Getting rid of chest fat is an important goal for many men, as chest fat is considered unsightly and feminine. Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, it's impossible to eliminate chest fat through direct chest exercise; spot reduction of fat is a myth. As such, the only way to lose chest fat is by losing body fat overall. The best way to accomplish this is through a strict program of diet and exercise.
Step 1
Build a caloric deficit into your diet. Consult a basal metabolic rate calculator; this will use your age, gender, height and weight to determine the approximate number of calories necessary to maintain your current weight without exercise. Aim to construct a diet containing approximately 500 to 1,000 calories less than your basal metabolic rate, depending on the urgency and magnitude of your desired weight loss. According to MayoClinic.com, this will allow you to lose between one and two pounds of fat per week through diet alone.
Step 2
Perform cardiovascular exercise at least three times per week. This will not only burn excess calories, but also help you to maintain your metabolic rate in spite of your calorie restricted diet, further accelerating your weight loss. Choose from any activity that will raise your heart rate over an extended period of time, and aim to complete at least 15 minutes of activity per session in your first week. As your fitness improves, aim to increase the duration and frequency of your sessions.
Step 3
Train your chest directly twice per week. While this won't contribute meaningfully to your fat loss, it will develop the underlying chest muscle, creating the impression of greater leanness and muscle tone. At each training session, select five chest exercises of your choice. Great options include the bench press, dumbbell chest press, incline bench press, chest flys, and pec deck machine. For each exercise, complete three to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions, resting for 90 seconds between sets.
Tips and Warnings
- If you find that your chest fat is concentrated under the nipple and/or does not decrease proportionately as you lose body fat, you may have a condition called gynecomastia. Bring the problem to your doctor's attention for an affirmative diagnosis. Gynocomastia is treatable through a surgical procedure, with high rates of success.
- Never begin a new program of diet or exercise without first consulting your doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Cardiovascular training equipment
- Resistance training equipment
References
- ExRx.net: Fat Loss & Weight Training Myths
- MayoClinic.com: Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Exercise Reverses Depressed Metabolic Rate Produced by Severe Caloric Restriction
- "American Journal of Surgery"; Indications for and results of surgical therapy for male gynecomastia; M. Colombo-Benkmann et al.; 1999
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