Before we dive into the exercises for improving your upper body appearance, we need to clarify information about your breast composition so you don’t get misled with workout myths that may promise “guaranteed results” for firming up your breasts. A woman’s breast is primarily made of glandular or fatty tissue which is not “firmed up” the same way you do with muscles. With this in mind, exercises will not dramatically change the shape or size of your breasts. They can however, contribute to a generally more lifted and firmer appearance as a result of strengthening the muscles behind the fatty tissue.
Do My Breasts Get Smaller from Working Out?
Short answer, yes. However, the amount of size reduction differs from woman to woman. Some women may naturally lose more fat than others. However, it is important to remember that breast tissue is not solely made of fat. Glandular tissues also compose the breasts and that part cannot be reduced by working out.
Chest Workouts
Now that we have that out of the way, let us talk about the muscles that are behind your breast tissue. Your pectoralis major, or pec muscles are what separate the breast from the ribs. Aside from the chest muscles, working out the rest of your muscle groups will give you a stronger and more balanced appearance that makes you feel more lifted. So keep in mind, exercises here are focusing on your muscle development and are not directly going to change your breast size and shape.
- Push-ups are definitely on the top of the list for the best chest workout mainly because you don’t need any equipment and it is a compound exercise that works out other muscles aside from your chest. You can get creative with its execution in ways where you can increase or decrease its difficulty level depending on how you position your push-up. If you’re new to this, start off by pushing up from the floor in a kneeling position instead of you all your legs straightened out. This way your initial push-ups won’t feel heavy and when you feel like you’re ready to handle more, you can go do a full push-up. This workout exercises your pectoral muscles as well as your triceps.
- Chest Press – the chest press is a favorite among free weight gym goers. You can either use a barbell or a dumbbell, but if optimal chest muscle growth is the goal, then incline dumbbell chest press has a better isolation focus on the major chest muscles. Lie on your back while you push the weights in front of you. Avoid elbow flaring and don’t do the movements too fast to focus on the muscle exertion instead of just riding on momentum.
- Chest Fly – Either done on a machine or with dumbbells, this exercise is focused on the inner chest muscles which help form the cleavage of the chest. When you cross your arms together, you will notice a rise in the center part of your breasts, that is exactly the muscles flexing from a “flying” motion. The general motion is similar to flapping thus the name. So start from a position where your arms are wide open and then close them in. The trick here is not to focus on the hands closing in on each other, instead focus on how your whole arm comes together with the elbows near-touching. If you feel the cleavage part of your chest flexing, you’re doing it right.
- Chest Dips – Although this muscle is great for triceps, when done in a certain angle, it focuses on the lower chest muscles too. This can be done on a chest dip machine or parallel bars. If done at home, a pair of sturdy chairs will do. Position yourself in between the chairs or parallel bars. Your hands should be pressing against the bars/chairs while you are leaning forward and your elbows set at the back. Carefully bring yourself up without hunching. Chest out but head facing forward and not pulled back.
- Decline Chest Press – if you find the dips quite difficult to do and feel more comfortable with dumbbells, you can work on the decline chest press instead. This too has an impact on the lower pecs. Simply position yourself on your back but on a decline position. This means your position is with your head declined downward while your lower torso is raised. This angle focuses your presses on your lower pecs instead of your pectoralis major.
Gear Up For the Workout
Because we’re focusing on chest muscle groups, you want to make sure your breasts are getting a good amount of support so you don’t have to worry about keeping them in place during the range of motions you have to go through for lifting. Wearing a proper sports bra will help you get that necessary support but with the vital flexibility for your workouts. Don’t forget to hydrate in between sets and always listen to your body before you continue with any workout. They say pain is gain but be well-aware enough to know which is “pain” from exercising effort and actual pain from discomfort.