bar thing to go over your thighs) so that it was hard for me to get forward enough so that this didn't happen.

Is there a fix for this, or should I just not try going behind my neck with this particular machine?

a lot of dudes will sit the other way and not use the knee padded bars.

Quote from: Tad on April 18, 2011, 01:42:19 PM
a lot of dudes will sit the other way and not use the knee padded bars.

Hah! That certainly seems like the obvious solution. Thank you!

Hey, just wanted to throw in my two cents. First of all, to Sophie, those 'perfect pushup' things are a waste of money. They're not proven to give you a better workout. I highly suggest doing the '100 pushups' program. I'm pre-T and I went from being able to do 4 pushups in a row to 25 in two months. My shoulders are getting huge and my triceps really pop. I can also feel my pecs growing under my boobs, which has made them slightly more pronounced, but it's totally worth it if I plan on getting chest surgery. Plus, the workout is all free. Now I'm doing a program where I do a minimum of 200 pushups daily (3 days on 1 day rest, repeat). What I am currently in the market for is a weighted vest that I can take from 5lbs to around 30lbs so I can keep doing pushups where I max out around 25 and keep adding weight as I get stronger. That way I can keep gaining size in my muscles.

I did a search so forgive me if this is a repeat....

Has anybody tried Beach Body's P-90x or Insanity before and after starting T?

I love P-90x and did it a few years ago and it helped me so much with hockey.  I was lighter and faster, more confident.  I plan to start either that or Insanity again in about 2 weeks once my life is back to normal (and seeing if I can put up my doorway pull up bar since my stand alone will be in storage).   Just really curious if the results would be much better now that I am on T, even if it's a small dosage due to just starting.  I also plan to totally revamp my diet to cater a faster fat loss. I made the mistake of gaining about 50lbs in the last 6 months.   Not looking forward to the hard work to get it off, but I know it has to be done.  I am ashamed of my body totally now.

i apologize in advance for it's probably a dumb question *blush*

i have been doing wrist curls and reversed wrist curls, dumbbell triceps curls, and dumbbell shoulder presses. now the thing is , though my biceps and shoulder muscles did get bigger  (though it most of that only shows when i'm flexing :( ....yes i was even skinnier than in the picture i am about to show you), my arms still look super skinny from behind. is there a way i can build up muscle in the place indicated by the arrow?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/5699976307_dc6117e242_b.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/5699976307_dc6117e242_b.jpg)
(sorry i was gonna crop the picture so it wouldn't show that i was in boxer briefs, but then realized that my (arm-) proportions are  part of the issue and therefore should be in the picture)
thank you guys for any help!

Emil- I meant to help you out with a reply earlier but completely spaced. You need to work on your triceps. Dips dips dips. Start with a chair or bench with your legs out until you can dip all of your body weight in between two chair, then you'll have serious muscle to show off. And you should be doing pushups galore to work up your shoulders. Good luck bro!

thanks man!

QuoteWhat I am currently in the market for is a weighted vest that I can take from 5lbs to around 30lbs so I can keep doing pushups where I max out around 25 and keep adding weight as I get stronger. That way I can keep gaining size in my muscles.

Maybe something like a military load bearing vest would work.

Or a backpack.

Good thread. Much appreciated.

aight so right now i have access to literally nothin... i jus do a ->-bleeped-<-load of pushups every day. im not on t. what can that do for me

kalshady, pushups do amazing things for your upper body, so don't be discouraged if your workout options are limited. My first suggestion is to start doing the 100 Pushups program. In two months I was able to increase my pushup ability from 4 good form reps to 30. I stalled for a while after that and lost a lot of motivation, but I am getting back into it. Right now I can do 25 pushups in a row. Pushups build up your chest, shoulders, and arms. I've found that the more bulk I put on top to counter my wide hips and butt, the better I look and pass. You can also do dips at home with the help of two chairs. Dips are for your triceps, and necessary for getting that arm bulk and masculine definition. Throw a solid jogging regime into the mix (something I've been trying and failing at incorporating into my schedule as I HATE cardio) as running slims down your body as a whole (especially the stomach, hips, and thighs). If possible you should absolutely invest in a pullup bar of some sort. Building up your lats is pretty ultimate for a masculine physique. That's what I'm working on right now. Good luck bro!!

Quote from: Kameron on June 24, 2011, 12:47:05 PM
kalshady, pushups do amazing things for your upper body, so don't be discouraged if your workout options are limited. My first suggestion is to start doing the 100 Pushups program. In two months I was able to increase my pushup ability from 4 good form reps to 30. I stalled for a while after that and lost a lot of motivation, but I am getting back into it. Right now I can do 25 pushups in a row. Pushups build up your chest, shoulders, and arms. I've found that the more bulk I put on top to counter my wide hips and butt, the better I look and pass. You can also do dips at home with the help of two chairs. Dips are for your triceps, and necessary for getting that arm bulk and masculine definition. Throw a solid jogging regime into the mix (something I've been trying and failing at incorporating into my schedule as I HATE cardio) as running slims down your body as a whole (especially the stomach, hips, and thighs). If possible you should absolutely invest in a pullup bar of some sort. Building up your lats is pretty ultimate for a masculine physique. That's what I'm working on right now. Good luck bro!!

Thanks, this is exactly the type of response I was lookin for and the type of stuff Im lookin for. Helped a lot man. Im really wantin this type of work out bc Im a very "petite" dude. I pass almost all the time but bc Im short I look really young.  Good luck to you too man

seriously guys pushups and running are miracles. we're all strapped for cash due to the various expenses of transitioning so you can save a lot of money on a gym membership. pushups develop all the best muscles of the upper body and running gets in your cardio.

Quote from: KyleXX on April 23, 2011, 06:48:59 PM
Hey, just wanted to throw in my two cents. First of all, to Sophie, those 'perfect pushup' things are a waste of money. They're not proven to give you a better workout. I highly suggest doing the '100 pushups' program. I'm pre-T and I went from being able to do 4 pushups in a row to 25 in two months. My shoulders are getting huge and my triceps really pop. I can also feel my pecs growing under my boobs, which has made them slightly more pronounced, but it's totally worth it if I plan on getting chest surgery. Plus, the workout is all free. Now I'm doing a program where I do a minimum of 200 pushups daily (3 days on 1 day rest, repeat). What I am currently in the market for is a weighted vest that I can take from 5lbs to around 30lbs so I can keep doing pushups where I max out around 25 and keep adding weight as I get stronger. That way I can keep gaining size in my muscles.

I just wanted to throw my two cents back at yours, so we have $.04!

I've used the perfect pushups on and off for YEARS and haven't gotten as good a workout with them as with regular pushups.  I started the 100 pushups program and can only imagine how much better results I'd get if I used those rather than doing plain pushups.  The big difference between doing a regular pushup and using the perfect pushup is how much it works your back/shoulders.  Because you're not completely still as you go through the motions, you have to balance yourself a bit more, which doesn't hurt the process, either.  I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to work their upper body at home.

I'm gunna buy a shake-weight... FOR MEN!

Figured I'd throw in my thoughts,

I started the Insanity program about three weeks ago. I've actually noticed changes in my arms and abs/chest already.
However, due to the mini-vacation I took to celebrate my birthday, I'm starting over from the very top.
My hope is to have my first round done by christmas time. :)
I'll let you guys know how my results go! Cause right now I'm a puddy dumpling at 186lbs for someone who is only 5'2''....Besides that, I HATE my bubble ass. lol

ok so im not gonna lie but how can you work on getting rid of a bid a$$ and sattle bag? i was unfortunatly bless with this gift from my mother i want to get rid of them sooo bad! any help is great!!!

Quote from: Jason623 on November 09, 2011, 10:04:08 PM
ok so im not gonna lie but how can you work on getting rid of a bid a$$ and sattle bag? i was unfortunatly bless with this gift from my mother i want to get rid of them sooo bad! any help is great!!!

Despite all the ads telling you the opposite it's just not possible to target the fat on one area rather than another. The body generally burns the "last added" first. So, if you've recently put on a pound on your hindquarters then that's what'll go away before the older added weight.

What you can do however is focus on the areas that you want to be larger than the area that you want to make smaller.
That means, for us trans-men at least, that working out arms, shoulders, upper back and chest to increase the muscle mass in that area is what'll make the hips and ass "look" smaller by comparison. We won't ever get that "perfect" V shape that bodybuilders chase, but we can make the upper torso broader than the hips by a bit if we work on building that area up.
Then of course, while we do that, we do burn off some of the buildup elsewhere on the body which doesn't hurt either. ;)
_

I've been doing a physical rehabilitation program these past 5 weeks (got 3 to go) which is "prescribed" by the system 'round here.
I've actually lost about 4 kilos so far, and I'm starting to be quite pleasantly surprised at the increased muscle mass and definition in the arms and shoulder areas.
Anyway, we've done a lot of "core strength" exercises using a Pilates ball. I'd actually recommend getting one. It's bloody brilliant!
Most of 'em come with pamphlets with exercises on 'em so there's those you can use for ideas and you can always google for more to your heart's desire, focusing even on certain parts you want to work on.
Combine it with free weights (or just coke bottles full of water or sand) and you've got a lot of gear you can work with to do most of the things people pay a fortune for doing at the gym.

Quote from: Jason623 on November 09, 2011, 10:04:08 PM
ok so im not gonna lie but how can you work on getting rid of a bid a$$ and sattle bag? i was unfortunatly bless with this gift from my mother i want to get rid of them sooo bad! any help is great!!!

It is true you can't spot reduce, but combined with a good diet, cardio and general weight routine focus on walking lunges and use a wide foot placing on leg press. When your weight starts coming down then increase your abdominal work.

thanks for the help  :) sorry it took me forever to get back on here lol computer crashed... thanks agian tho

This thread didn't lead me to do anything dramatic, but it inspired me to do exercise for its own sake, which I used to find silly (cuz you can get strong and exhausted w real sports and other activities). Now I do 50 modified pushups a day (I'm out of shape/surgically altered so this is fine), and it is great. Also I've always done repetitions with a medicine ball, but now that's getting more directed. Now I stretch better and find more ways in day to day life to work my upper body muscles.

This is a nice reminder of really enjoyable and free ways we can make ourselves look and feel better. I dig.

I was looking at resistance bans and kettlebells as sort of inexpensive multipurpose tools for working out. What are some inexpensive options for a person getting started who doesn't have much space? I'm not looking for body building, but overall fitness.

Quote from: Nygeel on December 28, 2011, 09:32:16 PM
I was looking at resistance bans and kettlebells as sort of inexpensive multipurpose tools for working out. What are some inexpensive options for a person getting started who doesn't have much space? I'm not looking for body building, but overall fitness.

I'm curious to hear answers to this myself. I have some therabands that I got free from the hospital, but I don't like to use them. I have a 5 lb medicine ball and a leather sand-filled cylinder that feels about the same. I do squats and pushups in front of a mirror so I can see my positioning and try to understand which muscle groups are working.

I used to use a bike for transportation, and it kept me pretty fit without my having to even think about it. That's not an option for most people, though.

Randomly stumbled on this tonight and thought I'd share:
http://transfitness.tumblr.com (http://transfitness.tumblr.com)

Quote from: Nygeel on December 28, 2011, 09:32:16 PM
I was looking at resistance bans and kettlebells as sort of inexpensive multipurpose tools for working out. What are some inexpensive options for a person getting started who doesn't have much space? I'm not looking for body building, but overall fitness.

Try bodyweight exercises.  I picked up a pullup bar for under $20 at Walmart to help, but it's not necessary.  There's tons of information out there on playground workouts, home workouts, etc., as well as a load of youtube videos.

You can try the 100 pushups program, check out http://bar-barians.forumotions.com/ (http://bar-barians.forumotions.com/), and check out http://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessFAQs (http://www.youtube.com/user/FitnessFAQs), loaded with info and decent advice, as well as ideas for park workouts.

Quote from: Nygeel on December 28, 2011, 09:32:16 PM
I was looking at resistance bans and kettlebells as sort of inexpensive multipurpose tools for working out. What are some inexpensive options for a person getting started who doesn't have much space? I'm not looking for body building, but overall fitness.

When I was poor and had no money I made my own sandbag.  I think it costs around $15-20 dollars to make your own. just put sand inside ziplock bags, put it in another ziplock bag, duck tape. Put them in a duffle bag. Tie the duffle bag up and you have a workout that can kick your butt. carry it around, jog in place with it, do squats, rows, lunges with it. throw it over each shoulder repeatedly until your arms want to fall off, etc.  Just make sure you seal the bags well or you'll get sand everywhere. When I was a personal trainer, I had a client who I mostly just did sandbag work outs with in his very small apartment. It works wonders. Google or youtube it.

Quote from: Jay20 on February 14, 2012, 12:11:50 AM
When I was poor and had no money I made my own sandbag.  I think it costs around $15-20 dollars to make your own. just put sand inside ziplock bags, put it in another ziplock bag, duck tape. Put them in a duffle bag. Tie the duffle bag up and you have a workout that can kick your butt. carry it around, jog in place with it, do squats, rows, lunges with it. throw it over each shoulder repeatedly until your arms want to fall off, etc.  Just make sure you seal the bags well or you'll get sand everywhere. When I was a personal trainer, I had a client who I mostly just did sandbag work outs with in his very small apartment. It works wonders. Google or youtube it.

Oh my gosh this is perfect and so commonsensical that I feel a little dense for not having thought of it. Thank you.

I need more ideas or wisdom regarding exercising with limitations. For example even if I'm not hurting too much I have limited range of motion in my ankle. When I do squats I'm off-kilter, but I've recently gone back to them because I'll never achieve symmetry anyway, I can't afford a bike this month, I'm not comfortable swimming at the community center anymore, and I don't know how else to get some of the gains I used to get from squats.

I hurt a lot, whether I work out or not.

My gait is very intentional, and I wonder if I'm doing it wrong and potentially adding to the pain. I've had a shattered pelvis, multiple surgeries/fractures/infections/tendinitis/cysts/etc in mostly my right foot, arthritis in both knees but mostly the left, and despite having a lot of pain I have a really high threshold of pain. I often don't realize I'm moving wrong or managing weight distribution in a bad way until after I've damaged myself.

Not sure what I'm seeking exactly, but I've searched the internet and asked my surgeons, and I feel like hardly anybody is addressing this kind of situation in a demonstrably practical way.

Quote from: Felix on March 17, 2012, 03:28:28 AM
Oh my gosh this is perfect and so commonsensical that I feel a little dense for not having thought of it. Thank you.

I need more ideas or wisdom regarding exercising with limitations. For example even if I'm not hurting too much I have limited range of motion in my ankle. When I do squats I'm off-kilter, but I've recently gone back to them because I'll never achieve symmetry anyway, I can't afford a bike this month, I'm not comfortable swimming at the community center anymore, and I don't know how else to get some of the gains I used to get from squats.

I hurt a lot, whether I work out or not.

My gait is very intentional, and I wonder if I'm doing it wrong and potentially adding to the pain. I've had a shattered pelvis, multiple surgeries/fractures/infections/tendinitis/cysts/etc in mostly my right foot, arthritis in both knees but mostly the left, and despite having a lot of pain I have a really high threshold of pain. I often don't realize I'm moving wrong or managing weight distribution in a bad way until after I've damaged myself.

Not sure what I'm seeking exactly, but I've searched the internet and asked my surgeons, and I feel like hardly anybody is addressing this kind of situation in a demonstrably practical way.

It's hard to know exactly how to structure your work out without actually seeing what you are doing and what you need, but have you tried using resistance bands to regain some motion in your ankle? Like some flexing and extending motions? I had a couple of clients who I worked with before who had similar problems with arthritis, fractures, etc.  We did a lot or resistance bands and learning to balance.
When you do squats make sure you balance more on your heals than toes and  when you bend your knees make sure your knee doesn't go over your toes.
When I first teach clients to squat I have them squat to a chair or bench to try and get the motion correct. I still squat to bench a lot at the gym. You really shouldn't hurt a lot unless it's soreness. Let me know how it goes.

Good luck!

Is there any way to build up shoulder mass without developing pecs that would make it much more difficult to pass? I've thought about getting on a workout routine, but I'm hesitant because I really don't want my breasts to become any more noticeable.

@kaputz - Try pull-ups? If you can get one of those $20 door frame bars just work up to where you can do a wide grip and that will really help widen your shoulders. It is not specifically a chest exercise like benching is, it tends to put more emphasis on your arms and back. But remember there really is no way not to use the muscles in your chest as they are a significant part of your upper body. I think the workout I described is located somewhere in this thread on a YouTube video?

get a quality door one.. that like screws into the frame. When i worked in the er i saw nasty injuries from the cheaper ones failing..

Quote from: Nygeel on December 28, 2011, 09:32:16 PM
I was looking at resistance bans and kettlebells as sort of inexpensive multipurpose tools for working out. What are some inexpensive options for a person getting started who doesn't have much space? I'm not looking for body building, but overall fitness.

Sounds like kettlebells would be right up your alley then. The only thing is they can be pricy, but you should be able to get a couple for $15-20 each if you shop around. The thing I love about them is that after a 10-15 min workout with the proper weight you will be absolutely beat but in a really good way. I love the way they work your entire body... you can really feel it afterward. I would try some out before buying to get an idea of what weight to buy. If you don't do much lifting, you might want to start at 15lb. It's very easy to injure yourself with them especially if you're new to them and using too much weight.

Though training with kettlebells will get your heart rate up, I'd also recommend 20-30 mins of cardio 2-3 days/wk to supplement those workouts.

Thanks Bibi!  This is awesomesauce.  I want to build up my shoulder muscles, biceps etc. but I want to do it without going to the gym, at least to start with.  This may be the perfect solution to my problem.

Also, thank you so much Renard for introducing me to the 100 Push-ups Challenge.  I start tonight as soon as I get home from work!

:icon_punch: :icon_mrgreen: :icon_mrhappy: :icon_nerd: :icon_hahano: :icon_headache: :icon_headfones: :icon_holden:Awesome, I can't wait to be a walking wall of muscle!  :D O0 :icon_tenisclap: :icon_tenisclap: :icon_tears: :icon_suspicious: :icon_surprised: :icon_sniff: :icon_smile: :icon_sleep: :icon_sitonitnrotate-nerd: :icon_silenced: :icon_shrug_no: :icon_shakefist: :icon_sadblinky: :icon_sad: :icon_rolleyes2: :rolleyes: :icon_rockon: :icon_rockon: :icon_redface: :icon_razz: :icon_rah:

Has anyone had to stop working out for a while after top surgery? I'm worried about that, because I've been a serious lifter for a while now, and I know that within 1-2 months of no working out, most of your progress simply disappears and you start all over. Even years of training can be gone within that time. Learned that the hard way.
I have a size 34A chest, so it will probably be the keyhole surgery. Could that stop me from working out for a while?
Thanks

Quote from: BearGuy on November 19, 2012, 11:55:31 PM
Has anyone had to stop working out for a while after top surgery? I'm worried about that, because I've been a serious lifter for a while now, and I know that within 1-2 months of no working out, most of your progress simply disappears and you start all over. Even years of training can be gone within that time. Learned that the hard way.
I have a size 34A chest, so it will probably be the keyhole surgery. Could that stop me from working out for a while?
Thanks

With any medical procedure it is going to me a mandatory 6 to 8 weeks healing time with no strenuous activity. I'm positive if you don't follow the surgeon's post op guidelines you will probably screw something up, end up back on the table, and set yourself even further back. Better safe than sorry.

I have always liked this forearm exercise.  If you look at the bar, it's very easy to make your own.
if the pics don't come through, just google  wrist roller. 
Wrist Roller Images






Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge

















Wrist Roller Guide


Main Muscle: Forearms





1. To begin, stand straight up grabbing a wrist roller using a pronated grip (palms facing down). Your feet should be shoulder width apart.
2. Slowly lift both arms until they are fully extended and parallel to the floor in front of you. Note: Make sure the rope is not wrapped around the roller. Your entire body should be stationary except for the forearms. This is the starting position.
3. Rotate one wrist at a time in an upward motion to bring the weight up to the bar by rolling the rope around the roller.
4. Once the weight has reached the bar, slowly begin to lower the weight back down by rotating the wrist in a downward motion until the weight reaches the starting position.
5. Repeat for the prescribed amount of repetitions in your program.

Anyone know any good inner-thigh exercises? I feel like the rest of my legs look alright, but the inside seems jiggly.

Quote from: LearnedHand on December 04, 2012, 08:36:30 PM
Anyone know any good inner-thigh exercises? I feel like the rest of my legs look alright, but the inside seems jiggly.

Wide stance squats, lunges, dead lift, and leg press exercises are all good options.  My gym has a specific machine for inner thighs called the adductor, but I stand by squats as a good all around leg exercise.  Also the inner thigh is one of the slowest places to tone and burn fat from, the fact that the outer part of your thigh is getting toned showes that its slowly working its way over. Just give it time and keep plugging away.

Quote from: Scotty72 on January 10, 2013, 08:37:09 PM
Wide stance squats, lunges, dead lift, and leg press exercises are all good options.  My gym has a specific machine for inner thighs called the adductor, but I stand by squats as a good all around leg exercise.  Also the inner thigh is one of the slowest places to tone and burn fat from, the fact that the outer part of your thigh is getting toned showes that its slowly working its way over. Just give it time and keep plugging away.

I just started a new workout program that's pretty heavy on the leg exercises (I could barely walk up the stairs today), we've been doing most of those. Another one we've been doing which seems to be awesome, is doing a pilet (I have no idea how to spell that word, I got a D in french) while holding heavy dumbbells against the thigh and then doing calf raises while down in the pilet. I don't have any machine though, but I bought this weird spring thing called a "thigh toner" thinkin I needed it for this workout program (I don't) but I guess you put it between your legs and like push it closed with your thighs and it's supposed to help.

Sounds to me like you're doing everything right then. The only thing I can think of past the weights and all would be some form of cardio to help the toning, usually something with high resistance rather than just running.  Inclined jogging can work miracles on the legs but it takes more of a toll On the knees.  And o know what you're talking about with the little thigh springy device, its basically the same as the adductor machine you just can't change the weight resistance.
But like I said it sounds like you are doing everything correctly, just give your body some time to show you the results. And don't forget about proper diet. You put good things in to your body and you will get good things back from it.

Quote from: Scotty72 on January 12, 2013, 12:18:32 PM
Sounds to me like you're doing everything right then. The only thing I can think of past the weights and all would be some form of cardio to help the toning, usually something with high resistance rather than just running.  Inclined jogging can work miracles on the legs but it takes more of a toll On the knees.  And o know what you're talking about with the little thigh springy device, its basically the same as the adductor machine you just can't change the weight resistance.
But like I said it sounds like you are doing everything correctly, just give your body some time to show you the results. And don't forget about proper diet. You put good things in to your body and you will get good things back from it.

I just finished Week One of my new program (which has cardio in it, and I've been supplementing their videos with some of my yoga videos to maintain my flexibility), and it seems to be working great so far, I have noticeable differences in my arms and shoulders now, which I was surprised since it's only been a week. The diet seems to be the hardest part so far, since I am used to not eating much; according to myfitnessplan.com, I have to basically double my regular caloric intake. I thought they were estimating too high, but today I really felt it and actually ate the recommended calories.

Quote from: Scotty72 on January 10, 2013, 08:37:09 PM
Wide stance squats, lunges, dead lift, and leg press exercises are all good options.  My gym has a specific machine for inner thighs called the adductor, but I stand by squats as a good all around leg exercise.  Also the inner thigh is one of the slowest places to tone and burn fat from, the fact that the outer part of your thigh is getting toned showes that its slowly working its way over. Just give it time and keep plugging away.

'
NO! Spot reduction is a myth. Working a particular bodypart will not make you 'burn fat' in that area. The only way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume. You will lose fat ove your entire body and according to your genes. Look up "spot reduction" if you are curious about it. Doing 100 sit ups will NOT burn the fat on your belly. Same principal applies to your thighs.

Quote from: chuck on January 13, 2013, 11:47:08 AM
'
NO! Spot reduction is a myth. Working a particular bodypart will not make you 'burn fat' in that area. The only way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you consume. You will lose fat ove your entire body and according to your genes. Look up "spot reduction" if you are curious about it. Doing 100 sit ups will NOT burn the fat on your belly. Same principal applies to your thighs.

Doing work with a particular body part won't burn fat just there but will still strengthen the muscles in that part, which can help with appearance and with being less self-conscious about it.

Also I'd have to backspace and scroll to find the comment but someone pointed out that I shouldn't have pain other than soreness - idk what exactly the problem is, but in addition to soreness and swelling in the ankle there's just a lot of crunchiness when I move the foot. Other pain I have is often I believe avoidable issues that arise due to my stiffness and asymmetry. Thanks for the reminder about resistance bands.

I went throught this whole thread, and I didn't think I saw this link here, so I figured I'd post it since it might be helpful to some people in addition to all the other information here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5_routines_for_women.htm (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5_routines_for_women.htm)

This is an exercise routine, tips, and schedules/logs provided by a female body builder, Marika Johansson. I've heard some guys express some concern about how being a bio-female won't allow them to bulk up or look like a bio-male, and this link is aimed at bio-females who do want to bulk up. Most weight-lifting articles I've read are for females who just want to get stronger without any bulk. Marika looks amazing, and as far as I know she hasn't done any steroids, just 15+ years of intense exercise and a strict diet. I think this could be helpful for pre-T guys.

what are you folks thoughts on resistance bands? I just got some and am now starting to up my endurance by doing some resistance strength training everytime i feel restless during the course of the day and not trying to focus so much on routine mostly cause i feel less motivated if i feel like i didnt complete an hour session so i decided to spread it across my day.
in any case, what suggested routines for biceps chest shoulders would anyone have for me that involve resistance bands.

thanks in advance

Quote from: krakenshay on February 18, 2013, 09:19:40 AM
what are you folks thoughts on resistance bands? I just got some and am now starting to up my endurance by doing some resistance strength training everytime i feel restless during the course of the day and not trying to focus so much on routine mostly cause i feel less motivated if i feel like i didnt complete an hour session so i decided to spread it across my day.
in any case, what suggested routines for biceps chest shoulders would anyone have for me that involve resistance bands.

thanks in advance

We discussed them a little bit here: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,133125.msg1057513.html#msg1057513 (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,133125.msg1057513.html#msg1057513)
I found that even the heaviest resistance wasn't strong enough for me after awhile, so I just went and got weights. They're probably good if you're just starting out. I have some workout guides in pdf format that shows you how to do things with the weights (my corresponding dvd shows how to do it with the bands) if you want I could e-mail to you... for the bands you just do the moves the same as the weights, you just step on the bands. There's also a lot of videos here: Resistance Band Exercises : Resistance Band Exercises: Teaser with Reverse Fly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri3zJgcXo0Q&playnext=1&list=PLEA3F5ADD0103DF59&feature=results_video#)

I never did ANY bodybuilding (too lazy, lol. I'm lazy as hell!), but nonetheless want to, because I just hate my low muscle mass (my floppy arms just scream "FEMALE!"), this thread is extremely helpful for total newbies like me, thanks a lot for sharing! :)

Ditto what Eric said. I've never been good when it comes to exercise but I hate how my body is so weak and I'd like to have more muscle and mass. Thankyou for sharing this info!

Quote from: Erik Ezrin on May 08, 2013, 05:46:59 AM
I never did ANY bodybuilding (too lazy, lol. I'm lazy as hell!), but nonetheless want to, because I just hate my low muscle mass (my floppy arms just scream "FEMALE!"), this thread is extremely helpful for total newbies like me, thanks a lot for sharing! :)

As someone who's been going hard for the past year and a half, let me give you a tip: lose the fat before building muscle!
And I don't mean that's necessary for your entire body. But MAINLY your arms.
I've built a decent amount of arm muscle up, and can't see ANY of it unless I flex (and even then only my biceps show through, since most of my fat is covering my poor triceps). If your arms are fat, you need to build a SUBSTANTIAL amount of muscle to be able to tell. I've also seen guys at my gym who don't cut, and just build. And their muscles look like inflatable water wings you put on a child in the pool!

To burn my arm fat, I'm currently using Sweet Sweat. I put it underneath my neoprene arm bands, and go out for a bike ride.
A lot of people knock on Sweet Sweat and neoprene bands, because they either don't workout hard enough to know they're working, or don't cut calories to actually lose the fat. But I am proof that it works, as is my friend.

We both lost INCHES from our already small waists in two weeks. She went from 130lbs to 114, and I went from 126 to 120. While also building muscle (which means we burned even more fat than we lost weight in total!) And this weight ONLY dropped from our waists, where we chose to use the Sweet Sweat and neoprene bands! :D Normally, if we were just losing, we would have lost quite a bit of boob and butt, too. ;)

My arms are my current project, because they are WAAAAYYYY too fat. Or, at least my upper arms are. Somehow my forearms look skinnier than a dopehead's. (*SIGH* Oh, my anatomy...) I haven't worn them enough yet to see a difference, but let me tell you, I will come on here crying tears of joy once I do! I HATE wearing short sleeves because of my fat arms! >:[ I'm probably going for a ride tomorrow; I feel like I'm running out of time, and summer's basically already here! =__=

BTW, I prefer bike rides because they're fun, easy, and you don't even feel like you're burning all the calories you are. Also, it's a GREAT leg workout! I can ride for HOURS and still want to keep going!


I really need to hit the gym, too, though. Now that I'm having serious thoughts of transitioning, I need to start working out my arms again, rather than my usual butt workouts. I already beat most of the guys at the leg press, I guess it's time I give those muscles a break and focus on my upper body strength again. x3

I don't want to be overly muscular like most of the men here, though. I'm ok with being a little scrawny. But even as a female I've been striving for muscle tone and a general look of fitness, so I want to go just a little bit further than that as a male. And...maybe I should let my butt muscles atrophy just a little...since 40", all ass is pretty big for a 5'4" dude...

EDIT: Oh lawd, you can tell how fat my upper arms are in my picture...And...they're literally twice that size when my arms are down against my body...Motivation to workout!

I might have mentioned this before somewhere but if anyone is looking for free working programs, try http://www.freetrainers.com (http://www.freetrainers.com) I've used them for about 3 years now and while there's a limit to the variety of workouts they have, I've found them helpful for basic "getting in shape" type of stuff to more moderate weight training and exercise.

Would be cool to have a workout journal section on here. I think it would be good motivation.

Quote from: G on October 16, 2013, 12:33:02 PM
Would be cool to have a workout journal section on here. I think it would be good motivation.

There's a workout section of the board, you can freely start a journal thread over there. :)

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,10.0.html

Quote from: LearnedHand on October 16, 2013, 02:54:22 PM
There's a workout section of the board, you can freely start a journal thread over there. :)

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,10.0.html

Awesome! Might as well since I write it down

I love that people sharing scooby1961's videos. He does really great informative videos on both bodybuilding and nutrition. I don't know how to imbed videos, but here's one of his I saw years ago that I really like and find helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFFXlX41p4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EAR1N5p8sA

Wow that is a lot of information! But it looks really really difficult, aha, maybe I should work on this getting in shape thing...

Quote from: Daydreamer on April 19, 2014, 01:45:13 AM
I love that people sharing scooby1961's videos. He does really great informative videos on both bodybuilding and nutrition.

Agree, http://www.scoobysworkshop.com (http://www.scoobysworkshop.com) is one of my favorite sources. He doesn't flog useless products and most of his stuff you can do at home or with cheap or DIY equipment.

His pullups and pushups for beginners how-to guides got me from 3x7 pushups to 5x25 (5x20 pre-T) and from 3x1 pull-ups to 3x6. 

He also has good info on nutrition, including stuff for vegetarians. (Rice protein + pea protein is the best approximation of whey for vegans, FYI, and can easily be found organic or non-GMO.)

My other favorites are http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html (http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html) for the most comprehensive and scientific exercise and fitness information including video clips of exercises with proper form and just the video section at http://videos.askthetrainer.com (http://videos.askthetrainer.com) for demos of exercises sorted by muscle group and equipment type, so if you're looking for something you can do for shoulders at home with dumbbells you can find it easily.  Warning - last I checked the rest of the site has a bunch of commercial hype and sexist crap on it.  I am just vouching for the videos.

Not really looking for body building info but I'm trying to get healthier. I do cardio 5x a week for 30-45 min. On my off days I do an hour or more of walking through the day. My cholesterol is high, so I'm eating better and trying to exercise. Since I've been busting my butt at the gym I've been losing weight faster which is okay. According to my scale which checks body fat percentage, I've lost one pound of "not fat" for every 9 or so pounds of fat lost. I'd like to change it around a bit so I can have no muscle loss.
So, what the heck do I do? I've got a Planet Fitness membership and do 5x5 on the machines, hitting each one (about) 2x a week. Open to suggestions, but keep in mind I have no idea wtf I'm doing on the exercise end of things. I keep my heart rate in the 145-160 range during cardio and on the borg scale I'm usually around 13-16.

If you're losing 1 lb lean body mass for every 9 lbs fat then you're doing well.  You must have your diet under control with good nutrition.

If you post some specific fitness and body composition goals I or somebody else here could give you specific workout advice.  But for general fitness it sounds like you're doing it right.


Sapere Aude

Quote from: Deborah on April 20, 2016, 06:22:06 PM
If you're losing 1 lb lean body mass for every 9 lbs fat then you're doing well.  You must have your diet under control with good nutrition.

If you post some specific fitness and body composition goals I or somebody else here could give you specific workout advice.  But for general fitness it sounds like you're doing it right.


Sapere Aude

I don't really have specific fitness or body composition goals. I'd like to have a body I'd be comfortable with shirtless by June 19th but that's a kind of complex thing. My main achievements are with my health. Blood pressure and cholesterol.

With my current trend and tracking via various apps, I started at 200.4 lbs with 34.7% body fat and I'm currently 183.9 lbs with 30% body fat. It's likely that I will be around 165lbs by June 19th.

I would recommend you set a goal to reduce body fat below 20%.  That will make you look good without a shirt.  After that you can decide if you want to work towards getting really defined (around 12% or less body fat) or to maintain at around 20%.


Sapere Aude

Quote from: Deborah on April 20, 2016, 08:35:32 PM
I would recommend you set a goal to reduce body fat below 20%.  That will make you look good without a shirt.  After that you can decide if you want to work towards getting really defined (around 12% or less body fat) or to maintain at around 20%.


Sapere Aude

I'm not looking for other people to think I look good without a shirt. I'd just like to feel comfortable shirtless. I also don't know if going from 30% to 20% body fat in 9 weeks is possible, likely, or healthy. I also don't know/think that's what I want.

Quote from: Nygeel on April 20, 2016, 08:38:26 PM
I'm not looking for other people to think I look good without a shirt. I'd just like to feel comfortable shirtless. I also don't know if going from 30% to 20% body fat in 9 weeks is possible, likely, or healthy. I also don't know/think that's what I want.

Why 9 weeks? You're right, that is not healthy, but doing that over like a year and a half would be reasonable.

I'd advise you to stay away from the machines, and do free weights. Stronglifts 5x5 is a good simple program for beginners. For cardio too, while what you're doing is great, it'd be even better to do HIIT (high insentisy interval training) instead of steady state cardio. You can google HIIT routines. In addition to all the physical benefits over steady state cardio HIIT takes a lot less time, and is not as repetitive.

Quote from: dentistsandthedark on April 21, 2016, 09:26:23 AM
Why 9 weeks? You're right, that is not healthy, but doing that over like a year and a half would be reasonable.

I'd advise you to stay away from the machines, and do free weights. Stronglifts 5x5 is a good simple program for beginners. For cardio too, while what you're doing is great, it'd be even better to do HIIT (high insentisy interval training) instead of steady state cardio. You can google HIIT routines. In addition to all the physical benefits over steady state cardio HIIT takes a lot less time, and is not as repetitive.

Because there's an event I'm going to in 9 weeks.

I've read about strong lifts 5x5 but I don't think my gym has those kinds of free weights. I also have some shoulder problems and don't know how to do the movements properly. I've seen videos and everything but seeing and doing are two very different things.
HIIT is something I've seen about but don't have enough info.

I can recommend HIIT as well. I've been doing it for a couple of months now, and it definitely toned my body. Look for fitnessblender hiit on youtube. That guy has plenty of videos of varying length that are great to do. The upside of HIIT is that it does not only burn energy while doing it, it also causes EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). So basically you'll be burning more energy afterwards for many hours.

Quote from: Mr.X on April 21, 2016, 03:49:43 PM
I can recommend HIIT as well. I've been doing it for a couple of months now, and it definitely toned my body. Look for fitnessblender hiit on youtube. That guy has plenty of videos of varying length that are great to do. The upside of HIIT is that it does not only burn energy while doing it, it also causes EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). So basically you'll be burning more energy afterwards for many hours.

But that's not really what I'm really looking for:/
Will it help with my bp?

Aerobic exercise like HIIT, done regularly, will help with your blood pressure, unless you have some other underlying condition.

Thanks for this!  Starting/creating a workout plan is so intimidating.  I have a month left before top surgery, so hopefully I can start putting some of this info to good use

If i may give a tip , dont do to much in the beginning else so sore ya may stop and not start again just slow gains to start


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 :) :D :o  ;D ;D ;D

JETFIT IS A FREE APP, YOU PUT YOUR INFO IN THEY HAVE TONS OF WORKOUTS FROM GYM TO HOME STYLE WORKOUTS. YOU PICK THE ONES YOU WANT AND LOOK THROUGH THE PROGRAM, START AND IT EVEN TIMES THE SETS SO YOU CAN'T GET TOO LAZY AND SLACK TAKING TO MUCH TIME (MY PROBLEM).


IT TRACKS EVERYTHING AS LONG AS YOU STAY WITH IT YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS
HELPS YOU TRACK WHAT MUSCLES YOUR BUILDING AND YOUR REPS
IT HAS A FACEBOOK STYLE FRIEND SETUP TO KEEP OTHERS ENCOURAGED (PRIVATE MESSAGE ME IF YOU WANNA    FRIEND ME I'LL GIVE YOU MY SEARCH NAME-CURRENTLY DOING THIS SOLO SOME SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD BE NICE)

ANYWAY I'D HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT HAS MEN AND WOMEN WORKOUTS, MAYBE WE CAN START A TRANS WORKOUT CLUB.   

 

zeus33,

Welcome to the site. Thanks for having that great information. I'm sure it will be helpful to some of our members.

I also wanted to pass along some links we try to get to newly posting members. It is mostly welcome information and rules. One of the bits is you can start to private message through the site and post an avatar after 15 quality posts. If you have not read through them yet, please take a moment to do so:

Site Terms of Service & Rules to Live By (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.0.html)	Standard Terms & Definitions (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,54369.0.html)	Post Ranks (including when you can upload an avatar) (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,114.0.html.)
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Once again, welcome to Susan's.  I hope you find what you are looking for here.

With warmth,

Joanna

I'm dealing with a plateau now, really annoying.

Mm, I can't do a single press-up, even from my knees. I have one dumbbell but it's ridiculously light. I'm not aiming to look ''muscular'' exactly, just a bit less flabby. The arms are the problem. Has anybody got press-up tips?

Quote from: Blue Cat on July 06, 2016, 02:35:00 PM
Mm, I can't do a single press-up, even from my knees. I have one dumbbell but it's ridiculously light. I'm not aiming to look ''muscular'' exactly, just a bit less flabby. The arms are the problem. Has anybody got press-up tips?

Can you do one using a chair, couch, bench or something of a similar height? By changing the angle you end up with more weight on your feet than on your hands making the exercise easier.

Wow! I really want to get back into working out since I've started T. All of this is so thorough. My biggest problem is the food part. I never know what to eat or I never have the time to make things. If anyone has any more tips on the diet plan, please share! Thank you for taking the time to write such a great post

Lots of chicken and rice?

No junk food.

Quote from: Austin Rodgers on January 23, 2017, 10:01:05 AM
Wow! I really want to get back into working out since I've started T. All of this is so thorough. My biggest problem is the food part. I never know what to eat or I never have the time to make things. If anyone has any more tips on the diet plan, please share! Thank you for taking the time to write such a great post

ketogenic diet all the way. Make the time to prepare food.

This is so useful, thankyou all for this information!