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A man with chiseled abs

How to Get Rid of Man Boobs


Man boobs. You got ’em, but you don’t want ’em. First and foremost: you’re not alone in your possession of man boobs or your desire to lose them. In fact, it’s been reported that approximately 30% of men will develop enlarged breasts at some point in their life, and we can safely assume that about 90% of those 30% wishes they hadn’t. Some man boobs are caused by a medical condition known as gynecomastia, but most are the result of increased body fat.

If you’ve developed proverbial breasts as a result of weight gain, you’ll probably want to know how to lose those man boobs fast. Sure, you can Google “man boobs surgery” or “man boobs bra” but we’d prefer that you Google “man boobs exercises” instead. Or since you’re already here, you can skip right past the web search and check out our guide on how to lose man boobs. That’s right gents, you can save all your web searches for regular boobs.

Needless to say, losing man boobs involves exercise, diet, determination, and dedication. But as any fitness expert can tell you: the hard way is usually the right way. Presuming you’re ready to rid yourself of excess fat and unwanted cleavage, make this the moment your journey begins. Here’s how to lose man boobs.

close up of man’s boob with belly fat
What Causes Man Boobs | Image: Prasan Maksaen

What Causes Man Boobs?

Odds are you remember “Fight Club” and one of its earliest scenes, in which Robert “Bob” Paulson hugs our unnamed narrator between his two massive man boobs. It’s soon revealed that Bob’s testicular cancer caused some wild swings in his estrogen and testosterone levels, leading to breast enlargement.

Bob is one among a legion of men who suffer from gynecomastia, where an increase in breast gland tissue leads to man boobs. In addition to testicular cancer, there’s a full spectrum of medical conditions that affect hormone production and create man boobs, including hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease, cirrhosis, and hepatitis.

The bad news is that if you have gynecomastia, you’ll need to seek a doctor for treatment and move forward from there. The good news is that you probably don’t have gynecomastia. Instead, you have a build-up of excess fat on your chest in the form of man boobs.

To put it another way, you’ve been eating too much and exercising too little, and it’s really starting to show. Why is this good news, you ask? Because you can make it go away with a proper diet and quality fitness regimen.

healthy food on a rustic background
The Man Boob Reduction Diet | Image: Oleksandra Naumenko

The Man Boob Reduction Diet

If you’ve been following our celebrity workout and diet series, you’ll notice that everyone from The Rock to Daniel Craig sticks to a relatively similar diet routine. You might also notice that they all flaunt some seriously impressive pectorals. Yes, intense bodybuilding has a lot to do with it, but so do their eating habits. Should you want to get rid of man boobs, expect to start eating right for an extended period of time.

For starters, that means taking all the worthless carbs out of your diet. No more Doritos. No more donuts. No more white bread, muffins, or cronuts. In their place, pick up healthier alternatives like fruit, nuts, and yogurt. All the while, you should be consuming plenty of proteins and healthy fats, which you’ll then burn off or turn into muscle at the gym.

To keep your metabolism going, eat three small meals and two light snacks throughout the day. And if you’re planning on going all-in with the barbells and bench-presses, feel free to add a protein shake into the mix. Oh, and you should probably cut out alcohol altogether, but you already knew that.

Consider the following meal plan:

Breakfast

Two poached eggs and whole grain toast.

Snack #1

Fruits or nuts.

Lunch

Chicken breast or fish with a side of veggies or brown rice.

Snack #2

Yogurt.

Dinner

Lean meat or fish with a side of quinoa and leafy greens.

As you can see, the emphasis is on light to moderate consumption along with healthy eating choices. Things like fruits and leafy greens will give you a vitamin boost while eggs, chicken, and fish deliver healthy fat and copious amounts of protein. Pair this diet plan with a solid workout routine and you’ll be saying goodbye to those man boobs in no time.

man lifting a barbell
Best Exercises to Get Rid of Man Boobs | Image: Arthur Edelmans

Best Exercises to Get Rid of Man Boobs

Who’s ready to lose some man boobs?! Being that we can’t actually see you, we’ll just assume you’re onboard since you wouldn’t be here if you’re weren’t. Or maybe you’re just here for some candid shots of enlarged male breasts, not that there’s anything wrong with it. For everyone else, prepare to get rid of those hairy (or bare-chested) man boobs.

Before we dive into exercises, let’s talk surgery, which is indeed a viable option. In fact, man boob surgery has become more popular over the last decade than ever before, reportedly peaking in 2015. And while we’re not here to dissuade you from going under the knife, we should mention that surgery might get rid of your man boobs, but it won’t necessarily change your lifestyle.

If you stick with a solid workout and diet plan, on the other hand, it can make all the difference in the world. That said, the rapid loss of larger man boobs can sometimes lead to excess skin. If such a thing occurs, you might want to consult with a surgeon to see if he or she can remove that skin, allowing you to rock the pecs you deserve.

Presuming you’ve decided to take the fitness route, it’s time to lose those man boobs the hard way. Predictably, you should adopt a regimen that targets the chest muscles and incorporates plenty of cardio. We’ll leave the running, rowing, and biking up to you, focusing instead on quality strength training exercises. Use them to get rid of your man boobs once and for all.

Barbell Bench Press

This veritable classic is one of the oldest and surest ways to build chest muscle. Here’s how to perform it:

  1. Place the barbell on the rack and lie flat on the bench.
  2. Keeping your arms just wider than shoulder width, lift the barbell and hold it straight over your chest.
  3. Breathe in as you slowly lower the barbell to the middle of your chest.
  4. Breathe out as you return the barbell to the starting position above your chest.
  5. Repeat.

Pec Deck Machine

True to its name, the pec deck machine will help you turn man boobs into pectoral muscle. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Select an appropriate weight.
  2. Adjust the seat until the handles are even with your chest.
  3. Sit down and grab the handles.
  4. Keeping your elbows slightly bent and your back arched, bring the handles toward one another in front of you.
  5. Return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat.

Bent-Forward Cable Crossovers

Just like other cable workouts, this chest exercise requires the use of two separate pec deck cable machines.

  1. Select the same weight on each machine.
  2. Stand between the two machines and grab the handles with your palms facing down.
  3. Lean over and keep your back straight as you push your arms down and in, bringing the handles (i.e. cables) together in front of your chest.
  4. Return to starting position.
  5. Repeat.

Dumbbell Superset #1

Use 15 or 20-pound dumbells for this intense training routine, which incorporates two separate exercises. For each round, perform 30 seconds of reps for exercise #1, rest for 30 seconds, perform 30 seconds of reps for exercise #2, and then rest for 30 seconds. Do that for 4 rounds total and rest for 1-2 minutes before moving on to the next superset.

Exercise #1 (Lying Supported Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Row)

  1. Grab both dumbbells and lie on a 45-degree incline bench, with your chest facing the floor.
  2. Extend your arms straight down and turn your palms toward one another.
  3. Lift both dumbbells by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades.
  4. Hold and then lower the weights.
  5. Perform as many reps as you can for 30 seconds.
  6. Rest for 30 seconds.

Exercise #2 (Dumbbell Goblet Box Squat)

  1. Stand 4-6 inches in front of a knee-high bench.
  2. Grab the end of one dumbbell using both hands and place it vertically in front of your chest, elbows facing down.
  3. Keep your back slightly arched as you push your hips back, bend your knees, and go into the squat position.
  4. Squat back onto the bench and hold.
  5. Keeping your heels pressed into the ground, return to the standing position.
  6. Perform as many reps as you can for 30 seconds.
  7. Rest for 30 seconds.

Dumbell Superset #2

Exercise #1 (Dumbbell 1 1/2 Pushup)

  1. Grip a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Keeping your arms straight and shoulder-width apart, get into the pushup position.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest is almost touching the floor, and hold for a moment.
  4. Push yourself halfway back up and hold again.
  5. Lower your body to the floor.
  6. Push back into the starting position.
  7. Perform as many reps as you can for 30 seconds.
  8. Rest for 30 seconds.

Exercise #2 (Dumbbell Skier Swings)

  1. Stand with a pair of dumbbells at either side, keeping your knees slightly bent and your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Without curling your back, bend forward at your hips and swing your arms back at the same time.
  3. Emphatically thrust your hips forward as you lift your torso back into the upright position, using your natural momentum to swing the weights up to chest level.
  4. Swing back and forth for each rep.
  5. Perform as many reps as you can for 30 seconds.
  6. Rest for 30 seconds.

You’ll also like:
14 Best Dumbbell Workouts and Exercises For a Full-Body Workout
10 Best Shoulder Exercises for Men
10 Best Chest Exercises for Men
Chris Hemsworth’s Thor Diet & Workout Plan

General FAQ

What foods cause man breasts?

Eating unnecceassay carbs and junk food will cause man breats. Cut out the Doritos, donuts, white bread and muffins to stop yourself from growing man boobs.

How can I reduce my chest fat?

Exercise and diet are both important to reduce your chest fat. Cut out carbs and junk food and eat three healthy meals a day to keep your metabolism going. A few exercises that are great for the chest are barbell bench presses, bent-forward cable crossovers, and dumbell goblet box squats.