How to Lose Chest Fat by Running

While not everyone's body stores fat the same way, losing fat requires the same principle for everyone. To lose the fat on your chest, you'll need to take a total body approach -- one that must feature cardio. Running, along with targeted weight training, will cut down on excess fat and build, tone and shape the muscles in your chest.

Devise a Plan

Step 1
Establish your goals. A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so use that number as a bench mark as you judge your progress. To lose a pound, you'll need your calorie output to be 3,500 more than the input. This is called a caloric deficit. Decide the number of pounds you want to lose before beginning a routine.

Step 2
Record that number, and establish a plan to reach it. A healthy rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week, according to Calorie Secrets. So by creating a healthy calorie deficit of between 3,500 to 7,000 per week, it will take you five to 10 weeks to reach a goal of losing 10 pounds.

Step 3
Monitor your calories in terms of the deficit. By cutting calories that you take in, and burning calories by running, you'll be able to maintain that number. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week to maintain health. A 175-pound person will burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes running at 6 mph. By performing five sessions per week running, you'll have burned about 2,000 calories. Cutting another 215 calories a day from your diet will have you on track for a pound lost per week.

Keep It Fresh

Step 1
Vary your workouts to step up the calorie burn, and to trim the fat from your body more quickly. Rather than performing five boring cardio workouts, include a combination of HIIT workouts, longer runs and weight training. The changes will keep the body guessing, provide a constant challenge and help you to reach your goal weight more quickly.

Step 2
Engage in HIIT exercises, which means high-intensity interval training, for the most effective calorie burn. This consists of quick bouts of max effort, broken up by longer bouts of slow recovery. This workout gives you the quick burn of fast running, and also elevates your heart rate and metabolism for up to 24 hours after your workout. An example would be 30 seconds of sprinting, then one minute of slow running. Perform the cycle five to eight times for a shorter duration workout with a high calorie burn.

Step 3
Bump up the mileage. The CDC may recommend 150 minutes, but they also note that up to 300 minutes will help you reach calorie goals more quickly. Include longer runs of 45 to 60 minutes at least once per week to ramp your calorie burn to between 600 and 815 calories for one workout.

Step 4
Perform body weight exercises like pushups, dips and pull-ups to help add muscle and tone to your upper body. The extra muscle from strength training will boost your metabolism and burn more calories, helping your body trim fat and become more tone. Add a plyometric element to step up the calorie burn. An example would be to perform clap pushups. The CDC recommends at least two strength-training sessions per week.

Tip

When developing a fat-loss diet, it's important not to starve yourself. Consume nutritious foods that are high in protein and complex carbohydrates to fuel your body. This will be especially important the day before a long run or strength workout.

Warning

Consult your doctor to ensure you are in good health before beginning any new fitness routine.

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