How To Lose Chest Fat: 5 Exercises To Try In 2024

Workouts are a great way to get in shape, whether you’re looking for muscle gain or weight loss. These workouts that target chest fat have been found by researchers and fitness experts alike as the best chest exercise for any man who wants to pack on some size and lose excess chest fat.

They can be used during your regular lifting routine while doing other exercises like bicep curls at home, so it doesn’t take up too much time and work well with whatever schedule is available.

Whether you want stronger shoulders that will help you play sports better or reduce body fat percentage so your clothes fit better, they will fulfill your individual needs.

Women have different methods of losing excess body fat such as using supplements. However, these workout routines could be used by women too, but the people who gain the most are men who want to lose all that chest fat.

So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Five Exercises To Get Rid Of Chest Fat

Incorporate these exercises into your routine to effectively lose chest fat:

  1. Bench press
  2. Cable cross-chest exercises
  3. Push-up chest exercises
  4. Dumbbell pull-over
  5. Cardio

How To Lose Chest Fat For Males: Top Five Exercises

Here are the five most effective chest workouts for weight loss that help lose chest fat.

Bench Press

This is so as not to allow momentum imbalance from driving weight upward or backward, which could cause injury if done too quickly without sufficient recovery time between sets. So slow lifts are the way to go.

So one would ask, can you do this alone?

The answer is yes.

A weightlifting workout can be exhausting if you’re doing it all alone or without any help from someone else. But luckily there are plenty of machines available nowadays which offer assistance when you get tired during the session. These machines help you do exercises to reduce chest fat and include safety features that reduce injuries.

You may also do a variety of bench presses like the traditional one or go with the barbell bench press. Regardless, whenever you are trying something new, it is best to have a gym instructor present to advise the correct form and the proper number of repetitions (reps).

Bench Press
Bench Press Guide. Photo: Aliaksandr Makatserchyk

Bench presses are very helpful to reduce[1] chest fat, and here is how you do it:

  1. Lie on the bench with your back flat against it.
  2. Lying flat, place the bar so that it rests against your chest, and keep both hands shoulder-width apart for stability while slowly pressing up until straight but do not lock elbows. Slowly lift your body until you get back to the original position.
  3. Keeping your arms straight is vital to avoid any injuries in the long run.
  4. Perform partial repetitions of bench presses by lowering part of your body while lying down and keeping arms near chest level.

Tips:

  • You may also do a variety of bench presses like the traditional one or go with the barbell bench press. 
  • Regardless, whenever you are trying something new, it is best to have a gym instructor present to advise the correct form and the proper number of repetitions( reps).

Optimal Set & Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Cable Crossover

The cable cross is an excellent strength and conditioning exercise that targets chest fat[2] and the pectoral muscles.

Cable Crossover
Cable Crossover Guide. Photo: Aliaksandr Makatserchyk

This set of exercises is helpful and will help you burn fat and inevitably lose weight. Here is how you achieve a proper cable cross rep:

  1. To start, set the resistance bar on either side of the handle closest to yourself.
  2. Make sure hips are square against opposite direction force before moving back into the starting position, so there’s no swinging involved when performing a cycle.
  3. Pull until you fully stretch the shoulder blades side to side, then slowly release them to the center of your torso.

Tips:

  • You can use a machine or bands to do cable cross-chest exercises at home or in a gym environment to target your chest area under the arms and near the armpits.
  • For tighter and firmer muscles, try using lighter weights for higher reps than heavier ones because this will help increase lean muscle mass while reducing body fat percentage over time.

Optimal Set & Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

This chest exercise is excellent for burning all that excess breast tissue. Always go with a rhythm and go slow to avoid any injury.

Push-ups

The traditional push-up is an excellent technique to begin working on your chest muscles and upper body.

Push-ups
Push-up Guide. Photo: Aliaksandr Makatserchyk

How to do:

  1. Begin in a plank position with your arms outstretched beneath you as if swimming underwater.
  2. Slowly lower yourself to the ground, keeping your hands close together or a little wider than shoulder-width apart; don’t let them meet. Then press upward until your hands straighten out and then lower your body down again.
  3. Stop at ground level, keep your back in a  naturally arched position, and then attempt to repeat the same motion upwards by pressing through your fingers into the first few inches above the floor.
  4. Always start with three sets of 10 reps each and proceed to as many reps as you desire.

Tips: 

  • A typical pushup rep requires no stunts or equipment—anyone can do it at home or the gym. 
  • Nonetheless, these regular pushups are very effective in any weight loss maintenance trial, but if you want to spice it up, go right ahead.

Optimal Set & Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

Dumbbell Pull-Over

Dumbbell Pull-Over
Dumbbell Pull-Over Guide. Photo: Aliaksandr Makatserchyk

To complete a decent dumbbell pull-over[3], lie down on a workout bench and place the dumbbells straight above your chest.

How to do:

  1. Lie down on a workout bench with only your upper back and shoulders on the bench, feet flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell with both hands straight above your chest.
  2. To make gripping the dumbbell easier during the lowering phase, have your palms facing up and ensure one side of your body is facing away from you.
  3. Lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head while keeping your arms straight.
  4. Feel the stretch in your chest, then bring the dumbbell back up with control. As you become more comfortable, you can gradually increase the speed of the movement without sacrificing proper form.

Tips:

  • Begin with lesser weights and gradually increase them.
  • Ensure that you maintain proper form throughout the exercise, as incorrect movement can lead to injury.
  • Focus on slow and controlled movements during the lowering phase to avoid overstretching your chest or shoulder muscles.

Optimal Set & Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

Cardio

Cardio is one of the most despised aspects of weight loss, yet it is necessary to maintain a healthy metabolism[4] and burn more calories.

Exercise for 20-40 minutes four times a week at a moderate pace for best effects, either outside or with exercise equipment indoors. There are many different choices, including bicycle, elliptical, stair climber, jumping rope, and running outside while listening to music.

Cardio exercises target multiple muscle groups, also helping the chest area lose all that excess fat. The best thing about cardio is incorporating it with other weight-loss chest workouts like lifting low-weight dumbbells.

jump rope
Jump Rope Guide. Photo: Aliaksandr Makatserchyk

How to do:

  1. Hold rope handles at hip height.
  2. Swing rope over, and jump with both feet.
  3. Keep a steady, controlled rhythm.
  4. Land softly on the balls of your feet.
  5. Breathe naturally and maintain good posture.

Tips:

  • Start slow and practice: Begin with a slow, controlled rhythm to master your technique before increasing speed.
  • Use proper footwear: Wear supportive athletic shoes to minimize impact on your joints and ensure comfort.
  • Mix-up variations: Incorporate different jump rope techniques like single-leg jumps, double unders, or criss-cross for variety.

Optimal Sets and Reps: 4 or 5 sets of 2 to 3 minutes.

Man Boobs – Definition And Causes

man chest fat
Man boobs are when excess chest fat in males resembles breasts. Photo: PRASAN MAKSAEN/Shutterstock

The term ‘man boobs’ comes from a condition where a boy or man gets excess fat tissue in their chest area, which looks similar to breasts. So what causes the development of man boobs? The first and most common cause is the accumulation of excess fat in the chest areas. The other reason is a low supply of testosterone in the man’s system.

Another reason is gynecomastia[5] which is essentially a condition that manifests with breast tissue swelling. This condition is safe as it does not harm or disrupt your health in any way. But in the social sense, since men do not typically have breasts, it can cause low self-esteem, which affects your mental health.

Gynecomastia is a common condition affecting men of all ages, but it is predominant in men between 50 and 80 years old. About one-third of men[6] get gynecomastia once they hit that age range.

Gynecomastia may also develop due to medication interactions, from an unbalanced calorie intake or working out improperly. So this means that you may be the most active person in the gym doing all the chest exercises and still get gynecomastia when you get to 50 years of age. It may be a side effect of medications such as antidepressants, chemotherapy treatments, steroids, antidepressants, or anxiety medications.

Besides these causes, lifestyle habits like excessive alcohol consumption, heroin, methadone, and weed might also contribute to the onset of the condition, making losing fat in the gym a hurdle.

Take Away

These five workouts, coupled with a chest fat burner, will help you lose chest fat, but you should do the chest exercises properly. A proper workout regime will help you avoid sustaining injuries while you try to lose fat in your chest area. A gym instructor will help you do chest dips in the right way.

Then, use the right equipment. This means that if you use a straight bench and an inclined bench or a lower weight than what you need to be using, the weight and fat loss won’t be as you expect them to be.

Lastly, eat a healthy diet to support these chest exercises. This entails taking in healthy foods and completely refraining from fast and processed foods. When you have a caloric deficit linked to insufficient dietary intake, then you might not see the desired results just as fast.

Once you have covered these three things plus the five lower chest fat burn workout, you will be able to celebrate your good-looking chest in no time.

Resources

  1. Wong, D.P., Ngo, K.-L., Tse, M.A. and Smith, A.W. (2013). Using bench press load to predict upper body exercise loads in physically active individuals. Journal of sports science & medicine, [online] 12(1), pp.38–43. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761768/ [Accessed 4 Aug. 2023].
  2. ‌Giulia Besutti, Pellegrini, M., Ottone, M., Cantini, M., Milic, J., Bonelli, E., Dolci, G., Cassone, G., Guido Ligabue, Spaggiari, L., Pierpaolo Pattacini, Fasano, T., Canovi, S., Massari, M., Salvarani, C., Guaraldi, G. and Rossi, P. (2021). The impact of chest CT body composition parameters on clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. [online] 16(5), pp.e0251768–e0251768. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251768.
  3. ‌Adamu Ahmad Rufa’i, Abdul, W., Siew Hwa Yen, A.K. Abd Shatar, Murali, K. and Shu Wen Tan (2016). Design of a randomised intervention study: the effect of dumbbell exercise therapy on physical activity and quality of life among breast cancer survivors in Malaysia. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2015-000015.
  4. ‌Swift, D.L., Johannsen, N.M., Lavie, C.J., Earnest, C.P. and Church, T.S. (2014). The Role of Exercise and Physical Activity in Weight Loss and Maintenance. [online] 56(4), pp.441–447. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2013.09.012.
  5. ‌Costanzo, P., N. Pacenza, S. Aszpis, Sebastián Matías Suárez, Uriel Marcelo Pragier, Guillermo, J., M Vásquez Cayoja, Iturrieta S, Gottlieb, S., Rey, R. and Knoblovits, P. (2018). Clinical and Etiological Aspects of Gynecomastia in Adult Males: A Multicenter Study. [online] 2018, pp.1–7. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8364824.
  6. ‌Neslihan Cuhaci, Sefika Burcak Polat, Evranos, B., Ersoy, R. and Cakir, B. (2014). Gynecomastia: Clinical evaluation and management. [online] 18(2), pp.150–150. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.129104.