Beginner MTF Workout Guide: Exercises to Build a Feminine Silhouette

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Hey, lovelies.

When I first started working on my body, I had no idea what exercises actually helped someone look more feminine. And most of what I found online was either super vague (“just do yoga!”) or designed for cis women with completely different bodies than mine.

So I started doing my own research—trying to understand what actually helps shape a feminine-looking body when you’re starting from a more masculine baseline.

This post is a summary of what I’ve been learning.

If you’re crossdressing, genderfluid, or a trans woman—and especially if you’re not coming from a fitness background—this is what’s helping me get started.

Lower Body: Building the Curves Most of Us Don’t Naturally Have

This might not be obvious if you’re new to exercise (it definitely wasn’t to me), but if you want a more feminine silhouette, this is the area to focus on.

Most of us weren’t born with curvy hips or thick thighs, so if we want them, we have to build the muscles that create that shape.

What to Focus On:

These muscles need consistent effort and progressive overload—not just high reps or light toning.

Key Muscles:

• Glutes (butt)

• Hamstrings (back of the thighs)

• Quads (front of the thighs)

• Hip abductors (outer hips)

Exercises I’m Using:

• Hip Thrusts – the main one I see recommended for glute growth. I started bodyweight, and plan to slowly add resistance.

• Glute Bridges – these feel like a good warmup or activation move.

• Step-Ups – surprisingly intense; work glutes and thighs.

• Walking Lunges – hits everything and really helps with movement too.

• Banded Side Steps / Leg Lifts – great for hips; I use light resistance and do lots of reps.

• Split Squats – tough, but I can tell they’re effective.

How I’m Training:

• 3–4 days a week

• 8–15 reps, 2–4 sets

• Adding weight or bands once bodyweight gets easier

• This is the one area I’m really trying to push for visible results

Core: Waist Control and Stability

I didn’t really have a picture in my head of what core training meant—just that it had something to do with abs. But after reading and trying a few things, I’ve learned it’s more about waist shape, posture, and internal control than crunches or six-packs.

What to Focus On:

• Transverse abdominis (deep waist muscle)

• Obliques (sides—go light here)

• Pelvic floor (very relevant if you tuck)

Exercises I’m Learning:

• Planks + Side Planks – hard, but simple and effective.

• Dead Bugs / Bird-Dogs – feel gentle, but really engage the right areas.

• Core Vacuums – kind of weird at first, but make sense the more I do them.

• Pelvic Tilts / Hip Tucks – help with posture and pelvic awareness.

• Oblique Twists (cables/bands) – light resistance only, since I don’t want to build bulk here.

How I’m Training:

• 3–5 days a week, short sessions

• Focus is on control, not intensity

• I don’t rush through—it’s more about feeling the movement

Upper Body: Just Enough to Feel Balanced

This area was tricky. I definitely don’t want to bulk up or look more masculine, but I also don’t want to feel weak. And posture really does start from the top down.

From everything I’ve read, it’s about tone and balance, not skipping it entirely.

What to Focus On:

• Shoulders (delts)

• Arms (triceps and biceps, but go easy)

• Upper back (lat support and posture)

Exercises I’m Trying:

• Lateral Raises – great for shoulder tone without bulk.

• Tricep Kickbacks / Extensions – helps arms look leaner.

• Resistance Band Rows – for posture and shoulder strength.

• Rear Delt Flies – small movement, but good for back alignment.

• Pushups (on knees for now) – whole chain activation without needing weights.

How I’m Training:

• 1–2 days a week

• 12–20 reps, light resistance

• Focus is on form and smooth, clean movement—not max effort

Posture, Movement & Mobility: Subtle But Powerful

This wasn’t something I went looking for—just something I started learning more about the deeper I got into feminization fitness.

The more I read and tried things, the more I realized that how you move is just as important as how you look.

Training the muscles that support posture and graceful movement made me feel more confident—and more her.

What to Focus On:

• Glutes and hips (again)

• Lower back and spine

• Balance and flexibility

Exercises I’ve Started Doing:

• Standing Glute Kickbacks – help with balance and rear-side control

• Back Extensions – strengthen the muscles that hold you upright

• Hip Mobility Stretches / 90-90s / Frog Stretch – these actually feel good once you get into them

• Heel Raises + Balance Work – very low-effort but weirdly helpful

• Gentle Yoga or Flows – I actually do this with my wife when she rolls out her mat. It’s calming and surprisingly effective

Final Thoughts

I’m still learning. I’m not following a perfect plan.

But this is the list of exercises and muscle groups that keep showing up in everything I research—and they all seem to come back to the same thing:

Shape. Control. Balance.

I’m not doing these to get strong. I’m doing them to feel more feminine, more comfortable, and more me.

If you’re just starting out too, maybe don’t worry about doing everything at once. Pick one or two, give them a try, and keep learning.

That’s what I’m doing.

💗