Our Review Process
Our articles undergo extensive medical review by board-certified practitioners to confirm that all factual inferences with respect to medical conditions, symptoms, treatments, and protocols are legitimate, canonical, and adhere to current guidelines and the latest discoveries. Read more.
Our Editorial Team
Shifa Fatima, MSc.
Author
Dr. Apoorva T, MHM.
MEDICAL ADVISOR
How to lose chest fat?
Fat deposits in the body can be worrying for most people. The bulkiness within the body, the excess weight, the lethargy, and the medical conditions associated with higher weight and body fat can be highly troublesome. People experience body fat differently. Some have to deal with higher fatty areas in the belly while others’ arms and thighs show an increase in inches. Certain areas of the body can become heavier and it can take some time to get rid of the body weight in those parts.
Extra efforts would then be required to burn body fat, especially in areas like the chest. Along with cardio, particular exercises must be done to burn chest fat successfully. Chest fat can be a cause for concern for both males and females. Therefore, coming up with ways to effectively deal with it with the help of a team of doctors, physical trainers, etc is vital.
Table of Contents
How to Get Rid of Chest Fat?
Naturally, targeting chest fat is challenging. A significant amount of exercise that is done with careful planning and consideration is vital to deal with the fat deposits in the chest. Additionally, a lot of patience is also required to lose chest fat. To get rid of it, the basic premise of how fat loss works needs to be applied. It is next to impossible to only eliminate fat in the chest. You will be able to target the chest fat along with dropping a few extra fatty tissues from the other parts of your body as well.
“Forbes Equation” states that approximately 3500 calories need to be burned with the help of dietary restrictions or exercise to lose 1 pound of fat. The overall consumption of calories in a day is about 1800-3000. This means that restricting the calorie intake in the first place would be a good way to start. Some dieticians might prescribe talking about 500 calories less each day as that can result in a loss of 1 pound in a week, theoretically. Adopting a permanently healthy lifestyle would give the best results in such scenarios.
What causes chest fat in males?
To get rid of chest fat, it might be important to understand what causes it. If we can work on eliminating or restricting the causes, we may not have to deal with the potential consequences. Most of the time, chest fat is always present along with too much body fat in general. However, it can also happen that chest fat is more prevalent due to certain medical conditions. In a condition called sarcopenia, one may experience a significant loss of muscle tissue over time with age. Here, body fat is much higher in general.
Chest fat in males can also be due to a condition called gynecomastia – an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue that is supposed to be smaller in males. This can occur due to hormonal imbalances, obesity, aging, or the use of certain drugs like – anabolic steroids, marijuana, diazepam, fluoxetine, etc. Gynecomastia is also possible as a result of underlying and comorbid health issues such as liver or kidney disease, hypogonadism, thyroid dysfunction, lung or testicular cancer, tumors in the adrenal glands, etc.
What causes chest fat in females?
In a female body, hormonal changes can cause the breasts to grow. These can be due to several reasons like – genetics, poor lifestyle, PCOS, diabetes, etc. Unusual lumps in the breasts or any kind of changes should be immediately reported to the doctor. Other reasons could also lead to a higher level of chest fat in females:
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Hormonal changes over reach period cycle
- Ageing
- Medical conditions
- Thyroid disorders, etc
Also know what is the real cause of diabetes?
Most Effective Ways to Lose Chest Fat
Your chest muscles are important for many activities like lifting, pushing, arm movements, etc. Excess fat in this area can create issues in even performing certain gross motor activities to the best of people’s ability. Therefore, looking for effective and efficient ways to lose chest fat becomes important in males and females. Measuring your BMI and using that as a method to check the levels of fat and dealing with it can be a good technique to move forward. BMI provides a rough indicator of total body fat. It can be measured by dividing a person’s weight in kgs by their height in square meters. People with a BMI that is 25 and above can lose body fat with the help of diet and exercise.
Since it is not possible to only lose fatty tissues in the chest, a holistic approach to dropping a few kilos and reducing weight would be effective even in the long run. People can tend to lose more fat from other areas of the body as well. The chest muscles can be a part of the regime.
Diet
No single, universally acclaimed diet has been known to work for everyone who is aiming for weight loss. However, a few certain characteristics in a diet plan can make it conducive for the same.
- Low carbohydrates
- Fewer calories
- Lesser processed foods
- No unhealthy or trans-fats
- Limiting the sugar intake
- Limit alcohol intake
Add a few healthy aspects to your diet plan like:
- Higher protein and fiber content as they help feel full and can help gain muscle strength
- More fruits and vegetables
- Healthy fats – in nuts
- Increase fluid intake
Exercises
High-intensity exercises work well to lose fat. However, you can also engage in certain exercises with weights that particularly target the pectoral muscles.
- Push-ups – Start in the plank position with the hands under the shoulders. Keep your arms tight and lower your body slowly to the floor. Raise your body back up and repeat.
- Bench press – Lie flat on your back with the bar against your chest and hand at shoulder width. Press the bar up until your elbows are straight but do not lock. Lower your arms to a 45-degree angle at the elbow.
- Dumbbell pullover – With a set of dumbbells in each hand, lie flat on a bench and keep the dumbbells parallel to the floor. Lower the weights over your head toward the floor, not past your ears and bring them back up and repeat.
Bottomline
Since you cannot only focus on your chest fat but also try fat-burning exercises and a diet regime that will help your body. With a combination of healthy foods, cardio, and chest-related exercises, you will see results and overall changes in your body. Get your chest muscles toned enough so that they do not look fatty but feel more defined. Also know about the body fat facts.
FAQs
Can Running reduce chest fat?
Running is an aerobic and cardio exercise. It can increase your heart rate which eventually helps to burn fat quickly. Getting rid of chest fat is possible with running as it involves the elimination of the extra fat in the body. Once-a-week running workouts are known to be efficient in reducing chest or armpit fat.
How can I lose chest fat at home?
Certain exercises can be done at home that can help get rid of the excess fat and bulge around the chest – push-ups, bench presses (with lighter weights, or a rod), dumbbell pulls, etc can work the chest muscles and can define them
Why is my chest not flat?
At times, uneven chest muscles can be due to subconscious dominance or preference for a certain side of the body. A right-handed person will make more use of that hand leading to stronger chest muscles on the right
References
- https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/how-to-get-rid-of-man-boobs
- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-lose-chest-fat#causes
Disclaimer
This website's content is provided only for educational reasons and is not meant to be a replacement for professional medical advice. Due to individual differences, the reader should contact their physician to decide whether the material is applicable to their case.