8 Best Man Boobs Exercises to Eliminate Chest Fat

Man boobs, medically termed gynecomastia, refer to the enlargement of male breast tissue. You can get rid of man boobs with a healthy diet and regular cardio and resistance training. There are medical procedures, too, but those should be the last resort.

Getting rid of man boobs takes hard and smart work. I’ve been working as a personal trainer for 35 years and helped more than a hundred men do it successfully.

I’ve also seen a lot of guys wasting their efforts trying to fix gynecomastia (gyno) the wrong way. Going to town on the bench press or push-ups daily isn’t going to fix your gyno.

In the following paragraphs, I’ll detail the eight best man boobs exercises I’ve used with my personal training clients to help them lose their chest fat and regain their lost confidence.

8 Best Exercises To Burn Man Boobs

Resistance training will not do a lot to help you lose the fat that makes up your man boobs. But it will shape and develop the pectoral muscles beneath the fat. It will shape your chest, lifting it and helping produce that ‘chest armor’ look that most guys are after.

When you combine resistance training with daily cardio, you will simultaneously lose fat and build muscle.

You should train your chest twice per week. Give your pecs 48-72 hours to recover between sessions. During this period between workouts, your chest will get bigger and stronger.

Here are the eight best chest exercises to shape your chest and eliminate man boobs:

1. Seated Cable Chest Press
2. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
3. Slider Push-Ups
4. Dumbbell Flyes
5. Dumbbell Pullovers
6. Wide Push-Up
7. Dumbbell Chest Shrug
8. Two-Level Push-Ups

Seated Cable Chest Press

Equipment:

• Cable pulley machine
• Adjustable weight bench

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Adjust the cable pulley to shoulder height, and place a bench with back support approximately three feet in front of it, facing away from the machine. Ensure that the bench is set at roughly 75 degrees.
2. Sit on the machine and grasp the handles using an overhand grip. In the initial position, your elbows should be at shoulder level, forming a 45-degree angle with your upper body and parallel to the ground.
3. Push both arms forward until fully extended at a slight downward angle. Bring the handles together to align with your sternum.
4. Reverse the movement under control and repeat.

Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

Equipment:

• Dumbbells
• Adjustable weight bench

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Adjust a decline bench at 25 degrees.
2. Take a seat on the decline bench and grasp the dumbbells.
3. Lie down on the bench while holding the dumbbells above your mid-chest, fully extending your arms and ensuring the ends of the dumbbells touch.
4. Lower the dumbbells until your elbows align with your torso and form a right angle.
5. Press the dumbbells up and in to return to the start position.

Slider Push-Ups

Equipment:

• Sliders (or hand towels)
• A slick floor (polished timber of tiles)

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Get into a push-up position on a smooth surface with sliders (or cloth) under your hands. Begin with your hands close together, thumbs touching, feet shoulder-width apart, and your body in a straight line.
2. Lower toward the floor by sliding your hands apart. Your hands should be slightly outside shoulder-width in the bottom position.
3. To return to the starting position, push back up and slide your hands back together.

Dumbbell Flyes

Equipment

• Flat Bench
• Dumbbells

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Lie on a flat bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip. Plant your feet on the floor and lift the dumbbells to arm’s length above your mid-chest.
2. Bend your elbows slightly and lock them in that position.
3. Pivot from the shoulder joint to bring your arms out to the sides and down until they are parallel with the floor.
4. Return to the start position, moving just from the shoulder joint. Come up until the dumbbells touch each other above your chest, moving in an arcing motion.
5. Squeeze your pecs at the top.

Dumbbell Pullovers

Equipment

• Flat Bench
• Dumbbells

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Position a dumbbell alongside a flat bench.
2. Grab the dumbbell with both hands cradling one end and lie across the bench so your shoulder blades are over it.
3. Keeping your hips down, extend the dumbbell up above your chest.
4. Lower the dumbbell down over your head, keeping your arms straight and your butt down.
5. Squeeze your hands in toward each other to contract the chest, and then, maintaining this squeeze, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Wide Push-Up

Equipment

• None

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Get into a high plank position with your legs extended straight behind you and your feet together.
2. Stack your hands under your shoulders. Now, move your hands 6-8 inches wider than shoulder width.
3. Slowly bend your arms and lower your torso toward the floor. Lower as far as you can comfortably go – ideally, that will be until your chest touches the floor.
4. Push through your chest and triceps as you extend your elbows to return to the starting plank position.

Dumbbell Chest Shrug

Equipment

• Dumbbells

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a relatively heavy dumbbell in your right arm at your side.
2. You may choose to grab an upright with the other hand for balance.
3. Without bending at the elbow, bring your arm toward your midline. This transfers the focus from your trapezius to your pectorals.
4. Hold the contracted position for two seconds.
5. Repeat for recommended reps, then repeat on the other side.

Two-Level Push-Ups

Equipment

• Two aerobic steps or low platforms

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Place two aerobics steps or boxes on the floor.
2. Position your palms shoulder-width apart between the steps and assume a high plank position, balancing on your toes with your feet together and your back in a neutral position.
3. Keeping your torso rigid and your legs straight, bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
4. Explode up and place your hands on the aerobic steps.
5. In a high plank position on the steps, repeat the steps above to return your hands to the floor.
6. You have now completed one rep. Repeat for the required rep count.

2 Chest Workouts to Eliminate Man Boobs

Our eight chest exercises can be divided into two workouts, each totaling 10-12 sets. Perform each workout once weekly, with at least 48 hours between them.

Workout A

Workout B

Cardio Exercise For Burning Man Boobs

Man boobs are essentially a fat build-up issue. If you aren’t carrying extra fat, no excess tissue will be stored as man boobs. So, if you lose the weight, you’ll eliminate your man boobs.

To get rid of the chest fat, you need to enter a calorie deficit, which includes burning more calories daily than you consume.

To get rid of chest fat, you have got to burn calories from all over your body. That’s because it is impossible to spot-reduce body fat. There have been many studies to prove this. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Strength Conditioning Research found that six weeks of specific abdominal exercise did not reduce belly fat. [1]

In other words, you can’t do exercises for the chest and just lose fat from that area. As I’ve already mentioned, body fat is simply stored energy. When you create a negative calorie balance, the body will use up some of it. But it pulls it evenly from all over.

Cardiovascular exercise will work alongside your reduced-calorie diet to create a negative calorie balance. I encourage my clients to set the goal of burning 250 calories daily through cardio.

The best form of cardio for you is the type you enjoy best and can sustain in the long run. My favorites are rowing and using a SkiErg, both of which are joint-friendly and involve most of your body’s muscles. I recommend experimenting with the following, each of which has its own benefits and drawbacks:

• Rowing
• Cycling
• Ski Erg
• Jumping Rope
• Jogging
• Swimming

Sample HIIT Protocol

Here’s a sample high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol you can use with your exercise of choice:

• Warm up for two minutes at low-intensity
• 20 seconds max intensity
• 10 seconds recovery
• Repeat seven times
• 20-second cool-down

I recommend doing three of these HIIT sessions per week and another four low-intensity steady-state (LISS) sessions where you maintain a steady pace for 20-30 minutes.

A 2015 study compared the effects of eight weeks of steady state vs. HIIT workouts. While HIIT was more time efficient, both forms of cardio were equally beneficial in terms of cardiovascular benefits. [2]

Here’s what your weekly cardio schedule to reduce man boobs should look like:

Diet for Weight Loss

To lose weight, you need to create a daily negative caloric balance. That means that you eat fewer calories than you burn.

Creating a negative calorie balance forces your body to draw on stored calories (body fat) to meet the difference. If you do this consistently, you will lose fat gradually.

Before creating a negative calorie balance, you need to know how many calories your body needs daily to meet its energy needs. This is called your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Go here to work out your TDEE.

Now that you know how many calories your body needs daily, you can reduce your calorie intake to create a negative calorie balance. Over the years of working with hundreds of clients, I’ve found that the sweet spot is to cut 500 calories per day.

So, if your TDEE is 2,600 calories, you should eat 2,100 calories daily. The other 500 calories will come from your fat stores.

Other Lifestyle Factors to Get Rid of Man Boobs

Here are three important lifestyle factors you must get right to eliminate man boobs:

Sleep

The quality and quantity of your sleep will impact your ability to get rid of man boobs. Aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Stay away from caffeine-rich beverages and high-carb foods close to bedtime to achieve this.

Doing an early evening workout may help you get to sleep more easily. If you’re having trouble drifting off, consider supplementing with melatonin. This natural chemical regulates your sleep cycles, helping you relax.

Keep technology, including your cell phone, out of your bedroom and make your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible.

Water

Drink at least eight glasses of water daily to help combat man boobs caused by hormonal imbalances. Other beverages like fruit juice, soda, and alcohol can dehydrate your body. Replace them with water. You can add some lemon juice to improve the taste.

Green tea, fennel seed tea, and oolong tea are also recommended for weight loss. A 2015 study published in Clinical Nutrition examined the effects of green tea on weight loss. Twelve weeks of treatment with green tea resulted in significant weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and cholesterol levels. [3]

Freshly juiced dark leafy vegetables and 100% fresh fruit juices are also beneficial. Remember, though, that while other beverages have advantages, they cannot substitute the essential requirement of consuming eight glasses of water daily.

Breathing

It may seem unlikely, but deep breathing can really help get rid of man boobs. This type of controlled, thoughtful breathing brings more oxygen into the body and helps reduce stress. It also helps maintain an alkaline leaning pH.

Deep breathing involves inhaling into the abdomen, holding the breath for four seconds, and then exhaling through the mouth or nose. Get into the habit of doing this regularly throughout the day.

What Are Man Boobs?

Gynecomastia, more commonly known as “man boobs,” is a condition that refers to the abnormal expansion of breast tissue in men. This condition causes the chest to appear flabby and sagging. It affects roughly thirty percent of all males at some point in their lives.

Gynecomastia is more common during certain stages of life, such as adolescence or middle age (around the 40s and 50s), as these are times when hormone levels tend to fluctuate.

FAQs

Can supplements help me lose my man boobs?

Yes, the selective use of supplements can help you get rid of man boobs. The key supplement ingredients to look for are zinc and DHEA, both of which promote testosterone release, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium, which increase alkalinity. Only take ingestable hydrogen peroxide supplements.

Are there medical treatments for man boobs?

Yes, there are medical treatments for man boobs (or gynecomastia). You should only turn to the following medical interventions after you have exhausted the natural methods to get rid of man boobs discussed in this article. Medical procedures include hormone therapy, mastectomy, and liposuction.

What is gyno?

Gyno is an abbreviation of gynecomastia. It is the scientific term for the abnormal enlargement of male breast tissue, commonly known as man boobs.

Conclusion

To get rid of man boobs, you have got to combine three essential elements:

1. Enter a calorie deficit by reducing your caloric intake.
2. Perform cardio workouts to burn around 250 calories per day.
3. Engage in weight training to target the chest twice weekly.

Prioritize quality sleep, drink eight glasses of water daily, and incorporate deep breathing to achieve a flat chest. Stay consistent, work hard on the gym floor, and stay positive — you’ve got this!

References

1. Vispute, S. S., Smith, J. D., LeCheminant, J. D., & Hurley, K. S. (2011). The effect of abdominal exercise on abdominal fat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(9), 2559-2564. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb4a46
2. Foster, C., Farland, C. V., Guidotti, F., Harbin, M., Roberts, B., Schuette, J., Tuuri, A., Doberstein, S. T., & Porcari, J. P. (2015). The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 14(4), 747–755. PMID: 26664271 PMCID: PMC4657417
3. Chen, I-J., Liu, C-Y., Chiu, J-P., & Hsu, C-H. (2016). Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition, 35(3), 592-599. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2015.05.003. Epub 2015 May 29. PMID: 26093535

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