Muscle mass and exercise while on E but no Anti androgen?

[eggy_nog]

Helloo!

Just a quick question on this.

Since being on hrt (started 2 months and a bit ago) I've had VERY fast changes, including breast growth and decreased muscle mass already, and this is without an anti androgen, just E.

I want to do some weight-related exercises, and was wondering whether my muscle mass is going to become bulky if I do this type of exercise, or whether it will just become toned like in cis women, since they don't build huge mass without supplements. I am aware that the male physiology ie T allows building muscle mass, and female ie E prevents it, btu just wanted some first-hand experience of whether this is truly the case after being on hrt, especially after such a short amount of time.

Thanks!

[eggy_nog]

It's pole fitness, which is I guess using body mass as resistance. It's pretty dynamic and doesn't focus on like one muscle or group like in weight lifting, so thought it may not cause like mass building in one particular area..?

[liz]

If you want to lose more muscles maybe you should wait a little bit before starting exercises. Like low intensity running is supposed to get you toned legs, the muscles already there will be maintain.Else Pole fitness may be a good option to stay fit but it still can develop muscles just look at pole dancers in bars (I don't think that this amount of muscle is bad for a women when taking in count how many people desire those pole dancers).

[JamesG]

Taking E without T-blockers is pretty useless your T levels are abnormally low.  Is there a reason you are only taking E?

"Pole fitness" isn't weight training.  Nothing that uses your own mass is. You want to focus on cardio and high rep.

[eggy_nog]

My doctor prescribes E only at first to see how that can affect endocrine levels, since apparently E can inhibit T.

I think I've had a very good reaction, and possibly don't need the anti androgens, although will obvs confirm this with a blood test later. But I've had all the signs of taking anti androgens, with only taking E, ie muscle loss, reduction in sex drive, hard to get erection, almost no fluid coming out on ejaculation...etc, so I'm a bit of a weird case lol

[eggy_nog]

Right so doing pole fitness shouldn't give me huge muscles then? Just to clarify, I'm most definitely not looking to do weight training, just want to make sure pole fitness won't give me muscle mass I had before!

[eggy_nog]

I think I've had a very good reaction, and possibly don't need the anti androgens, although will obvs confirm this with a blood test later. But I've had all the signs of taking anti androgens, with only taking E, ie muscle loss, reduction in sex drive, hard to get erection, almost no fluid coming out on ejaculation...etc, so I'm a bit of a weird case lol

Oh yeah I've also had major testicular atrophy already. I have no idea why it's happened this fast :S normally takes months right..?

[eggy_nog]

this is the kind of stuff I'm talking about!

No heavy weights for meee

[Jenna Marie]

I was very similar - very low dose E only (no anti-androgens, ever) yet I still had T in the female range by 3 months and *terrific* results, including very fast early breast growth.

So maybe it'll help you to know that I also continued my previous weight-lifting regimen, on which I'd built some pretty obvious muscles, and all the muscle still disappeared. Oddly enough, my *strength* didn't decline, but the muscle development shifted to "lightly toned," as in cis women.

[eggy_nog]

I was very similar - very low dose E only (no anti-androgens, ever) yet I still had T in the female range by 3 months and *terrific* results, including very fast early breast growth.

So maybe it'll help you to know that I also continued my previous weight-lifting regimen, on which I'd built some pretty obvious muscles, and all the muscle still disappeared. Oddly enough, my *strength* didn't decline, but the muscle development shifted to "lightly toned," as in cis women.

Yes this seems very similar to me, although I'm just over the 2 month mark. How long have you been on..? Can you tell me what overall breast growth is like?

and OMG I do NOT want any of those moments 

Thanks for everyone's replies!

[eggy_nog]

And huge thanks for posting that vid btw - seeing that female instructor (her body shape to be more precise) was enormous confidence boost which was totally non-related to pole dancing .

I think she has a really nice body!!

[eggy_nog]

She has very proportionate body and actually she is perfect hourglass despite her shoulders being wider than her hips - I have very similar frame, but I need to thin my waist down a bit .

Yeah actually - how do you do that? I would LOVE to thin my waist but I don't know how :S

[f_Anna_tastic]

Lifting weights whilst testosterone is in your system will stop any muscle atrophy and if there is enough testosterone will promote growth should you lift enough weight to tear your muscle fibres.

Reducing one particular area is fine.  You cannot spot reduce fat.  Muscle can be reduced in one area by not exercising it (I'm desperate to lose upper arm and shoulder muscles so I do no upper body exercise at all)

Your waist could be thinned over time with corset training, although that is a major commitment and also has health implications

[Jenna Marie]

Eggy_nog : I've been on HRT for a bit over four years. At 2 months I was around a 42B cup, which I admit came as something of a surprise, but I also had some breast growth at puberty (minor, but I seemed to have a head start once I got on estrogen). At this point I've been professionally fitted as 38DD and my favorite cheap bra is a 42DDD. Still growing - I noticed new stretch marks the other day - but a lot more slowly.

(I'm also nearly two years post-op, but didn't change my already very low dose. I don't personally think GRS made much difference as my T was already very low by that point, but I mention it since some people do theorize that it might.)