A trans guide to weightlifting, strength training, and the perils of gym culture
GT speaks with a range of experts in the queer fitness space about how to get a gender-affirming summer body.
Ana Benaroya / Courtesy of Gay Times.
This article was originally published on gaytimes.com by Han Schneider. It has been shortened here for length.
“Outside of medical experts, it’s hard to think of someone who knows more about the human body than a trans person,” says Lara Americo, personal trainer and owner of Ghost Gym. “I feel like trans folks are often very, very skilled at analyzing their bodies, which can be a double-edged sword. When it comes to weightlifting and fitness, it can be a huge strength — if we can move through it without being discriminated against, unsafe, or debilitated by dysphoria.”
On one hand, weightlifting, or strength training, can yield gender-affirming benefits for trans people in ways that make it easier and more empowering to be in one’s body. On the other hand, Ilya Parker, Owner of Decolonizing Fitness knows that the gym can also be a source of distress or even harm for many trans folks. The safest, most empowering path lies somewhere in a delicate balance of aesthetic goals, gym accessibility, and medical needs.
Finding your workout space and routine
Factors of safety and comfort are also vital to your peace of mind, progress, and ability to work out consistently. Landyn Pan is an online strength and nutrition coach, mostly for trans folks, because he values the holistic nature of remote training. Some of his clients are in less accepting areas like Wyoming or Kansas, and would rather work out at home.
“In my online program, we do weekly group calls that are optional. We’ll have discussions on different topics like form, nutrition, or mind-muscle connection. We’ll talk about macros. And we also have conversations that are just about like, ‘How do we navigate relationships with our bodies through fitness as trans people?’” says Pan.
Americo mentioned that trans people searching for the right space for them should (discerningly) search for relevant trans fitness forums, pages, and clubs or see if your local gyms have things like LGBTQ+ takeover nights, queer owners or instructors, or more inclusive approaches to locker rooms.
But the thing Pan stressed the most was to never compare yourself to others, an age-old sentiment with renewed importance in our community.
Weightlifting shouldn’t be so much about meeting a mark on your own appearance, or editing and erasing things you don’t like. Real weight training means finding confidence in the totality of your body and learning how to love yourself even in transitional periods.
Read the full article on gaytimes.com.
