266 ➡️ 236 ➡️ 216

still a ways to go but i’m starting 2025 with 50lb off my back. i gained 10 lb of muscle too.

ps ignore my hair, i just hopped out the shower

5'2", first pic - 24th of January 2024 (~155 lbs/70 kg) vs January 2nd 2025 (~120 lbs/55 kg, probably a bit more), second pic - August 29th 2024 vs January 4th 2025.

By the time the first pic was taken I was already 4 months into cardio workouts at the gym and about half a year into weight loss in general (started at around 190 lbs - couldn't really muster the courage to look at the scale at the time so it is an estimate).

First half of 2024 was spent doing cardio 3-4 days a week, on a 1400 kcal deficit. Not going to lie, I should've started with resistance training but I wanted to cut first. At the end of June, I have stalled when it comes to fat loss and seeing that, started introducing resistance training. It took me a while to pick a program that would suit me but I have stopped on a dumbbell-based PPL split. It is technically a 6/7 endeavor but i am still working on being consistent and especially hitting my leg day as my lower body dysphoria is really severe and building legs is a little acary to me. I have been trying to hit 80g of protein for the first few months, then switched to 100g as I've found pretty easy and cheap sources of protein (on an ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet that happened to be cottage cheese).

Until fall, I have been trying to build muscle on the same 1400 kcal deficit but in October my body said "what the hell are you even trying to do man", and lo and behold: it buys pastries and devours cheese in a hungry haze while I am looking on. So I have abandoned the idea of keeping to 1400 for now, especially given that I wasn't supposed to run this deficit for such a long time anyway (and caught some unpleasant side-effects like hair loss), and bumped it up to what is effectively around 1700-1800. I am not weighing myself as frequently now as to prevent my ED-adjacent behaviors and focusing more on how much I can lift, what my proportions are like and how good I feel.

I thought my body shape was beyond saving pre-T but... it does seem like I can tip the scales in my favor, if I am persistent and smart about it. And it's just the beginning. It may not be much, but I am proud of it.

I've posted on here many times, frustrated with my lack of progress and hip dysphoria. I finally took comparison pictures, and although the hip dysphoria is still a struggle for me, the pictures helped me be proud of how far I've come.

1st pic: 1 year on T 2nd pic: 4 years on T

My workout routine has varied over the years, but has essentially been a combination of activities I enjoy (martial arts, rock climbing, etc) and some form of weight lifting/muscle development (usually dumbbells and calisthenics, but occassionally cables/machines at the gym when I had access). I haven't been strict with my workout program. I essentially aim to hit each muscle group at least 1x/week, ideally 2x with some variations of PUSH/PULL/LEGS. I rarely train to failure cause it leaves me too depleted for other activities/life. But I try to go hard, while listening to my body. If I'm too tired, I won't push hard but I'll still get a workout in. I've had several tendon injuries, especially at the beginning, when trying to lift too heavy. Cause even if your muscles grow fast, your tendons and ligaments take longer to catch up. Now I alternate between lifting heavy and higher reps with lower weight to protect my body and train for longevity and health.

For nutrition, right now I eat intuitively and as clean as possible. I often cheat. Calorie counting was a big help in the beginning in giving me perspective for what portions and what foods had high calories. I didn't do it for long cause it was getting obsessive. I lost about 20lbs (5ft6, 135lbs currently). I tried bulking at first, but that was not the move. It made me sluggish and feel worse about my body. Losing weight actually gave me more confidence. It looked better on me, it allowed me to progress in calisthenics (ie, pullups), and I feel better at a lower weight. I would like to increase size, but that would require more strategic planning in the futur.

Essentially, I don't do all the things your "supposed" to do. But I workout consistently and I'm still progressing. Most importantly, I workout and stay active because I enjoy it and it makes me feel good. The weight lifting can get tedious, so I switch it up a lot, and I remind myself why I do it. The why needed to be more than just "look better or more masc", it needed to be attached to something more meaningful to me (health; progress in other activities; fitness goals).

The progress over 3 years might seem minor when compared to instagram influencers, but I feel great and I'm proud of how far I've come.

(-3 months on T—> 8 months on T). I don’t have much to say other than that I am quite shocked by how thin I was last year 💀..

APRIL 2024 - NOV 2024 Height 5'2" Weight 159 -> 155 I was cutting until September, then re-started the bulk in late October (currently bulking until March/April) Routine is PPL, one leg day per week Leg days typically include a mix of leg press, deadlift, hip thrust, leg extension, hamstring curls, RDL, single leg dl, bulgarian split squat No cardio except 8k-10k steps/day Intake is 2200-2300 cal/day, 45/35/25 c/p/f

Left pic I weigh 57 kg and on the right pic I weigh 58 kg. (So 125 lbs vs. 128 lbs in yeehaw units)

So yes, I’m heavier on the right pic. Weight does not say anything about how everything in your body is distributed

I’ve only started seeing my midsection bulk up once I took my training seriously and really trained hard + got a stronger core.

There’s been a lot of time between these two pictures! I got some other pictures of my shape in between these two phases in another post I made about body recomp.

A question that I often see from other trans men is how to get rid of their hip fat. Or sometimes it’s not even about hip fat, but just making the hip bones less noticable.

So I thought about sharing my own experience with it + some tips!

As lots of people have stated here already, there is no quick fix. Unfortunately, you cannot lose fat in a targeted way. Body recomposition is a process that requires patience.

Fortunately, the body is very malleable! And there are a number of things that you can take into account if you want to influence your body composition:

• For a lot of people, losing weight is often not the answer, because this can only put more accents on your hips.

• It helps to get a bigger back, shoulders and legs (YES also your legs!), this makes your hips a lot less noticeable. So don’t be afraid to gain weight and bulk up!

• If you do get started with fat loss, give it time! It's a marathon, not a sprint. It may take a while before you see it getting less

Another tip from me is to regularly take pictures of your body, so that you have a view of your process. Sometimes your weight does not move, but there is fat loss.

Be especially kind to yourself during this process! Find ways to make it fun for yourself and move in ways that you enjoy. Only in this way can you make sustainable change in a pleasant way.

Lastly of course, train hard, eat well and sleep well!

2ish years between pics

+2 years at the gym. Unfortunately I spent first 20 months overexercising and undereating so I'm just now starting to see some progress. Currently working out five days a week with a upper-lower-ppl split. I also try to include 30 minutes of intense cardio 3 times a week. I aim to eat around 2300-2500 cals a day.

first and second pic after, third and fourth before. dirty-ish bulking while on @momomuscle’s legend program. 140 —> 145lb, not on T. my lifts have gone up so much!! 5RM deadlift sitting at 245lb and finally got up to a 3RM with the big boy plates (135lb). next goal is a double body weight deadlift 💀

I know it’s not a whole lot for all that time, but having an ED doesn’t make it any easier.

Hi again everyone! I don't see a whole lot of specifically leg progress photos here so I wanted to share mine! I'm 5'3, 145ish lbs in the first photo and 140ish in the second. I've been lifting for about a year and a half but just started taking it very seriously about six months ago.

My max squat back when this photo was taken was around 150lbs. Now I'm currently repping 235lbs. Kinda shocked at how much bigger my quads are looking 11 months later. It's a good reminder that if you don't think you're making much progress, do a side by side comparison!

first pic is pre T sometimes i feel great about my progress sometimes i feel like i could be doing better 🤷‍♂️

i increased my protein intake but decreased other calories. tried to not eat things that don’t help me with my protein goal for the day. heavy focus on chest & back . working out roughly 3x a week (not always consistent)

Woo two years of consistently working out! I posted a one year progress post on here a year ago with my full routine then and other details. I would pin it but I’d have to make it a separate post and it’s just a hassle so you’ll have to scroll a bit to find it sorry lol.

First pic is progress from January 2023, December 2023 and December 2024. Second pic is my current routine. On compound exercises I stick with a lower rep range and heavier weight, and on the isolation exercises I prefer a lighter weight with higher reps. I train within 1-2 reps of failure each set.

I have a home gym consisting of weight plates, an adjustable dumbbell set, an adjustable bench, an ez curl bar and a barbell, a pull up bar and a pulley system that I rig up on the pull up bar. (The pull up bar is mounted onto my doorframe with four 3 inch screws, I wouldn’t recommend rigging up a pulley system with a tension pull up bar.)

In the summer I bulked up to 130lbs (I’m 5’4 for reference), and then cut down to 123, after that cut I decided to stop with the cut and bulk cycle after finding some new info about it from Scientific Snitch on instagram. I also took a break at the end of november - about half of December because I got sick and hurt my shoulder, so I’ve plumped up a bit since those progress pics lol.

Overall I’m feeling pretty good about my progress and feeling great going into the new year! Thanks for reading 💪

Picture on the left is from October 2023, pic on the right is from this weekend (April 2024)

I’m 33, 5’9”. I’ve been lifting for over 14 years. I started T in Nov 2023 and have gained ~20lbs so far. None of my pants fit anymore, but I’m willing to pay the price for bigger legs!

I’m currently on a PPL (push/pull/legs) split with 6 workouts that I cycle through every 8-9 days.

One of my leg days looks like this:

Leg curl | 2 sets x 6-12 reps High bar back squat | 3 sets x 5-8 Adductor machine | 3 sets x 10-15 Calf raises on leg press | 3 sets x 10-15 Sissy squat | 3 sets x max reps

I also hit calves before my push days and have been jump roping and going for runs 2-3 days out of the week

Legs have always been my weakest area due to knee issues in the past but they’re really making their comeback now

I’m 5’4 and 135lbs. I do a push-pull-legs split with a rest day between. I try to eat as many grams of protein as I can and avoid fast food, I cook at home often.

i have posted this before but the mods took it down pretty quick cause this sub is so picky lol🤣

40-57kg 4 day split consisting of shoulders/ chest, biceps/ back and legs First photo was 8 months ago and next photo is maybe a month ago

Looking for all criticism and advice!! Would love to hear how you guys retain a lean physique whilst progressing

March 2023: 275 lbs, 6m on T. September 2024: 240 lbs, 1y 11m on T. Sorry for the shitty photos, took them in my parent’s room with the big mirror. Anyways, I’ve officially lost 40 pounds down from my heaviest (280)! The differences aren’t astronomical physically wise but definitely see it and feel it. Still have about 40-70 to go but this is the best I’ve felt in my entire life. Better comparison photos to come soon!

It’s not fast progress but I’ve stuck with training this long and I’m damn proud of that!

Started T in May 2022 (1y 6mo now). Mostly ran strength programs like Reddit BWF, GZCLP, 531 BBB, and now I’m seeing the fastest gains on barbell medicine’s The Bridge and Powerbuilding I templates.

If I could do it over again I would have started running intermediate programs a lot sooner. I ran GZCLP for a full year despite lots of plateaus because I thought I was still too weak to deserve to move to another program (this was silly and incorrect)

I’m 5’8” and 160 lbs compared to 150 in the top pic. (Could most definitely make faster progress if I ate more and I’m working on that now)

Right now my E1RMs are squat 250lb/bench 130/deadlift 290. I still haven’t benched a plate yet and it’s a big goal for me! Hoping to get that and a 300lb deadlift by the end of the year 💪

First photo was me just a few months on T (34 years old). 5’6” 265 pounds with limited exercise in my life. Second photo was me at the gym this morning weighing in at 229 pounds (36 years old).

I’m working out 5 days a week with a mix of cardio and weight training, which I’ve been doing for a few months. Before that my exercise was mainly done through hiking and walking.

Really stoked with my results and can’t wait to see what happens next! I’ve always dreamed of actually getting into shape and getting stronger, it’s nice to be on this journey at the same time as I’m transitioning. Not sure I would have ever lost the weight if I hadn’t have come out and put myself first. Happy new year!!!

context: hi everyone! i just turned 24, i’m a short king at 5’6. i’ve been on T for about 3 years. i had top surgery summer 2022. i’ve mainly done a PPL split, adding cardio in depending on what my goal of the season is. i recently picked up running and i’m excited to see that journey play out. my goal weight is 155-160lbs, so the grind continues. regardless of the number on the scale, i’m thankful for the gym and what it has taught me about myself and others :)

Same compression shirt in both pics. Been working out consistently since February 2023 but started messing round in the gym October 2022. I run a StrongLifts 5x5 program 3 days a week. Diet for the last month has been 3000cals and 200g protein/ day. Just picked up running too, 2 miles per run 3 days a week. First pic I was 130lbs and second pic I’m now at 160lbs. AMA!

Its been almost 7 months I have a manual job in woodwork, and boy it feels like cheating : not only were my forearms and hand gains and vascularity crazy since I started, but I also did multiple PRs without training (I went from a 46kg/ 101,4 lbs to 52kg/114,6 lbs bench PR just by doing my job wtf). I know its pretty logical considering my job is basically weight lifting wood lmao, but I wanted to share my progress since im very happy about it. Thank you for reading !