Eddie Izzard and Rocky Horror

As much as I like Eddie Izzard and his slightly chaotic rhetorics and we do play on the same team mostly, he recently said something that I find bothers me. It has been on my mind for several days which means I need to do something with it. So here it is.


"The Humanist Community at Harvard, the American Humanist Association, and the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics presented their 6th Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award for Cultural Humanism on February 20 to comedian, actor, marathon runner, and aspiring mayor of London (2020) Eddie Izzard.

Following a short performance, Izzard took time for audience questions."

In response to one of the questions on being in boy mode lately, part of his reply was:
"And then there’s transvestite and transsexual, which I believe are the same thing but it depends whether you take hormones to move yourself from transvestite to transsexual. The next person has a different thing saying, “No it’s not that. This is the name of it.” It’s a bit like where gay and lesbian were back in the 1950s."

For more details please visit this link:
http://www.advocate.com/comedy/2013/03/08/eddie-izzard-atheism-transgender-and-invisible-bloke-upstairs


As I said, we mostly play on the same team. That's the transgender team. But the team is divided and he is in the transvestite corner and I'm in the transsexual corner.

Here he says that, in his view, transvestite and transsexual is the same only transsexual is transvestite plus hormones. I cringed when I read that. I really did. I remember the first time I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show and got really confused when Tim Curry sang about being a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania. I know it sounds good, but it's highly confusing. A lot of people think that transsexual = transvestite + hormones and they can use those words interchangeably. But that's not the case.


Not fitting the binary gender is confusing as hell. It took me some time to figure out where I fitted in as well. You don't fit the norm, the standard. You are different and don't fit in, you stand out. And then you find this group of people that doesn't fit the binary either and you assume they must be like you then. Transvestites have their own culture. It's something they do. And when it isn't convenient they can choose to change into clothes that fit their birth gender and be left alone. I recently got to know someone who is a drag king. I didn't know she was one until she told me so. I never would have guessed. This is one of the main differences between transvestites and transsexuals. For one group it is optional when they express how they feel. For the other it is always there. There is no on or off switch. One of the questions I got from some people when I told them I am a transsexual was if I couldn't just be a masculine woman and maybe go in drag every now and then, or be a tomboy. It seemed like such a simply solution. If I could, I would. It would make life easier. It would mean I wouldn't have to change my body, just the way I dress. If I was a transvestite I could. But I'm not a transvestite. Even if I would go in drag full time it would still not solve the problem.


So this brings me to the hormones. Once you start hormones you can't undo them anymore. It's not just for when you feel like it. It's changing your body permanently. When a transvestite takes off her make up and high heels, they still feel like themselves. They can look down at their bodies and still say: this is me. When I look in the mirror, I don't see myself. And no matter how I dress up and do my hair, I am still not me as long as my body remains the same. I believe this is a fundamental difference between transsexuals and transvestites. The difference is being able to look at yourself in the mirror, being able to undress without feeling repulsed by your own body. This is a huge struggle for all transsexuals and can not be ignored or belittled. A transsexual is not a transvestite going over the top. A transsexual is someone who is trapped in a body that they do not belong in. Transition is not something you do because you feel like the world should accept the way you wish to express yourself. It's not optional. It's life or death.


I'm not saying travesty is not a valid gender identity. And I'm not saying life is easy for them. They have their own struggles and I am very glad they have Eddie as their spokes person. I'm just saying, just because apples and pears are both fruit, doesn't mean they are the same. Of course everyone should be treated equally, no matter what gender someone has. But that doesn't mean we should treat everyone the same, because people are not the same. After all, if they were and we did treat everyone the same, I probably would have struggled with being born in the wrong body, and the expectations that came with that body, much less.


This is what I believe. Though, of course, I could be wrong as well. Feedback is always welcome. After all, I'm still learning as well.



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Just to get a few things clear.

A friend of mine sent me an email and, among other things, she mentioned something about my transition. I know she means well and she is just concerned but I found it highly naive, unsupportive and frankly just plain insulting. It does make me realize there are probably more people who think these things and/or don't fully understand these things. They probably don't have enough information to get better insight. So I decided I should explain these things in public. These are some of the basics actually but it could be they got snowed under. It can also be that I haven't been 100% clear on some of these things because I hadn't figured it out for myself yet. This transition is a huge process and takes time. It's like that for most trans people. You start on a journey and you're not sure where you will end up. You might think you know and you might actually end up where you thought you would, but most of us take detours at some point. We have to learn how to be trans, in our own way, for ourselves. No one can tell us how to do it because we are all different. At first, when I realized I was trans I thought I had to be some sort of macho man and denounce all things feminine, which scared me and I didn't want to but I thought a real transman had to be like that. So then I thought maybe I'm not a transman but I'm somewhere in between. After a lot of thought I came to the conclusion that yes, I really do identify as male enough to consider myself a transman. I may have feminine traits and have developed skills and qualities that are considered female, but that does not make me a woman. I am not a woman. I am a man, at this point trapped in a female body, with a healthy, developed female side. That's how I look at things now. Ask me again in a few year and it might be different. You never know. I might turn into a drag queen. It's all possible.

Lets walk through a few phrases from that email.


"Just be sure of what you really really want before you start the hormones. There's no going back afterwards."

I have given this a lot of thought. I am very very aware of the fact that once I start hormones there is no going back. I know it is a really big step. And I can't wait. I'm a bit scared, as with all big steps that will change your life in a good but fundamental way and will take some getting used to. Like getting married, or having a baby, or moving to a different city or country even. So this is a normal kind of scary. This is the good kind of scary.

As for not being able to go back? I can't go back anyway. Just like I can't go back to being anorexic anymore. I have seen what it has done to me in the past to not be able to be true to myself. How destructive it is. How much it hurts. Once you realize this and you see what you can do about it, there is no turning back. Sometimes, when I get nervous, I do wonder, if I could go back, since I haven't made any modifications to my body yet. But I have made the biggest change already. And that's in my own head. I have acknowledged the problem and there is no denying it any longer. Starting hormone therapy won't make it any less possible to turn back as it already is impossible to turn back. My mind is made up. I have seen the light.


"-you're you and people should relate to YOU not to what your body looks like or your facial hair or your voice."

Yes, that's true. And that's very nice and all but not very realistic. It's not how the world works. We can get angry about that but it won't change. This is something that people will always do. Why? Because what you look like says something about your inside. When you wear red heels it says something different then when you wear black sneakers. I have always felt that your body should reflect how you feel. Especially when I had anorexia. I felt horrible, I felt sick, I felt weak, I felt helpless. Since I was unable to speak up for a long time and tell people what was wrong with me I was trying to get some sort of message across with my body by the way I treated it. There are many other aspects to anorexia and there were for me as well but right now this bit is relevant. Right now I feel very different and I look very different. I still want my body to reflect how I feel, who I am. Everyone does. Most people are not aware of it but it's what we do. Sometimes I see a piece of clothing in a store that wouldn't suit me at all but I find myself thinking: that's a really nice shirt, that's totally *insert friend's name*. That shirt would represent a certain person really well but it would not be 'me'. I hear people say that quite often when they go shopping for clothes: that's so you! We express our personality with the way we dress, do our hair, make up, tattoos, jewelery, etc. And not just how we decorate our bodies externally. There are limitations to shaping our bodies but we always try. Do we want to look thin, muscular, soft? We change our bodies through diet and exercise to make it look more like ourselves. The cosmetic surgery industry is huge after all. The way our bodies look, matters. It is part of our identity.

Lets go back to the shoes. If someone wears red high heels you tend to approach that person different then when someone wears practical sneakers. Why? Because you automatically link the shoes to a certain type of person. In most cases you are right to do so though not everyone agrees on what certain things mean. You can't take one item and deduct someone's entire personality from it. You have to take in account the entire context, add those things up and then make an estimation on how that person wants to be treated. There is one tricky part of the human anatomy that gets us confused though. Boobs. A lot of people assume boobs mean certain things. Welcome to the 21st century. They don't mean as much as they used to. The way the are presented does, but the mere presence does not implicate lesser value. This is the main reason why I hate having boobs. People see them and the start treating me differently, as if I'm less then I am. This shouldn't happen to anyone, no matter what their gender identity is or what their body looks like.


"You'll never be a complete girl because mentally that's not where you're at -"

I'm not striving to be a complete girl. I'm not striving to be a girl at all. I never was a girl in the first place. I was just born in a female body. That's all.


"-but physically you'll never be a complete guy."

Yes, thank you. I am very, very, very, very aware of that. Thank you for reminding me. But....
Does that really matter? In a way, to me personally, it does. But the only time that matters is in the bedroom. That's all. The rest of the time it's nobody's business. Seriously. I don't go asking people what they have in their pants either. It's none of my business so I don't see why other people should be concerned about what I have in my pants. Gender identity is mostly about the way people treat you and how comfortable you are with your body in every day life. What's between your legs is a lot less important. It would be nice if I would be able to get a fully functional penis but I won't die if I can't have one. I will die if people keep staring at my boobs and keep treating me like a girl.


"Which is worse for you? which is better for you? You have many decades ahead of you - make the choice that you're reasonably sure you'll be able to live with through all of those years."

I think I have answered that. I'm not reasonably sure though. I know what I need to do. I stand by my decision 100% and more. This is the best choice I have made in my entire life.


I do understand the concern. I really do. I'm not happy about being trans. If anything I would much rather just have been born a boy in a male body or a girl in this body. But that's not an option. These are the cards I got dealt and I'll have to make the best of it. This is the best option I have, no matter how hard it might be. Even though I do feel offended by these remarks, I'm also glad I received them via email so I have been able to read them a few times and really think about them. I know most people don't know anything about transsexuals. I didn't either when I discovered I was one. So having these things in writing makes me able to respond to them properly and for a wider audience. That's the whole point of this blog, to help people understand these things better. So no, I'm not mad about this email. I'm just a bit frustrated and very aware of how much work still needs to be done.

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PMS tricked me again.

Last weekend I was all wired up about the photo shoot. The blog I wrote about it still stands but, I have since then come to the conclusion I was suffering from PMS at the time which always blows everything out of proportion. So the issues I was struggling with are issues I still struggle with, but they probably wouldn't have cracked me up like that if it hadn't been for those blasted hormones. I started spotting yesterday and my brain went AHA! There is the perpetrator! I've always had this hate/hate thing with my uterus. I've never liked her and she never liked me. I still find it amazing how women deal with it. The hormonal moods, the mess downstairs, the pain. I know I should get my coil checked because sometimes I can feel it poking me which you shouldn't. But I can't be bothered and I can deal with the pain. I've been in pain a lot worse then this before. If all goes well I will have the whole thing taken out one day. I'm hoping summer of 2014. And then I'll be a boy. Or maybe even a man.


It's amazing how aware I am these days of which things are purely hormonal and not really me. I notice myself giving certain emotional responses to things and I know that that's not really me reacting like that. It's my hormones doing funky things. Making me freak out or going mushy while a big chunk of me doesn't really feel that way and doesn't understand the physical reaction. I heard someone say that once you start on testosterone your mood changes, becomes more stable. But your humor tends to change a bit as well, becomes more crude. Like you tend to laugh quicker at coarse things like seeing someone fall. It appears this is also more a physical reaction then a truly emotional one. I wonder how many people are aware of what they really feel, emotionally, instead of just hormonally. It's a strange thing to be aware of it and it's not always easy. I didn't realize I was having PMS when it was happening. It wasn't until I started spotting that I drew the logical conclusion as to why I had been over emotional for several days. I heard that men have a hormonal cycle as well but they move with the sun instead of the moon. I wonder if I will notice any of that, getting testosterone from an external source instead of producing it myself. And if it's true in the first place. My sleeping pattern does follow the sun more then the moon and some people say that's a typical male thing to do. I have no idea if that is true but it sounds cool.


Emotions are a strange thing. They are not always easy to deal with. A friend of mine told me the only emotion she has is fear. I find that impossible to believe. Everyone has not just fear but also joy, sadness, anger, and shame as part of the 5 basic emotions. Where do they come from? What purpose do they have? And are they human or not? In the end I guess it does all come down to glands. I think more mammals have these emotions in some form or another. I think they are responses to external factors to ensure their survival. Without emotions they would be in serious trouble.

But that's the hormonal part. Humans can think. Most important they can self reflect. And that's where emotions become a different color. We can actively suppress our emotions. We can think about them and judge them. We can decide a certain emotional response is improper and unwanted and we can attempt to train ourselves in a way to make a different emotional response. We can also decide we want more of a certain emotion because it feels comfortable, and that doesn't always need to be joy. As long as you are used to something, if feels comfortable. For a long time I thought that I would lose my identity if I was no longer depressed because I was so used to feeling like that and I could not imagine living without it. When you know what to expect, you feel safe and safety is what we all strive for. So we hold on to our emotions. It's a strange thing. It does seem like emotions rule our lives but we have the ability to guide them, a bit, if we choose to. We can influence our emotions with our behavior and the hormonal response that creates, with our thinking and the way the brain responds by producing or not producing hormones, and with what we put into our bodies and controlling what kind of hormones our bodies can make or will be tempted to make because of the building blocks it has or hasn't got. So that's what we've got. We've got hormones dictating how we feel and our attempts to adjust those hormones in a way that we find comfortable. This goes for everyone. I guess the main reason why I'm thinking about this right now is because my hormonal state and therefor emotional state, is too far from my own comfort zone to be acceptable. And the fact that I am aware that my current state is incongruent with the state I desire because of a hormonal shift. It's amazing what I come across during this journey of transition. Today I'll just count this as a blessing.

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Boobs, penises, hairy legs and vocal cords.

Most days I shower at the gym but when I do shower at home I take my time. I wash my hair, shave, and contemplate for a bit. It's amazing what you can come up with in the shower. This time the epiphany came when I was shaving. Girls shave their legs, right? Usually anyway. I started shaving my legs when I was 17. Made sense at the time. And I do like smooth skin. My skin just doesn't like shaving and it tends to get irritated. I also really dislike the actual shaving of my legs. And, thinking about it, other people's smooth legs are much more appealing then rubbing my own. So why do I shave my legs?


I teach BodyPump at the gym. This means there are 20-40 people staring at me, watching my every move. Or at least some of it anyway. I am very self conscious when I'm in front of the group because I know those people are judging me. They can tell me they don't but we're all human and we all know we do it. When ever someone is standing in front of a group, they are being judged. And as a fitness instructor you should be setting an example of what a healthy body should look like. This includes personal hygiene. So I have been shaving my legs. But I don't really want to. If I was a 'real boy' it would be acceptable for me not to shave my legs but not everybody knows I'm not a girl. So there is this group of people who judge me on my appearance with no knowledge of who I really am. And I care. Obviously. Else I would have stopped shaving my legs ages ago. Actually I would have started my transition ages ago if I didn't care what people think of me but we are all human and all need to be accepted by others.


There is another thing I noticed while teaching the other day. I have trouble using my voice properly. As in, when you are instructing people to 'drop that butt an inch deeper' or 'push a little harder' and 'keep going, we're almost there', 'come on, you can make it' and 'go Go GO!', you need to use your voice in a different way then you usually do. Your voice tends to go up, get higher. And it annoys the hell out of me. I know the people in the class really don't care about something like that but it bothers me and I hold back which means I can't help them push further to get those results they want that they can't get on their own. So I need to either get over the fact that my voice does something I don't like, or I need to find words etc. I can use that don't force my voice to pitch like that. Both are difficult. I really can't wait to start testosterone so my voice will lower.


A little detour. I googled for images of phalloplastics the other day, as one does, and came across my own face. It linked to and interview I had done a while back: http://www.tijd-voor-t.nl/portretten/portret-tyler-fokker/ I googled the Dutch word actually which may explain something as the article is in Dutch as well. Honestly I was shocked. I had not expected to find myself so quickly searching for something trans related. I don't want to be defined as a transgender. Sometimes I think I do, but that's bullshit. I don't. No one does. You want to be defined as you. But that's not an option for anyone, no matter what gender you are. You are always a man, or a woman, or something else that has to be defined. And being a transsexual I find myself forced to fight this battle for equality. But men and woman are not equal either. None of us are. Because we keep defining people as either male or female, or something in between which causes confusion. We are not defined as people. Currently, because I have boobs, most people define me as female. The people that know I am male (mostly anyway), try to define me as male. Sometimes that's easier then other days. When I'm at the gym and I wear a sports bra even people who know I'm trans and fully accept and support that still sometimes slip up, because they get distracted by the boobs. This is the main reason why I hate having boobs. Right now I hate having boobs more then I hate not having a penis. I know one day I will have surgery and the boobs will go away. And the surgery for getting a penis is possible these days, but honestly, the thought horrifies me as it will never be a real penis. So far, all the results I have seen, look fake, stuck on and I'm afraid I would hate having that mockery between my legs even more then what I have now.


But what is this really all about? It's about self acceptance. It is? Yes. As long as I don't fully accept who/what I am, people around me won't either. They won't know who I really am if I don't let them know somehow. This is really hard. Because I don't want to be the way I am. This period of transition is horrible. It really, really is. That goes for every transgender that decides to modify their bodies to make it more like who they really are. People know I am transgender, but they don't see anything different about me, so I stay the same mostly. Then the changes will slowly come and people will start to notice something is happening, including people who don't know me. And people will get confused. I probably will as well. I wish I could cocoon like butterflies do. Go in hiding while the changes take place and emerge as the new me. But that's not an option. The only thing I can do to make this transition easier is by embracing it and start making changes where I can. Hiding my transition does not make it easier. Can people really tell if I shave my legs? Do they really care? Does it matter if my voice goes up a bit if it helps those people? Or do I feel more secure when I hold back and can I compensate that way? Do I want to start wearing a chest binder at the gym? Or do I want to be practical? Do I really need to stress about possibly one day getting something that looks like a penis or can I just let that go for now and cross that bridge when I get there? Who knows what might be possible by then?


One thing at a time. For now, I've decided to not shave my legs. That's one down, a million other details left to go. Baby steps, that's the only way to do it. One breath at a time. One day things will get easier. They will start to feel more natural. I can't wait, but I will. I've come to realize that this is probably the biggest journey of my life. If I can do this, I can do anything. I never imagined that not shaving my legs would be such a huge thing to do.


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GenderFreeZone 6th edition.

Last night the sixth edition of the GenderFreeZone took place at the COC Leiden. (If you want to know more about the COC and what I'm doing there, check this blog: It's official. ) It was the first one that took place under my supervision and I am proud to tell you it was a great success. We had asked someone to do a workshop on self-confidence and assertiveness. Rusz had done a workshop at the GFZ before but that was before my time. I had heard people really liked it so we had decided to invite her again. It turned out to be a good idea indeed. We had about a dozen people coming in which was a nice crowd. There was enough time for everyone to tell their stories and get some personal attention from Rusz. Actually the workshop ended about half an hour late because everyone was enjoying it so much. It felt like we could have continued talking for the rest of the night.


One of the things we all noticed was how much we all have in common. We had people in who were still exploring and were unsure of where they wanted to go, all the way up to people who had completed their transition from one gender to the other and pretty much everything in between. But we all had felt the isolation, the alienation, the struggles, the search, the long road of finding yourself. And we had all felt like freaks at some point and probably sometimes still do. But not that night. We were among equals, even though they were strangers mostly, and we knew we were safe. I was truly amazed at how open and forthcoming everyone was, how positive  and supportive towards each other. You could sense people feeling stronger and stronger during the evening. It made me feel all warm inside, knowing I had helped to make that possible. I really can't wait until the next GFZ evening.


At the end of the evening I handed out feedback forms. I had only printed out 10 because I hadn't expected more people. I got back 8 so that's a pretty good score. The general consensus was that they were all very content and had enjoyed the evening. And also, that they wanted more. Once every 3 months doesn't cut it for them. I already knew that but having it in writing means I can go to the chief and tell him I need more time. I'm seeing him next week on a different matter but I can bring it up and see what happens. It would be great if we could get a GFZ café every month or even every 2 weeks or so. Which reminds me, I need to ask about the dates for the movies that will be playing. There should be a couple with a T theme in there so us T people can get together then too. All in all, there is work to be done and I am 100% confident that it will pay off. Let's get crackin'!


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It's official!

I have been working as the coordinator for the Trans*-initiative at the COC Leiden for a while now. By the way, COC stands for Cultuur- en Ontspannings Centrum: cultural and leisure center. So it has nothing to do with cock. Well, a little but not in that way.

As a lot of us know the T in GLBT has been neglected for a long time and now things are finally changing. The Trans*-initiative was started in 2011 but wasn't officially a division of the COC yet. Since last night, by vote of the members of the COC, it now is! This means the COC has now officially committed itself to promote the emancipation of transgenders in the region of Leiden. This is a great step forwards. It means we can start making long term plans and start collaborating with other, larger organizations and really get things done.

So far we have been organizing the GenderFreeZone evenings with a workshop and a party which is a great start as it is a meeting place for transgenders of all kinds to get to know each other, pick up a few skills, share their stories and see they are not alone. But this is only one evening every 3 months or so. This does not change our daily struggles when people look at us and don't know what to call us. Or call us names... So there is still a lot to be done. We have been in contact with the local university to see what we can do to help them to make things better for trans students there but this is all really fresh and it will still take some time before things will really change. The biggest challenge is to change how people think. That's something we can only do one person at a time, with patience and understanding. There needs to be more information available about what it means to be transgender. Not about the surgeries and the waitinglists. People don't care and it doesn't help them understand how we feel. It's all too technical. So we need to find a way to help people understand what it feels like to be different and to be judged for being different, while we don't even want to be different. We just want to be ourselves and to be loved for who we are.

If you have any ideas how we can make that happen, if you are experiencing problems because you are trans or if you know of people around you who are facing obstacles because of their gender issues, please let me know so maybe we can do something about this. We have an open meeting with the trans team this Tuesday (4th of December) at the COC Leiden at 8pm. Everyone of good will is welcome. For more information you can contact me at genderfreezone@cocleiden.nl. Thank you very much.

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The Trans*-initiative needs your help!

Last night I was at the biannual meeting for the coordinators at the COC Leiden. The COC is a national organization that stands up for GLBT rights, provides a meeting place and organizes events and so on. It has done a lot of great work already and since about a month I am proud to be representing the local trans community by becoming the coordinator for the Trans*-initiative. The Trans*-initiative was started in 2010 and mostly consist of a GenderFreeZone evening which is a workshop on a trans related topic and then a party which is open to everyone to stimulate the integration between trans and non-trans people. Last Friday I supplied the workshop on how to change your body by using exercise and nutrition so it can represent more who you are inside and to become more healthy and mentally stable (those 2 are linked in a way most people don't realize). The workshop went really well and, despite the rain, was well visited. Also the party was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many non-trans people showing up as well to show their support.
Even though I prefer to be optimistic, I also need to be realistic. Having between 10 and 20 people visiting the workshop is not as many as should be possible. When you consider the size of this city and the fact that this is the only meeting place for trans people in the region it's not a lot. There are so many others out there that we're not reaching. I know my personal network is limited but I am hoping others will help me use their networks as well so I can reach more people to invite them to these workshops. They are valuable, even if it's just to meet others and see you're not alone. So many of us do feel lonely even though we don't have to. I would greatly appreciate it if you would go to our page: https://www.facebook.com/cocleiden?fref=ts and like us and share the events on there. We are trying really hard to provide information and help, a sanctuary if you will even, but we can only do that if we can reach people. Your help would mean a lot.
The other thing I discussed during the meeting last night was educating people on transgenderism. Firstly the people who we send out to schools to talk about diversity, discrimination and GLBT issues. I have been getting the same questions from my GLB friends as my straight friends. This shows people are people which is good, but, it also shows that, even if you are part of the GLBT community, information is not that easy to come by. We are working on gathering information and setting up workshops for the volunteers of the educational program first as they go out into the world spreading the information even further. Once that is done we want to set up a workshop for other people who are interested but don't know where to look for information. So my question to you is: what would you like to know? What do you think we should put in the workshop? And if you are a transgender, what do you think is important to tell people? We have some ideas but it's just a small team and the more people think about this the better. So I could really use your input. Please leave me a comment below and I will make a summery at some point. Of course, when the time comes and the workshop is ready I'll let you know when, what and where.
Many thanks!

Basisschema thuis training voor transmannen

Naar aanleiding van de sport workshop bij het Trans*-initiatief COC Leiden afgelopen vrijdag.

Hardlopen: maandag, woensdag, vrijdag.

Krachttraining: dinsdag, donderdag, zaterdag.

Zondag is een rust dag.

Als beloning voor goede training en rest van de week gezond eten op zaterdag avond iets lekkers.

Benodigdheden: een springtouw, 2 stoelen en een bezemsteel of stang.

Je traint 7 weken normaal. Dan neem je 1 week rust waarbij je krachttraining inruilt voor rust momenten: yoga/relaxatie CD/etc. Je blijft wel hardlopen maar blijft op het zelfde niveau lopen als op de vrijdag er voor.

Tijdens de normale trainingsweken begin je iedere training met 5 minuten springtouw om je lichaam goed warm te krijgen. In het begin kan dit lastig zijn en kan je niet ahcter elkaar blijven touwspringen. Blijf gewoon proberen. Het zal steeds makkelijker gaan. Lukt het niet qua uithoudingsvermogen, neem dan tussendoor een paar seconden rust en pak hem weer op zodra je kan. Probeer je rust steeds korter te maken zodat je van de 5 minuten steeds meer tijd echt aan het springen bent.

Hardlopen: op het internet zijn er een heleboel hardloop schema's te vinden. Je kan ook mp3 bestanden downloaden voor op je iPod zodat je zelf de tijd niet hoeft bij te houden.  Let op! Dergelijke schema's zijn richtlijnen. Als het schema zegt dat je een stap vooruit moet maar je bent daar niet aan toe, neem dan iets meer tijd tot je er wel aan toe bent. Als je sneller kan dan het schema is dat ook prima. Pas het aan op jouw behoeftes.

Kan je niet hardlopen omdat je last hebt van je enkels of knieën, ga dan fietsen. Als het erg slecht weer is kan je ook binnen langer touwspringen.

Krachttraining:

Begin met 5 minuten springtouw als warming up.

Rug en biceps: pull ups. Neem een bezemsteel (of iets dergelijks) en leg hem over 2 stoelen. Ga onder de steel liggen met de steel boven je hart. Pak de steel breed beet (ongeveer net zo breed als je handen staan bij een push up) en trek je bovenlichaam omhoog. Je billen blijven nog op de grond. Span je buik en onderrug ook goed aan terwijl je dit doet. Zwaardere optie is ook de billen van de grond. Wil je nog zwaarder, zoek dan een riggeltje waar je je aan vast kan houden om je hele lichaam aan op te trekken.

Doe 6 herhalingen, rust een minuut en doe nog 2 sets. Als dit makkelijk gaat ga je naar 8 herhalingen, dan naar 10 herhalingen en dan naar 4 sets met weer 6 herhalingen. Als je op 4 sets van 10 zit ga je naar de zwaardere optie.

 

Borst en triceps: push ups. Kom op je knieën. Zet je handen breed genoeg zodat je ellebogen in een hoek van 90 graden komen als je je bovenlichaam tussen je ellebogen hebt. Je hoeft niet lager te zakken dan dat. Als je omhoog komt strek je je ellebogen net niet helemaal uit. Zwaardere optie is op de tenen. Nog zwaarder is 1 voet op de ander. Ook hier span je weer je core goed aan: navel in, rug sterk.

Doe 6 herhalingen, rust een minuut en doe nog 2 sets. De laatste set zet je je handen onder je schouders en duw je je ellebogen naar binnen voor extra training voor je triceps. Als dit makkelijk gaat ga je naar 8 herhalingen, dan naar 10 herhalingen en dan naar 4 sets met weer 6 herhalingen. Als je op 4 sets van 10 zit ga je naar de zwaardere optie.

Schuine buik: ga op je rug liggen en zet je voeten plat op de grond. Till je schouderbladen van de grond af en draai 1 schouder in de richting van je tegenovergestelde heup. Herhaal 10 maal en wissel van kant. Zwaardere optie is tegenovergestelde knie naar de elleboog brengen. Je mag de elleboog helemaal voorbij de buitenkant van de knie brengen. Nog zwaarder is het andere been uitstrekken. Nog zwaarder is met een gewichtje op de schouder die omhoog gaat.

Doe 10 herhalingen per kant, iedere kant 3 maal met 1 minuut rust. Gaat dit makkelijk, houd dit niveau dan nog 1 week zo vol en ga dan naar de zwaardere optie.

Rechte buik: ga op je rug liggen en til de schouderbladen van de grond. Je hoeft niet helemaal ophoog te komen in een sit up. Tot het zwaarste punt en dan weer terug. Je zal merken dat dit punt in de loop van de tijd iets hoger zal gaan liggen. Zwaardere optie is 1 been uitstrekken als je omhoog komt. Nog zwaarder is beide benen uistrekken als je omlaag komt. Nog zwaarder is de heupen iets van de grond tillen als je omhoog komt.

Doe 10 herhalingen en herhaal 3 maal met 1 minuut rust tussendoor. Gaat dit makkelijk, houd dit niveau dan nog 1 week zo vol en ga dan naar de zwaardere optie.

Core: plank. Kom liggen op je buik. Zet je ellebogen onder je schouders en til je heupen van de vloer zodat je lichaam helemaal recht wordt. Let hierbij voornamelijk op de lijn van de voorkant van je lichaam. Trek je navel goed in, span je billen en je onderrug aan en duw jezelf omhoog vanuit je schouders en armen. Blijf zo helemaal strak staan. Begin met 15 seconden, 3 maal met een halve minuut rust tussendoor. Als dit lukt verleng dan telkend met 5 seconden tot je aan een minuut zit. Ga dan naar de zwaardere optie en til je knieën ook van de vloer zodat je alleen op je ellebogen en tenen steunt.

Schud even je hele lichaam los, maak je even helemaal lang en rol een paar keer met je schouders. Je kan eventueel nog wat stretches opzoeken op het internet.

Op de eerste van de maand doe je een meeting met een meetlint: bovenbeen, heupen en buik. Schrijf dit ergens op zodat je de verschillen kan zien. In het begin kan dit vrij weinig zijn maar houd vol. Houd ook bij hoeveel herhalingen je van iedere oefening doet. Dan kan je zien hoe snel je vooruitgang boekt.

Basis schema thuistraining voor transvrouwen

Naar aanleiding van de workshop bij het Trans*-initiatief COC Leiden.

Hardlopen/fietsen: maandag, woensdag, vrijdag.

Krachttraining: dinsdag, donderdag, zaterdag.

Zondag is een rust dag.

Als beloning voor goede training en rest van de week gezond eten op zaterdag avond iets lekkers.

Benodigdheden: een springtouw, een weerstandsband/koord.

Je traint 7 weken normaal. Dan neem je 1 week rust waarbij je krachttraining inruilt voor rust momenten: yoga/relaxatie CD/etc. Je blijft wel hardlopen maar blijft op het zelfde niveau lopen als op de vrijdag er voor.

Tijdens de normale trainingsweken begin je iedere training met 5 minuten springtouw om je lichaam goed warm te krijgen. In het begin kan dit lastig zijn en kan je niet ahcter elkaar blijven touwspringen. Blijf gewoon proberen. Het zal steeds makkelijker gaan. Lukt het niet qua uithoudingsvermogen, neem dan tussendoor een paar seconden rust en pak hem weer op zodra je kan. Probeer je rust steeds korter te maken zodat je van de 5 minuten steeds meer tijd echt aan het springen bent.

Hardlopen: op het internet zijn er een heleboel hardloop schema's te vinden. Je kan ook mp3 bestanden downloaden voor op je iPod zodat je zelf de tijd niet hoeft bij te houden.  Let op! Dergelijke schema's zijn richtlijnen. Als het schema zegt dat je een stap vooruit moet maar je bent daar niet aan toe, neem dan iets meer tijd tot je er wel aan toe bent. Als je sneller kan dan het schema is dat ook prima. Pas het aan op jouw behoeftes.

Fietsen: stippel een handige route voor jezelf uit. Je kan kijken of het lukt om op stukken die langer recht zijn (en niet te druk) een stukje te sprinten. Door die snellere stukken gaat je hartslag even flink omhoog en krijg je een goede cardio workout.

Als het erg slecht weer is kan je ook binnen langer touwspringen.

Rug:
Ga op de grond liggen met je voorhoofd op de rug van je handen. Til je bovenlichaam van de grond, zo hoog als je kan en kom weer terug richting te vloer maar leg je lcihaam niet weer helemaal
neer. Herhaal 15 tot 20 maal, leg het bovenlichaam neer en til de benen op, herhaal 15 tot 20 maal. Herhaal de hele set nog 2 tot 3 maal.

Borst:
Hiervoor heb je een weerstandsband of koord nodig. Je kan ze bestellen via het internet vanaf ongeveer 10 euro via oa http://www.fitness-seller.nl/fitnessartikelen/weerstandsbanden/ Deze komen in verschillende weerstanden en je kan er nog een heleboel andere oefeningen mee doen.

Neem de uiteindes in beide handen en sla de band achterlangs om je lichaam. De band zit iets onder schouderhoogte. Spreid de armen en breng ze naar voren toe tot ze recht naar voren steken. Breng weer terug naar achter. Afhankelijk van het effect dat je wilt bereiken verhoog of verlaag je het aantal herhalingen en kies je een sterktere of minder sterke band. Als je iets meer of minder spanning wilt kan je de band ook iets strakker of losser vastpakken.

Schouders:
Transvrouwen: neem een klein gewicht (1 à  2 Kg) in de handen. Je kan hiervoor een waterflesje, een pak rijst, etc voor gebruiken. Strek de armen zijwaards op schouderhoogte en draai kleine cirkeltjes, 10 voorwaarts en 10 achterwaarts. Herhaal 2 tot 3 maal.

Buik:
Rechte buikspieren en diepere core: de plank. Kom op je buik  liggen op de grond. Zet je ellebogen recht onder je schouders en til je heupen van de vloer. Zorg dat je billen niet uitsteken naar boven maar probeer een rechte lijn te maken met je hele lichaam. Houd dit 30-60 seconden vol. rust een minuut en herhaal 2 tot 3 maal. Als dit makkelijk gaat kan je je knieën van de grond halen en alleen op ellebogen en tenen steunen. Trek de navel goed in en voorkom dat je gaat hangen. Als je last krijgt van je onderrug betekent dit vaak dat je je navel nog verder in moet trekken.

Schuine buikspieren: ga op de rug liggen met de voeten plat op de vloer. Til het bovenlichaam van de grond zodat de schouderbladen helemaal loskomen en draai in zodat de elleboog richting de tegenovergestelde knie gaat. Kom terug naar het midden en draai naar de andere kant. Herhaal aan  iedere kant 10 keer en rust. Herhaal de hele set nog 2 -3 maal.

Benen:

Lunges: Je gaat staan en stapt dan een been uit naar voren. Je zinkt naar beneden tot je achterste knie bijna  de grond raakt. Je voorste knie blijft boven je enkel. De achterste hiel komt helemaal los van de grond. Stap terug en herhaal aan de andere kant. Maak 10 herhalingen per kant en herhaal dan nog 2-3 maal. Gaat dit goed, doe dan 15, 20, 25 herhalingen per kant. Je kan ook gewichtjes in je handen nemen om te verzwaren.

Squats: zet je voeten ongeveer onder je schouders en maak een diepe kniebuiging. Zink echt in je benen en ga niet te veel met je bovenlichaan naar voren. Je duwt je billen naar achter en dan naar beneden. Je knieën blijven achter je tenen. Doe 15 herhalingen en rust even. Herhaal nog 2-3 maal. Gaat dit makkelijk, doe dan 20, 25 herhalingen. Je kan ook gewichtjes in je handen nemen om te verzwaren.

Schud even je hele lichaam los, maak je even helemaal lang en rol een paar keer met je schouders. Je kan eventueel nog wat stretches opzoeken op het internet.

Op de eerste van de maand doe je een meeting met een meetlint: bovenbeen, heupen en buik. Schrijf dit ergens op zodat je de verschillen kan zien. In het begin kan dit vrij weinig zijn maar houd vol. Houd ook bij hoeveel herhalingen je van iedere oefening doet. Dan kan je zien hoe snel je vooruitgang boekt.