How to Get Rid of a Fat Chest (for Guys)

Co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT

Last Updated: August 4, 2024 References

There are a variety of causes for enlarged or fatty chests in men and luckily just as many ways to combat the problem. Read below for some helpful advice and ways to minimize the appearance of your chest.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Quick Tricks

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Wearing shirts that are dark in color, or have large patterns on them can help reduce the appearance of a fat chest. You can also wear loose-fitting shirts to reduce the appearance.
Compression shirts are an excellent short-term solution for reducing the appearance of a fat chest. If your mom, sister, or lady-friend has ever worn Spanx, then you’ve seen the principles of the compression shirt in action. These shirts are made of a tight, spandex-like material which compresses your chest, making you look skinnier and reducing the appearance of your chest.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Evaluate Your Health

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Age can play a huge role in the appearance of your chest. Boys going through puberty and older men can both develop temporary enlarged chests as a result of hormone imbalances. ^{[1]
X
Research source} Consult with a doctor but realize that the problem will likely resolve itself.
The best first step in reducing the appearance of a fat chest is to consult with your doctor. An enlarged chest can be a sign of serious health problems in men or it can simply be a sign of minor health issues. Only your doctor can know for sure, as various tests may be necessary. ^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
3
Identify the cause. The key to reducing the appearance of your chest is to figure out why it is enlarged. This will allow you to solve the problem by removing the root cause. There are a number of common reasons for enlarged chest in men:
- Weight is a major factor. If you are overweight, you will likely gain some fat in your chest, giving the appearance of breasts. This can be remedied with weight loss and exercise.
- Medications could possibly play a role. There is a variety of drugs and medications which can cause men to build fat around their chest. Among them are steroids, some illegal drugs and even some antidepressants.
- Gynecomastia is a condition to pay attention to. ^{[3]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} This is an unusual enlargement of the breast and is, usually, identifiable as being disproportionately large in comparison to weight. It can be caused by marijuana use, hormone changes, liver or kidney problems, cancer, or other conditions. ^{[4]
  X
  Research source} If you are concerned that this might be your problem, please consult with a doctor as several of these conditions can be very serious.
After consulting the information in this article, if you still have not had luck with reducing your chest or need an effective short term solution, you can consider plastic surgery. You will still need to treat the underlying cause, however, and surgery will likely be expensive.
Certain types of food can cause you to disproportionately gain weight in your chest and torso, such as beer. ^{[5]
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Research source} Eating an unhealthy diet can also cause water retention and fat buildup. Take a serious look at what you’re eating and consider the tips below for switching to a healthy diet. ^{[6]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} ^{[7]
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Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Exercise for Weight Loss

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The idea of spot-training to target fat is a myth. You cannot lose fat in just one part of your body. If you decide that weight or fat build up is the source of your problem, you will need to ensure that you lose weight overall in order to reduce your chest. ^{[8]
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Research source}
Watch your calories . The real trick to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in. ^{[9]
X
Trustworthy Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
Go to source} This means that you don’t necessarily have to count every single calorie, you just need to eat healthy portions of healthy food and get lots of exercise. You can be full and lose weight! Use some of the exercise techniques below to keep yourself active and push your body. The bigger the calorie deficit, the more weight you’ll lose.
You can climb actual stairs or you can use a stair machine at a gym. You can use a preset program at a gym but if climbing stairs on your own at home, be sure that you are going up and down continuously for at least ten minutes. ^{[10]
X
Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} You should be winded. ^{[11]
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Research source}
Jump rope . Jump rope is a cheap, effective way to get your heart rate up and start burning calories. ^{[12]
X
Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} There are plenty of routines that you can do, easily found online or coached by a trainer, but just the basics is plenty to get you on the road to weight loss. ^{[13]
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Research source}
Do jumping jacks . This classic military and gym class exercise are great for getting your heart rate up and burning calories. These don’t need to be complicated, don’t need any equipment, and can be done at home. This makes them ideal for those on a budget.
Walk or jog. Though jogging is too hard on the knees for some people, walking is an accessible exercise that studies have shown can help maintain or reduce your weight over time. ^{[14]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.} ^{[15]
X
Research source}
. Swimming is an excellent, fun exercise. Swimming is well known for helping people with joint problems or those that are significantly overweight, as it takes strain off of the bones while still providing enough resistance to raise the heart rate and give you a workout. Swim in a pool or nearby bodies of water, but be sure that you practice proper safety measures for each location. ^{[16]
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Research source}
. Riding a bike is an accessible, effective way to get exercise. You don’t have to push yourself up hills or bike extremely hard; just basic techniques can help you lose weight. You can bike outside or you can get a stationary bike and stay at home.
Interval training is done by combining short bursts of high-intensity physical exercise with short periods of normal exercise or rest. This can be applied to any exercise which has the opportunity to be intense, such as running, swimming, biking or certain strength exercises.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Eat A Healthy Diet

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1
Balance your diet. An important part of keeping full while minimizing the calories you take in is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. ^{[17]
X
Research source} Eat the smallest amount of unhealthy fat and sugar that you can, while maximizing fruit, vegetables, and healthy whole grains.
- Avoid chips (even “healthy” ones), soda, candy, white bread, pork rinds, fried foods, hydrogenated oils, fake sugar (and real sugar!). Envision foods like Poptarts and grilled cheese...and then don’t eat things like that.
- Try to eat pumpernickel bread, quinoa, kale, citrus fruit, broccoli, salmon, nuts, garlic, and spinach. Health food doesn’t have to be tasteless tofu squares: all of the foods listed here tend to taste like whatever you cook with them so get your spice on!
You will want to be sure that you are eating healthy portions of food. Your stomach can become adjusted to eating way too much food at once, so it may take awhile for it to readjust to healthy amounts of food. Remember not to fill up your dinner plate like it’s Thanksgiving, but to instead take modest portions. ^{[18]
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Research source}
^{[19]
X
Research source} Really, lots of water. Adults are recommended to drink eight 8oz glasses of water every day. Of course, you can split that up into many different kinds of liquids (juice, soup, etc) but be sure that the liquids you take in are healthy ones and drink plain water if you can. ^{[20]
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Research source}
4
Eat often. It’s much healthier to eat small meals more often than to eat big meals only once or twice a day. This will keep you full or at least less hungry, but puts much less strain on your metabolism.
- An example would be to eat a small bowl of oatmeal for breakfast at 7am, a handful of nuts at 9am, an orange at 11am, a tuna sandwich with lettuce and onions on whole wheat bread at 1pm, a couple pieces of carrots and broccoli at 3pm, and pumpernickel bread with slices of cheese and salami at 5pm. Finish off with a dessert of applesauce if you want to.
- It’s better to avoid eating too close to the time that you go to sleep. Your metabolism slows when you sleep, turning more of the food you just ate into stored fat, rather than burning it off.
5
Watch your salt intake. Salt, while a necessary component of the human diet, should be eaten in careful moderation. Salt can raise blood pressure and have other negative health effects, but it will also cause you to retain more water (giving a bloated, fat appearance). ^{[21]
X
Research source} Foods to avoid include:
- Fries, chips, pork rinds, and salted popcorn.
- Pickled items and cheese. Both are soaked in brine in order to make them, which results in a high salt content.
- Cured meats, salami, and bacon. Yes, bacon. Sorry.
- Boxed or canned broth, or bouillon.

Community Q&A

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Question

If I start walking instead of jogging how much should I walk?

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Do any kind of cardio for an hour a day at a quick pace. Diet down in calories, and enjoy a fitter life.

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If I climb up stairs daily, 6 rounds, how much time can I take to lose my chest fat?

NSA

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Dieting will help lose belly fat quicker, also stomach-intensive exercises such as sit-ups and crunches will help burn more fat in those areas.

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How do I stop eating so much?

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Plan out your meals and your portions. If possible, prepare portions of meals and snacks in advance, so that you don't have the options of "heaping it on" if you find yourself with the munchies or ravenous. Replace tempting unhealthy foods in your fridge and cabinets with better options: if you don't have junk food around, your less likely to eat it.

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Tips

Be ready to back out of lunches with your friends especially if the lunch habit is to visit unhealthy restaurants.

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Don't buy expensive pills to lose fat. It's a waste of money. You can do it without them.

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Replace potatoes and white rice with brown rice.

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Warnings

Never bind your chest with ACE bandages- this method can cause skin irritation, broken ribs, and/or suffocation. Just don't risk it.

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Consult a physician before starting any diet or workout plan.

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Do not stop taking a prescribed medication because it causes gynecomastia. Speak with your physician and discuss alternate options and work with your physician to seek a regiment without unwanted side effects.

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Certified Personal Trainer

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How to Get Rid of a Fat Chest (for Guys)

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Quick Tricks

Evaluate Your Health

Exercise for Weight Loss

Eat A Healthy Diet

Community Q&A

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Warnings

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