You’ve done your homework and Googled, “How do you build up your pecs?”; read Men’s Health, watched chest training videos and, kept a full routine of bench presses, push-ups, weighted dips and dumbbell presses religiously.
Yet, after months of effort, you’re still unsatisfied with the results.
Perhaps the reason why you still don’t have Chris Hemsworth – worthy pecs isn’t due to what you’re doing or eating wrong, but because you’re suffering a medical disorder. But what exactly might you have? The challenge comes in diagnosing your condition accurately though.
Meet the twin nemesis of your efforts: gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia. In the case of gynecomastia, it is characterised by excessive growth of breast tissue which may lead to feminisation of the male breast, and it cannot be eradicated through diet and exercise alone. The exact cause of gynecomastia is not entirely clear, though it could be due to the actions of circulating hormones on specific cells in the breast area. Genetic factors, certain usage of medications and even ageing can lead to gynecomastia while its pseudo counterpart happens as a result of built up fat. To make things more confusing, how a guy’s chest will look in both cases is more or less the same!
Gynecomastia Or Pseudogynecomastia: How Do You Tell The Difference?
First things first – you’ll be better off consulting a doctor who is experienced in gynecomastia surgery.
The difference? In the case of the former, you’ll feel a firm concentration of tissue around the nipple area in the form of a disk, with or without pain when it’s touch or squeezed. The effective treatment to deal with gynecomastia is surgical removal of the overly developed glandular and fat tissue. With pseudogynecomastia, no such ring is formed as fat tissue on palpation is somewhat loose and not firm. Pseudogynecomastia, to a certain extent, can be rectified with regular exercise and healthier diet.
Why suffer from frustration by poor post-workout results, and personal pain and embarrassment caused by gynecomastia? Get professional help, and you’ll be ready to whip your shirt off at the beach action-hero style!
The use of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding is notorious to the point of being synonymous. But the trend is not limited to the sport’s competing athletes or bodybuilders only; even the regular gym-going Joe and hobbyists are onboard the steroid train. What’s more alarming is the reports on the rising numbers of its use among teenagers.
What are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic steroids are essentially synthetic variations of the male sex hormone, testosterone and often used to build muscles. Healthcare professionals prescribe them to address hormonal issues such as delayed puberty and muscle loss caused by diseases.
But it is the misuse and abuse of these drugs that often form the headlines. For professional bodybuilders or even anyone who’s looking to put on some muscles, these drugs may seem to be the “miracle” supplement and dismally, even a staple diet.
Side effects
One of the most common side effects is roid rage. Although it is not classified as an official medical condition, the root of this issue can be linked to the misuse of anabolic steroids as they can cause extreme irritability. In women, common side effects include reduced breast size, deepening of the voice and the growth of facial and body hair, among others.
In men, they include shrunken testicles, decreased sperm count, baldness, acne and even gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is the enlargement of the breast tissue in men. The cause of this condition is hormone imbalance, primarily the rise in estrogen levels. The abuse of anabolic steroids causes this increase and overtime, men will develop oversized breast tissues resulting in the, not only embarrassing but at times also painful, condition.
Although exercise won’t help, stopping the use of anabolic steroids is the first step in preventing the condition from evolving further. For those already affected, help comes in the form of Gynecomastia Surgery.
Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia surgery, usually done in the form of liposuction or mastectomy, involves the removal of excess fat and glandular tissue. This tightens the skin leaving a more contoured and flatter chest. The procedure usually takes around one to two hours and recovery typically varies with each patient.
Muscle up without steroids
Taking anabolic steroids to build muscles knowing that there is a high probability of getting Gynecomastia is certainly not an option. Instead, there are other ways to achieve your goals. These include:
Proper nutrition and dietary habits
Custom-tailored (gym) training programmes
Getting enough rest
Additional supplementation like whey proteins
and more.
Regardless of gender, a beautiful or more defined physique is arguably a common goal. If bodybuilding is your hobby, by all means, pile those muscles on. But do it the right and do it the safe way.
Man boobs or ‘moobs’ might sound like a joke or a made-up word even, but for many men, it is a real problem that’s far from being a laughing matter. This condition can also be an indication of underlying health problems. So why do men get them? Let’s explore some possible causes.
Obesity – Fat Is An Issue
Obesity as we know it, is the cause of many health problems, gynecomastia included. It lowers testosterone levels, causes havoc to your muscle-to-fat ratio and more estrogen hormones are produced resulting in the appearance of man boobs. So watch what you eat, when you eat and pen in some exercise time into your schedule. Seek help to combat obesity especially if it runs in the family.
Bad Diet – What You Eat And What You Don’t Eat
On the subject of food, a bad dietary habit is also a probable cause. Now the term bad dietary habit not only implies the kind of food you eat but equally important the ones that you don’t. What it means is – do not deprive your body of the essential nutrients it needs because when you do, your testosterone levels plummet resulting as already mentioned in man boobs.
Steroids – Let’s jack up the gains
In the pursuit to achieve that close to perfect physique, a man would at times do just about anything. Pumping iron and sweating it out in the gym is good but illegal steroids are not. The common uses of anabolic steroids are for bulking up and performance enhancement. While side effects such as roid rage seem to take center stage most of the time, other equally pressing side effects such as gynecomastia or man boobs should not be ignored. Note that this can occur with legal steroids as well so always remember that there are no shortcuts to success!
Natural Herbs And Oils – A Natural Disaster Waiting To Happen
With the increasing awareness of the importance of health, natural products are commonplace on the food shelves of supermarkets including the grooming section. While going au naturel when it comes to the latter is commendable – do read the ingredients label. When applied topically in large amounts, products such as lavender and tea tree oils can lead to the appearance of man boobs. These are commonly found in shampoos, lotions and soaps, and while the notion may seem far-fetched to the uninformed individual, it can happen. These and some other plant oils contain estrogen-like properties which dull the effects of the androgen hormones, resulting in gynecomastia.
Bad Habits – Alcohol And Cigarettes Are Not The Best Of Pals
Arguably two common bad habits among people are drinking and smoking. While it is fine to indulge in some alcoholic bevvies once in a while but binge and excessive drinking are not. Alcohol affects the liver’s ability to get rid of excess estrogen and when it can’t function effectively, it may also start converting androgens into estrogens resulting in man boobs. Smoking also causes hormone imbalance and like excessive drinking will eventually result in gynecomastia.
Because Your Dad & Grandpa Might Have Them
The cause of gynecomastia or man boobs may be due to to hormones. There are steps and precautions that you can take to help your body produce the right amount and balance like a healthy diet and lifestyle for example. It is important to take care of your body as after all, when you help it to stay well, it reciprocates by helping you to feel and look well, and avoid the dreaded man boobs.
You probably love breasts, as long as you’re not the one sporting them. More and more men are lining up to get rid of their man boobs or “moobs.”
When The Bench Press Isn’t Enough To Reduce The Moobs
If those hours of cardio and bench-presses don’t seem to be helping, perhaps you might have a medical issue. Meet clinical gynecomastia, the enemy of every guy’s dream chest. It can result from a hormonal imbalance or elevated levels of estrogen and lowered levels of testosterone. It’s usually not a serious problem and may go away on its own.
However, if you think you have man-boobs gynecomastia and it continues to persist, you should visit a doctor. If it’s not your chest that’s bothering, it must be your gut. The trouble with trying to lose weight is the whole process can be pretty stressful when it’s not working out – and stress actually sparks cravings for carbohydrate-rich snack foods.
Despite your best efforts, areas such as the hips, buttocks, and thighs are more resistant to weight loss, which is usually more obvious on the face and upper body. In addition, fat can be unevenly distributed causing certain areas to be more out of proportion than others.
Gynecomastia is frequent during three phases in the age distribution curve: the neonatal period, pubertal period and adulthood. Affecting nearly 70 percent of adolescent boys and 65 percent of middle-aged and older men, man-boobs gynecomastia is a common medical condition referring to the occurrence of enlarged glandular tissues. Adult men who are typically diagnosed with gynecomastia may experience swollen enlarged male breasts, chest tenderness, fibrous tissue beneath the nipples (in one or both breasts).
What are the causes?
Man-boobs gynecomastia often happens due to hormonal imbalance. Triggered by different factors, breast tissue can develop when a man’s testosterone level decrease and estrogen level increase. Age and massive weight loss are also commonly linked to gynecomastia.
Another cause is the use of medication, which results in 10 to 25 percent of such cases. This is commonly seen in bodybuilders, where anabolic steroids are commonly used to improve athletic performance and build muscles. This results in a chemical reaction where the anabolic steroids convert to estrogen-like (female-like) compounds. Using anabolic steroids may also reduce the average testosterone production, leading to hormonal imbalances that can stimulate the development of female-like breast tissue.
Continuous use will cause glandular tissue to develop, and unfortunately, once this tissue is formed, it is irreversible even if the steroids are stopped completely.
WILL EXERCISE CUT IT?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get rid of gynecomastia just from working out. Most of the time, no amount of exercise or healthy eating can eradicate excess glandular tissue. In fact, many men have reported that as they lose the weight, the condition actually looks worse because the fatty tissue around the gland shrinks and the gland subsequently stands out more, making the flab more prominent than before.
IS THERE A SOLUTION?
The predominant way to treat man-boobs gynecomastia is through gynecomastia surgery. Depending on the clinical condition of the patient, the doctor will perform glandular tissue excision and liposuction to completely remove the enlarged glandular tissue and excess fat. The aim is to permanently remove the tissue and sculpt the chest area for a more defined physique.
Performed under local anesthesia in under two hours, patients can return home and resume normal activities within two to three days. Post-treatment, the area may feel sore but most patients are able to manage the discomfort level. A compression garment is advised to be used for the next four to six weeks, and patients are to avoid all forms of heavy lifting, gym works such as bench presses, push-ups and water activities that may hinder the recovery process.
