Man boobs are caused typically by a combination of excess fat on the body and a hormonal imbalance that leads to the fat being stored in the chest, leading otherwise healthy men to grow feminine-looking breasts. Indeed, the scientific name for this process, gynecomastia, literally means "woman-like breast".

Alternative causes can include drug use and a variety of other medical conditions such as liver disease.

Man boobs are a particularly unfortunate and distressing problem that can affect men of any age and lead to considerable embarrasment. So much so, that many sufferers are loathe to visit a doctor about the problem for fear of appearing feminine or freakish.

However, help is at hand and a simple three-pronged attack can help to reduce man boobs rapidly though depending on the severity of the problem it could take several months for the problem to disappear altogether.

Experts in the field recommend a combination of cardio to reduce the fat content fo the body and hence the contents of man boobs, combined with weight lifting exercises. These exercises not only serve to increase and hence firm the pectoral muscles, so making man boobs more masculine in appearance, but they will also boost testosterone production which in turn should combat the hormonal imbalance suffered by many men with this condition.

In order to reduce fat, 30-60 mintes of cycling or jogging is recommended, 5 days a week, in addition to the consumption of a low calorie, low fat diet. Suitable foods include lean meat, fruit and vegetables while foods such as grains, pasta, bread and soda drinks should be avoided if at all possible. In a perfect world, carry out the exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach when your body will be forced to burn fat as a fuel rather than later on in the day when there is food in your system and so your body is likely to use this to power the exercise.

A further tip, if you have the motivation, is to swap your hour of gentle cardio for 20 minutes or so of intensive interval training that will see you rapidly varying the speed and intensity at which you do your chosen exercise. Whilst such workouts are tremendously tough, research has shown that your body continues to burn fat for several hours afterwards, in contrast to standard cardio where your body stops using up energy within a few minutes of finishing.

The final aspect, as mentioned, is the use of weight lifting. Focus your attention on exercises ot build the chest muscles of which the most powerful is the bench press. Find a weight that you can only lift for ten repetitions and aim to carry out 5 sets of 10 reps twice a week.

In addition, the use of squats will greatly boost testosterone production and so help to correct imbalances in the female hormone estrogen. After working out, try to consume a high protein meal within an hour or so of finishing to provide your muscles with the materials they need to grow if you want the fastest results possible.