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.
I really doubt your friend lost 7-10 kg in a week just by walking – only if very overweight then that would be possible to manage. To get better at press ups just practice them – do them on your knees to build up endurance then more full ones to build strength. And you have to manage your eating and activity better, plan your meals and plan your activity.
I’m 13, I just started excercising this past few weeks but i keep gaining weight… why is this happening? aren’t I suppose to lose weight if i excercise?
You may be gaining weight for 3 reasons:
1. You are growing fast at the moment, at 13 you would expect to be gaining weight all the time.
2. You have gained some muscles.
3. You are eating too much food.
Take a close look at your diet to check that you are eating healthily and not overeating. It may also help to keep a measure of height and some muscle measurements, such as circumference of thigh, bicep, chest – all of which should start to increase as you exercise.
However, your main focus really should be on getting fitter. 3 weeks is just the beginning, stick to the plan and set some goals.
I’m 12 and I have recently developed man boobs and since it never happened to my brother while going through puberty, I have to face ridicule from my family about being slightly overweight. I have a belly that’s not very big, as in when I wear a shirt, people wouldn’t be able to tell that I have man boobs or a big belly and I have some developing man boobs. My best friend was in the same boat as me, except his didn’t start during the beginning of puberty like me, it started in his late childhood (around 9-10 years old). We started working out today using some of the routines listed above.
I need help trying to improve my body because I’m tired of being ridiculed for having man boobs while my older brother has the perfect 6 pack and the perfect biceps, etc. I don’t normally eat breakfast, and for lunch at school, I eat a chicken cesear wrap with ranch dressing like every day. For dinner, my family commonly eats either chicken, red meat or white meat. About once every week we have spaghetti or some sort of pasta. There’s not much I could do about my dinner situation besides just skipping the meal which I don’t want to do. I feel like I have gained weight because I’m never full and constantly hungry to eat more food.
Starting today, every night we’re going to *try* to do 158 excersizes total – 56 squats, 16 lunges, 32 push-ups, 38 crunches and 16 squat thrusts. What else should we include in our schedule? I know my body is still changing but I hate this man boobs because no one else has them and I’m used to being able to eat whatever I want without any changes to my body.
You could also take up running, cycling or other types of exercise to get fitter. Ranch dressing can be pretty high in calories and saturated fat, so a daily helping may not be a good thing.
hi its me again. i’ve been to gym for nearly 4 months.. i think i have developed a little flat upper chest. but no change in my lower chest part.so what should i do to burn my chest fat sooner. i eat 3 chapati for breakfast & 3 for dinner. i used to to have 1 1/2 fist full of boiled rice for lunch(started this diet about 1 and half month ago). i do elliptical for 10 to 12 mins and i used to go to gym by jogging. i’ve been doing jogging and elliptical since a week ago. in gym i do weight gaining exercise. monday -chest, tue- shoulders,wed-biceps and triceps,thu- thigh exercise and fri-lat exercise sat-rest. this is my schedule and i do elliptical at the end of every day workout. will this help me to reduce my man boob’s?
Hi Dinesh, reduce the amount of bread and rice you are eating and eat more fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. You need to do more than 10-12 minutes of exercise each day, build up to at least 30 minutes. You may benefit also from a 2 or 3 day split routine in the gym rather than just doing one body part each day. See Weight Training Push & Pull Split Routine and 3 Day Split workout.
Hi since a year ago I’ve lost 115lbs I use to weigh 315lbs now I’m 198lbs but I still have alot of fat in my belly and of course my shameful man boobs everything is smaller than before people see me and are amazed of how much I lost weight my real weight lost has been the last 5 months I haven’t lost routine of the gym and lost 70 lbs my routine has been all cardio in my days off I do 4 hours on treadmill in incline I burn 1200 in one hour I barely started doing weights … I go days without eating or if do I just pick pick pick food my chef cooks at work and I’ll probably have just one day off a week and that because I can only fit one hour of work out in my routine cuz of college and work
Just keep exercising as often as you can, a quick bodyweight workout before bed or first thing in the morning can make a difference, even if just 10 minutes.
sir, im 29 yrs old I had moobs .to reduce it what should I do plz show me some exercise to reduce those boops. I have my marriage in next month I want to be get rid of these boops
Hi Raj, get lots of cardio, do the exercises mentioned above and eat healthy.
Hi MotleyHealth,
This seems like a good site where the expert really answers everyone’s questions, so thumbs up!
I’m 23 years old and very skinny, have been practically all my life. I’ve usually taken part in sports but for the last 2 years I stopped doing anything, and especially for these past few months I’ve been a real couch potatoe.
All of a sudden I start to realize I have developed man boobs and it scared the crap out of me. I am really scared right now whether it will develop any further. Would undertaking a strict excercise program help remove the man boobs? I don’t know whom to ask because it’s utterly embarrassing. Does anyone have experience where working out helped to reduce man boobs? If it does I will give my 100%. I already joined a gym immediately.
I was under a lot of stress too and probably that contributed I think, but getting man boobs only gets things worse. I can feel somewhat nodule-like structures around the nipple area – I just hope they aren’t developed mammary glands (that would be awfully weird but probably I’m just panicking).
Regards
Hi Mike, if you have only just developed them at 23 years then I suspect that they are just normal fatty tissue. Some guys just have slightly unlucky genes and they accumulate more fat on the chest than is normal. Generally if they are caused by a medical condition this manifests itself during puberty. So I suggest that to start with you focus on getting fit. Burning the fat off with cardio and doing some weight training to build up muscle all over. Also, sort out that diet too!
Thanks MotleyHealth , I just hope you are correct and I really have’nt developed Gynecomastia. Only problem is that I do feel a disc around the nipple area that pretty much corresponds to how, one site I googled described, developed mammary glands are like. Eating after long periods of Starvation is one cause of Gynecomastia, according to many sites I searched. This prepares the body into a ‘survival mode’ reducing the testosterone to estrogen ratio. This is pretty much what I did and could be the very likely cause. I never knew doing absolutely nothing could have such consequences. I never thought about being concerned about what I eat because I usually have trouble gaining weight anyways. The thought of having developed mammary glands almost had me have my whole life flash through my eyes.
Yeah that’s exactly what I’ll be doing: a proper diet with something that helps increase testosterone levels, flush out any extra estrogen, and a good work out is what I’ll be doing. I just hope it won’t be too late.
If in doubt you should see a doctor.
Bodyweight circuits sound great, but would they give you the same mental benefits of running? Longer cardio is known for its ability to burn off stress and increase mental well-being, but would, say, a 20-30 bodyweight session offer the same benefits? Has anybody here switched from running to bodyweight stuff and noticed better results in terms of physical AND mental benefits?
An interesting question. Maybe one benefit of a steady cardio workout is the ability to switch off for a while, harder to do when following a circuit workout. However, as someone who did many years of martial arts, I think that any exercise provides mental and physical benefits.
Just found this (on fitness.gov/mentalhealth, accessed Feb 23, 2012) which says:
Reduced anxiety:
Best results with “aerobic exercise”
Best after weeks of regular exercise
Best benefits to those who are low fit to begin with
Best benefits for those high in anxiety to begin with
Reduced depression:
Best after weeks of regular exercise
Best when done several times a week
Best with more vigorous exercise
Best for those who are more depressed (needs more research)
So it seems the answer is, it depends on the type of mental health benefit you are looking for. A combination of steady cardio and more intensive workouts (which we advise as part of a weight loss plan) would seem to be the best all-round option.
I’m 21 years old boy. I have problem with my chest. My chest size is big, First i thought its because of fat, So i joined gym, now i lose my weight very well, but there is no effect on my chest. I searched on internet & i found it may be gynecomastia. On many pages they suggest surgery, & on many pages i found surgery is not good it has many side effect.I also found that it increases as age increases. is it?? Even i searched for natural way to loose my chest size, but I couldn’t found any way. Is there any natural way to loose my chest. Please help me.
Hi Mnagesh, you should see a doctor really. If going to the gym has not worked then it could be gynecomastia, however, until you have that diagnosed (or not) then there is little point looking at alternative / natural remedies for the condition.
Hi my name is Trae. I’m 5’9” cw is at 292. My problem is my weight goes up and down. I do exercise and was eating healthy an I got discouraged. I have been to one doctor and he stated my testosterone was low which I have been told that before….I have man boobs and want to get rid of 95% of my fat. Do you think if my testosterone is low this could be the cause of my weight going up and down what should I do?
Hi Trae, that could be the problem, but it also sounds like your problem is a poor diet and eating too much. You need to maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and healthy eating, and do this everyday. Many people are quick to blame hormones, genetics, metabolism etc. when really the problem is eating too much and not exercising enough.
does whey protein helps in reducing chest fat???
Dinesh, whey protein does not help reduce any fat. It is for building muscle.
Hi Im Kyle, Im 16, 6’5 and have had manboobs for 3 years. Is it just puberty?
It could be Justin. Are you otherwise in good shape, or do you have excess fat elsewhere?
but my trainer keeps on insisting me to buy a whey protein and also says that it helps me to burn the chest fat.
Hi Dinesh, is it working? Are you losing fat? What else are you doing in terms of exercise and diet? Maybe you are already following a carefully set plan?
for the past 8 months i’ve going to gym.. when compared to early stage i have reduced a little amount of fat. i’ve completely reduced my belly fat ( but not 6 packs). but my chest fat hasn’t seemed to be reduced much. still my nipples are soft and have fat around that area. my upper chest has gained some shape. but my lower chest has fat deposit around it. ‘m doin workouts and i’ve stopped doing cardio since i had reduced my weight (earlier i was 72kg now ‘m 65 kg). regarding diet ‘m having 9 rotis a day. ( roti is made of wheat flour). this is my diet.
yeah, i have a fat stomach.
Dinesh, try less rotis, more protein, more intensive cardio and more weight training.
so shall i take whey protein (since you advised to take protein).
You should be able to get enough protein from a healthy and balanced diet. Do you eat meat, eggs, fish?
i am a vegetarian, so i don’t eat egg , meat or fish. so what shall i do now?
Read this: Recommended Protein Sources for Fitness and Bodybuilding – there is a section there for vegetarians.
Hey,
Im 6’1 and i used to be 266 i currently on the 2nd week of insanity workout and ive dropped to 250. I still have about 6-7 weeks left of the insanity workout. I want to lose the fat on my stomach and chest area, im wearing the “belts” that make you sweat more in one area, but i dont see there work being done. Im trying my best to eat healthy food, sometimes i let go of myself, other times im really strict on diet. I want to lose the stomach fat faster with the workout. Os there anything special i could also include?
i am 17yrs old and having male breast. please give me suggestions to reduce it except gym as i have tried it for 2 months and didnt reduse a bit.
Hi, I do not know the details of Insanity, although the belts that make you sweat more are unlikely to make you burn fat. Sweating and burning fat are two different biological processes. Just stick to the plan you have though. 16 pounds weight loss in 2 weeks is great progress, do not stop that plan until it totally stops working for you (and even then you should carry on with the exercise).
Except gym? Well, that just leaves dieting to cut back on fat. Strict diet. But your really, really should exercise too. Run every morning.
Hi, I’m 25 yrs old 5’6 and am trying to get rid of my man boobs/get in shape. I have always been over weight and for the past 5 yrs my weight was in the 190’s. About a year ago I began working the night shift at a very sedentary job (7pm-730am) and in less than 2 months I went up to 227. I became very tired all day, even on my off days and could not find the motivation to workout (and my eating habits didn’t help). About 2 months ago I started taking water pills/ appetite control pills and they initially helped (lost 4 lbs in 2 days) eventually getting me down to 217 in about 5 weeks, but after getting some chest pains and seeing a Dr, was told to stop taking the pills. I gained some energy from losing that weight and began working out a week ago. Its currently limited to 30-45 mins after work at my apartment complex’s fitness center and I’m just wondering if that is a good start to getting into shape or should I be doing more? Because when I weigh myself it seems to always be between 218-220 and I get discouraged. My workout currently consists of 10 mins on the elliptical followed by a circuit training on 4 machines (butterly machine, forearm, bicep curl, and ab) with 4 sets of 20 reps using low weights (40 lbs on every machine except abs which I use 60 lbs) and conclude with a 5 min cooldown on the elliptical. Does this seem to be an adequate workout for now? I’m sorry that this post is lengthy because I’m hoping that the details will provide a better understanding of my situation .
Hi Will, for now it is probably OK. But you should aim to increase it each week. On the elliptical finish with a couple of sprint intervals. Increase the weight on the machines a little. Is there a squat / leg press or bench / chest press machine? If so, use these.
Sounds like the biggest challenge though is food. I am guessing that in your 12 hour night shift you are tempted to pass the time with snacks? If so, this simply needs to stop. Do anything to avoid the snacks. Walk up and down or make a cup of tea etc. just to take your mind / stomach off the idea of eating.
thanks for the advice, now is it the weight that I should look to increase, the sets/reps or combination of both? And I do not believe there is a leg press machine (though I’ll make sure later today)but I am sure of the bench/chest machine.
Also I have definitely quit the snacking during my shift because it was a big issue before and I have started controlling my portions when I do eat. What I forgot to mention before was that I am working out every other day, so would that affect the type of workouts I should be doing?
Maybe consider doing some cardio on the days you are not going to the gym. Or go to the gym and do some steady elliptical work for 45-60 minutes.
Hello motley health. Im 23 years old and im 5’11 and i weigh about 145. I wouldnt say im skinny because i do have belly fat and man boobs but if i pull my stomach in or even if i dont most people would say im in fairly good shape. My torso area contains fat while my arms and legs and face are fine. I think i have pseudogynecomastia because i did the thumb-forefinger nipple test. My question was can i reduce this torso fat which includes man boobs and a belly with cardio and a proper diet? and if so how should i approach this.
Hi Eric, have you tried getting fitter and weight training? This would be the first step. If it is only a little extra fat that you have, and you are slim already, then getting toned may be all you need to do. Try that first.
Ive been pretty off and on with weight training. I was going to the gym regularly for about 2 months for a while (it was september – october). I managed to tone up my arms and chest during that time i guess but the torso fat remained this is why i was curious about cardio. I was wondering if I should start jogging/running 1-2 miles daily. Ive played many sports as a kid so i do not think it would be too much for me.
i used to weigh 135 and after i started going to the gym like i mentioned above and trying to bulk up i went up to 145-150. but the torso fat remains!! this is why im curious about cardio and how much it would help me.
Hi Eric, do both – cardio and weight training. Do not restrict yourself to one activity. Get fit, tone up.
Hey, I’ll be 16 in a few months and my parents want to throw a pool party for me but they don’t know that I’m fat and I was hoping you could give me some effective techniques. Currently I am 5′ 6 and weigh about 145-155 pounds. Last time I checked i was 130 and I checked about 7 months ago. I don’t drink water or exercise but I was hoping you could tell me about some at home exercises that I could do. I’m looking for at home exercises mainly because I’m very self conscious and don’t want people to know that I’m trying to lose weight. Please can you give me anything that will help me lose weight over the next 3-4 months. Even types of exercises and stretches are highly appreciated. Thank you so much and please respond by email.
Hi im 13 5’6 and way 160 i have a little belly fat and man boobs slightly what is the best way to start losing weight please help!?
Hi Gabe, the best way to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet and do lots of exercise. There is no best exercise. For toning muscles weight training is best.