How To Get Rid of Man Boobs

If you’re the guy who wears a t-shirt in the swimming pool, this article is for you. Man boobs (or moobs) are a cause of embarrassment for some people and can leave a dent in their self-confidence.

While hitting puberty and developing breasts might be good news for a girl, growing knockers is the last thing a man would want. If you weren’t careful and as a result are now the owner of a 32B chest, it isn’t too late. You don’t have to live with a bust for the rest of your life.

Fun fact – every man has breasts – even milk ducts. For the majority of the men, the breast tissue doesn’t develop as it does in women because of high testosterone levels. The female hormone called estrogen plays a vital role in developing boobs and milk ducts in women.

The Cause of Man Boobs

You might be wondering why some men grow breasts even though the primary male sex hormone is testosterone. Well, there can be many reasons behind the boob development and we’ll go over a few of them in how to get rid of man boobs guide.

Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is one of the most common reasons behind moobs. It’s a medical condition and mostly affects males going through puberty. Gynecomastia could also affect infants due to the mother’s high estrogen levels, and people over the age of 50.

Gynecomastia can result in swollen breast tissue and breast tenderness. Although the medical condition usually gets resolved on its own, it can sometimes lead to the development of hard nodules in the chest which might need medical care.

Some other gynecomastia causes include –

hormone changes
a spike in estrogen levels
some antibiotics
using illicit drugs, such as anabolic steroids or androgens
taking medications that block the action of testosterone
excessive alcohol consumption
certain psychiatric medications
anti-ulcer medications
taking herbal supplements that contain phytoestrogens
using tea tree oil or lavender lotions
excessive body fat
liver or kidney disease
certain types of tumors
overactive thyroid

We don’t want to be like WedMd who usually suggests that every small issue is or can turn into cancer. In the majority of the cases, the moobs are not because of an excess of breast tissue and are nothing to worry about. They are due to excess chest fat and can be taken care of by following the steps mentioned below.

Getting Rid of Man Boobs (Moobs)

Fix Your Diet

Keep a Diet Journal

In most cases, the root cause of moobs is a high-carb and high-fat diet. Since chest fat is probably the reason behind your man boobs, you need to shed the extra weight to remove the layer of fat present between your skin and pectoral muscles.

If you’ve never tracked your diet or counted calories, it’s time to get used to the practice. Your first step should be to analyze your current diet (no matter how random it is) so that you have an idea of the number of calories and macronutrients you’re consuming in a day. You don’t need to maintain a paper journal. You can use apps like MyFitnessPal which have a huge food directory that can make your journaling fast and easy.

Once you have a journal, you should cut out the foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value – like soda, candy, and other sugary snacks. Replace these junk items with whole grains, lean proteins, and other healthy, whole foods.

You should design a diet plan for yourself which provides you a healthy amount of macros and calories according to your body weight. If you don’t know how to make a diet program for yourself, hiring a professional can save you a lot of wasted time, money and effort.

Follow a Calorie Deficit Diet Plan

Since there is an excess fat build up on your chest, you need to get rid of it by following a calorie deficit diet. In a calorie deficit diet, you expend more calories in a day than you consume. For example, you consume 2000 calories in a day and burn 2100.

Adding to the above example, you need to make sure that the calories are coming from healthy sources. If you eat healthy foods, you will shed extra pounds but if you starve yourself and eat foods that are loaded with empty calories, you’ll grow fat. Some other tips include –

Eat Veggies – Vegetables are loaded with nutrients and are light in calories. Don’t misread this as eating only veggies. Follow a balanced diet but make sure veggies take up half of your plate. Veggies like broccoli are rich in fiber which can improve your digestion.
Restrict Processed Food – The rule of thumb should be if something is on TV and comes in a box, you should avoid eating it. Processed foods are usually high in saturated and trans fats and do more harm than good. Planned cheat meals are the only time processed foods should be allowed.
Protein Is Your Friend – Since your pectoral muscles are overpowered by the chest fat, you need to fuel up on protein as it is the building block of muscles. Protein can also help in keeping you full for longer which can reduce the chances of you feasting on junk food.
Say No to Liquid Calories – Drinks like coke, juices, and alcohol are the worst sources of calories. The empty calories from these beverages do nothing more than adding inches to your waist.

Exercise

As much as we’d like to lose weight just by controlling our mouths, that isn’t going to happen. After you have your diet in place, you need to move your body to shed the extra kilos. Also, if you’re thinking that you can spot reduce your moobs – that isn’t going to happen and you aren’t going to find any such advice on how to get rid of man boobs guide.

The best way to work on your moobs is to get rid of the excess body fat and build muscle. In the how to get rid of man boobs guide, we’re going to give you a few tips which will fasten up your fat loss process.

Cardiovascular Exercises

To get rid of the moobs, you need to be following an active lifestyle which should include running, walking, swimming, bike riding, jogging, stair climbing, or jumping rope daily. Choose your poison and stick with it.

If you’re going to do one cardio session each day, we suggest that it should be the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The workout should be a 25-30 minute LISS (low-intensity steady state) workout.

If you can manage two cardio sessions a day, the second workout should be a 10-15 minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) session to be done in the evening or after a strength training workout.

What is the difference between LISS and HIIT, you might ask? The LISS workouts are aerobic which means that your body uses oxygen as a source of energy to burn fat. HIIT workouts, on the other hand, are a part of anaerobic training and use stored body fat as fuel.

Resistance Training

Resistance training is the best way to build muscle and develop the shape and conditioning of your pectoral muscles. Before you jump into performing these exercises, you must learn how to perform them with the correct form to avoid injuries.

Barbell Bench Press – The bar bench press is one of the most popular chest exercises and is arguably the benchmark of strength. Hold the barbell with a shoulder-wide grip and make sure you have a spotter especially if you’re a gym noob.

Pec Deck Machine – The pec deck machine is the chest training sweetheart. Since the exercise is an isolation (single-joint) exercise, it can help with building the definition and separation in your chest.

Bent-Over Cable Crossovers – Get in position by bending at your hips. Your upper body should be parallel to the floor throughout the exercise. The key with the bent-over cable crossovers is to pause and squeeze your pecs at the bottom of the movement.

Push-Ups – If you don’t have access to a gym or are too busy to go to one, push-ups are your best bet. We recommend doing at least 100 push-ups every day to get rid of the chest fat. If you can’t complete the 100 reps in one set, perform 10 sets of 10 reps. Reduce the number of sets as you get stronger and better.

HIIT Man Boob Reducing Workout Program

Day 1 – Burpee Interval Workout

Directions – Complete the following circuit four times, resting 1 minute after the burpees in each round.

Pullups – Reps: As many as possible in 30 seconds
Jumping Jacks – Reps: 60
Burpees – Reps: 20

Day 2 – Jump Rope Interval Workout

Direction – Complete the following circuit four times, resting 1 minute after jumping rope in each round.

Mountain Climbers – Reps: 45
Pushups – Reps: 20-30
Front Plank – Duration: 1 min
Jump Rope – Duration: 1 min

Day 3 – Resistance Band Finisher

Directions – Complete the following circuit four times, resting 1 minute after the curls in each round.

Jump Rope – Duration: 1 min
Dips – Reps: 12-15
High Knees – Reps: 30 each knee
Curls with Resistance Bands – Reps: 20

Day 4 – Lower-Body Interval Workout

Directions – Complete the following circuit four times, resting 1 minute after the calf raises in each round.

Sprint – Duration: 30 sec
Squat Jumps – Duration: 45 sec
Lunges – Reps: 20 each leg
Calf Raises – Reps: 50

Day 5 – Abs Interval Workout

Directions – Complete the following circuit four times, resting 1 minute after the half-burpees in each round.

Crunches – Reps: 50
Bicycle Crunches – Duration: 1 min
Situps – Reps: 15
Hanging Knee Raises – Reps: 15
Oblique Crunches – Reps: 20 (each side)
Half Burpees – Duration: 20 sec

Day 6 – Sprint Interval Workout

Directions – Go all out.

Sprint 73 yards in 10 seconds – Rest: 30-50 sec.
Repeat 10-20 times

Day 7 – Rest

Follow this workout for four weeks and the results will speak for themselves.

Improve Your Testosterone Levels

Since gynecomastia is the reason for man boobs in most cases, you can fight off the condition by raising your testosterone levels. Testosterone and estrogen levels work like a see-saw. When one goes up, the other comes down.

As a man, you should try to keep your test high and estrogen levels low. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to ask you to use anabolic steroids. We suggest you improve your test levels naturally by –

Eat testosterone boosting foods – Not all foods are created equal. Tuna, low-fat milk, egg yolks, fortified cereals, oysters, shellfish, beef, and beans are some of the best testosterone boosting foods. You should stay away from soy products if you want to limit the estrogen production in your body.

Stress – Stress is one of the prominent reasons for dropping test levels in men. Taking on too much stress can cause your cortisol levels to rise which results in higher production of estrogen in your body.

Train Hard – Our bodies are designed to help us hunt and gather, and not to be slouched over a computer screen for most of the day. Your workouts should include compound and functional (multi-joint) lifts to boost your natural test production.

Supplements

Supplements are an incredibly effective but underutilized tool of getting rid of the moobs. There is more than one way in which supplements can aid fat loss.

Direct Fat Loss Supplements – There are many fat-burning supplements on the market that can be consumed before a workout. Most of these supplements raise your metabolism levels and supercharge your fat-loss process.

Indirect Fat Loss Supplements – Protein supplements are known to help in building muscle mass while reducing body fat. Other supplements like L-arginine, L-carnitine, and citrulline malate boost the fat loss process by spiking the nitric oxide production and using the body fat as fuel for your workouts.

Best Fat Loss Supplements

Medical Treatment

While we hope you get rid of your moobs by following the steps mentioned above in how to get rid of man boobs guide and don’t have to use medical treatments, but you should know that is an option – if the need arises.

The treatment options can vary based on what is causing the enlarged appearance of your chest.

Overweight – If your moobs are caused due to excess weight or body fat, the doctor may recommend that you make changes to your diet and exercise routines. In this case, read the remedies mentioned above in the article.

Reactions Due To Medications – In some cases, people using prescription drugs can experience a bulging chest. Some potent drugs can screw with your hormones and lead to the development of moobs. In such cases, the doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives. Sometimes, however, the benefits of a current medication outweigh the side effects.

Medical Condition – If a serious medical condition is causing the breast tissue to enlarge, treating the underlying condition can help. You may choose to undergo surgery to remove the excess breast tissue. Remember – unless it is for the treatment of breast cancer, most of the insurance companies tend to consider the removal of male breast tissue a cosmetic issue and will not cover the costs.