So a lot of the changes that are introduced by taking estrogen sound pretty cool. Kinda goes without saying in this community, but I’ll say it anyway, and you can’t stop me.
- Softer skin (fuck yeah)
- Bodyhair growing thinner (fuck yeah)
- New bodyfat gets placed where other women have it too (actual shape-shifting, how cool is that)
- Reduction in testicular volume (does that mean they won’t be in the way all the time anymore? Sounds great, actually. Fuckers only exist to get squished when I want to sleep on my side. Absolute design flaw.)
What I’m not quite understanding yet is the effects on muscle mass.
Do you lose existing muscle mass?
Do you decrease the potential for future muscle growth?
Or is it both, even?
Either way, I guess I’ll shift more focus to lower-body excercises to counter-act my shoulders. The Glutes are by far some of the most important muscles in the history of humankind, after all.
So anyway, I hope you’re all doing good, and have a nice weekend
Muscles, like everything else in your body, are always dying and being replaced. Growth will slow and overtime they will atrophy even with exercise as replacement growth is slower.
Individual genetics vary a lot but in general once everything has normalised in 5 years or so if you’re the soft of person that strength trains regularly you can be expected to be about as strong as a man who never does any manual work.
It is what it is.
I’ll gladly trade some muscle for all the other benefits. Guess I need to start looking for a therapist now, if I want this to happen anytime soon
Well it was for me, but it does make you aware of more ways the world is built for men. E.g. mechanical advantage on bolt cutters.
I’m currently ~6 months into an estimated 2 year effort to be able to do a pullup and I do wish there were non masculinising T analoges haha.
I just managed to do a proper pullup this year, I’d be kinda sad to see it go again, not gonna lie.
Though pulling up my mood by seeing myself instead of some dude in the mirror is more important by far. But hey, apparently bodyfat redistribution also means less fat goes to the belly.
Maybe I’ll finally be able to see my abs, they’ve been hiding from me my entire life
I like food too much to ever see my abs haha!
You don’t become a delicate wilting flower, if you work to mantain it and eat well. Keep hitting the dhal and the gym, do some running or whatever floats your boat and you’ll still be more than capable moving around the world. It just requires a bit more effort, but then that’s kinda typical for trans folk anyway :)
I’m in my 30s, transitioned in my early 20s. I’m not the strongest I’ve been but definitely the fittest. I may not look amazing but I can throw a brick at anyone who points that out and book it before the cops show up ;)
Here’s hoping that becoming who I really am will also help with gym motivation, because that is certainly lacking rn.
On that note, I should learn to weld, so I can expand my home equipment. A barbell rack would be a godsend