Last Updated On July 12, 2023
We all have areas in our body that are more susceptible to higher fat stores; side boobs are one of them. Women are more susceptible to side boob fat because women tend to have higher fat percentages than men.
There is no magical exercise to get rid of side boob fat (sorry!). However, you can reduce this by having lower body fat and more lean muscle.
This article will cover exactly how to do that and answer how to get rid of side boob fat.
What Normally Causes Side Boob Fat?
Genetics plays a big factor in where we store excess body fat and fast we metabolize food. Unfortunately for some, it may be a cause of carrying excess fat in certain areas and can be more difficult to shift stubborn fat.
Another reason you may have side boob fat is you have overall excess body fat.
The tail of breast tissue is called the axillary tail of Spence, which extends out to the underarm area.[1]
It is also called auxiliary breast tissue, most commonly known as side breast or side boob. The adult breast sits on top of the pectoralis muscle, or the pec muscle.
When trying to target this area, you should focus on a reduction of overall fat rather than focusing on the scales and specifically trying to lose weight, especially when weight training.
8 Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Side Boob Fat (For Good!)
When people have excess fat stored in areas of their bodies, they initially think of weight loss to target the area and turn to methods such as low-calorie diets and endless cardio workouts.
However, when it comes to side boob fat, we shouldn't think of just losing weight on the scales. Instead, we want to reduce our overall body fat and gain more muscle.
On average, a woman has a body fat percentage of around 23-32%. If you want to reduce fat in certain areas like breast fat, bringing down your overall body fat levels will help reduce any armpit fat.
A personal trainer at your local gym can help you determine your body fat percentage using methods such as a DEXA scan or a lot of home scales now also measure the amount of body fat you have.
1. Eat Less Food & Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake
Before looking for the perfect exercises to reduce fat, you cannot ignore the fact that your diet is the main factor in how much body fat you store.
If you are eating in a surplus and eating too many wrong foods, like processed foods, sugar, and trans fats, you will gain weight and have excess fat.
If you want to lose body fat and target stubborn side boob fat, you need to consume fewer calories, and your body must burn more energy than you consumed (a caloric deficit).
By following a lower carb diet, you are reducing your calorie consumption which can trigger weight loss.
Remember, carbohydrates are not to be avoided altogether, and eating extremely low calories is detrimental to your health and body composition; you can actually end up storing more body fat if you eat low carbs for too long.
2. Focus On Protein Sources
Protein is the macronutrient source that everyone is after. We are often told of the wonderful benefits of having more protein in our diet, including keeping you fuller for longer and suppressing hunger hormones.[2]
Protein intake for people will vary depending on their goals, but as a general rule of thumb, people should consume around 0.64g-1g per lb of body weight.
You should eat a high protein diet if you are aiming to go into a caloric deficit in order to increase satiety, reduce cravings and increase calories burned.
3. Intermittent Fasting
Many methods can be used to reduce fat, and they all do one thing - place you in a caloric deficit, which is an essential factor needed to naturally lose weight.
Intermitted fasting is one method you can use to reduce overall calorie intake.
Rather than focusing on foods you can and cannot eat, it decreases the window you can consume food, such as alternate day fasting or a 16/8 method.
4. Calorie Cycling
Calorie cycling is another method that can be used to reduce overall caloric intake. It works by having low-calorie days and high-calorie days.
It is another method that can be used to lose fat by managing food intake. However, this type of eating pattern is not a magic fix; it is simply another way you can get into a caloric deficit.
5. Start Strength Training
Strength training is a form of resistance training that will very effectively increase muscle mass and build strength.
Strength training works more large muscle groups, raising your resting metabolic rate. This means more calories are burned at rest, and your body is more efficient at burning fat.
Depending on fitness levels, doing some form of resistance training 2-5 times per week is recommended.
Remember that if you are strength training, you may not see a downward trend on the scales because muscle weighs more than fat.
Read Also - Best Gym Machines For Arm Fat Loss
6. Do More Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is essential for heart health, blood flow, and increased stress-release hormones like serotonin.
Everyone should do more cardio exercise for their health and to successfully burn fat. Cardio will burn more calories than strength training.
There are many different types of cardio to undertake, so find one you enjoy. You do not need to punish yourself by walking on a treadmill for hours inside the gym.
Try and do your cardio outside to get the benefits of being outside too.
Low-impact exercise such as swimming is great for our joints and incorporates large muscle groups.
Also Check Out - Best Cardio Equipment For Home Gyms
7. Get Better Sleep
Getting more sleep and higher quality sleep can help shed weight and prevent weight gain.
Several studies show the correlation between getting enough sleep and weight loss.[3]
These studies look into the amount of sleep people have each night over a long period and the relation to weight gain.
It is highlighted that more sleep will have a positive effect on your overall weight, and if you want to lose weight, you should focus on your sleep patterns.
8. Manage Your Stress
One of the best things you can do for your overall health and to lose weight is properly managing stress levels.
Higher levels of stress leave you wanting to eat more calorific foods, reducing motivation for exercise and affecting the quality of sleep you get.
Try stress-reducing activities such as meditation and getting into nature more.
5 Best Exercises For Targeting Armpit Fat
1. Cardio Exercise
If you're looking to shed pounds, you should aim to move more daily but also engage in at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise 3 times a week at a minimum.
One activity that will successfully burn fat and work the chest muscles is swimming. Swimming is fantastic for burning calories and for targeting chest fat as it works the chest and shoulder muscles.
2. Strength Training
There are no magic exercises for side boob fat. However, here are 3 effective strength training exercises that will increase muscle, firmness and improve appearance.
These targeted exercises will work the muscle around the side breast and boost your workout regimen.
- Place your hands on the floor around shoulder width and assume a plank position on either your toes or knees.
- Keeping your elbows close to your body, bend your elbows back and lower your chest to the floor.
- Keeping your body line strong, push the floor away, back to the start position.
- Repeat for 3-4 sets, 8-12 reps.
- Holding two dumbbells of the same weight in each hand, lie on the floor with your knees bent.
- Take each dumbbell above your chest with elbows resting on the floor. Your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor. This is the starting position.
- Press the dumbbells straight up until your elbows lock out, then lower with control.
- Repeat for 3-5 sets, 8-10 reps.
- Lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbbells of the same weight in each hand; you only need light dumbbells for this exercise.
- Raise your hands above your chest with palms inwards and with a slight bend in the elbow, take your arms out to the side until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- Return to the start position.
- Repeat this for 3 sets, 10-15 reps.
3. Pilates
Pilates is a modality that promotes total body movements and takes joints through range while increasing core strength.
Pilates classes are a great choice to add to your fitness regimen as they focus on building lean muscle and promoting better posture.
It is effective in helping with armpit fat loss as it helps elevate heart rate and promotes pressing exercises like push-ups which will work the chest muscle.
4. Yoga
Yoga is an entire body workout that will improve flexibility and can increase heart rate depending on which type of yoga you do. Every different type of yoga provides many health benefits for your body and mind.
It is a particularly good workout for side boobs as yoga contains lots of bodyweight pressing movements which are beneficial in working the chest muscles and helping firm up the muscles.
5. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercises
High-intensity interval training (or HIIT) consists of intermittently putting high effort into exercises such as sprinting, cycling, rowing, or exercises using dumbbells or kettlebells for a short burst followed by recovery, and this is repeated.
HIIT is great for people who enjoy more intense forms of cardio, and it is excellent for burning more calories during and after you train.
How to hide side boob fat?
By simply making sure what you are wearing fits you correctly, you can reduce the amount of side boob fat you can see. You need to make sure you are wearing a bra that fits you. A tight-fitting bra will be more likely to dig into your sides and create the illusion of more armpit fat.
Whilst you're working on reducing fat through diet and exercise, you might wonder what you can do in the meantime to hide side boob fat so you can have more confidence.
It is essential you wear a proper everyday bra and sports bra for comfort, confidence and posture.
Frequently Asked Side Boob Fat Questions
There are a few workouts for side boob that can help create more firmness, but overall your focus needs to be regular exercise throughout the week, cardio workouts, and daily movement. Your diet needs to focus on protein, healthy fats, and getting in a variety of macro and micronutrients daily.
Spot reduction is the idea of targeting a particular area and reducing where your body stores fat, such as side boobs. This is unfortunately not the way weight loss works. You cannot spot reduce any areas. Overall fat reduction must occur to see any changes in troublesome areas.
Boob fat for men can also be troublesome if a man carries excess weight stored in the chest area. The same principles are applied to men as women who have too much fat and need to reduce it. Focusing on chest pressing exercises will help create a more muscular chest for men.
Conclusion
Targetting side boob fat is something that is going to take time. As we have established, there is no magic fix to this stubborn area many can struggle with.
The main focus when bringing down body fat needs to be a good and varied diet, building lean muscle through strength training, and managing sleep and stress levels.
Combining these things will help reduce side boob fat and increase your confidence and overall well-being.
References:
- https://pathology.jhu.edu/breast/overview
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/82/1/41/4863422
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16914506/
