If you have "man boobs," or larger-than-normal breasts, you may be able to get rid of them with a dedicated exercise plan. If performed regularly, a combination of cardio exercises and strengthening exercises will help you lose the excess flab and tone up your chest area. However, if you have large breasts due to gynecomastia--a hormonal imbalance causing an excess of growth of breast tissue in men--you may require medication or surgery to address your condition.
Cardio Exercises
Cardio exercises can help you burn fat, reducing unsightly flab in the chest and other areas of the body. According to Michael White, a personal trainer with Home Health Fitness, cardio plays an important role in getting rid of the fatty deposits that frequently cause "man boobs." If you are carrying around a great deal of extra weight in your chest, you may find exercises like rowing and bicycling more comfortable than jogging, says White. So, how much aerobic exercise do you need to lose the extra fat? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity -- like walking briskly or bicycling at a casual pace -- or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activities such as swimming laps or bicycling at a speed of over 10 mph, every week. However, you may require even more than 150 weekly minutes of cardio to lose weight, depending on your diet.
Pec-Strengthening Exercises
Strength training exercise is an important component of an exercise program to get rid of "man boobs" as resistance training helps you replace fat with lean muscle mass. Strength exercises that target the pectoral muscles, are especially vital for toning the chest area. Some good pec-strengthening exercises for getting rid of "man boobs" include push-ups, bench presses, pec deck, Swiss ball fly and chest presses with free weights. According to a 2006 article published by the online U.K. newspaper, "The Times," two highly-effective pec-toners for reducing the size of male breasts include the wide-arm press-up and the dumbbell chest press. To perform a wide-arm press-up, modify a normal push-up so that the arms are out at twice your shoulder width with your fingers pointing forwards. To do a dumbbell chest press, lie on a bench with dumbbells in your hands, arms bent with forearms perpendicular to the floor. Push straight up from the shoulders.
Upper Back Exercises
Exercises that strengthen the rhomboid muscles located in the upper back may also help reduce the appearance of "man boobs." According to Ben Price, a fitness manager interviewed by "The Times," having weak back muscles due to a sedentary lifestyle makes the shoulders roll forward which in turn weakens the chest muscles. Therefore, in addition to pec-strengthening exercises, rhomboid-strengthening exercises also play an important role in replacing flabby tissue in the chest with muscle, says Price. The most basic rhomboid exercise is the shoulder blade squeeze. To perform this exercise, sit or stand with a straight back and tucked-in chin. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for five seconds. Other good rhomboid-strengthening exercises recommended by "The Times" include the bent-over row and bent-over fly. To perform the bent-over row, bend over at the waist with arms straight and dumbbells in hands. Pull up weights in a rowing motion. To do the bent-over fly, lie on a bench with arms out straight to sides. Lift weights up and then lower until they're parallel with the floor.
Considerations
If your "man boobs" result from gynecomastia, you may not be able to get rid of them with exercise alone. Unlike men who have large breasts due excess fatty tissue in the breast area, men with gynecomastia develop swollen, tender breast gland tissue due to a hormone imbalance in which estrogen levels are too high or testosterone is too low. While regular exercise, particularly strength training and vigorous cardio, can help address the low testosterone levels often associated with gynecomastia, some cases of gynecomastia require medications or surgery to remove the excess breast tissue. According to MedlinePlus, you should call your doctor if you have recent swelling, tenderness, or enlargement in one or both breasts. Stop taking recreational drugs, including marijuana, any bodybuilding supplements or anabolic steroids if you suspect you have gynecomastia, as these may cause gynecomastia, according to MedlinePlus.
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