[Episode 67] Can Training Reduce My Chest Size?

In this episode I’m gonna be answering a really common question that I get asked when folks come to train with me. And that is, can training make my chest smaller?

And I totally get the desire to reduce the size of your chest especially for folks who may not want top surgery and equally for folks that are preparing for top surgery.

For myself over my years training, I have definitely made my chest much smaller. But here’s the thing, it wasn’t due to any specific training activity.

So to answer this question, yes and no. Training can definitely make your chest smaller but it’s only gonna do so much.

This is because the size of our chest is influenced by a few different factors such as the amount of fatty, fibrous and glandular tissue that is in your chest and to some extent, genetics.

 

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The role training and exercise plays in reducing chest size

Training can help reduce the amount of fatty tissue in your chest which plays a big role in chest size. This is often associated with an overall loss in fat tissue in the body and can’t be targeted with particular movements.

I did a whole episode a little while back, episode 62 to be precise, where I spoke about the myth of spot training fat.

So yes, reducing your chest size with training is totally possible. However, there comes a point though where you’re not gonna be able to lose any more fatty tissue.

And what you’ll be left with is the fibrous and glandular tissue plus skin, which may be in excess if you’ve lost a significant amount of fatty tissue from your chest.

Now, depending on how big your chest may have been to begin with, you still may have a visible chest.

It’s important to be realistic here and understand that while training can definitely help reduce your chest, it may not meet your expectations.

But in saying that there is definitely big possibilities for folks with larger chests. Before I began training I had a double D sized chest and now I comfortably fit a small sports crop.

I don’t know what size that is in proper bra sizes because I don’t wear them. I still look back on that and can’t believe the change.

And to be honest and I know I’ve shared this before, I didn’t set out to train my chest away. My focus was on building some muscle mass. Reducing my chest size just came as a side effect of training consistently.

 

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How to reduce the size of your chest with training

So if you’re wanting to use training to reduce your chest size, you absolutely can. But remember it’s not based on particular movements or a style of training.

Expect and aim for gradual changes

Changes to your chest size are gonna come from a gradual reduction in your overall fat tissue. And this may not show up with a change in your chest size quickly either.

This means that it’s gonna take some time with training consistently for you to begin to see changes.

But to be honest with you, this is how it’s gonna be for any type of change you’re trying to make to your body with exercise.

Expect it to take at least two months of consistent training before you’re gonna see any significant changes to your body. And when I say significant changes, I mean changes that would last if you were to stop training.

This means that while yes you could drop a significant amount of weight in a much shorter period of time and see big changes. The practices that you would have to take to get there are likely gonna be pretty extreme and unsustainable.

 

Increase the amount of movement in your day to day activities

If you’re wanting to begin using training to reduce your chest size and you’re a self motivated person I’d recommend you start by adding some movement into your day (if you aren’t already active).

Now this doesn’t have to be anything that’s high intensity. Start slowly and with things that are reasonably comfortable for you that you feel you could sustain for an extended period of time. But that’s what you’re gonna need to do.

 

Follow along to some online training sessions

If you’re not sure where to start you can check out our workout library. We have over 30 follow along sessions that you can work through.

They are all low to medium intensity and suitable for people of all skill levels. You could begin following these on one or two days a week to begin with.

If you struggle with the pre-made style of video, you could also try out our pay as you feel live classes that I run twice a week over zoom.

Full Body Recovery Class

• Every Wednesday 6pm AEST
• Pay As You Feel
• Book Here

Core Strength and Mobility Class

• Every Saturday 10am AEST
• Pay As You Feel
• Book Here

 

What if I’m not motivated enough to do it myself?

If you feel like you need a bit more support than you can always reach out to us and we can have a chat with you about some more supported training.

We run our training online so that we can help folks like yourself who live all over the world and are looking for support from a trainer from the TGD community.

Zay and I understand what it’s like being someone living a trans or gender diverse experience and the barriers that come with having a body that doesn’t represent who we truly are.

And we are here to support anyone from our community who needs that extra help. And if finances are a barrier for you, don’t worry about that. Let us know and we’ll do everything we can to help you move your body and reach your goals.

Having access to a space where you can be supported to move your body is a right and not a privilege accessible only to those with money.

 

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Closing Recap

We’ve touched on a lot today.

• Answered the question of whether it’s possible to use training to reduce your chest size.
  Which is yes, but the changes that are possible are very individual and what works for one person, may show up differently for another person.
• We’ve looked at how these changes are influenced by how our bodies are made.
• And finally we had a look at how you can begin to make the changes by beginning to move your body consistently. Whether you try out some training from our exercise library or whether you get in touch and we look at how we can support you more directly.

Until next week friend remember, you can shape your body through movement. And while it may not be a quick process, it can be so rewarding. So stay consistent and trust the process.