Man boobs, lightly referred to as “moobs” these days, can be a real nuisance for any man trying to sport a well sculpted muscular chest.  This condition can be caused by a few things, first of which is the medical condition clinical gynecomastia or male breast enlargement.  This is generally a result of hormone imbalances like low testosterone or elevated estrogen.  The second cause of man boobs is excess fat that is stored in the chest.  This has led to an increase in the amount of men who seek surgical treatment to reduce the size of their breasts. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the amount of male breast reduction surgeries increased by 6% in the year of 2011 alone.

But going under the knife, or trying to increase your testosterone may not be the best course of action.  According to many trainers and exercise junkies, there might be a safer and simpler solution to this unwanted problem.  Exercise and lifestyle changes could be the key to getting rid of the extra fat tissue that is causing the man boobs.  Furthermore, excess fat tissue can cause a conversion of testosterone to the female hormone estradiol.  Getting rid of the excess fat through weight training and exercise then will logically break this cycle that causes man boobs to form in the first plan, and replace the fat tissue with lean muscle. 

So what are some tips for men to get rid of this excess fat and avoid surgery or the side effects of testosterone treatment?  First of all, exercise should be a priority.  Losing weight by participating in intense cardiovascular activity multiple times a week, can help you lose fat all over.  Slimming down will not only slim down your belly, but help reduce the size of chest as well.  Making sure you are getting an intense workout and really pushing the body’s limits will also help after you get into the swing of things.  Over time you will be able to handle more, and increasing the intensity of exercises over time will help you continue to burn fat rather than stay in the plateau that you may have reached.

Whole body exercises that focus on the chest, like swimming, have been shown to be effective in busting chest fat and reducing the size of an enlarged chest. Increasing the amount of strength training and weighted exercise you incorporate into your week can help as well. Even something as simple as the pushup, can make a big difference over time, especially when used in different forms to use more muscles than the classic pushup.

Here are some helpful exercises that are trainer recommended to build lean chest muscle and banish those man boobs:

1.       The plyo pushup

2.       The dumbbell bench press

3.       The feet elevated pushup

4.       The crossover pushup

5.       The regular bench press

6.       The incline dumbbell press