transgymbro

[transgymbro]

hi, i’m your local laid off discord employee, here to talk about exactly how safe it may or may not be to talk about Political Activism on discord. my credentials here are that i was a senior member of discord’s trust & safety team, which is the team that handles bans, legal investigations, and legal compliance. (my speciality was in child safety, anti-grooming, and taking down CSAM, but i also worked occasionally in low level terrorism issues and assisted that team in investigations.) i also know most of the people still working there in these capacities.

the tldr and most important thing to know is: i do not recommend you plan, discuss plans, or use any kind of hyperbolic (or not) language about violence to government officials or anyone in that vicinity on discord. please use signal instead.

a discord trust & safety employee is technically able to see any message you’ve sent under your account, going all the way back to the beginning of your account. unless you have manually deleted a message, it is viewable to a tns employee. now: it is a tremendous part of being on a tns team that we did NOT invade user privacy without cause. cause was usually: another user reported something you said, and we thought the reported message indicated you might be doing something elsewhere that was illegal (for example: a user says “i’m talking to this girl but she’s in high school lol.” i would then try to find evidence as to whether or not there was a child safety issue there. in this example, we’d require clear admission of age from both the user and the alleged high school girl, and then clear evidence of sexual talk between them, and go from there.) finding evidence required looking though all of that user’s messages.

most of the tns team, as i know them, are pretty resolute about not going further in looking than would be needed for action. most of the tns team that i still speak to is very much on the side of blue. your general conversations are probably perfectly safe, and we were very good at figuring out quickly if someone has reported you maliciously. i don’t believe you need to worry too much about your porn and fanfic and all that.

HOWEVER: reported content must be investigated, and discord can, and has been, legally subpoenaed to turn over user information. again, this has nominally been in Very Evil cases (CSAM and grooming, school shooting threats, murder admissions, etc.) but that could change, either at the federal level, or at the discord policy level. discord, like any social media company, could easily be pressured or forced into taking on different internal policies that could get you in serious trouble if you are organizing violent or “illegal” resistance. if that happens, there is a scenario where this incoming administration is given access to your messages.

again: please do not organize your political or social resistance on discord from now on. please use signal to ensure your maximum safety. do not panic if you have already talks about things on discord: you can easily delete your messages, and that WILL remove from an employee’s view. do that and use signal from now on.

stay safe. i love you. 💕

[transgymbro]

hi, I’m a trans guy who does ballet and prolly needs to do more workouts but I hate the gym with a passion. What can I do from home (ab wise mostly, as that’s what my doc recommended bc of my chronic pain/illness)

I'm not entirely sure where your chronic pain is located, but the go-to at home ab exercises for me would be situps/crunches and planks. All are body weight so they don't require additional equipment. Planks are where I worry about the chronic pain bc again, no idea where it's located. Situps/crunches are a pretty safe bet though, but I don't know your body like you do.

[transgymbro]

hi, i wanted to ask if you had any advice for good bicep/chest area exercise tips that aren't things like chest presses/pushups? i have cEDS and my shoulders love to go out of place if i sneeze too hard, so every doctor i've ever seen has said i should never do most of the exercises that people recommend to do to build muscle before top surgery and the like. i have access to a bit of gym machinery, so if it's something most standard small gyms have i can do it. it's okay if you don't have ideas, but i thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

The only chest exercise that I can think of that doesn't involve a heavy amount of pushing the way chest presses and push ups do are chest flies. However, chest flies do require quite a bit of stretch from the shoulders (I've linked a demo video here) so I'm not sure if those are good for you either. You may have to not exercise the chest (to be fair, this doesn't necessarily impact results).

With biceps you could probably stick to bicep curls, which shouldn't move your shoulder too much, if you're doing them properly. Dumbbells or a barbell should work fine, or even a cable with a bar attachment.

Again though, I am not a medical professional and you should consult your doctor before trying any of these.

[transgymbro]

ive been going to the gym this year and really enjoying it. took my partner for the first time today and they also had a good time so looks like we'll be going together a lot! nonbinary gym bros fistbump 👊🏻

Ye nice 👊

It's great to go to the gym with a partner (of any sort), in fact it's something I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE because a partner can spot you and make sure you're lifting safely

[transgymbro]

oh my g-d your blog is so wonderful to find !! as an intersex trans guy who did a LOT of gym in my mid teens (before disability hit) but had to be secretive about it because a bunch of my queer friends would constantly make toxic masculinity jokes at me over it, seeing another trans guy who gets that same gender euphoria from just doing weights and the whole like gym guy culture is fucking awesome. Please never stop doing what you're doing, you are definitely an inspiration to people, if not anyone else then at least me

Thank you for your kind message! I wish more queer people would just understand that stereotypically masculine things aren't inherently toxic, because shit like camping, weightlifting, fishing, and working on cars is ACTUALLY FUN TO DO. Also working on cars is just useful if you own a car so

Anyway stop shitting on people for their interests regardless of if their interests are "emo cringe" or "frat bro"

[transgymbro]

hey guys we can all agree its like, incredibly sad and fucked up when a trans man feels like he has to apologize for being a man, right. like even jokingly. it’s very concerning that people have created an environment where a trans person is expected to be apologetic about their identity, right.

[transgymbro]

hey dude! just wanted to say you're doing good work here. keep it up.

Thank you!

[transgymbro]

While I have thoughts about the election that I haven't quite been able to put into words yet, I've seen a lot of misconceptions that "if DIY HRT is so easy for gymbros to get, it must be easy for trans men too!" and "Just go up to a gymbro and ask for his T!"

As the "trans gym bro" blog, I feel like I have to be the one to say

NO. IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE.

First of all, because T is a regulated substance, it is hard for gymbros to get as well. That means even if they DID use T, they would NOT be sharing.

Secondly, there's "natty" culture. For those who aren't in the know "natty" is short for "natural". Being "natty" means you got your gains without the use of testosterone or steroids. There are those of the mindset "if you're not natty whatever, just disclose", but there are also those who look down on the idea of not being natty. Not to mention a lot of these gymbros strongly discourage the use of T in their circles because of the negative effects (namely the aromatization of T into E) of too much T. Basically, not every gymbro uses T, many actively discourage it, and those that do use T are likely hiding it.

Third, very few people are going to just bring their T into a locker room. Partially because of the previous point, but also because the locker room is just unsanitary, often don't have a proper disposal bin for sharps, and/or because the gym bans the use of steroids (sometimes needles I think?) entirely (this may not stop everyone but it's at least a deterrent).

Fourth, and very importantly, a large number of gymbros are transphobic. This varies from ignorant to actively malicious, and you never know which one you're going to get. To be fair, not every single gymbro is transphobic, but there is a large enough portion of them that are, such that you would be at substantial risk if you outed yourself to one. No transmasc in their right mind is going to risk outing themselves to someone who hates you AND is jacked as fuck.

There are other things preventing those who want testosterone HRT from accessing it also, such as doctors refusing to prescribe it to an AFAB person because "you'll ruin your body" reasons, those gymbros being a big part of the reason why T is a controlled substance, as well as it just being unsafe to use someone else's vial of T.

The point is though, we DO need resources for DIY T, ESPECIALLY in the current political climate in the US. Do NOT fucking ignore us because you refuse to acknowledge that not every gymbro is going to fit whatever idea of them you have in your head.

Anyway. I have to hit legs now.

[transgymbro]

Project 2025 ain't gonna roll out all at once. So what we're gonna wanna do is make passing each individual part of it as difficult as possible, so there's less to undo once we finally get this country back on the rails.

[transgymbro]

For everyone asking how much of a boost, CA has 54 electoral votes. And while CA is the biggest blue state, it's not the only one. Harris is guaranteed to catch up.

This is in part to calm myself but also to reassure everyone else:

The current results are not the final results. What you are seeing right now is the red mirage where it LOOKS like Republicans are winning but they may not be because not all the votes are counted.

Not to mention, on the west coast, it's still 6:30 PM. Polls aren't closed yet. And when they are they still need to count THEIR ballots. And Kamala will get a MASSIVE boost from California, which, in my recent memory, is ALWAYS blue.

It'll be okay. It's not that far apart. Stop staring at the election maps constantly. Not good for your health.

[transgymbro]

This is in part to calm myself but also to reassure everyone else:

The current results are not the final results. What you are seeing right now is the red mirage where it LOOKS like Republicans are winning but they may not be because not all the votes are counted.

Not to mention, on the west coast, it's still 6:30 PM. Polls aren't closed yet. And when they are they still need to count THEIR ballots. And Kamala will get a MASSIVE boost from California, which, in my recent memory, is ALWAYS blue.

It'll be okay. It's not that far apart. Stop staring at the election maps constantly. Not good for your health.

[transgymbro]

A friendly reminder to USians: if you are planning to vote on Election Day, your mantra is "Nothing I see today convinces me not to go vote."

Exit polls suggest DT cannot be caught? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Exit polls suggest KH has it in the bag? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Pundits are saying the country is swinging overwhelmingly red? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Pundits are saying the country is swinging overwhelmingly blue? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Polls can be misleading (intentionally or not). The methodology can be biased (or simply poor). Early results may not reflect what the full count will show. There may be a red mirage. NOTHING YOU SEE CONVINCES YOU NOT TO VOTE.

The biggest Democratic win in swing states means nothing if democrats don't turn out everywhere to keep the reliably blue states blue.

VOTE. Wear appropriate weather gear if you think you may have to stand in a line outside (coat, hat, gloves, umbrella, sunhat, whatever, you know where you live). Bring water and a snack and something to do (book, game on your phone, podcast and headphones, whatever, you know what you like). GO VOTE.

NOTHING YOU SEE ON ELECTION DAY CONVINCES YOU NOT TO VOTE.

[transgymbro]

It is astounding that some people on this website have an understanding of the many nuances of the transfem experience (as you should) but for some reason cannot apply it to transmascs like. if the experiences of one group of trans people are not all the same why would you assume that for another group of trans people???

[transgymbro]

Or earlier! Any red state can turn blue if enough voters turn out.

[transgymbro]

That's fair, I've got a (really large, length of my forearm and thickness of my bicep, water bottle) and yeah. Seriously. You shouldn't be drinking it all at once, just throughout the day. Technically on days you work out you should be drinking more because of water lost via sweat (currently I'm drinking a full gallon per day, and yes you will have to use the bathroom a LOT)

Do you have any advice for overcoming the insecurities about not being able to lift as much as my cis gym partner? I just started taking weights class in my school for PE credit, and I've never really lifted before so I can't lift very much. We got put in groups of 2-3 because there's a limited number of equipment and so we can have a spotter, so I work out with the same guy every day. He's also new to this, but he can do way more than I can. My max for squats is 85, his is 95. For bench, he can do 85, but I can only do 55 and when I tried 65 I almost dropped the bar and he had to save me. I know everyone is different and my masculinity is not dependent on what I can physically do, but I still feel insecure. I keep trying to lift weights that are heavier than I probably should, and I think my form is suffering because of it and I'm worried I'm going to hurt myself. I also get injured pretty often from skating so I'm not always able to do all the exercises because I twisted my ankle or whatever, which means I'm not getting all the benefits I could be. I really want to both get stronger physically and have more visible muscles, especially in the arms and chest area because I think it will help me pass better. I recently started testosterone and I'm hoping that will help, but I don't know how long it will take. I hope this isn't too personal, and you don't have to answer unless you're comfortable with it, but are you on T and if so did it help? Sorry for the long rambly ask, I just feel like you might understand better than the people I know in real life

Rest assured, friend, just because you can't lift those numbers right now doesn't mean you won't catch up in the future.

What might help your insecurity is reminding yourself that you will catch up, and that injuring yourself by doing too much now is only going to slow your progress.

Yes I am on T, and have been for over 2 years now, but I had already been lifting a year by the time I started T and had some pretty decent numbers too (75 lb goblet squat, 120 lb leg press, wasn't really doing too much in the way of squats or bench press at this point due to wanting to be super careful).

The thing is with T is that it takes about 6 months of consistent doses for the muscle growth to kick in. And that's after you and your doctor find the dose that works for you.

Was T helpful when it finally did kick in? Yeah. But I also don't know how much of my progress came from T and how much came from long term consistency and hard work.

If you want to increase your strength, I've heard it's best to go for higher weight, less reps, but without sacrificing form too much. Make sure you're listening to your body and knowing the difference between good pain (muscle strain of the targeted muscles) and bad pain (really painful, doesn't feel right, etc). Increase your protein intake too. If you need to, you can modify an exercise or do a different one that hits the same muscles to make it easier on any injuries you might have.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions, and good luck!

[transgymbro]

Yep, be sure to eat! Some plant based sources of protein include tofu, fake meat (surprisingly! I've had it before and it actually doesn't taste too bad either), seitan, tempeh, beans/lentils, and quinoa. If you do eat animal products that aren't meat, eggs, especially egg whites are good too. Protein shakes can really help, and there are several that use plant based protein rather than whey.

Also, remember to drink at least half a gallon of water per day (over the course of the day). Staying hydrated will help you a lot and it keeps your kidneys able to process all the protein.

Do you have any advice for overcoming the insecurities about not being able to lift as much as my cis gym partner? I just started taking weights class in my school for PE credit, and I've never really lifted before so I can't lift very much. We got put in groups of 2-3 because there's a limited number of equipment and so we can have a spotter, so I work out with the same guy every day. He's also new to this, but he can do way more than I can. My max for squats is 85, his is 95. For bench, he can do 85, but I can only do 55 and when I tried 65 I almost dropped the bar and he had to save me. I know everyone is different and my masculinity is not dependent on what I can physically do, but I still feel insecure. I keep trying to lift weights that are heavier than I probably should, and I think my form is suffering because of it and I'm worried I'm going to hurt myself. I also get injured pretty often from skating so I'm not always able to do all the exercises because I twisted my ankle or whatever, which means I'm not getting all the benefits I could be. I really want to both get stronger physically and have more visible muscles, especially in the arms and chest area because I think it will help me pass better. I recently started testosterone and I'm hoping that will help, but I don't know how long it will take. I hope this isn't too personal, and you don't have to answer unless you're comfortable with it, but are you on T and if so did it help? Sorry for the long rambly ask, I just feel like you might understand better than the people I know in real life

Rest assured, friend, just because you can't lift those numbers right now doesn't mean you won't catch up in the future.

What might help your insecurity is reminding yourself that you will catch up, and that injuring yourself by doing too much now is only going to slow your progress.

Yes I am on T, and have been for over 2 years now, but I had already been lifting a year by the time I started T and had some pretty decent numbers too (75 lb goblet squat, 120 lb leg press, wasn't really doing too much in the way of squats or bench press at this point due to wanting to be super careful).

The thing is with T is that it takes about 6 months of consistent doses for the muscle growth to kick in. And that's after you and your doctor find the dose that works for you.

Was T helpful when it finally did kick in? Yeah. But I also don't know how much of my progress came from T and how much came from long term consistency and hard work.

If you want to increase your strength, I've heard it's best to go for higher weight, less reps, but without sacrificing form too much. Make sure you're listening to your body and knowing the difference between good pain (muscle strain of the targeted muscles) and bad pain (really painful, doesn't feel right, etc). Increase your protein intake too. If you need to, you can modify an exercise or do a different one that hits the same muscles to make it easier on any injuries you might have.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions, and good luck!

[transgymbro]

Do you have any advice for overcoming the insecurities about not being able to lift as much as my cis gym partner? I just started taking weights class in my school for PE credit, and I've never really lifted before so I can't lift very much. We got put in groups of 2-3 because there's a limited number of equipment and so we can have a spotter, so I work out with the same guy every day. He's also new to this, but he can do way more than I can. My max for squats is 85, his is 95. For bench, he can do 85, but I can only do 55 and when I tried 65 I almost dropped the bar and he had to save me. I know everyone is different and my masculinity is not dependent on what I can physically do, but I still feel insecure. I keep trying to lift weights that are heavier than I probably should, and I think my form is suffering because of it and I'm worried I'm going to hurt myself. I also get injured pretty often from skating so I'm not always able to do all the exercises because I twisted my ankle or whatever, which means I'm not getting all the benefits I could be. I really want to both get stronger physically and have more visible muscles, especially in the arms and chest area because I think it will help me pass better. I recently started testosterone and I'm hoping that will help, but I don't know how long it will take. I hope this isn't too personal, and you don't have to answer unless you're comfortable with it, but are you on T and if so did it help? Sorry for the long rambly ask, I just feel like you might understand better than the people I know in real life

Rest assured, friend, just because you can't lift those numbers right now doesn't mean you won't catch up in the future.

What might help your insecurity is reminding yourself that you will catch up, and that injuring yourself by doing too much now is only going to slow your progress.

Yes I am on T, and have been for over 2 years now, but I had already been lifting a year by the time I started T and had some pretty decent numbers too (75 lb goblet squat, 120 lb leg press, wasn't really doing too much in the way of squats or bench press at this point due to wanting to be super careful).

The thing is with T is that it takes about 6 months of consistent doses for the muscle growth to kick in. And that's after you and your doctor find the dose that works for you.

Was T helpful when it finally did kick in? Yeah. But I also don't know how much of my progress came from T and how much came from long term consistency and hard work.

If you want to increase your strength, I've heard it's best to go for higher weight, less reps, but without sacrificing form too much. Make sure you're listening to your body and knowing the difference between good pain (muscle strain of the targeted muscles) and bad pain (really painful, doesn't feel right, etc). Increase your protein intake too. If you need to, you can modify an exercise or do a different one that hits the same muscles to make it easier on any injuries you might have.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions, and good luck!