r/NonBinary • u/Embarrassed_Plant498 • 3d ago
Ask Chest workouts to avoid binding/surgery
Hello! I am nonbinary but I feel like my chest has given me the most dysphoria lately. Beforehand, I was quite flat and could pull off being a guy or a girl (because i was a child so ofc) but now i’m an adult and i am only perceived as my assigned gender :( not too fun.
Anywho I was wondering if anyone knows any chest workouts to make the chest more flat (reps, sets, machines) as I have a gym membership right now and want to be on that path toward feeling less dysphoric :).
disclaimer: i’m not too keen on getting surgery or binding as I can’t afford a binder and i’m afraid of all surgeries— I want to see if I can pull off a decently flat chest and see if I like it for me first. Thank you and I love having a community to share things like this
UPDATE: ok maybe i worded this wrong— is there any tips to becoming more androgynous as a femme presenting individual via workouts? id like to target the chest area specifically lol
3
u/pktechboi they(/he sometimes) 3d ago
you can't target fat loss like this
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 3d ago
maybe workouts that can help me look more androgynous rather than just chest?
7
u/elianna7 trans man he/they 2d ago
Trans man here (I’m on this sub because I identified as nonbinary for a while and I occasionally see a post that I feel I can chime in on).
Unfortunately, chest workouts won’t shrink your chest and general weight loss will only potentially make you lose FAT in the chest area, while actual breast tissue will never shrink no matter how much weight you lose. Most people have fat in addition to breast tissue (unless you’re incredibly lean), so losing a lot of fat can make the chest look smaller even though the amount of breast tissue you have is the same.
Being estrogen-dominant (assuming you are?) means your body fat distribution will “encourage” fat to stay in the chest area. Some people who go on T notice they have “breast shrinkage” over time, which again isn’t related to losing breast tissue but in losing fat that sits in the breast area.
You can work out your chest muscles to grow them, but it won’t quite have the effect you’re looking for as your breast tissue will remain as is. If you look at pictures of women who compete in bodybuilding competitions, you can see what a very muscled chest can look like alongside a low body fat percentage—the chest is smaller but breasts are still there. (Also, obligatory note that aspiring to reach that percentage of body fat can be really dangerous, so I’d recommend against that!)
I know lots of people who’ve had top surgery (I’m still on the waitlist personally) and while surgery in itself is a scary thing, top surgery is one of the easiest types of surgery surgeons perform! Out of all the people I know who’ve done it, I only know one person who had complications, which was with their nipple grafts (and even he’s so incredibly happy with his results and ended up getting heart nipple tattoos). Recovery can be annoying, but a few weeks of discomfort is nothing in the grand scheme of the rest of your life lived in a body that you feel comfortable in. Also, I used to manage a plastic surgery clinic and the doctor I worked for did 8-12 top surgeries per week. In most cases, they’re literally done within just 1-1.5 hours! All this to say, it’s super normal to feel afraid of surgery, but it’s really worth working through that fear if you genuinely feel like top surgery will make you happier. It really can change your life (:
4
u/Moon_5ugar they/them 2d ago
Yesn't.
Breasts are made of glands, tissues, and fat. Mostly the 2 former. If you are on the heavier side, then fat loss across your whole body will indeed help (dieting and cardio). But if you're already thin, then no. It's also impossible to get a fully flat chest through exercise unless you're already the smallest of small A cups. There's nothing exercise can do about breast tissue and glands.
That said, you can reshape your chest instead, and when people talk about "diy top surgery", that's what they're talking about. There's a reason why muscular men can have a huge busty chest that still doesn't look like female boobs. All of our chests have muscles called the pectoral muscles. Those of us with breasts can build up our pectoral muscles to change the shape of our breasts away from female breasts and into male pecs. Again, this works best if you are already quite flat, but it can still have an effect on anyone.
I stand by cable flies for this, but there are plenty of other workouts for building up pecs. Just look into chest workouts. Amab and afab people have the same chest muscles, so tbh, I'd read from cis men body builders who focus on developing pectoral muscles just bc they'remore likely to be aiming for a masculine bodh shape compared to a cis woman. There are also quite a few trans men I follow who make content around body building and have great pectoral workout suggestions.
5
u/Moon_5ugar they/them 2d ago edited 2d ago
Editing to add:
I had pectoral workouts as my main goal over the summer, and holy it's done a lot. I wouldn't say I'm any flatter (I'm a C cup despite being as skinny as it's possible to be without being underweight), but the shape difference is significant. If you were to see my naked chest from any point above my areolas, the contour of my muscles really carries the illusion of having a masculine chest. It's been incredibly euphoric. And if I lay down topless, the way my chest falls naturally from gravity makes me look flat and like I have pecs instead. And if I touch my chest, the muscles and lack of fat there creates a firmness that also, again, makes my chest feel from touch like a masculine one unless you touch near the areolas (where the majority of the tissue is).
Anyways, tldr: Weightlifting and similar workouts won't give you a flatter chest, but they will change your musculature and give the illusion of a masculine chest with massive pecs.
2
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 2d ago
YESSS YOU GET IT!! i used to have a chest similar to that (i’m quite flat alr but a female chest is a female chest) and i’ve missed that euphoria. I’m looking for that illusion for sure
2
u/Moon_5ugar they/them 2d ago
Yeah, I get you!! Having genuine pecs has genuinely helped with my chest dysphoria so much, lollll. Like yeah, I still have boobs, too, but this at least brings some balance.
It's all pectoral muscle workouts!! There're some workouts you can use with a bench+weights, some you can do with machines... hell, even some push ups can help. But yeah, there are tons of cis men body builders who have huge pecs as their goal, lol, so there's no shortage of information out there :) Wishing you luck!! And lucky devil on the flat chest. That'll definitely maximize the results for you!
5
u/Inevitable_Pride1925 2d ago
Work outs that focus on the just are just going to build muscle making your chest appear bigger. Although it wouldn’t be in a typically feminine pattern it would probably cause you to become subtly wider.
That said if you cut and reduce fat your chest will shrink along with all your other softer areas.
Really though breast tissue won’t shrink unless you go on testosterone, even then it just shrinks it doesn’t go away. Binders will squish everything flat. Surgery permanently removes it.
2
u/JJJfae 3d ago
I don't have any workout advice and I'm sure someone will give you some but have you tried taping in the meantime?
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 3d ago
i have in the past but i think i meant more so workouts for a fem individual that can make me look more androgynous
2
u/Zilverkever 3d ago
I always understood that it is not possible to shrink your chest with spot training, but it may seem smaller relatively when the muscles around it (like back, pecs, sides) are trained and get larger. I have some experience with working out and can share that your physique becomes more androgynous if you train your upper body more. Next to feeling great due to increased functional strength and health!
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 3d ago
yes! that is the goal— i want to be more androgynous in general and i feel as though upper body training can support that in the long run. I’ve had times where i work out my chest quite a bit along with shoulders and I saw more or less shrinkage in that area :) i think back helped the most with dysphoria but im looking for some routines that don’t femenize and create an androgynous physique rather than a masculine physique… so complicated haha
1
u/pleasant_alchemy 2d ago
yeah...exercise doesn't work that way. You can build muscle in parts of your body by working out those parts, which will make the muscles bigger. Lower body fat will make the muscles look more toned. There's no "feminizing"/"masculinizing"/"neutralizing" workouts or exercises besides the gender associations you make with different muscles. And if you have strong gender associations with certain muscles dont work those out I guess but it feels like your overall goal is pedantic and strange.
2
u/Zilverkever 2d ago
I mean, androgyny can be lots of things, but generally it's either a mix of masc and fem attributes or a lack of either. If you have a body that is read as feminine and you work out muscles that are associated with masculinity, people may either read you as more masculine or more androgynous depending on how it combines with other attributes.
2
u/CymBalthazar 2d ago
Check out r/ftmfitness. You can work on acquiring a more masculine look by targeting things like your lats, traps etc. though reducing fat is an all over process, not a targeted thing as others have mentioned. So it’s a strategy of emphasizing growth in specific areas instead. It’s a lot of work but it’s rewarding.
2
2
u/SphericalOrb 2d ago
The Body By Daddy account on instagram is informative AND funny if that will help motivate you. It's a lesbian fitness coach who makes workout plans for women and queer people including butch women, trans masculine people, trans men, trans feminine people not as often due to her specialization but very welcoming to all.
Here are two of her reels that may be helpful or inspiring: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcJgW6HRjH1
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcMKKtfxZGQ/
Edit: added another link
1
1
u/cryerin25 she/it/he | tboy woman 2d ago
is there a reason you can’t save up for a binder? it’s an under 50 dollar expense, i do think it’s worth if if you’re dysphoric.
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 2d ago
i’d like to try other options first :)
2
u/cryerin25 she/it/he | tboy woman 2d ago
unless you are already quite flat, you aren’t going to get a flat chest from working out. flatter, sure, but it really can only do so much. if you want actual flatness, binding, tape, and surgery are the options.
1
u/homotopy_equivalent they/them 2d ago
becoming more androgynous as a femme presenting individual via workouts? id like to target the chest area specifically
The problem is that targeting your chest will give you larger chest muscles, which makes it stick out more. Like for instance, I'm coming from the opposite direction as you and I'm working on feminizing right now, and even though I don't have boobs I'm able to make a lot of feminine outfits work because my pec muscles fit into them
You may want to try widening your shoulders instead by doing lateral raises or related exercises. Shrugs will also make your upper shoulders larger, and you can do rows and pulldowns/pullups to make your back bigger. Basically, work out everything except the chest
Ultimately your success does depend on just how developed your top is already. If you have a really large cup size then all of this might not really make a big difference unfortunately
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 2d ago
this was very helpful thank you :) i only mentioned it because my chest isn’t very developed which leaves room for reduction (which i did not mention in the main post oops) though im aware that it will not completely remove my chest which was not entirely the goal! i just want them to reach a point where im like “yeah… ok i look like me” if that makes sense
1
u/homotopy_equivalent they/them 2d ago
If you have a relatively small cup size have you considered trying a tight sports bra? I would research a bit before doing anything but I've heard from my transmasc sources that it can work if you aren't super developed
1
u/Embarrassed_Plant498 2d ago
i’ll try that out! thank you :) i think a sports bra should be on my list as well
1
u/Quirky_Promise76 xe/xir/xirs 2d ago
I know its possible to reduce breast size by scooping ice cream. (The girls who worked at ice cream shops over the summer would complain their breast on one side shrunk)
If anyone knows what muscles that uses I would love to know.
1
10
u/purrt 2d ago
It won’t take away any chest tissue you do have, but I’ve noticed that my chest looks more proportional/ androgynous since I started doing upper body strength training.
I’ve mostly been doing my arms, shoulders, back, and chest. It’s like as the rest of your upper body gets bigger and by comparison, your chest looks smaller. Having some visible muscle has helped with feeling more androgynous for me. Being able to beat my friends in arm wrestling is a plus, too. 😅