​A double mastectomy, colloquially known as “top surgery”, can be one of the most life-changing experiences for a gender-diverse individual who was assigned female at birth.
 
Since the beginning of my coaching career, I’ve had the honour of helping multiple clients prepare for this procedure and safely return to training once recovered.
 
In this article, I’m going to share training and nutrition practices to create a sustainable and effective top surgery prep plan that I’ve been learning, perfecting, and developing for years.
 
So, if your top surgery is coming up, read on.

To build muscle effectively, you need to train hard.
 
Muscular or technical failure is the epitome of “hard training”, but doing this all the time can have a number of downsides – like an increased injury risk and an inability to recover – that can actually prevent you from maximising your progress.
 
However, it’s easy to tell when you hit failure.
 
On the other hand, it’s not so easy to stop before failure and still train hard enough to stimulate meaningful muscle growth.
 
The reps in reserve-based (RIR) rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE) is an evidence-based tool that helps you do exactly that. I’ve personally applied it in my own and my clients’ training with great success for the past three years.
 
If you want to learn more about what the RPE scale is and how to use it, read on.

​If you’ve ever lifted weights before, I’m sure you’ve come across repetition ranges, such as 6-12 reps.
 
In a well-structured training program, these ranges won’t be assigned at random.
 
In fact, by selecting an appropriate range for each exercise, you can make your workouts more effective to achieve your fitness goals.
 
This article will focus on how to choose the best rep range to maximise muscle growth, but you’ll pick up on some fundamental concepts to improve strength and endurance, too.
 
Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s make some brain gains.

Updated March 9th, 2022.

When I realised I was transgender in 2018, I started bodybuilding because I wanted to sculpt a more gender-affirming physique. For nearly three years, I’ve been honoured to help dozens of clients achieve the same goal.
 
With this article, I want to help you do the same.
 
This piece is therefore going to cover:

• Which muscles to train to masculinise your appearance
• How to train them effectively
• How to eat to support your training

 
Before we start, I want to make a clarification: this guide can help you at any stage of your fitness journey, whether you’re on testosterone replacement therapy or not.
 
Anyone can build muscle with resistance training, including those who are pre-testosterone or will never take any.
 
Furthermore, the benefits of exercise go above and beyond your appearance and include improved mood, higher energy levels, and increased self-confidence, among others. What better way to grow into the person you were always meant to be?
 
For this reason, I encourage you to begin training as soon as you can. Even if you chose to never start hormones, you’d still be able to put on an euphoria-inducing amount of muscle that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t train.
 
I speak from experience, as I was determined to take my physique as far as I could before beginning my medical transition. I first started lifting in June 2018, but didn’t have access to TRT until March 2020.
 
In addition to the physical results – which I believe have been greater than if I had waited almost two years until I could start testosterone – training and nutrition have helped my mental health, relieved my dysphoria, and benefited my relationship with food.
 
But enough about me. If you want to learn more about my story, you can read this article.
 
If you’re here for the gains, let’s get started.