Bodyweight exercises to help reduce man boobs

lose man boobs
A sensitive topic for many men, but ‘man boobs’ are a real and unfortunate condition them some men suffer from. The medical name for this condition is gynecomastia, which is most often seen in boys during puberty, but can in rare cases continue into later life.

Some men accumulate excess fatty deposits on their chest, and these fatty deposits often start to look like small breasts, which is why they are often referred to as ‘man boobs’. It is a medical condition, which is due to genetics. Our genes determine where we accumulate fat. Men mostly accumulate visceral fat, which surrounds the internal organs.

Women mostly accumulate subcutaneous fat, which builds up under the skin on the breasts, thighs and buttocks. However, sometimes the genetic wiring gets muddled, and women develop small bot bellies, and men develop female like breasts. So, how can you lose your ‘man boobs’? Can it be done with diet and exercise?


How To Lose Man Boobs

The are several ways to tackle ‘man boobs’. Extreme methods may involve surgery to remove fatty tissue or hormonal treatments to encourage the body to relocate its fat deposits. However, exercise and diet can help too.

If the medical approach is not an option, then the only way is to drastically reduce overall body fat. Although some recent research has suggested that spot reduction of fat is possible by working adjacent muscles, the best course of action is to aim to reduce total body fat and also build muscle to increase metabolism.

How To Use Intensive Exercise To Lose Weight

Intensive bodyweight circuit training exercises are possibly the best way to start this process. A major advantage of circuit training is that it can be done in the privacy of your own home, so there is no need to feel self conscious when working out. Also, it is free, as it requires no equipment or gym memberships. For those that are not sure if bodyweight circuit training will get you fit and toned, then remember that such exercises form the basis of most military fitness training and martial arts training.

We have several circuit training workouts featured here on MotleyHealth.com that will be suitable. However, this routine will also help you to burn fat and build muscle:

  • Star Jumps – yes, that classic old school exercise, also known as jumping jacks. Similar to skipping, these will get your heart rate up and blood flowing. A good way to start a workout (after a few looseners/warm-up stretches). Aim to do about 50 in the first set.
  • Squats – bodyweight squats are also a very effective exercise in terms of fat burning and muscle building. As they work large muscle groups, you quickly start to tire, and this increases fat burning as exercise becomes more intensive. Aim for 50 to start, and follow squats with alternate lunges.
  • Alternate Lunges – start with your hands on your hips then take a long step forward, and sink your torso but keep your back erect. Once in the lowest comfortable position, push off on the front foot to return to the start position, and repeat with the other leg. Lunges are surprisingly tiring, especially after the star jumps and squats.
  • Press ups – The legs should be tired by now, and blood racing though your body. So time to hit the chest and arms with press ups. Press ups will build muscle in the chest (potentially spot reduce some fat) as well as in the shoulders and arms, which can help to offset the fat. They are also useful for helping you to maintain an upright posture, which again helps to reduce the appearance of your ‘man boobs’.
  • Crunches – After the leg exercises and press ups, you deserve a good rest, so do as many crunches as possible. Although these will not help with your chest directly, they will give a better full body workout.
  • Squat Thrusts – The press-ups and crunches gave your legs a rest, so do a set of squat thrusts. These can be a real killer at the end of the circuit, and really get your heart rate thumping in the maximum fat burning zone.
  • Vertical Jumps / Box Jumps – Box jumps are a fantastic plyometric exercise. You need a lot of practice in basic vertical jumps first though before you can perform a box jump. Box jumps are simply jumping from a stationary position up onto a box.

Once you have completed this circuit, take a short breather, then repeat. Aim to complete 500 exercises to start with. Star jumps can make up a bulk of these. A typical session may include three circuits (i.e. the above set of exercises repeated 3 times) with 150 star jumps, 125 squats, 50 lunges, 50 press ups, 75 crunches and 50 squat thrusts.


As you progress you can add more exercises, especially press ups. With a lean diet (see our fat burning food diet) and a healthier lifestyle you may be able to manage your body fat better.

437 Comments on “Bodyweight exercises to help reduce man boobs”

  1. Awesome info!

    I’m going to definitely give them all a shot. (once I find out what burpees are :P)
    I don’t drink or smoke or any of that stuff. As for a diet, I don’t eat horribly really. Although I can be found snacking every other day.

    One last question, though. When you say “repeat 4 times” what would the intervals be for that?

    Thanks,

    Tim

  2. I’m sorry, I forgot to add something in.

    I’ve read in multiple instances that snacking (healthy foods) is a good way to keep the metabolism going.

  3. MotleyHealth says:

    Snacking healthy food is a good way to gain weight if you are not doing a lot of exercise!

    There is a lot of misinformation going around, and the concept of eating certain foods to help lose weight is one of them.
    “Rrepeat 4 times” means precisely that – do the whole workout 4 times. Do not stop, do not rest, just do it 4 times in total.

  4. Mark Mucci says:

    i feel pretty much uncomftable when we go swimming and i cant take of my shirt because i have man boobs and stretch marks on my sholder joints.. the tips of my nipples tend to relax and make my man boobs bigger when its hot and contract when its cold. can these man boobs ever dissapear??

  5. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Mark, if they are caused by being overweight then exercise and healthy eating will help you get rid of them. If they are due to a medical condition then you do need to seek medical treatment.

  6. George Vas says:

    Hello, I’d like to ask for some advice, I used to be 86 kilo’s 3 months ago my height 175cm and I’m turning 17 on December. I decided to really devote myself to changing and getting an 8 pack, not 6, 8. Anyway it’s been about 3 months and i’m currently at 74 kilo’s and have really shown progress. but im still having trouble getting my bodyfat level to where i want it to be. I want it around 8-9 %, I’m about around 14 % right now. What i have been doing up til now is the following. I drink at least 4.5 liters of water a day (rarely drink juice, no soda) Consist of a diet of 6 small meals a day calorie intake is anywhere from 1400-1650. I do 30 push ups close hand, 30 situps normal with no support, 30 reverse situps, 8 chin ups, 10 leg raises on chin up bar, cycle’s for 1 min and V plank position for 40 secs. I do this 8-10 times a day. I also do 1km jogs 100m jog then 50m sprint, 3 times a day. My diet consists of low gl carbs, (wholewheat cereal, fresh strawberries, and lots of green salad). I eat about 100g of protein a day sometimes way more(tuna in freshwater and clean chicken brest). I try to stay away from fats and barely have an saturated fat intake. Now knowing this what do u recommend i do to completely lose my body fat, i have drastically decreased my fat on my chest area and stomach but still have some stuburn fat that just wont leave have seen no improvements for 10 days now. I went from a size 44cm to a 40 and sometimes a 38cm. I feel much healthier and have the abs i want but fat over them. mMy stomach is extremely tight and lean and if i stretch that fat i can literally see my abs and cuts… I’ve read about this green tea extract its called “green tea x50” and it supposedly helps, and has gotten many positive reviews do you recommend me trying this product? Summer is approaching here in Australia and I’m almost their so far sweat and willpower have worked well for me but In 3 months time i want to achieve my goal. Thanks so much before hand,

    George

  7. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi George, you obviously have plenty of time to exercise, so what you could try instead is a longer morning cario session, say 45-60 minutes of jogging, cycling etc. Then have a protein based breakfast (eggs) and your light lunch. Then in the afternoon, ideally after a nice rest and a snack, hit the weights. Do your bodyweight workout but also add some resistance exercises at the beginning, such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press and bent over rows. You will need a barbell of course, or access to a gym. You could do another light cardio session later in the evening too for the extra energy burning. This article may help – you certainly won’t need to eat as much as these guys as they are huge, but the type of food and timing may work for you too. The article looks at the diet and workouts of 3 bodybulders in the run up to competition – so the time that they are focussing on cutting the last of the fat: Bodybuilding Diets of Pro Bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez

  8. hello,
    i am a 25 yr old guy,ht-6.2”,wt-140 kgs,started working out 2 weeks back,i am doing only cardio,for 2 weeks now,losing around 700-800 kcal per day,i work out for 1 and half hrs to 2 every day,my diet mainly consist of boiled veg,fruits and chicken cooked without oil,i am on a zero oil and minimum carb diet,with lots of fluid.what changes or workout should i do to lose my weight,i am average to big boned structure with fat in my abdomen and chest…please give me advice

  9. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Maddoc, how are you doing so far? I assume that you have lose weight in the 2 weeks with your diet and exercise? If you are not losing weight, then you need to reduce the amount you eat still. For exercise, starting to do some weight training may be a good idea, although the cardio is going to aid most with the weight loss for now.

  10. Hi, I’m 16 years old and weigh about 70 KG’s. I’ve been working out at the gym for a month now, doing an average of 700 calories burn each weekday and resting on the weekends. However I’ve only been doing cardio. I’ve noticed that my legs are getting much more toned but my upper body isn’t making as much progress. I’d like to know if you have any tips on reducing my upper body fat, without weight training as I feel I need to lose a bit more weight before starting weights. Cheers

  11. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Bob, start weight training. If you are losing weight (total body fat) at the moment, then your upper body fat will reduce in time. However, if you wish to tone up, then weight training will be needed at some point. Just doing cardio will limit you. You could start with push ups, or burpees. These will help tone your muscles and burn fat too. Also, increase cardio intensity to match your improved fitness levels – keep pushing yourself to be fitter and stronger.

  12. my rotary cuff is knackered. struggle to do chest excercises, press ups kill. is there anything i can try to strengthen the rotary of build muscle around it. only just started go back to the gym because wanna lose some pork and generally improve my fitness. thanks

  13. Hi im 20 around 6ft2 im skinny but have got slight man boobs and a small belly and ive got really skinny arms. I’ve just started working out and eating healthy, and been going gym everyday alternating my workouts, I do chest and triceps 2 days then change to biceps and stomach, I also do a 10 minute jog and a 5 minute row before and a couple times during my 1 1/2 hour sessions. Ive just started using maximuscle thermobol tablets (1 months worth) and have drastically changed my diet, i havent eaten any fast foods or white bread (which i ate loads of) and I’m now eating porridge with a bit of black treacle in (breakfast), tuna, fruits, veg, wholemeal bread/muffin/wraps etc, houmous, eggs, beans, peanut butter and im only drinking water and green tea. I’m not really looking at my calories intake but I eat 3/4 times a day and it isn’t heavy meals.

    I’m aiming to drastically change my body within 4 months but I’m not sure whether I need to focus on losing weight before trying to increase muscle mass because im not really fat i just have a bit of excess on chest and belly, or just aim to fill the excess out straight away, is it possible to do this in the time frame ?

    Also is it true that cabbage can reduce your oestrogen levels and increasing testosterone ?

    What advice can you give in terms of supplements which I can use in the near future ?

    Sorry about the essay but you give great advice so wanted to be detailed, thanks !

  14. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Chris, if you are not really overweight the you may be better off increasing the amount of weight lifting that you do. Do not worry about the extra jogging within the weight training workouts. You need more protein, so a post workout whey protein supplement is recommended here. Not heard about cabbage boosting testosterone, probably best to lift more weights and eat better though. Thermobol are to increase metabolism to burn fat. As you need to build muscle first before worrying about cutting the last of the fat, you may want to put these away for a few months.

  15. HI, I’m 18 and I do have moobs or man boobs, and I have been going to the gym for around 4 months which has included chest, shoulder, legs, arms and back exercises. I know when doing incline bench press only brings out the muscle in your pectorals? please correct me if im wrong. I have included cardio now and ive been doing it for around 2 weeks, but to be fair I haven’t ate bad but not included like vegetables or fruit. just asking for help on how I could lose my man boobs quick? thankyou

  16. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Maca, just keep exercising and eating healthy. Adding cardio will certainly help to burn extra fat and more importantly, get yourself fit and healthy. Obviously building muscle under fat may make the chest look bigger, but in time things will improve.

  17. Thankyou for the help, just looking to tighten the chest and get rid of the man boobs, as I have done a little research and people say that cardio and incline bench press is the best for it, aswell as healthy eating? but once again thanks for the help

  18. MotleyHealth says:

    That is a start Maca, but really, the more muscle you build up the easier it will be for you to manage your weight, don’t just do incline bench – that is like people who want abs just doing crunches. Squat, row, should press, curl, flye etc.

  19. Hi, im 19 5’6 tall weighing 76kg now ( was at about 80 something ) with a diet and some exercise.. Thing is I do not really care that much about body fat just yet. I have a belly yes but I would rather focus on the chest fat.. i really want to get rid of that chest fat and then focus more on the overall body fat after. Would you recommend more cardio for overall body fat or focus more on bench presses and chest exercise to work the chest muscle more ? 1 more thing – does intense swimming for like 30mins / day help cut down fats quicker ?

  20. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi M M, you cannot spot reduce your chest fat. You have to lose total body fat. Swimming 30 minutes a day will certainly help yo burn extra calories and get your fitter. Some resistance exercise should also be done, not just bench press though, perform full body workouts and also do some circuit training – this will really help. Obviously diet is important too, but for now focus on cutting out the worst of the junk food and getting fitter.

  21. hello, i’m 15, 5’7 and 210 pounds. I ride bmx (doing tricks on bicycles) for usually 7 hours of the days with my friends. i am looking to lose belly fat and was wondering if you had any tips for me.

  22. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Ben, sounds like you are getting lots of exercise, the to main thing to look at is your diet. Do you eat junk food, takeaways, packaged food or drink soft drinks? These are probably the main reasons.

  23. Hi I’m 6”2 male. I was 286 but I went down to 230 but my man boobs didn’t change. I barely eat sugar I almost never eat sweets just a lot of protein,etc. I run like crazy. Is there any advice you can give me to lose my man boobs. I’m only 17

  24. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Tyler, keep up with the exercise and do some weight training too – squats, deadlifts, pull ups, rows, shoulder press etc. Your BMI is still 29.5 which means you are borderline overweight/obese, so you still have some weight to lose. Keep doping what you have been to lose 56 pounds (well done on that!) and lift some weights too.

  25. HI’
    I am 25 yrs old.. right now ‘m havin 16.09% body fat.. how much should i lose to get rid of my manboobs??? ‘m hitting the gym regularly..

  26. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Dinesh, it is not really possible to say how much as we are all different. Aim to build total muscle mass to help boost your natural testosterone production, this helps to re-balance hormones. As you get more muscular and lose fat, your hormones will balance out more and you should see your chest fat reduce.

  27. Hey can you please help me out… my moobs size is increasing day by day ….its being near about 2 year of regular training….In other area i am gaining muscle….and about diet its like (no fat, no sugar)…only healthy carbs and eggs…..please provide me the whole body workout routine to get rid of these moobs

  28. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Rahul, you need to look at your total diet and total activity levels first. Do you exercise daily? Are you still consuming large meals or going extra lean? Are you losing total body weight? If you have not lost any weight then that would be an indication that your diet / exercise regime is still not right. If you are losing weight but your moobs are still the same size then it may be time to speak with a doctor. Keep up with the exercise and diet though. Exercise daily, work the while body, cardio and weight training.

  29. Help! I’m pretty skinny at 6ft 1 weighing around 170lbs and age 48 but I have man boobs! My diet is good, I do weights at home, have done a bit of HIIT and walk a lot but those things won’t shift. All the suggestions I read about involve losing weight but I want to put weight on, but when I do it just goes straight to my chest. Any suggestions?

  30. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Steven, sounds like you would benefit from weight training. Work on squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, lat pulls, bench press and abdominals. Building muscle should hopefully bring more balance and reduce the moobs, or at least, make them less apparent. Something like the Full Body Weight Training Workout is a good place to start.

  31. sir before 3 months i was 85 kg and my waist was 36 so past 3 months i was doing running for 20-30 mins then for 3 days chest and 3 days biceps and triceps with shoulder exercises and sit ups and chin ups reserved for everyday…………and i am now around 68kgs waist is 32…….. but the problems are the man boobs are visible so much what should i do to make those invisible??????

  32. MotleyHealth says:

    Sounds like you have made some excellent progress so stick to the plan. If you feel that they are not going away at all make an appointment with a doctor who can check to see if there is no medical condition.

  33. ratul roy says:

    My name is ratul roy. I am 20 year old. My weight and height is around 75kg and 175 cm respectively. My problem is man boob, hip size and 34 size of waist. I need to reduce it. I do running 2km, skipping for 20 to 30 min, squat, crunches and push up for last 1 week. So all this will help me to reduce my fat from chest, waist and hip. Please help me.

  34. Hi can you please suggest some good exercises to get rid of my moobs and stomach fat I’m 14 yrs old and weigh 75 kilos sick of being like this I want to be able to take my shirt of please help also if I do your exercises 3 times a week how long will it take until I notice change

  35. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi James, just workout on a regular basis. Work your whole body with squats, push ups, burpees, mountain climbers and crunches plus some of the other exercises here. Aim to get fit and build strength. Find some activities to do, such as cycling, sports, martial arts. How long? You should start to see results in a few weeks, just keep working at it.

  36. MotleyHealth says:

    Hi Ratul, this will help, just give it more than a week. Consider this a lifestyle change not a quick fix, so just keep exercising.

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