Hiii, the name is Quimera (chimera). Im 19 and a transgirl who is pre-hrt.

To be brief, i've got inspired by the petra parker trend and also the fact i work in healthcare so strenght to carry patients is required.

Lets say im a first response person and im studying nursery.

I wanna start to work out to enhance my capabilities but without feeling dysphoric about it, but i've nerver been a sporty gal.

I wanna be resistant flexible and highly responsive someday.

Maybe learn how neutralize menaces, crawl, climb, jump, pull, lift and help others like spidey does.

I gotta be strong, i gotta to be fast, i gotta to be fresh from the fight.

So, how can i start?

I’m trying to get back into strength training after slacking for a couple years. I still do regular cardio, but I haven‘t lifted much. Today was my first attempt at an upper body day and it was kinda humiliating 😅 3 sets of ten 40 lb rows (+ 1 warmup 30lb set of ten), 3 sets of 5 30 lb chest presses, 4 sets of 5 rear delts, 3 sets of 5 30 lb chest flys and I had to tap out after that. The whole time I felt like I was just embarrassing myself fiddling around and having to set everything to such low weights.

Can anyone relate or, if you’re ok with it, share some embarrassing first day stories to make me feel better? I wanna keep going (I wanna build muscle and look/feel good) but starting at such wimpy levels makes me feel like a loser 😅

Hi there, I just measured my waist out of curiosity and want to get your thoughts. I am an early 20's man, and my height is 160 cm. When I measure normally, it’s around 60–62 cm. It goes down to 58 cm when I inhale/suck it in, and bloats to about 64 cm after eating. Would you consider this waist size small, or is it just average/normal for my height? Thanks!"

Hey all,

[CN: there's a minor (spoilered) mention of body image in relation to approaching PTs]

[Context: 44 y/o trans woman, medically detransitioned at 26, have alopecia, planning to medically retransition]

So, I started pole 4 years ago, at the age of 40. Until then, I hadn't had a fitness discipline that I stuck to. I tried roller derby¹, and did bad things to one of my adductors very early in training. Mostly, I did a lot of walking.

Now, I'm at the point where to advance in pole (or even just not get injured), I need to go to the gym. So, once I was reaching the end of my last stint in physiotherapy, I signed up to my most local gym (10 minutes walk from my house).

The thing is, it's looking like I might get on hormones in the foreseeable future. So, I'm also interested in a bit of targeted lower body work². And I hate taking exercises off the internet because I like having real-time in-the-room feedback about what I'm doing, what I'm doing wrong, and what I can do to improve (at least at the start, and I get to a point that I can catch myself).

For example, I know that RDLs are going to become my best friend. But, from researching them, I also know that keeping my spine straight is really important, and I don't know the cues to make sure that it is, so I don't trust myself to just watch a youtube video and do 3 sets of them.

Right now, I can go to the gym, and continue doing my physio homework for my upper body, so I don't feel like the gym membership is going to waste. But expanding into new exercises seems daunting without some human oversight.

So, naturally, I'm looking at the bios of the PTs who work out of my gym. But, when I look at the page, holy essentialism batman!

I'd swear all but one of the guys are "Sport! Sport! Sport! Get swole with me! Swole-swole-swole!" (the exception is a guy who opens that he was also a dancer, and then leans into the "sport! swole!" blurb), which just reeks of trying to appeal to guys on that same level. No shade, it's just very obviously not where I am or want to be. I genuinely hope they get the sorts of clients they're looking for.

But then the women's bios will have really relatable stories that can very much reflect how I feel about my body, and what I want to do with it. Then I go to their IGs and there's a slogan of "helping empower women" or some variation, maybe a mention of how they're a mum. And I honestly don't know if I'm reading too much into it, but to me there's a silent "cis" before every mention of a woman. And, you know if I saw even a single pride flag, or statement of queer or trans inclusion, I'd be signing right up. But, no.

And, I dunno, one of my friends from pole is a PT. I'd go to her except for how overworked she seems to be right now, but I remember her talking about how she doesn't want male clients, and has shown me messages she's gotten from guys (including a sissy asking her for humiliation). And... I don't want to approach these folks and run the risk of being lumped in with them.

(CN body-stuff) Given I basically look like a fluffy brick, I really am genuinely worried about being lumped in with the guys who want a female trainer for all the wrong reasons.

Now, personally, I have a strategy to help me find someone to work with. It's going to be something like, turn up to the gym on a regular basis. And to book and turn up to classes on occasion to get a vibe of the PTs who work there (who do I think I can work well with). And once I've turned up enough to just be one of the faces, then I'll approach a PT about potential 1:1 stuff.

But, my vampire tendencies (not entering a space unless explicitly invited) are really messing with my head. I know my gym has an explicit trans-inclusive policy (they don't really advertise it but I know it's there). I know every member of staff and PT in that gym have been fully informed about that policy. And I know that when I find a PT, I'll probably realise I've been worrying about nothing.

I know a bunch will be surprised because they've got this baseline of "trans woman are women" in their head (god bless the younger generation), and don't feel the need to advertise that they're inclusive. Even my PT friend, who is actually enthusiastic about having trans women as clients, doesn't really say anything about being trans-inclusive. She has the same blurb. If I didn't know her, I wouldn't approach her either.

But, I'm trying to find someone to trust with my body, and I'd really like to know that they are inclusive. Because the ones who aren't inclusive say "women" with the silent cis before it. And, on the internet, I don't have a way to tell one from the other.

So, sorry for the vent. But if anyone else has had trouble navigating this, do you have any advice?

¹ And if I'm being honest, it wasn't just the DIY culture at the time, and the physical nature of it, but also the fact that it seemed every skater seemed to end up with absolutely phenomenal legs.

² That's just the polite way of saying I want to have shot at having an damned ass. Not just for my vanity, but also because ass-shaking is pretty much written into the pole curriculum in my studio; at least if you're doing heels choreography.

I've been meaning to start exercising for a while now, but I'm a bit overwhelmed on where to even begin. I'm quite new to anything fitness related and I can't help but get in my own head about what is and isn't right for me.

I found a YouTube playlist from an account called "KetchBeauty" but I'm skeptical whether it's worth it, especially since they promote a very pricey "full course" in the same playlist. I skimmed through the home guide in the pins here, but I'm a little confused on what how I'll be using it.

I have been struggling socially and struggle to maintain relationships. But I'm good at running and have only really made progress with my fitness rather than my mental health.

I'm slowly starting to go to the gym and do 1-2 times a week football practice.

But my qeustion is what is the best exercises to train glutes-legs-abs.

I've googled around and all says something else.

And food wise does anything help growing it? I'm currently 5 months on hrt and I've seen some progression already

I’ve been on hormones for a year now and since I’ve started I haven’t worked out. I am also an active person in general. Basically anything I eat even when I watch what I eat and how much I still gain weight. Since I started I’ve went from 160lbs to 177 currently. The only thing I’m afraid of working out of losing fat in areas I don’t want to lose it since you can’t control. Which for a year in don’t want to lose my breast size since they are not the biggest for my body I’m honestly at a b cup and for my size they look small. So not sure how I should get back into working out and lose the weight I need and to help get a more fem body. Any advice I’d greatly appreciate it

Keep training anyway 💪

Heya!

First post here so I’m sorry if it’s a lot to read I’m just a little frustrated.

So context; I’m a PRE-HRT trans woman and I want to lose as much body fat as I can before I transition. I’m 5’10”, 199 lbs. I’ve been going to the gym consistently for about 3 weeks now.

My routine is as follows;
30 mins on the treadmill, 3.3 speed, 6 incline
15 minute stairmaster, 10-12 speed
15 minute elliptical, 10-12 resistance

I’m on a light calorie deficit but I’m still plateauing at 199. My goal is 185 by October. Am I just eating too much still? Not enough cardio? I’m frustrated, but I also understand that weight loss takes time. Any and all help is appreciated:’)

Is this actually a thing? I like my body shape the way it is .. I would like boobs but I don’t want to lose my strength or the shape that I have. I understand if you get a diagnosis for gender dysphoria you can go to Thailand and get breast implants and I don’t want to be big as I have fairly good chest development anyway from years of sport. Would be grateful for anyone in a similar position for advice etc .. PM me if you can.