Manboobs!

I get a lot of emails asking how to reduce love handles or how to get ripped but one that pops up less frequently, though still regularly, is "how to get rid of manboobs?"

Breast development in men takes 2 main forms, gynecomastia being the most awkward to get rid of as it's a hormonal thing - yes, those manboobs really are boobs! The other culprit is is an excess of fatty tissue. Fat boobs, basically.

As you can imagine, getting rid of them depends on which type they are:

"Ive tried everything and can't get rid of my manboobs!"

Simple question - are you generally lean and cut everywhere else? If so but still have manboobs it's probably a real boob problem.

If you're generally porky all over then no, you haven't tried everything because getting lean is the ultimate cure for the majority of male boobs. For most men boobs are just a symptom of being overweight, it's that simple.

Let's presume for now you're not overly overweight and you really do have a homonal manboob problem. The cause is either too much (o)estrogen or not enough testosterone, though usually it's excessive estrogen. Now unless you're taking female contraceptive pills (roll on the male pill...) it's unlikely you're knowingly ingesting the stuff, right? Right. The problem is that you ARE eating the stuff and that's the first thing to tackle. Check this little list, by no means exhaustive, and see if there's anything here you munch on a regular basis:

Soy, of any sort other than the stinky fermented natto
Almonds especially, nuts and oil-seeds in general
Red clover
Sesame seeds
Wheat,
Berries,
Barley
Dried beans
Oats
Rice,
Lentils
Mung beans,
Apples/carrots

The big one on that list is soy, in fact it's the only one I advise actually avoiding. The rest are more a matter of "don't base your staple diet around them", while soy is so high in plant estrogens that Chinese monks ate the stuff to kill their libido. Technically nuts can be even higher in phytoestrogens than soy but when was the last time you drank a glass of nut milk or had a quarter pounder made of nuts? Soy gets everywhere nowadays but is not the all-wonderful health food it's so often touted as.

Rather than rant about soy (there's plenty of sites out there to do that, just try a search for 'dangers of soy' or 'soy is toxic' and see what you get) I'd just say cut it out of your diet. If that cures your manboobs then problem solved, end of story.

Don't Heat Plastics

If cutting out soy doesn't do it or you don't eat much of the stuff anyway, another possible culprit is heated plastic. Many plastics, including clingy film, freezer tubs and so on, can release estrogen-like substances (phenols) when heated. Where possible warm up your meals in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave, not in the plastic tub you stored them in.

Some people claim that phytoestrogens are actually good for you because they lock onto the estrogen receptors and convince the body it has more estrogen than is actually there. I have serious doubts about that idea because it ignores the question of what exactly do estrogen receptors actually do? That's right, they tell the body to react to estrogen. Hormones act as your body's inner communication and it's debateable if thare's much difference between being full of estrogen or your body simply thinkin it is. Yes it may reduce estrogen production but bodybuilder's experience with artificial testosterone suggest that, you know, it actually has an effect and stuff, like your body has a lot of testosterone in it. Weird eh?

I'll leave the geeks to argue about it but consider the basics: Upon reaching puberty young girls produce a lot of estrogen and develop boobs. It's the female sex hormone, it tells the body "be female". Testosterone of course is the opposite, so as a bodybuilder think more testosterone, less of the estrogen, artificial, plant based, whatever, cut it out or at least reduce where practical.

Likewise boosting up your tesosterone will deny any form of estrogen the receptors to hide in and has the opposite effect - think muscular chest, not manboobs.

So first step, loose the flab.

Second step, cut down on unnecessary dietary estrogen, especially soy.

Third step, like any good bodybuilder, take steps to boost your testosterone. There's various ways of doing that and I give details in the Biggly Body Plan.

OK I'm Overweight - How Do I Get Rid of the Manboobs?

If simple flabby breasts is the problem then the answer is equally simple. See my article on getting rid of love handles for a little more detail but bottom line there is no magical method of exercising or chest exercise that will get rid of manboobs.

Yes, chest exercise can help build up and shape the muscle beneath but just like creating a 6 pack the only solution is general fat loss.

Exercising your chest, or any other part of your body for "spot reduction" of fat does not work. Period.

OK, Manboob Surgery?

There are other sites that go much further into depth on cosmetic surgery and it's not my speciality. I will just point out any form of surgery, manboob or not, should always be the very last thing on your list. The dangers should not be underestimed, not to mention the scarring. Surgery is serious stuff; don't play with it.

Try the options above to get rid of your manboobs, if necessary get your sex hormone levels (both) checked and seek alternative treatments to surgery. It's either fat or hormones, neither actually require surgery in 99% of cases.

For true bodybuilding software think Biggly