Large breasts can be attractive -- if you're a woman. Large breasts on men represent collections of breast fat and are a tell-tale sign that you're not taking great care of your body. Unfortunately, you can't just start lifting weights in the hopes that a new chest will emerge. Losing chest fat --especially if you want to lose it fast -- requires a three-tiered approach that will help you shed pounds and sculpt lean muscle.
The Myth of Chest Spot Reduction
No matter how much you want to change your chest, you can't just target one area of body fat. Exercises aimed at a specific body part can tone and tighten that area, but will not lead to spot reduction. In order to lose chest fat --and to lose it quickly --you have to embark on a total body fat reduction campaign. Aerobic exercise, a healthy diet and chest muscle sculpting together can change your chest while also changing the rest of your body.
Cardio for Fat Loss
You can do all the bench presses and push-ups you want, but if you have a lot of excess fat on top, no one will ever see those new muscles. Aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up, burns calories and helps you shed that extra layer of fat. To get fit, get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times per week. You may need as much as 60 to 90 minutes of aerobic exercise if you're trying to lose a lot of weight, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Try exercises like running, walking, swimming, kickboxing or riding your bike to burn fat.
Strength Training for Definition
While it's true that strength training alone won't get rid of your chest fat, it's not an activity you want to ignore as you lose weight. If you strength train in addition to aerobic exercise, when you do shed the extra fat, you'll have lean, toned muscle in its place. Muscle also burns extra calories, which helps fuel your weight loss. Do chest exercises two to three times per week making sure you have at least a day of rest between sessions. Try exercises like push-ups, bench presses, dumbbell incline presses and chest flys. See the Resources section for a complete list of chest exercises, including instructions.
Diet to Promote a Lean Body
Since you're looking for the fastest way to get rid of chest fat, you'll need to combine aerobic exercise and strength training with a healthy diet. If you leave any one of these three elements out of the picture, you'll see significantly slower results. Cut your daily calories by a few hundred each week until you start to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Add more calories in if you start to lose weight faster to avoid losing lean muscle mass. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods like lean protein, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep hydrated with water instead of soda and calorie-laden juice drinks.
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