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.
Hi. Im 24 around 6’8″ around 245. body type is slim but i have slight body fat on my chest area. i want to get rid of it quick. I don’t do alot of excess eating. it just started getting this way this last couple yrs. cause i was around 225. now im 245…250
Eat a healthier diet (less sugar, refined carbs, junk food) and start working your upper body, plus do core, leg and back exercises too.
hi im thomas and im 16 and about 164 pounds and about 5’8″. i recently started working out about 3 months ago. i hit the weights pretty hard around 90 minutes at least with my friends and i take supplements. VPX NO Shotgun V3 is what im taking right now and i feel pretty good. i dont really work on cardio that much, but i want to start just as much as i lift. im not real sure what the best cardio work out is that can take the most belly fat off weather it be a treadmill or stair stepper. could you please help me ?
If you are doing a lot of weights then best to do a 30-45 minute cardio session either early morning or on the days you are not weight training. You can use either machine really, or just jog, swim, row etc.
What about the mental benefits of bodyweight training? Can they equal the mental benefits of running?
Hi Kieron, not really sure what you mean. There are reports that say that exercising outdoors can improve mental health, but exercise in general can really help, running or any other type.
hi im 12 and i have small man boobs,belly fat and big thighs (i know im not proud of it)my height is aroun 5ft 7 and i go to the gym around 2-3 times a week (tredmill,rowing machine,im to young to use the weights yet :-( ) but i dont see any improvement please help+ what am i doing wrong oh and my weight is around 12 stone :-(
Hi Alex. 5ft7 is very tall for a 12 year old, is that really your height? If you are exercising on a regular basis and still gaining fat then you need to improve how you eat. Do you eat any junk food, sweets, fizzy drinks, chips etc? Try to eat only healthy foods and keep up with the exercise. How long have you been going to the gym? Maybe you just need to give it more time, results can often take a while to come, you have to get fit first.
yeah that really is my height im supposed to be about 6ft 6 when im older! i have sweets occasionaly im not to keen on them to be honest i dont have chips often and if i do ther the healthiest ones we can find,i do drink quite a lot of fizzy drinks but i am trying to cut down on them( plus if im at the gym then ill have either water or an energy drink such as lucozade light) ive been going to the gym for about 2 and a half months hope this helps
Hi Alex. Best thing would be to reduce those fizzy drinks. Then in the gym also start doing a range of bodyweight exercises such as push ups, burpees, mountain climbers etc. What sort of exercises do they teach in PE these days?
hello sir….i am 17 year old boy from india…can u please help me to loose my body weight and belly fat as i am 62 kg and height is 5’7′ ft as quickly as possible…but please state simple exercise only and if diet plan is der..please tell me some indian food for it????
i will curiously waiting for your reply on my query
Hi Vineet, the exercises set out above would be a good place to start, alternatively read through the MCD Weight Loss Plan and follow that.
I recently turned 40 and it seems as if my metabolism has “shut down”. I have kept my normal routine although the weight is piling on! My routine consist of; eating buffet style(like a beast), playing hoop once a week / cycle 1 hour 2 times a week, and celebrate by drinking approximately a six pack of light beer after workouts. Do you think that an age related lack of hormones is to blame for the sudden change? If not what else could have caused the sudden shift in my metabolism?
Hi Thomas, it could just be that you are eating more and drinking more. Possibly hormonal, but metabolism never shuts down, it is always working otherwise we would have no energy at all.
Hi! I guess I’ll start with a semi detailed description of me: I’m a 24 year old male. 5’10 and weigh 180. I lost 80 pounds a few months ago from dieting and walking/jogging every second day. I’m now powerwalking/jogging hard for 25 minutes on a treadmill on max incline and then doing a cool down of 5 minutes. From there, I do a good 10 minutes of crunches. I do push ups and lunges as well. I want to cut down my fat, mainly around my chest, stomach and butt/upper legs. I’m not big boned, but above average, and am above average with muscle build (though the fat does hide that). My BMI shows I’m overweight, but I never go by those since it doesn’t account for muscle mass.
I was wondering how I can lose that extra fat (all loose, nothing solid) so I can get that six pack and nice built chest. Thanks!
Hi DForce, if your goal is a big chest then you need to keep working on the weights. Make sure you are getting around 180 grams of protein on the days that you are lifting weights, and really push yourself to lift more. On the other days reduce calories to around 1500 to help burn more fat. Ensure diet is still balanced on these days with lean proteins and low-medium GI carbohydrates.
Hi, im a 24 year old guy that weights 280lbs thanks to surgery. I would like to drop back to 240 as a goal setter now that i am able to get back into sports and working out at full speed except for my wrist is very weak due to tendon problems. Therefore push-ups is a def. no. what would you suggest i do for work outs and eating?
For workouts, anything that does not involve putting pressure on the wrist. Lots of leg work – squats, jogging etc. If you can pull with your arms, then gentle dumbbell rows may start to strengthen your wrist again, with light weights. But speak to your doctor if you are not sure if that it possible.
Eating – a lean, calorie restricted diet. Lots of advice on diet here: Diet and Nutrition articles
i am 16 years old and my weight is 185 and 510 i want to lose all my belly fat and lose my man boobs and i go to the gym every other day i bench and work on traps and abs i dont know what else to work on please help me i really need to lose wight. and can you please tell me what type of foods to eat thank you.
Joshua, to lose weight you should work your whole body. Start with squats / deadlifts, then move to pull ups / lat pull downs, bench press and shoulder press, then do your abs last. On days you lift eat more protein, on other days reduce Calories to help with fat loss.
if i keep on this work out schedule and the diet plan in how long will it take to burn most of the belly fat?
Not really possibly to say Joshua, we are all different and all burn fat at different rates. Do not worry so much about the how long, instead the how. Just keep exercising well and eating healthily and in time you will get results. Remember that you need to maintain this regime to keep growing and to stay slim.
I’m 14 and I workout really hard but I can’t seem to get rid of my man boobs. I would change my diet but I hate vegetables what do I do!
Firstly, you need to eat healthy food. Nobody really hates vegetables. For those that never eat them, they are an acquired taste, which means after a few times you will start to like them. A healthy diet is vital, so cut all the junk food and soda and just eat healthy food.
What exercises are you doing at the moment?
Hey Guys i’v been doing a diet and like walking each day from 1 hour to 3 hours or 2 a day everyday i was 160 Kilo’s or 150 kilo now am like 95 Kilo’s i think Now am wanting to lose more but like i have like Man Boobs and Jeglly Belly everyone is telling that i look different since i lost my weight but like when ever i shower i see my man boobs ;p and belly and go like blah i need to remove those :< what should i do i dont have time to go to a gym since my night school started i can only walk like 40mins fast walking and do that exercise will you lay down and pull ur upper body up *i dont know the name of that exercise ;p* i do it like 30 times or 35 times with out stoppign maybe i'd stop for 5secs after i reach over 21 or 23
please help
hi im 24 years old i am a very very slim person and find it hard to gain weight but i have a slight pot belly, i have been doing alot of sit ups and push ups for last 2 weeks and getting abs but i dont think the pot belly is going away, i also do like 70 star jumps a day but i dont think it is working, im not allowed to do running and things like that. is there any other ways to get rid of it and keep my abs up?
Hi Khalid. Firstly, well done for losing over 50kg, that is excellent work and no doubt you have added years to your life. Just keep as active as possible, keep walking when you can. Doing 10 minutes of bodyweight exercises in the evening will help to, start doing squats, push ups, crunches (I think that the exercise you describe is crunches). And as you lose weight refine your diet, remove more bad foods and eat just healthy good food.
Can you do weight training Alex? If you start a weight training program and increase your daily protein intake you should start to build more muscle which will help you lose your belly fat.
if i did the press ups, sit ups, crunches, squats and star jumps. what would that do for my body if i did those excersizes up to three times per day? and how quick will my body get abs and nice flat tummy?
Hard to say really Alex, depends on your diet and genetics really. You should really only need to do one workout each day of one type. Also, if you cannot run, are you sure star jumps are OK? Maybe you should check. If you are already very slim and you want to tone up, weight training really is the best option. If you have no weights work on push ups and bench dips too.
oh ok kewl. thanks.. i dont have weights but push ups are easy to do, and yes star jumps are ok i have checked what i can do. and my diet is pretty good, i have very healthy breakfast, and each fruit each day and have some meat like every few days for iron.. so im pretty healthy.
thank you for your help…
hey thanks for the reply i can handle doing Squats its easy i think ;p as for the push ups i cant even do 1 single one :S i cant seem to do it rite i think >.<
as for weights am buying a 20 kilo two of them
Push ups come with practice. Just try to do some each day. You can start with “three quarter push ups” which is when you put your knees on the floor.
What weights are you buying? Two 20kg dumbbells? You may find those a little heavy for some exercises to start with, best get adjustable weights.
about the the three quarter push ups do u have any pic or video of *quarter push ups* ;p
about the 20kg is to much u think hmm the adjustable weights seems nice also thanks =D
about special excersie for the belly and the man boobs is doing push ups and crunches and squats and walk ?
how much should i do of crunnchs and squats ?
Hi Khalid,
There are no specific exercises to reduce belly – just workout often and intensively, work the whole body and aim to get fit.
About the weights – what do you plan to do with them? Really I recommend something like these: US Weight 105-Pounds Weight Set with Dumbells
You can then do a wide range of exercises using a variety of weights, such as deadlifts, bent over rows, shoulder and bench press (need a bench), various curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, dumbbell rows etc. etc. Much better than have just 2 20kg weights to work with.
Bear in mind that the weights I linked there is a beginners set. Next step up is to get a set of iron weights and ideally a solid bench and power rack too.
And the three-quarter push up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7r4-SVfFAw&ucbcb=1 (sorry, cannot embed it here today).
oh okay thanks the Three Quarter push seems to easy i just done a few ;p
thank you !! =D
It is amazing how quickly you can improve at push ups if you train most days. Set yourself goals, such as to do 100 push ups. To start with you will need to break this down, maybe into ten sets of 10. Then in time you will be doing 20, then 30 or without stopping.
Thanks for the Quarter push i did alot of it yesterday i feel like it’s normal like it’s not usefull i tryed doing normal push ups but sadly i cant even do 1
Keep trying. Do the quarters still, do 100 a day if need be, but also try full push ups each day too. Strength will come, takes time for muscles to develop.
I like to run for the mental as well as physical benefits. I generally run (steady state 3-4 days per week for 30-45 mins. If I were to add some bodyweight circuits, can I also maintain my existing running program without overtraining? For example, could I just maintain my running while perhap adding 2 days of bodyweight circuits? Pr would I be better reducing my running to fit in more bodyweight stuff? Thanks for any replies.
You should be able to do both. If you goal is to lose fat and your current regime is not working, then you need to either increase exercise or decrease calories.
Thanks. Can bodyweight circuits exceed the calories burn of, say, a 40 minute run? I have become more interested in bodyweight circuits combined with running as a viable fat-burning method, but wondered which burns more.
The are probably quite similar, obvious depends largely on your fitness and strength. If you are already a good runner then you may be able to push yourself harder and so burn more calories. But, bodyweight exercises can build more muscle, especially upper body muscle, which can in turn boost your BMR and this helps you to burn more fat.
Hi My name is Bhaskar
My height is 5,6
My weight is 72kgs
i got belly fat and a man boob chest
so tell me what i should do to loose my weight at home i dont have time to go gym for exercise.
I am dong a little workout at home
dips-15(each with three sets)
sacts-20(three sets)
skipping -about 350
crunches-11(three sets)
just help me out.
Hi Bhasker. That is a nice little circuit training workout. Aim to increase this, more dips, more squats (sacts?), more crunches.
Add also: push ups, back extensions, leg raises
To make it more dynamic, do burpees too – from standing, squat down to the floor, hands on floor, kick feet back into push up position, do a push up, jump feet forward, stand up. Sometimes called a squat thrust too.
If you can get your hands on a kettlebell these are good too, just doing kettlebell swings will burn fat and improve strength.
I think I have gynacomatesia, because my nipples are really soft and pink and man boobs as well. Is that because of a hormonal thing? Can it be reduced through exercise?
Hi Lazarus, if you think that you may have a medical condition then you need to see a doctor.
hi, I have been going to the gym 3 times a week for the last 6 weeks. I have lost 3 ins around my belly and 6 lbs of weight, this is all on a limited amount or no carbs diet and working hard. Now I need to build muscle so please can you tell me what are the best carbs to eat and when to eat them as I dont want to put the fat back on.