FtM exercises?

[Pallas]

Are there any exercise tips for getting more a physically shaped male body? 

 

Not super muscular, just toned. 

Like getting noticeable abs, fitter/slimmer legs (less fat, more muscle) and more muscular arms? 

So a slim-ish look, but it's clear some work-out has been done to maintain oneself. 

 

I used to do martial arts a lot but once a week for an hour is clearly not enough. 

 

The question is therefor also... 

How often do the exercises need to be done and how many? 

(example: 10 sit-ups every day or jog for 30 minutes or... Etc.) 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[Jackie C.]

OK, you're going to want to work your upper body a bit harder than you usually would. Building muscle mass there will help square your body out. You can't forget your legs, but not shape your backside too much.

 

I'm working towards toned. Here's a picture of me with some of my gym friends:

 

 https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/gallery/image/13878-img_7460jpg/

 

If you can't tell, I'm the tall dorky one in back. Now then, that physique is the result after training five days a week for about a year. My sessions last two to three hours and consist of twenty minutes of cardio, weights in the middle, and another twenty minutes of cardio at the end. Pre-COVID-closing-everything I could press about 300 pounds in a squat-lift. I weighed about 210 at the time for reference. The lovely woman in front can do more than that and she used to lift professionally.

 

So, with that in mind you're going to want to protein load for muscle mass and spend at least an hour a day working. I usually do four sets of 20 reps during my weightlifting routine, but if you're doing your form correctly, the right answer is "the biggest weight you can comfortably lift for as long as you can." The small woman in front taught me that. Pull, squeeze/hold as long as you can stand it, relax, repeat. That will build lean muscle and give you definition. The diet will help you build mass and targeted exercises will put that mass where you want it. Personally, I vary my routine from day to day when I can (stupid pandemic) to keep myself interested.

 

So yeah. Diet. Exercise. Correct form for building muscle (I strongly suggest a personal trainer to give your on-site guidance) and hard work. Good luck!

 

Hugs!

[Pallas]

@Jackie C.  Thanks so much for your response, Jackie!  (May I call you Jackie?)

 

Checked out that photograph and you all look so great! :D 

Wow, that's quite some work-out!
I don't know how much I can do in a day, I have hypermobility coupled with chronic pain+exhaustion. So I quickly get exhausted even from simple tasks, but I really want to do my best. If I have a clearer picture of what to do personally and a good example, then I think that would help me a lot. It'll take me a lot longer than for "normal" people, but I can get used to that.

Protein load? Well, I already did lose some weight some years ago from cutting carbohydrates and eat more protein at the very least. It also gives me a bit more energy.
What other ways do you suggest for me to consume more protein-based food (etc.) instead of anything else?

An hour a day, I'll do my best with that, thanks again!
 

What do you exactly mean with "four sets of 20 reps"?
I'm not too familiar with certain terms or abbreviations, unfortunately.

Will these exercises also help with getting a slimmer belly with some toned muscles?
I feel that's a lot harder naturally to get even the slightest abs for physical females, it's something I have struggled with and always wanted.

 

With personal trainer, do you mean like at a fitness gym of sorts?

[Carrie]

Hi

It is possible also to find a personal trainer while they are expensive you might just have a consult to set up a comfortable routine just for you. You do not need to workout with that person every time just find a starting routine and get them to update it as you think you need it that will cut down on costs.

Most gyms will have someone like that to help you. After all it is in their best interest to keep you happy.

Just a thought

Carrie

[Pallas]

@Carrie Thanks for your advice as well, much appreciated :)

[Jackie C.]

Of course you can call me Jackie.

 

Ray has a six pack. She put her shirt back on for the picture, but she is ripped. She's 68 years old, 5' nothing and about 100 pounds. She also used to be a policewoman, a professional bodybuilder and a personal trainer. I am in awe of this woman and cannot believe she chose to approach me as a friend. I feel blessed.

 

OK, so reps are repetitions. I do a particular exercise twenty times, then rest for 30-45 seconds and do it again. A set is just a group of reps. So my twenty... let's say squats is one set. Once four sets of squats are done, I move on to the next exercise. I'm targeting different muscle groups with each exercise and I don't do every exercise every day. For abs it's going to be crunches. Front and both sides. You need to engage those abdominal muscles so it's crunch, hold, repeat. Put your hand over them while you work at first so you can feel them engage. Once you get an idea of what working the muscle group feels like you won't need the extra feedback.

 

You're right that it is absolutely harder to build muscle mass as a woman. It just means you have to work at it harder than the guys do. (Oh look, a metaphor for life.) You can absolutely get there though.

 

For protein, I drink a protein fortified shake either with or for one of my meals. For example, my diet allows for some extra carbs today so I had a shake with my waffles. Two cups of almond milk (I'm lactose intolerant) and two scoops of whey protein powder. Then two gluten free waffles with butter and syrup. My wife has celiac disease so we don't have wheat products in the house either. That's probably going to keep me until dinner with MAYBE a snack in the afternoon. That's 46g of protein and four of my eleven allotted servings of carbs. If I have a snack, it'll probably be something like deli ham wrapped in cheese or maybe some peanuts. Dinner is going to be bacon-wrapped chicken over rice with stir-fry vegetables. I might have a cookie for dessert. I use an app on my smartphone to keep track of my food intake and make sure I get all the nutrients I need to build muscle mass and stay healthy. I need my body to burn fat for fuel so I limit carbs (11 servings today) and make up the difference with protein. A big advantage to protein is that your body doesn't have a mechanism to store it so it doesn't end up as fat if you indulge. So yeah, protein shakes and lean meats all the way. I'm losing about a pound of fat a week between my exercise and diet plan. I still have a ways to go, but I'm making progress and having fun.

 

As for your hypermobility, do your best. If you need to stop, stop. I worked my way up to where I am now from. Wow, OK, I was nearly 300 lbs, 48 years old and hadn't exercised... ever. I'm also asthmatic. I started slow. I walked three miles on a treadmill and alternated that with a cardio dance/weight routine. Then I just kept at it. I joined a gym when the treadmill broke down. I had a fun conversation with the sales guy about, "You'll never use a treadmill." Um, I used it until it literally broke down. I'd still be using it if it didn't need serious servicing.

 

That's the real secret. It doesn't happen overnight so you've got to keep going at it. Even after you get the results you want. On the plus side, now I can hold a squat basically forever. My knees start screaming at me before the muscles do.

 

Hugs!

[MaybeImHigh]

Pull-ups all the way. That was my main workout before my egg cracked. They build your lats which give you that  V-shaped upper body that most men want. If you can't do them yet then this video may help:

 

Or just search for pull-up progression

[Jackie C.]

If you have access to a gym, there's also a machine that allows you to do assisted pull ups. A series of counter-balances and weights take some of the load off for more reps. You can use it to work your way up to your full weight.

 

Hugs!

[Pallas]

To Jackie and MaybelmHigh:

I took some time to think about how to reply, because  -and I want to say this clearly-  it means a lot you all spent time to reply and help and I want to reply properly, giving it the appropriate attention.
So thanks again so much.

 

@MaybeImHigh

I don't know what 'egg cracked' means, but thank you for the video and suggestion! Now I just need to find a place for me to do that... ?

 

@Jackie C.
Thanks, Jackie for explaning the abbrevations to me. Seems a bit silly now that I didn't know them before, haha!
(Yeeaaaah, stupid metaphors, why does that one gotta be true in a lot of cases... Rhetorical question, but yeah... )

As for the diet with the protein powder and such, I don't know. On one hand I want to try it, on the other hand I'm worried I won't replace it with my somewhat unhealthy foods and just add it instead to the total amount of what I eat...
That's my main concern with that kind of stuff.

All those things sound really delicious (like the dinner example).

 

'Ey! I'm also asthmatic, although the doctors categorised it as exertion asthma (or exercise-induced asthma). That reminds me...
Years ago, I was the only kid in elementary and middle school who not only liked gym class (which was once a week), but also did once a week martial arts. Yet still I was one of the chubbiest people. I didn't really realise that until my last year in middle school. Changed my diet to more protein-based, cutting out a lot of carbohydrates, and that alone helped me get rid of around 15kg (33 pounds?). I have gained a bit of weight since then (at most 5kg / 11 pounds I think?), but it is keeping now at around the same weight. Now I just want to turn fat into muscle instead xD  Sure, I might weigh heavier, but if I have more muscle, and less belly and upper leg fat as a result, I'm happy.
So back to the asthma: it only happened when it came to running, and people kept saying the reason why I had breathing issues was because I was unfit or had a poor condition. Which was not entirely true at the time as I was a lot more physically active compared to anyone else in my class. With any other sport that did not involve running I had the most stamina compared to anyone else. I also never suffered from this while, for example, swimming. So all in all, I feel a bit "cheated" with my body. I was more fit and active compared to others, and yet I was one of the chubbiest. That's I suppose also a few years later, after I noticed changing my diet actually got me to a healthier weight, that I thought.. sports isn't for me. It has been years I have been doing it, barely any muscle build, did not prevent me from becoming almost fat, did not help me to reduce fat.
It was only after taking on a new diet (not a temporary one) that I learned about a documentary talking about sugar, and how many people focus on sport to lose weight, but if the diet isn't addressed of the copious amounts of sugar people get in their foods, then they're fighting an uphill battle. It really is unfair, so much stuff has sugar in it. 
But... I think in order to now make sure the rest of the body gets rid of that last bit of fat and reshapes my body, that's why i think is where sport will now help me. IF(!) I keep it up.
Perhaps I should hold a logbook or something? That might motivate me to keep it up.

Sorry for the vent there, I hope you don't mind. I tend to uh... write long things. I just had to let it out.

You mentioning the treadmill, it makes me think I actually want a treadmill at home. I need to finish the room I'm busy renovating though and it might even be able to fit in there. 
Because uh. I have had issues with going to places and keeping it up. It's not fear, it's... I dunno. Weird. It's always annoying to me to have to go to a place in order to do something. When I'm there, it's not problem, it's just the trip to there. Is that bad? 

Squatting forever, oh no, now I imagine you doing it all the time! ?

 

I suppose so. Maybe I should try the gym... Just a bit hard with... you know what going around. They only opened I think 1st of July here. I don't know how it is with the gyms in my town either... Think in my small town there are 2 to 3 fitness gyms. Kind of funny to think about, small town filled with fitness gyms. Bit of exaggeration, but still!

 

 

Anyways, thanks again so much. I'll do my best to follow everyone's advice and see if keeping a separate logbook on this forum for progress.

 

 

[JK]

Super late to this thread but just in case any one ends up here looking for more tips, I have greatly enjoyed trying out some fun superhero themed workouts during these stay at home times.

 

There are super easy to follow illustrated posters available for free online. I originally found them in a facebook post, but you can find them easily by googling “superhero workouts” and I believe they are now homed at darebee.com (formerly neilarey.com). 

 

When I don’t have a lot of time or energy, sometimes I cut down the number of sets. Alternating different hero themes keeps it fresh, even though they aren’t all that different. Also its just extra awesome telling my friends stuff like “it’s Batman day”. 

[Jackie C.]

That is both awesome and... well, not that intense. At least not when I have access to a gym. Could be a fun way to change things up day to day though. Thanks! I had no idea this existed.

 

Hugs!

[DuncanCathar]

I'm glad I found this post. I had been wondering about exercise routines and the like myself. Lots of good advice. 

[DylanB1452]

I started working out over two years ago. I found what really helped me to be more confident in myself was upper body exercises. I have some breast tissue, but not enough to get any form of top surgery, but working my chest made a world of a difference. Like mentioned above, staying away from glute focused exercises was a big priority too. With a larger upper body, but a minimally muscular butt/thigh area I have really been happiest. Great post above btw

[awkward-yet-sweet]

I have basically zero breast tissue and I'm not curvy.  I'm also pretty slender, so any muscle I build tends to make me more square.  I played soccer in high school, and before Covid happened I played intramural soccer locally just for fun and exercise.  I didn't gain much weight when Covid kept me home, but I've been less active the last couple of years and currently getting back to it.  I make a point of getting some exercise each day.

 

In the morning, I frequently go for a brisk walk/run around my family's land.  It takes me about 25-30 minutes.  It is a harder exercise than running on pavement because there's objects to avoid or jump over, and tall grass.

I don't do a lot of lower body exercises, but I do some squats with weight and a lot of stretching. 

 

For upper body I do some things daily, and others less frequently.  I usually do pushups and situps daily.  About 100 of each, as rapidly as possible.  I do planks and dips for core strength regularly, but not every day.  Kind of as I feel the need, but probably 3 days per week.  I'm getting back to doing pull-ups. 

 

Since I don't have much body weight, I've been adding weight by wearing a weighted vest.  I happen to have military-style kevlar and plates in the closet, so I figured out a practical use for it. I think you can also get a weighted vest on Amazon meant specifically for physical training.  For fun activities, I still enjoy kicking a ball around with my friends and wrestling in the yard with a couple of my partners.  My husband and I drill on hand-to-hand fighting techniques, so I get some time every week practicing kicks, punches, and throws.  And of course, there's the bedroom exercises too 😉 

 

I'm hoping that a few weeks of renewed vigorous exercise will reward me with better muscle tone.  I'm not focused on getting better definition to my abs, but I've noticed that when I go shirtless, abs = "guaranteed to pass as a boy" so it is kind of nice.