Any way to lose muscle?

Ive got the opposite problem of many here.

Yeah, i know it is pretty commonplace to say this here on sf, but " i have broad shoulders and a thick chest"
from years of working out during college and my 20s. and a few times here and there during my 30s.

iwant to reduce my chest size so that it won't pucker my lapels on my coats anymore. going up to a 44 is just too sloppy looking for me so i rather stay at my current 42 (fits my shoulders) and also 42 coats work better with slim jeans where as 44 makes me look lopsided and top heavy with my current jean rotation (size 32)

do i just forever stop doing anything for my chest and hope for the best it will shrink? i get to a point where even if i do a little exercise, like lifting a few things around the house (even after a whole year of not working out) at the end of the day my pecs looked all pumped up.

i dislike the look. i want a flatter chest. besides surgery, what has one done to reduce chest girth?

and yes, this is a serious question.

I would suggest slimming down. I know you have a ~12" drop, but unless you're sitting at <5% bodyfat, you probably have an inch or two to lose off your chest circumference of fat.

cardio

you can also lift for just maintenance

Just do tons of cardio and eat less. I can't see how that will fail.

Originally Posted by stant62

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I would suggest slimming down. I know you have a ~12" drop, but unless you're sitting at <5% bodyfat, you probably have an inch or two to lose off your chest circumference of fat.

i have more like a 10 inch drop at a waist 34. but would love to drop to a 8 inch drop. and maintain that waist 34 (which means i can still squeeze into size 32 jeans.)

Originally Posted by EdenResident

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Just do tons of cardio and eat less. I can't see how that will fail.

you are missing my point. i do lots of cardio. anyone knows me, my main focus of any exercise routine during my 30s have always been cardio cardio cardio.

i do weights, light ones, for maintenance (and so that muscles won't atrophy,hehehe, just exxagerating) and when i am seen at the gym lifting 10 pounders for bicep curls and 70 lb on the chest machine , people look at me perplexed because they dont know why i, with the muscle i have, do such light weight.


ive had stretches of like 1 or 2 years where i just do cardio and dont even touch a weight, but the moment i do a bit of weight, my chest muscle (and triceps and delts) remember something and come back.

Have you tried, a girdle on for size?

I did the same thing when I got out of powerlifting. I just stopped doing any real upper body exercises and went on a pretty serious diet of 1200-1500 kcal/day and ran 24-30 miles/week. Carbs inflate muscles a great deal, so if you go low-carb the water will drop out of the muscle and it'll look flatter.

Have you tried swimming? Flattens the chest but shoulders might widden.

Originally Posted by olemungu

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Have you tried swimming? Flattens the chest but shoulders might widden.

i did swimming for a bit back a few years ago and that was really great. i figure that was a good way to go, but i dont have any access to a decent swiming pool here, and at my apt complex, they are always filled with children and grannies.

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Have you tried, a girdle on for size?

to tell you the truth, if there was a male version of the girdle (for chest only? would be weird) i think that would be seriously very cool. no market for it perhaps, only people like me who want to look flatter in the chest , i actually dont mind the belly for some reason, would buy it.


i think it would look sort of neo-sexy sort of if you catch my drift. i like the look of a flat (not flabby please) chest, defined arms, not too broad of a shoulder, and the torso and abdomen lanky, the abdomen DOES NOT have to be all striated, six pack or anything, but even with a little pot belly, and skinny legs and hips, for some strange reason,
is very VERY appealing to me.

Originally Posted by why

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I did the same thing when I got out of powerlifting. I just stopped doing any real upper body exercises and went on a pretty serious diet of 1200-1500 kcal/day and ran 24-30 miles/week. Carbs inflate muscles a great deal, so if you go low-carb the water will drop out of the muscle and it'll look flatter.


im just starting to take my carb reduct intake a bit more seriously these days and i will see how my mileage varies in this area.
i definitely canot do less than 2000 calories a day, i feel imprisoned by starvation.

You're screwed. I have the same problem, but it's not from working out. I have a huge chest and narrow shoulders. Trying to find clothing that fits me is next to impossible. Size M shirts are painted on me, but size L is too big due to the shoulders. There is no middle ground either. It sucks, but whatever.

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

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to tell you the truth, if there was a male version of the girdle (for chest only? would be weird) i think that would be seriously very cool. no market for it perhaps, only people like me who want to look flatter in the chest , i actually dont mind the belly for some reason, would buy it. i think it would look sort of neo-sexy sort of if you catch my drift. i like the look of a flat (not flabby please) chest, defined arms, not too broad of a shoulder, and the torso and abdomen lanky, the abdomen DOES NOT have to be all striated, six pack or anything, but even with a little pot belly, and skinny legs and hips, for some strange reason, is very VERY appealing to me.
Seriously though, and I'm not kidding, maybe a boxing regime? Those guys are ripped with good shoulders/arms/backs but without too much meat on the chest.

Originally Posted by bawlin

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You're screwed. I have the same problem, but it's not from working out. I have a huge chest and narrow shoulders. Trying to find clothing that fits me is next to impossible. Size M shirts are painted on me, but size L is too big due to the shoulders. There is no middle ground either. It sucks, but whatever.

Custom.

they don;t get that way from boxing. it's ike saying tennis players have great heads of hair.

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Seriously though, and I'm not kidding, maybe a boxing regime? Those guys are ripped with good shoulders/arms/backs but without too much meat on the chest.