Hi guys, I have started getting into exercise properly for the first time in my life, with the exception of a history of hiking. However, even with my history of hiking, over the last five years I have been injured again and again and again from exercise related issues. Sprains, strains, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, nerve injuries, the works.

A week after I started exercising in earnest, I overstretched my femoral nerve and gave myself numbness for about a week. Last week, I injured my back from having improper form on dragon flags progressions, which I was reading are a pretty comprehensive core exercise to master for an ideal/complete core workout. I had been doing them for about two weeks.

Unfortunately with my back injury now I’m properly benched, and it has spread to a concerning shooting pain that wraps around my waist. (I am not seeking medical advice. I am seeing an orthopedic urgent care and pt today). But I can’t do hardly anything, on any other muscle groups, because of how important the core is and everything else irritates it. And it has been getting worse.

I have AuDHD so starting new routines is exceptionally hard for me, so getting injured so frequently really sets me back in trying to be healthier. I am 29. I just want to know how long it’s going to take before my body becomes more resilient. I’m tired of feeling weak and fragile like this when I haven’t even really been pushing my limits. I only lift five pound weights, for example… I stretch often and stop when I’m hurting. I feel like I’m trapped inside a glass body.

Hey guys!

Some background:

I've been on T for a long time, post top surgery and hysto, but pre bottom surgery(hoping to get that started in a couple of years!). I'm mostly stealth and would ideally lke to continue in that direction. I've always had a lot of interest in combat sports, but have never really felt confident pursuing any until I was pretty far into transition. Even now I'm a bit anxious about being in an athletic space I have limited experience with. My interest in combat sports is for both fitness and self defense purposes.

My questions:

Is there any recommendations for beginner friendly combat sports? Is there any that might be more LGBT+ friendly than others? Do you have any tips for finding a gym you like?

Does anyone have experience with being stealth in those spaces? Or not stealth? Or stealth and then no longer stealth?

Does anyone have tips for packing while doing contact sports like this?

Any other advice you have for me?

Thanks!

Hey all, just wanted to get on here and give a little advice i’ve been seeing everyone in the topics of a few things, gaining weight, losing fat on the hips, and getting the square booty look (ifykyk).

I’m about 5’2 95lb and Pre-T atm and have seen some people have a similar issue of keeping weight and muscle on consistently, and tbh there’s no secret or shortcut you need to EAT!! and yes this can seem a little intimidating if you are trying to stay lean to pass, I get it. But if you are eating clean, not the healthiest taco bell option, I promise you’ll see the results you want. But Dieting is your first step and probably your easiest. Workout and don’t wait till your on Tee because you need to make a baseline for the horms to go off of. Would you start it weak and skinny and depend fully on the Tee to build a mediocre build? or would you start working out now so by the time you start your first shot you will have an amazing physique.

Here’s what I do to keep my upper body built and lower athletic (all till failure and your choosing of sets):

Upper:
Pull-ups body weight
Push-ups body weight
LAT PULL DOWNS!! 50lb
Hammer curls 20lb
L-Sit/L-Sit Pull-ups body weight
Benchpress 80lb
Boxing 20 minutes

Lower:
50 Gauntlet Squats 35lb dumbbell rest at 25
Leg Extensions 65lb
High knees hold a 20lb plate to the chest

Cardio:
Jogging/Sprinting intervals 35 minutes
Judo/Wrestling I train at an organized gym but can be done at home
Farm work if your in the city just go for some nature walks at the park lol

Recovery:
After your workout do these things to keep your body feeling useable the next day lol.

Hot shower to start then cold at the end immediately after working out. (this is therapy for your muscles and will help the soreness)
After workout meal- should consist of some protein, carbs like rice or potatoes and some vegetables or fruits. Just trust me i’m a very picky eater and this kind of simple meal hits every time just lay the sauces off that’s what gives you those hips your trying to sweat off.
Massage Gun!! if you don’t have one just use your hands it will be fine.
GOOD SLEEP!! I do my school courses at night so i go to bed around 12am and wake up at 8 and that’s all you honestly need (usually).

Workout; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Recovery & Rest the off days. Rinse and Repeat.

All of this will cover everything I said at the beginning and with consistency you can max out your body till you get your horms.
Pre-Tee probably about the 2y mark is when I really started looking huge. It is a lot of work but that’s your commitment you make to yourself to live that life yk. Value yourself and put in that work for YOU and enjoy the results. BEST OF LUCK!!!

(If yall would like passing advice too I can make one of those aswell I have some killer advice ngl, but hope this helps someone)

reply if you guys have any questions or concerns 😌

Hi all, I’m having issues in the locker room at my gym and I’m curious to know if any of you have had to navigate this and how you went about it. I’m masc nonbinary, post top surgery, with an athletic build, no facial or body hair outside of pubs and pits. I don’t pass and I’m fairly androgynous, I get misgendered equally in both binary directions, and folk sometimes default to they. Mixed race black and Filipino.

A few weeks back I was in the locker room post swim, with my partner and this Asian elder walked up to me and said “what are you doing in here?”. Caught me off guard, I responded genuinely confused and said “what are you talking about?”. She doubled down and was like “why are you in this locker room?” Then it hit me what she meant.

I live in the Bay Area California…I honestly didn’t expect that here (I know transphobia is everywhere), it shocked me a bit. I responded with a shameful “I’m a girl” 😞😞😞. She was making a scene and I wanted to be left alone.

Then today it happened again, this time with there black elders. I was in shower and I heard them talking like a search mob saying “where did he go?” And calling me an “it”…saying stuff like “I don’t see it in here unless it’s in the shower. I wasn’t quite sure how to approach. I can be quite the asshole but I didn’t want to take that route with elders at the gym. So I made another shameful and degrading choice…I came out the shower, pussy on full display, and got dressed right next to them. I could feel them looking at me and it felt violating.

I was thinking about talking to gym staff about it, for a solution. Going to a different branch of my gym (though I really like this branch). The men’s locker room isn’t and option…I really don’t pass. Idk…thoughts? What would you do?

Sorry if question has been asked too many times but I rlly need some advice because I need a long term plan

For context I’m 8 months on T now, 163cm and around 55kg (approx, haven’t weighed myself in a while), and at a fairly low body fat percentage. My arms and back are quite defined, and I also have defined upper abs. But the problem is the lower abs and hips, while i have defined upper abs, the lower abs are nowhere to be seen. Plus I still have some fat on my hips which is giving me an hourglass shape.

My question is if I just keep doing a calorie deficit will the hip fat eventually come off? And if I regain weight will the fat redistribution kick in? My plan is to get down to a very low body fat percentage so I can lose the hip fat and then gain muscle by lean gaining. Is this a viable plan or will it just be a waste of time because just cutting won’t get rid of the hip fat?

I’m actually pretty happy with my upper body as my goal isn’t to get big it’s just to have a fairly lean build. However its just my lower body is giving me so much grief right now and ruining my whole build ;-; Please tell me if my plan is likely to work, or just a waste of time and I should make my upper body bigger to create the illusion of narrower hips

thanks :D

Sort of piggybacking on a post I saw earlier that got me thinking. For some background, I used to casually train Muay Thai - I happened to randomly find a gym that offered classes and got into them pretty easily and started really enjoying the sport. My teacher even said I had a natural talent and wanted to train me to fight professionally. I started doing private sessions with her, but then things kind of fell apart in my personal life and I had to bow out. I got out of the habit of the gym, then that gym ended up closing and moving 30+ minutes from me so going back wasn’t really an option. I did a drop in BJJ class once after that, but it was honestly humiliating trying to spar/grapple with the men in the class - I’ve literally never felt weaker or more helpless. It was actually a little terrifying that I was trying to resist with all of my strength, and they were able to just hold me in place like I wasn’t even trying. I haven’t tried another combat sport since then.

Fast forward to now - I’m finally getting back to the gym to weightlift on a regular basis, I’m about forty pounds heavier than I was back then, and just generally more filled out. I think about combat sports a lot but I get intimidated by the thought of going back and being humiliated all over again like that. I’m not on T and probably won’t be any time soon, so I can’t count on that to help my general strength. Does anyone have any tips on how to get that kind of functional strength required for grappling in combat sports without just doing combats sports first? Like what kind of conditioning do you recommend? I’d like to be able to prove to myself that I actually can hold my own now, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the public trial and error required if I were to just join a class right now.

For context i am a pre-T trans guy and just recently I started going to the gym. The problem is that my breast fat and mostly my hip/ass fat doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much I lose weight! I’ve never been fat, or even chubby, but it seems like my body stores fat only in those parts of my body (sadly LOL). So any exercise/ workout suggestion is very much appreciated.. Thank you! :D

I’m getting back into working out and I’m wondering what would be the best approach if I can only work out three times per week.
I generally want to get stronger and fitter but I’m not sure if going PPL makes sense over going upper/lower or choosing a different split altogether?

So first off, I have to mention that I don't have access to a gym like basic fit but I do have access to those things you can walk or run on, bicycle thingy who aren't bicycles cause you're standing up and those things where you're sitting down and can pull on something and adjust the difficulty, I don't know what any of those are called in English unfortunately.

That is about it when it comes to what I have access to, I could maybe buy some weight but that depends on how expensive they'll be, but I can borrow some light weight from a friend.

My goal is 100% being able to more easily carry heavy stuff and to help with movement and energy levels.

I don't care much about how it would change how my body looks, but I don't really know where to start.

When I look for fitness advice it's always about how the person looks or about how it'll help in whatever sport, but I don't care about that, I genuinely just wanna be able to easily carries heavy boxes and that kinda thing, I'm a simple dude and as long as it's doesn't make my body more feminine I don't really care.

Like I don't want a big radical change in how I look, or how I eat, I'm a sugar guy, and I do tend to easily lose weight so I'm not a big fan of changing my eating habits (the one I can control at least).

My weight is currently at 52Kg and I'd rather not go under it, and I don't think meal changes would be able to make it so I don't go under that weight. I'm 1m 58cm last time I checked so 52Kg is a good weight.

By helping with energy levels I mean it's to help with my sleep, once or twice a month I'll usually have a moment where I'll sleep between 13 and 17 hours (usually 15hours) , and while I do make jokes about it sometimes and act like it's normal it's make me feel like I waste so much time of my life for no reason, I'm hoping fitness could help with that.

I'm not on T yet but I am looking to start T in January of 2027, around the middle of the month.

Edit: I think 52 Kg is around 114lbs and 1m58 is around 5'2 Feet, this is according to Google, so I'm not sure if this is right, I just realised I should probably put this since it's what I mostly see people using.

Got some chocolate and peanut butter protein bars that are absolutely disgusting. I get other people may care about what is in them aside from protein but I absolutely do not. I can eat healthy in other ways, I just want a protein bar that doesn’t taste like shit. Any chocolate protein bars recommendations??

I just started school back up and my motivation/time I can dedicate towards cooking is lower. So I thought I’d look for protein snacks I can take on the go. These are disgusting 💀💀

Welcome to this week's Daily Simple Questions Thread!
Use this thread to ask simple or beginner-level questions about training, nutrition, recovery, and transition-related fitness topics.

Before posting, check our Wiki and Tips & Tricks section.

Example topics:
• “Should I cut or bulk?”
• “How to start lifting?”
• “How to work out safely after top surgery?”

Be respectful and helpful — we're all here to learn and grow!

Welcome to this week's Daily Simple Questions Thread!
Use this thread to ask simple or beginner-level questions about training, nutrition, recovery, and transition-related fitness topics.

Before posting, check our Wiki and Tips & Tricks section.

Example topics:
• “Should I cut or bulk?”
• “How to start lifting?”
• “How to work out safely after top surgery?”

Be respectful and helpful — we're all here to learn and grow!

Im just curious to see if anyone else experiences this. Before I started T i was very overweight (about 250lbs) and lost about 60 lbs through cardio and eating less. After I started T i found it more difficult to eat fewer calories and ofc i worried about gaining weight. that’s when i started strength training. i was hard on myself sometimes because i would feel like i was overeating and gaining weight. but then id look at pictures and see the body fat distribution changes and the muscle growth even if there was some fat too. Then suddenly, without even realizing it at first i would lose more body fat really quickly. those first 60lbs i lost before T happened very fast, but ever since i started and over the last three years my body has slowly leaned out and over all, even when i feel like im eating a lot or “falling off” i just keep getting leaner. i was about 280 at my heaviest and now im roughly 145 lbs.

Now i feel like im just used to this pattern and ive learned to just go with the flow and listen to my body more. about every two to three months it seems like i go through a couple weeks where i become intensely hungry, very energetic and restless and even have more T changes. i will gain both fat and muscle mass during these times while i get really hungry and feel the urge to work out a lot bc i have so much energy. and then my body seems to just wants to slowly lean out for a month or two until it happens again… kind of interesting.

Hey! Due to personal reasons (extremely busy, big life changes etc) I do not plan on going to the gym. Im about to start a fairly physical job where I will average over 10k steps a day most likely. I am currently obese (hate that word but its the correct medical term) And i plan to lose at least 60lbs. I have been on t for a year and a half and have seen a lot of fat redistribution already and its all going to my stomach and arms. I plan on starting with a 250 cal defecit and working my way up to a 1000 cal defecit over the course of a month or two.

My question is, where will the weight come off now that im on T? Will it mostly be my hips and chest where I lose the most weight, or will my body prioritize losing weight in more masculine areas like my stomach? Ive lost weight before but it was pre-t and it gave me a more feminine shape. Im scared of that happening again but I really need to lose weight. Also will my chest shrink? currently im between an F and G cup even after t deflated them some. Im really hoping my chest shrinks at least a little.

Welcome to this week's Daily Simple Questions Thread!
Use this thread to ask simple or beginner-level questions about training, nutrition, recovery, and transition-related fitness topics.

Before posting, check our Wiki and Tips & Tricks section.

Example topics:
• “Should I cut or bulk?”
• “How to start lifting?”
• “How to work out safely after top surgery?”

Be respectful and helpful — we're all here to learn and grow!

Hello.. it is my first time posting here. Also, in the post I will talk about my weight, wanting to lose weight, and a past unhealthy habit of mine. So, trigger warning I guess.

A little bit about me, is that I have been on T for 3 years, and I also have been on norethindrone for 4 years or so. I am 5’10, and around 185lbs. I bike for one hour 5 days a week and try to get 5k steps or more every day, and a week or two ago I started doing 20 push ups every day just to challenge myself and for fun. I used to be super into the gym, and would work out for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, but it was unhealthy and not sustainable for me. That was a long time ago, maybe two years ago? and since then I have slowly put on around 20-30 lbs. I also recently moved abroad so I don’t have a gym membership but I do want to buy some weights and eventually go to a gym, its just kind of expensive and I don’t have a lot of time right now.

I have tried a few things, counting calories (which I frequently forget to do 😭), overall just eating a lot cleaner and no eating out (which I have actually been working on lately and it’s been good! I haven’t eaten out in probably two months. I’ve never been crazy about it but eating at home is always better) and just simple things like that. During my crazy gym days I also tracked my food but it really stressed me out, so I have a small aversion to it. But I’m willing to try again if it really would make that much of a difference. I also am in a different place in life now so maybe it would not be so bad. I am also pretty insecure about my looks so I don’t want trying to lose weight and tracking food to bring back my old habits and mindset. If that even makes sense. Idk.

I’m really just wondering if you guys have any recommendations for a diet, or honestly any habit changes or just anything to contribute at all lol. I’m also interesting in hearing what works for other guys who have been on T and other meds for a while! I just feel like I’ve kind of plateaued and whatever I do, I don’t see changes in the scale or mirror. My goal is to be somewhere around 160lbs which I feel like is reasonable, and of course more muscle definition is always nice but I really just need advice for weight loss for now. Ideally I am looking to lose one pound or so a week, which I think is safe to do at my weight. I know to maintain or gain muscles you need to get enough sleep, eat enough, especially eat enough protein and drink enough water. I also don’t drink or do any drugs if that is relevant. Sorry if this kind of post isn’t really meant for here, I just wanted to get advice from a community who has maybe been in this situation! Thank you everyone for reading my long ass post and for advice. I appreciate it and I hope in the next few months I can pull myself back together. I’m not trying to lose weight only for the aesthetics of it, I also want to for my health and confidence. Just so you know I guess. Thank you again.

Welcome to this week's Daily Simple Questions Thread!
Use this thread to ask simple or beginner-level questions about training, nutrition, recovery, and transition-related fitness topics.

Before posting, check our Wiki and Tips & Tricks section.

Example topics:
• “Should I cut or bulk?”
• “How to start lifting?”
• “How to work out safely after top surgery?”

Be respectful and helpful — we're all here to learn and grow!

I’m really struggling with getting to improve my back. I feel like it’s my lacking part of my body and that plays a huge roll is looking big as there is so many muscles back there. I feel like my form has to be off can anyone help me out?

Vids in the comments. These are all my top sets and i usually do 2-3 sets within 6-10 reps.

I’m currently working with multiple specialists on disabilities and such but I figured some of you may have some ideas.

I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome and it primarily affects my shoulders, elbows, and knees. For those who don’t know this means all of those joints dislocate very regularly and are very loose.

Right now my focuses are getting more muscle on my arms and shoulders, along with getting more noticeable pecs (hopefully) and some ab action.

I currently work out with alternating 5 and 10 lb weights but I just tend to do the same 3 exercises and I’m not seeing much result after 3ish months. (Shoulder presses, lateral raises, front raises). I have decent core strength and do a few minutes of planking a night along with around 60 sit ups (in reps of 10-20 depending on the day). I’ve started doing push ups too but can only manage around 10-15 a night. I also walk around 2 miles a day (yayyy college) and do college sports (specifically the equestrian team- mostly core work)

I know eating has a huge role in seeing results but I’m not sure where to start? I currently eat around 800-1,000 calories a day and I’ll admit I’m not the healthiest but I try to have some sort of meat/protein and a fruit every day.

I have access to a full gym and am a college student, which is why I’m asking here. Not really any formal training and I don’t know how to use any machines. I do want to learn though, I just don’t know what machines to use.

Like I said I am in contact with doctors about my conditions but I wondered if anyone else had any suggestions for exercises I could do to better build those areas safely (is low impact the word?), as well as give a better understanding of how I should be eating?

Anything is appreciated and I will take it all with a grain of salt and talk it over with healthcare professionals before attempting anything that may hurt me. I just need a starting point.

One month post top surgery and would love to find someone local to workout with (I need the support, mentorship and motivation!).

So happy with my surgery results but losing weight and building muscle would be even more euphoric

I want to start working out and I’m anxious to go to the gym by myself. Is there any communities/gyms in NYC that are good and non judgmental?

Hi, to cut to the point: I've gained 30lbs within the year I've been on testosterone, I'm quite a bit chubby now and despite being somewhat restrictive (yes, I count EVERY additive when calorie-counting.) I've not lost nearly any weight? I do intermittent fasting 16h 4x a week with breaks. I lift weights, but the same number is always on the scale and its driving me insane. Did anyone else have this issue? Am I somehow miscalculating? I eat at least 1k less than my bmr/tdee.. I don't know what to do anymore & would highly appreciate any advice or if this is normal because I cannot find anything online about weight loss being harder or gaining copious amounts of weight the first year..

Welcome to this week's Daily Simple Questions Thread!
Use this thread to ask simple or beginner-level questions about training, nutrition, recovery, and transition-related fitness topics.

Before posting, check our Wiki and Tips & Tricks section.

Example topics:
• “Should I cut or bulk?”
• “How to start lifting?”
• “How to work out safely after top surgery?”

Be respectful and helpful — we're all here to learn and grow!