So, you’ve got man boobs and want to do something about it? Regardless of how old you are or what you’re going through, chest fat can be due to various conditions, not just obesity. The more you know about it, the easier it will be to get rid of it. Read this article to know how to lose chest fat.
What Could Be Causing Your Chest Fat?
By now you must be wondering how on earth men get man boobs. Well! It’s all due to breast enlargement that can be due to two known conditions
- Gynecomastia-which is due to hormonal imbalances
- Lipomastia-due to the growth of excessive fat
The big question is how do you determine if you have Gynecomastia or Lipomastia which is also known as pseudogynecomastia (the physical appearance of gynecomastia without the endocrinological reasons)
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the condition in which a man’s breast tissue swells up to resemble female’s breasts. It is caused because of a hormonal imbalance between estrogen, a dominant female hormone and testosterone the dominant male hormone. While some level of estrogen is present in males, an increase can cause breast enlargement and a tendency to retain fat in the chest area. Estrogen, a female hormone, signals the body to increase fat in such areas like the breasts. Gynecomastia needs a diagnosis by a medical professional who will test you for hormonal imbalances and prescribe a relevant course of treatment.
Lipomastia
Lipomastia or the accumulation of fat around the chest area is caused by poor lifestyle habits, poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity. Besides the complicated reason of an increase in estrogen and poor metabolism, Lipomastia is also due to stubborn pectoral fat accumulation. When this happens, there is much you can do to lose it through habit, diet and exercise.
How to diagnose the causes of your breast enlargement: Is it Pectoral fat or gynecomastia?
In most cases concerning gynecomastia, you may experience the sensation of fullness or tissue under your nipples or areola. This makes it hard to shape your chest. It’s best to have an examination done by a physician or a gynecomastia surgeon specialist. Follow the video below to find out if you have gynecomastia or just chest fat.
What are your options when you have chest fat?
After reading all of the above, it all boils down to one conclusion, your options available to get rid of the chest fat or man boobs. If your problem is an estrogen related one, then of course you need medical help. However, if yours is a fat related problem, then committing yourself to a dedicated routine of diet and exercise will help you lose chest fat and build up a healthier toned body too. Remember, you can only if you think you can!!
Workouts to lose chest fat
By committing yourself to working out, you need to focus on selected exercises that will help you lose pectoral fat. Only cardio training alone is not going to be enough to lose chest fat. You need to complement cardio training with certain effective strength training exercises in order to break down those hard fat deposits that have accumulated in your chest area over many years.
Think fat loss not muscle building
When working out to lose those man boobs, you need to focus on weight loss and strength training. This means your exercises should consist of some weight training and more high frequency workouts like HIIT (High Intensity interval training) which would be an excellent way to burn fat. Concentrate on a cardio cum strength upper chest workouts that can burn fat from the lower chest area and those which can shape or flatten the chest.
Strength training plays a critical role in reducing chest fat and man boobs because with gradual development of muscle mass, the breakdown of body fat becomes much easier. Not only does muscle growth contribute to overall weight loss, it also helps in shaping your body. Some of these workouts can be done from the comfort of your home. All you need is a pair of dumbbells.
2. Incline dumbbell bench press
5. Incline Barbell Bench Press
9. Pec Deck Fly
Cardio
While cardio alone will not be effective, cardio along with the exercise above will complement your workout routine. You can consult with your gym trainer how to integrate cardio in a weight loss routine. A good trainer will always advise you to focus on quality weight training and strength training which is more important for weight loss. Performing cardio after weight training makes more sense because weight training initiates fat burn faster by decreasing available sugar in the body.
Nutrition
Your diet is another important factor in losing chest fat. A fat loss diet should always consist of more protein especially since you are going to need an increase of protein to make up for the wear and tear of muscle during exercise. Protein initiates protein synthesis of muscles and provides you with essential nutrients and amino acids for muscle recovery which is the repair of muscle mass. There are several helpful diets that could help you reduce your chest fat. The sensible thing to do is to consult a nutritionist that will set you on a suitable diet taking into several factors of your physiology. At Ensocure Integrated Medicine, we provide obesity management and weight management services that includes nutritionist advice as well.
READ: The Benefits of Good Weight Loss Treatment in Bengaluru
Healthy fats and a certain amount of cholesterol is good for you
When focusing on your nutrition to reduce chest fat, what you need to avoid foods high in estrogen. Moreover, focus on getting a good amount of healthy fats and foods to increase testosterone. Foods like fatty fish, nuts, avocados, and olive oil are all huge sources of healthy fats and omega 3 fatty acids that are great for muscle recovery too. Egg yolk and foods rich in zinc are also good for boosting testosterone
- Green leafy vegetables: Good examples -Spinach, Broccoli, Kale, Mushrooms, Artichokes, asparagus, corn, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage
- Lean protein: Turkey breast, chicken breast, organic beef, beef liver, lamb
- Seafood: Lobster, crab, oysters, salmon, mackerel, all fatty fish
- Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, Squash seeds, Watermelon seeds, Wheat germ
- Other foods: Mushrooms, Peanuts, Lima beans, tahin, brown rice, kidney beans, dark chocolate (without added soya products), fresh fruit.
Foods to avoid in case of man boobs
You need to avoid all foods rich in estrogen where certain foods contain isoflavones containing phytoestrogen (plant based compound) that can be classified as having the same function of estrogen.
- Farmed salmon
- Canned food
- Soy.
- Meat substitutes,
- Tofu
- Milk products containing soy
- Beer and alcohol
- Licorice
- Beets
- Flax seed
- Meats treated with hormones (its best to avoid processed and canned meat)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why do I get chest fat?
While hormonal imbalances are one of the reasons, an unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, weight gain and the wrong foods can easily give you man boobs even without a hormonal problem.
Can I do chest fat burning exercises without equipment?
Yes! You don’t really need to go to the gym to get rid of your man boobs. You can perform several exercises like the common pushup that can help burn chest fat.
How can I lose chest fat without losing muscle?
You can lose fat without burning muscle through a combination of the right exercise and most importantly your diet which should consist of plenty of lean protein that replenish muscle tissue lost during exercise.
Why is chest fat last to go?
If your problem is an estrogen related one, then yes your chest fat will always be last to go until and unless you identify the problem. In common cases, it is incorrect training and the wrong combination of exercises that may contribute to your stubborn chest fat. Always consult a trainer or look up information on the right sort of exercise like the section in this article that that focuses mostly on exercises to lose chest fat.
Can I lose chest fat without surgery?
Yes to some extent you can. Depending on what your chest fat is due to Gynecomastia or lipomastia (just pectoral fat), then with a combination of the right diet, avoiding estrogen rich foods and exercise to lose chest fat will help you reduce your chest fat to a considerable extent.
What is the course of action to take on losing chest fat?
- Acknowledge your problem
- Identify your problem with professional diagnosis
- Explore treatment options according to severity of the problem
- Commit to the right diet
- Start exercising with the correct training routine to lose pectoral fat