How To Get Rid Of Chest Fat-The Most Effective Fat Burning Exercises

Most people are concerned with first getting and then maintaining a good physique. It may seem easy at the onset but in a very real sense attaining and sustaining good shape can be a lot of work. One of the many obstacles we commonly face when it comes to our physique is unwanted fat. This is especially the case when it lies in our chests.

Chest fat makes your upper body appear bigger than your lower body. Of course most people are not comfortable with such a body shape. In particular, it causes men to appear as if they have boobs. Plenty of men are, therefore, not comfortable with having chest fat.

The result of this has been numerous online searches about how to get rid of chest fat. Reportedly, the increased searches are not coming up with beneficial answers on how to get rid of chest and armpit fat. 

Let us break down this process and evaluate some of the more effective workouts in shredding chest fat. 

Causes Of Chest Fat

One general cause of chest fat is excessive fat stored in one’s body. However, there are cases where chest fat occurs from one or more health conditions. For example, a condition like sarcopenia can make you lose your chest muscles and in turn have chest fat. 

In males, one of the primary causes of chest fat is gynecomastia (3). This causes an excessive amount of breast gland tissue. Some of its risk factors include old age, hormonal imbalances and obesity. 

Gynecomastia can also result from preexisting conditions like malnutrition, ulcerative colitis, hypogonadism or liver cirrhosis.  In females, chest fat may also arise from hormonal changes or imbalances.

Some medications have also been linked to an increase in chest fat. They include methotrexate, anabolic steroids, amphetamines and fluoxetine.

Read More: Belly Fat Workout At Home: Lose Belly Fat At Home With These Simple Yet Effective Exercises

How To Get Rid Of Chest Fat Through Exercise

Sometimes, only medications and a clean diet might not do the trick. In such a case, your doctor might advise you to create a workout regime to lose your chest fat. You are only supposed to consider exercise for losing chest fat after your doctor agrees.

Losing this fat is no different than trimming away the fat in another body part. You will not shed fat from your chest alone by doing chest specific workouts. Any circuit you engage will burn fat evenly throughout your body.

Again, you necessarily do not have to use weights or equipment to lose chest fat (9). There are some workouts that you can do at home without any equipment and add tone to your chest. 

How To Get Rid Of Chest Fat For Males – The Best High-Power Workouts

Identifying an effective workout to trim chest fat can be tricky. The key is to first determine what each technique entails and also what would work best for you. Here are the top workouts to try if you want to trim fat in your chest and even get a chiseled look:

• The Incline Push-Up

Push-ups are a master builder on the chest area, especially if you need to tone your upper body. To further target your chest, you are urged to do the inclined push-up instead of just the basic variation. 

You will need an elevated platform, bench, or even use your couch if you are exercising from home. 

How To Do An Incline Push-Up

Follow these steps to ensure you correctly do an inclined push-up:

1. Stand facing your bench, couch, or elevated platform. Place your hands hip-width apart and on the edge of your couch or elevated platform. 
2. Assume a plank stance by stretching your legs backwards. Stretch them until they form a straight line together with your back (8). 
3. Begin to lower your arms. It will automatically bring your chest toward the bench. Let your elbows and arms be near your body.
4. Begin to steadily push away from the bench using your arms as the primary support. The arms will extend but have a slight bend in your elbow.
5. Repeat this eight or twelve times for one set. The number of sets you complete should be determined by your gym instructor.

• Bench Presses

The second exercise you can try is a bench press. You must use a bar to further target your chest fat. This falls in the category of weightlifting, meaning the chances of having and sustaining injuries are quite high. 

Due to this, ensure you do this exercise with guidance from your gym instructor. Similarly, ensure you consult with your doctor prior to shifting to exercises that incorporate equipment. 

How To Bench Press Correctly

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you master this workout:

1. Lie on the bench with your back straight (7).
2. Hold the bar in your hands, which should be a few inches wider than your shoulder width. Beginners can always start with the bar alone before adding loads. Slowly begin to lift the bar by stretching your arms straight. Exhale when you lift the bar as high as you can.
3. Bring the bar slowly close to your chest and take a deep breath. You can also do one set of the bench press with eight or twelve reps. Remember to consult with your fitness trainer to know how many sets and reps you should do.

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• Dumbbell Presses

The other workout to give a shot to trim lower chest fat is the dumbbell presses. This will mean that you need to use some dumbbells. 

Before purchasing or picking the dumbbell weights, talk to your trainer. They will recommend the best loads based on your weight, goals and fitness level. Likewise, allow them to guide you through the correct form of the dumbbell press (4).

Doing Dumbbell Presses The Right Way

The correct technique entails the following steps:

1. Set up your bench and incline it to either 30 or 45°. 
2. Sit with your back resting on the bench and feet on the floor. 
3. Grip a dumbbell on both hands. Slowly begin to lift your arms and stretch them directly above your shoulders. Use your pecs as the support for this movement. Remember to also squeeze your shoulder blades.
4. Slowly bring your arms back to the initial position and ensure you take a deep breath. 
5. Repeat this until you complete your reps and/or sets. Again, your coach will guide you in determining your reps and/or sets based on your goals. 

• The Overhead Barbell Exercise

The other exercise that can help you get your chiseled chest involves a piece of equipment known as the barbell.  Before you decide on what barbell to use for this exercise, consult with your fitness coach (6). For beginners this can easily be detrimental as loads will differ and excessive loads can be unexpected.

Doing An Overhead Barbell Exercise

Follow these steps:

1. Sit on a bench and grip a barbell and lift it from the floor using one hand. As you do this, ensure your back is straight. 
2. Bring the barbell in front of your chest and then lift it over your head. Fully stretch your arms to ensure you work those pectoral muscles. 
3. Repeat this exercise eight or twelve times for one set. Ensure you balance the reps you do on both hands. 

How To Get Rid Of Chest Fat For Females – Safe And Accredited Exercises

If you are a lady and want to blast chest and armpit fat, then try any of these exercises:

• Running

Running is one of the expert-recommended workouts you can try if you want to reduce chest fat over time (1). This natural technique is quite efficient as it helps you to trim fat throughout your body.

Running is quite easy and all you need to get started is some good running shoes and gear. However, before you start running as your workout plan, sit down with your doctor for the go-ahead.

Running increases your heart rate, thereby helping you burn fat more quickly. If you are looking for ways on how to get rid of chest fat in as little as a week, then try running. Regular running over one week may help you melt fat and lose that nagging chest or armpit fat. 

Read More: Running For Weight Loss Interval Training: Get Yourself Up ‘N Moving!

• Parallel-Bar Dips

Parallel-bar dips are exercises you can do at home to get rid of lower chest fat and gain chest muscles. They actively engage your arms, chest, back and shoulders, so expect to feel some burn in one or all of these parts when performing the parallel-bar dips. 

To perform this exercise, you will need a set of parallel bars. They must be firmly pressed on the ground as wobbly bars may result in injuries. The key to performing this exercise correctly is in leaning slightly forward when doing the dip (8). This helps to engage your chest area. 

How To Correctly Do Parallel-Bar Dips

Here are the steps to follow to ensure you do parallel-bar dips properly:

1. Grip your parallel bars using your arms and slowly push your body up and above these bars. You can wear gloves if you have sweaty hands.
2. Breathe in as you bend your arms and lean your upper body forward. You should lower your body until you feel a modest stretching feeling in your chest.
3. While using your rams for support, slowly lift your body back above the bars. Ensure that you exhale as you come up. 
4. Repeat this until you achieve your reps. If at any one point you feel as if you are overexerting your muscles, stop doing this exercise.

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Parallel-Bar Dip Variation

This technique can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. If you cannot perform such a complete dip using the above method, then try this variation:

1. Grip the parallel bars and jump up. Your arms must be straight and the body will lift above the bars.
2. Begin to slowly lower by bending your arms and leaning forward. Again, lower yourself until you get a stretching sensation in your chest area. 
3. Unlike in the first variation, you will not be required to lift your body back to the initial position. Instead, you will need to press your feet on the ground and release the bars. 
4. Like in the first variation, repeat this technique until you complete your reps. You can start with this parallel-bar dip variation and then progress to the first one. It will give you enough time to practice how to properly and comfortably perform a dip.

• Swimming

Swimming is another low-impact exercise females can consider when trying to reduce chest fat (2). Swimming is quite fun, meaning it is bound to double your enjoyment element. If this is your favorite activity, then you will hardly notice you are working out.

Swimming actively engages both your arms and chest muscles. So, if you were debating on how to get rid of chest fat after you lose muscle, try swimming. This will not only carve away fat around this area but also tone it.

You can always build your chest muscles by performing various strokes. If you are a beginner, then let your swimming instructor guide you through each of these strokes. Again, pay attention to your arms while you are swimming.

Although it is enjoyable, do not forget that you are working on your chest area. Focus on engaging your pectoral muscles to ensure you burn fat and tone your chest.

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• The Wide Grip Push-Ups

Although it sounds complicated, the wide grip push-up is quite manageable. Unlike the basic pushup, this variation makes your chest muscles work extra harder. The more they work, the more fat you burn from your chest area (5).

How To Do A Proper Wide Grip Push-Up

Follow these steps to the latter to ensure you do the wide-grip push-up correctly:

1. Begin by assuming a high plank position. Your hand should be fully extended past your usual shoulder-width distance.
2. Using your arms as the sources of support, begin to slowly lower your body toward the ground. Ensure you are engaging your core when doing this. Also, ensure your body does not touch the flow. It should rest a few meters above the ground.
3. Slowly begin to push your body up to the initial high plank position. When lifting your body, try to grip the ground to actively engage your pectoral muscles. You will feel a burn, which is common when you engage these chest muscles. 
4. Do at least three sets of this exercise each containing reps between six and twelve. Remember to rest between each set to give you some time to breathe.

The Bottom Line

Like any other stubborn body fat, losing chest fat too can be daunting. Picking the wrong workouts can make it difficult to lose chest fat. However, if you pick effective exercises and create a good circuit, you shed the fat faster. 

However, losing fat is not all about exercise. You also have to be physically active and eat a diet that is clean. These three factors will make it possible for you to lose fat accumulated in your chest area in a reasonable amount of time.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

1. 5 natural ways to reduce breast size (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
2. Best Exercises for Gynecomastia (2020, webmd.com)
3. Enlarged breasts in men (gynecomastia) (2019, mayoclinic.org)
4. Everything you need to know about man boobs (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
5. Slideshow: The No-Gym Workout (2020, webmd.com)
6. Strength Training: Building Chest Muscles (2020, webmd.com)
7. Top Muscle-Building Moves for Men (2019, webmd.com)
8. What are the best lower chest exercises? (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
9. What to do to help lose chest fat (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)