Muscular Legs

[Guest Isabel Archer]

Hi everyone,

I'm MtF, pre-transition, and I have a question about how to keep my legs from getting more muscular. They are already quite thick, especially the calves, from a martial arts class I was in a few years ago. Lately I have started running 2-3 miles per day, but I've noticed that this makes my calves burn, and I'm concerned that I may be adding more muscle there. Will this sort of exercise make my legs bigger? I love what running has done for my mood, but I don't want to make myself look any more masculine. Any help would be appreciated.

[Guest Pól]

I was curious about this, so I found this link for you: http://ezinearticles.com/?Will-Running-Build-Muscle?&id=1249276

It approaches the issue from the perspective of trying to build muscle while running, so I would think that if you don't do the things they tell you to do (like wearing ankle weights or drinking protein shakes), then you should be alright. I'm not completely sure though. From googling, it looks like running mostly tones the muscles.

[Guest Chayraine]

I was kind of concerned about that myself.

After doing exercises and a lot of stretching I have found my leg muscles (all of them) have toned instead of built up muscles. My thick calves have lost diameter and my thighs look a lot better as well.

I walk 3-5 miles a day on my treadmill for almost 3 years and do some other strength exercises for my back and stomach for the last year and a half. I also do stretching exercises for my waist, back and stomach and legs, mostly started with in the last 6 months.

The Best thing I have found for my calves is to do a push-up like stretch where I keep my feet flat and lean against something until it stretches the right amount then letting off. I do this about 20 times before I get on the treadmill.

Also, there are a few links here on the forums that will help you with finding exercises that are good for MtF, many of which I do. I don't have the links myself anymore as I know how to do them.

Find the right stuff for you to build the right kind of muscles. It will take time. Its take me a good 6 months to get really noticeable effect. But my legs went from fat looking to decent looking with just adding the right stretching and strength exercises.

Now that Ive started HRT, I can't wait to see the results in a year or so!

[Guest lvmyftm]

Highly doubtful that running would cause you to bulk up. You might get more defination but not muscle bulk...at least from rec running. If you look at like olympic level women runners they have some serious muscle mass, at least the sprinters do but not the distance ones. That is from the type of training that they do and they are often in the weight room more than distance runners. If you aren't running only hills or in the weight room lifting legs with heavy weights then you don't have much to worry about.

[Guest Krys]

For what it's worth, I've been an avid runner for many years, sometimes averaging 40+ miles per week during my marathon days. I've never bulked up from running, at least not in any way that would interfere with my presentation. If anything, it's helped me keep the weight off, and to maintain a look I'm (relatively) satisfied with. Just my 2 cents.

[Guest Miss_Construe]

I have often found that my muscles feel bigger than they actually are when they are tight due to lack of stretching.