Question: Are there any exercises you can recommend to firm up and build breast tissue?

        Answer: The breast is made up of gland, fibrous, connective and fatty tissue. The fatty tissue is most responsible for the size and shape of the breast. The breast throughout a woman's life will have many variations in size, depending on activity level, genetics and body composition.

        In many cases, when women become involved in heavy weight training and become very lean, their breasts will become smaller because their overall body fat decreases.

        If your goal is to drastically reduce the amount of fat in your breasts, you must understand that the level of training necessary to do so will take you to the disciplined, competition level of a bodybuilder, which would highly develop all other areas of your body.

        On a more realistic level, you can lose some size in the area by lowering your overall body fat percentages with disciplined eating habits and daily activity (20-40 minutes). Try strength exercises — push-ups, chest press (machines), dips, chest flys and barbell bench presses — to stimulate chest strength and development. Be sure to have a fitness professional show you how to perform these exercises.

        Q: I strained my knee while jogging and I have been punching a heavy boxing bag while seated. Is this adequate to stay in shape?

        A: First, be sure to have a doctor check your knee for serious damage. Secondly, I think it is great that you refused to stop working out and got creative. As long as you get your heart rate elevated, keep up the punching for 20-30 minutes and it doesn't hurt your knee, you are fine in my book. Let me know when you and Mike Tyson are to do battle!

        Contact certified personal trainer Dave Patania at davpatania@aol.com.

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