Gynecomastia is the enlargement of male breast tissue and is very common among males. So common that about 60% of men will experience it in their lifetime.
Some men will have a more extreme case and some will have what is referred to as mild gynecomastia.
Mild gynecomastia has more of a “puffy nipple” appearance and even celebrities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has gotten surgery to remove them.
Some things that may cause gynecomastia can include:
- Genetic susceptibility
- Hormone imbalance
- Prescription medicine
- Illegal drug use
- Lavender oil
- Starvation diets (resulting in “refeed gynecomastia”)
If you’re a man and think you may have gynecomastia, then a doctor can verify it for you. You may be prescribed medicine or referred to a cosmetic surgery clinic.
Gynecomastia surgery is quite expensive and is not covered by insurance. It is unlikely you’ll be able to afford it and it’s not uncommon for patients to be dissatisfied with their results.
Although many men are extremely happy with the results, if you have mild gynecomastia you may be able to make do without surgical treatment.
It is possible to reduce most of the appearance of gynecomastia without going under the needle or taking medication.
Here are some actionable tips to significantly reduce your gynecomastia symptoms.
Stop Doing Flat Bench Press
The flat bench or dumbbell press is the most common exercise when it comes to building muscle. For those with gynecomastia, it only makes it worse.
The trick is to do focus on the incline press. Yes, it’s the exercise you neglected because you can “lift more” on the flat bench and it did more for your ego.
Building your upper pecs will make it more pronounced, therefore making the middle and lower chest look smaller. It’s similar to the tricks women do when applying makeup.
More muscle in the upper pec also lifts the skin up making it tighter. The shoulder muscles aren’t any less important in this case as well.
The Lower Pecs
This one will need some of your judgement to see if this works since everyone is different.
The lower pecs are also a very neglected area of the chest. It might be the reason your gynecomastia is worse than it should be.
Touch your lower pec and check to see if it feels like loose skin or a little too soft. If so, this area can be tightened up with the right exercises.
Doing the decline press is not enough. Developing the lower chest will need more than one exercise.
It’s recommended to do these exercises:
- Decline bench press
- Close-grip dips
- X-Cross Cable Fly
- Cable Push Down (using the flat bar attachment)
Eat Like a Man
There are many foods you can eat that are natural testosterone producers. Some even help produce more testosterone and help decrease estrogen production.
It’s not just about losing weight or fat, but it’s the quality of food that you put into your body which can help reduce your gynecomastia.
Since many cases of gynecomastia are due to hormone imbalance, boosting your testosterone levels should be your goal. Exercising along with eating the right foods will help.
Also what man doesn’t want a little a more testosterone?
Intermittent Fasting
If you have gynecomastia and your body fat is making it worse, intermittent fasting can help.
Intermittent fasting is a great way to lose fat without losing muscle. The other perk is having less restriction on what you can eat. It also has other benefits like preventing cancer, diabetes, and premature death.
There are many ways to do intermittent fasting, but I recommend starting out by doing the easiest level first, such as 16-hour fasting. Then you get to the 20 – 24 hour fasting method later on.
Final Thoughts
Take action and you should see results within 1 to 3 months. Get rid of your anxiety and low self-esteem caused by puffy nipples. Read this more in-depth guide on getting rid of man boobs and reducing gynecomastia.