Workouts for Trans Women – Shaping Up Your Hips

For many, nothing says female like a great set of curves, and that includes some dangerous curves in your hips. Unfortunately, hormones only can do so much to widen your hips. Thankfully, there are some exercises you can do that will help with sizing up your hips. And in “Workouts for Trans Women” we will tell you all about them. Plus, you get the added bonus of having a stronger core- which is vital to strength and good overall health.

Just keep in mind that you can’t expect miracles. There isn’t much in a way of muscles in that area, we are basically dealing with skeletal shape and bone structure.

So what muscles can we find down there? We are going to be focusing on the gluteus muscles, primarily the minimus and medius. These are abductor muscles that work to move a limb away from your body. These are not muscles that are accustomed to being worked out for size rather than support strength. That means we are going to be doing some very intense work.

As always, don’t overdo a new exercise routine. These are exercises you may not be familiar with, so take your time and make sure you have your form down before anything else. Whenever possible, try and set yourself in front of a mirror so you can check your form. And always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

1. Side Lunge (with Barbell or Dumbbells)

   You might be familiar with the side lunge, but you probably haven’t ever done it quite like this. For those who don’t know, a side lunge starts with your feet about shoulder width apart. You take a step to your side and bend your knee until you are in a lunge position. This version of the side lunge is a bit different.

   First of all, you will start with a wider base than a normal side lunge. First, grab your weights, start light because you don’t want to underestimate this exercise. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and then, with either foot, take one decent step out to your side. Next, bend your knee down on the first leg until you are in a lunge position with your other leg pivoting out but always remaining in place. Then use your leg you are bending, and keeping your weight on that foot, to push yourself back up into your original wide-leg stance. Repeat to the other side. You should feel it right there in your hip. If you don’t, experiment with your angle and positioning of your foot when rising out of the lunge until you feel it.With this wider stance we take stress off of the knee. That means we can do more, and use more weight. Remember that you are working out a relatively small area, so you are going to feel this tomorrow.

2. Side Lying Hip Abduction

   This is another one that is deceptive in how effective it is and how much you will feel it. Start by laying down on your side with your bottom arm supporting your head and your upper arm resting on your side. Optionally you can add a free weight, resting it on your hip.It’s pretty simple, just lift your upper leg up and slightly to the back for a gentle diagonal line. But be careful not to raise your leg too high so you don’t put undo stress on your hip. Roll over and repeat.

3. Standing Hip Abduction

   We are working the same muscle group as with the last exercise, but it can be a nice alternative, or one you can throw in on another day to keep working it. You can do both in the same workout, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Too much stress and repetitive motion. You can also add a resistance band to step it up.Simply stand and support your side you won’t be using, and perform the same motion with your leg going out and slightly back. If you are using a resistance band then be sure to keep pressure and tension on for the entire release. Seems elementary, but I’ve seen people slingshot themselves pretty impressively with bands. And you don’t want to whack your ankle on a squat rack.

4. Side Planks

   Time for our good friend, the plank. Planks are one of the most effective exercises that you can do to strengthen and tone your core. Why is this important? Your core is, well, your core. It’s the base of everything. It doesn’t matter how strong your arms or legs are if you are weak in the middle. It helps with overall strength and support as well as protecting your back.There are many variations on the plank, but for our purposes we will be sticking with the side plank. While not necessarily working the hips, it does work your side or oblique abs. Toning up this area will help with your overall figure and in conjunction with your other exercises, it will help make your hips look wider as you get trimmer looking in the middle.Lay on your side again with your upper arm resting on your leg and your lower bent out at a 90 degree angle under you. Lift yourself up on that lower arm and straighten your body with your arm fully perpendicular to you. Your arm is just a support here, we are looking at the middle. So use your core muscles to keep you straight and avoid sagging in the middle. Try going for as long as you can, and aim for three reps on each side if you can.

5. Sumo Walk

   For this one, we are going to need a resistance band. And the ability to look a little odd. Put the resistance band (doubled up if you need to) around your legs. You can put them anywhere, but we recommend nearer the ankles to reduce strain and encourage the glutes to fire up.Simply walk like a sumo wrestler, taking steps forward while keeping tension on the band. You can also think of the exaggerated gait of a gunslinger or a bulldog too. Work up the distance you can do and repeat for up to 3 sets.

We know this is a frustrating area to build up, and an area that probably already vexes you. These exercises along with HRT can help to give you a more feminine shape. Don’t get frustrated though, results don’t come overnight and it’s going to take hard work. Stick with it and keep working it!