Man boobs, “moobs” or, medically termed, gynecomastia is defined by the National Institute of Health as the benign growth of male breast glandular tissue, usually caused by an increase of estrogen, decrease in testosterone or the use of numerous medications. Gynecomastia can affect men of all ages from infants all the way to grown men.
Another type of man boobs, which we will focus on in this post, is known as pseudogynecomastia and is caused by an increase in fat deposits. This type is most commonly seen in overweight and obese men. Neither should be anything to worry about, but, as imagined, the symptoms of hormone imbalance and being overweight might not be pleasant and, in both cases, getting a checkup with your doctor is always recommended.
While “man boobs” might sound like a funny name and something to chuckle at, those with them can actually feel really self-conscious about their physical appearance. It’s always important that we take people’s feelings into consideration.
If you or someone you know has man boobs due to an increase in fat deposits, here are some tips on how you can increase muscle mass (especially in the chest), lose body fat and thus minimize the appearance of them.
4 Tips to Get in Shape & Lose Man Boobs
1. Get a medical checkup
We mentioned this before, and we’ll say it again: You can never go wrong with a checkup with your doctor, and it’s always a good idea to do so before beginning any new diet or workout regimen. Let him/her know your concerns and your goals and get approval that your plan is safe for you.
Tip:
Ask your doc to check out your hormone levels to identify the cause, too.
2. Clean up your diet
It’s no secret that a balanced diet and caloric deficit play a major role in weight loss. The first step is to set your goal and start tracking your daily food intake. Most people are not aware of how much they are really eating, and food tracking can be a real eye-opener. And, you might want to reduce your consumption of these 5 food groups if you want to lose weight.
3. Bodyweight training
Bodyweight training is amazing because a lot of the exercises recruit multiple muscle groups, resulting in more calories burned. So, don’t just focus on chest exercises, alone! Yes, push-ups are an excellent example of a bodyweight exercise for the chest! But did you know that push-ups also work your arms, shoulders, back, core and require activation from the glutes and legs as well?
Tip:
The wider your hand placement during a push-up, the more your chest is working. And, you don’t have to go super-fast. Play with the tempo of the push-up and try doing some really slowly as well. Feel the burn?
4. Strength train with weights
You really want to focus on building muscle rather than doing endless cardio to burn fat. Plus, muscle is a very energy-demanding tissue, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn at rest. Chest exercises like chest press and cable chest flies are a great example of muscle-building exercises for the chest.
Tip:
Don’t focus only on chest exercises. A total-body approach is key (when it comes to training) to lose the fat. Plus, exercise can boost testosterone levels in men which (among many other things) helps build and sustain muscle mass.
Myth or Fact: Is it really possible to fully get rid of man boobs?
This really depends on how much fat tissue and what the elasticity of the skin is like. It could be that after you lose weight, you also lose your man boobs. But it could also be the case that when there is a lot of fat to lose, the skin then hangs loosely. While there are surgical procedures to eliminate excess skin after weight loss — you should probably first give yourself some credit for your accomplishment! Weight loss isn’t easy. It takes dedication and commitment to yourself and to your health. However, if left with excess skin, the surgical procedure is ultimately your decision.
So as you can see, in the case of pseudogynecomastia, increasing your activity level and cleaning up your diet, leading to overall weight loss, is really the way to lose man boobs! Want to begin your weight-loss journey, but not sure where to start? Here are 8 tips to get started towards a healthier lifestyle.
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Source: Fitness - runtastic.com
