Best Exercises To Get Rid Of Back Fat
Combating stubborn areas of fat is often an area many people need help with. Weight loss here is an issue for people of all shapes, ages, and sizes. Back fat, in particular, is among the most common body issues for both men and women. Typically, it is an issue caused due to an unhealthy lifestyle which then causes the fat to develop over time.
Shedding fat from stubborn areas, like your back, can be difficult but definitely achieved with the right effort and tips.
With balanced diets and workout routinesnot always within everyones top priority or expertise, we are here to help. Today we are sharing the 15 best exercises to get rid of back fat for good:
Contents
Side Planks Are Your Best Friend
While nothing can replace a healthy diet, certain exercises are better than others for targeting that pesky lower back fat. Side planks top the list, and they also have the added benefit of strengthening arms and shoulders, and are excellent for balance and coordination.
If youre new to side planks, start with just 10 seconds on each side and slowly work your way up to 30+ seconds. You can do these on your elbow or hand, and even add in hip dips once you master this exercise for more challenge.
How To Lose Weight With Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is caused by injury to your muscles, ligaments, joints, or discs. Your body produces an inflammatory healing response causing severe pain. Muscles and ligaments heal quickly, but torn discs may or may not.
When you have lower back pain, try not to do strenuous exercises that may further aggravate your lower back.
Instead, stick to these exercises that can help alleviate the pain in your lower back and also burn calories.
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Exercises To Tone The Mid Back
Exercises that can help tone the mid back include:
Bridge position
The bridge can strengthen and tone the muscles that run along the spine and help someone maintain good posture.
Cobra pose
Cobra is a yoga pose that strengthens and tones the muscles around the spine.
People may find this difficult at first, and they should not stretch beyond what is comfortable.
Strategically Use Cardio To Burn Fat Faster
The best way to include cardio in a weight loss regimen is to do as little as needed to reach your desired rate of weight loss and stay fit, and no more.
For best results . . .
- Do at least two low- to moderate-intensity cardio workouts per week of 20-to-60 minutes each.
- Do one HIIT workout per week if you enjoy it.
- Dont do more than 2-to-3 hours of cardio per week. You can do more than this, but this increases the chances of it interfering with your weightlifting workouts.
- Do your cardio and weightlifting on separate days if possible, and if you have to do them on the same day, lift weights first and try to separate the two workouts by at least 6 hours.
. . . and if you want to use cardio to target stubborn fat specifically, try combining fasted cardio with a yohimbine supplement.
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The Spot Reduction Myth
Most people have problem areas on their bodies, but the idea of losing weight in those specific places simply by targeting them with certain exercise moves is not possible. Running will help you lose the fat around your lower back, but the loss will come from all over your body, not just in this area. The American Council on Exercise confirms that the key to changing your shape is through the combination of a low-fat diet and an exercise program consisting of aerobic activities, such as running and strength training.
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
The dumbbell side lateral raise isolates the lateral head of the deltoids, which is important if you want your shoulders to have full, proportionate development.
How to:
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The Best Diet To Get Rid Of Back Fat
The best diet to get rid of back fat is going to be one that also lowers your overall body fat.
Studies have found a high protein diet to be very effective for lowering weight while preserving lean muscle and burning fat.
Also, consider going low-carb as it will help to increase how much fat you burn . Eating too many carbohydrates can slow down your fat burning.
When you eat too many carbs they get converted to glycogen in your body as a fuel source for future energy needs. So whenever you exercise your body will first user glycogen stores instead of burning off fat.
But once you lower your carb intake youll quickly burn through these glycogen stores and then burn off more fat for fuel.
Make sure youre also cutting out the foods that are causing you to not burn fat in the first place.
These bad foods you want to eliminate from your diet include:
- processed foods
- alcohol
- vegetable oils
For a list of the best foods you can eat to burn fat then be sure to download my Food List Cheat Sheet.
Also, make sure that youre watching your daily calorie intake for the day. Use a calorie calculator to determine how much your body average burns throughout the day.
Then start to subtract calories from that to get a ballpark estimate how much you should be eating per day to continually lose weight and burn fat.
For the best diet that combines all of these strategies to burn fat from stubborn body areas I highly recommend The Flat Belly Formula.
Combine Resistance Training With Aerobic Training
In this study, researchers analyzed a group of 30 obese women on the reduction of abdominal fat.
In the experimental group, subjects did both resistance training and aerobics. In the control group, only aerobic training was done. The analysis established that the group, which combined training methods, experienced greater waistline reduction than the one that only did aerobics.
Beware certain strength training exercises can worsen your back pain. Therefore, avoid any exercises causing your discomfort.
You should also incorporate these stretches into your routine to ease your back pain.
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Why Is Back Fat So Hard To Lose
Its peculiar location makes it very difficult for your body to metabolize and effortlessly burn away lower-back fat. The only way for fat loss is through a combination of diet and exercise not magic tricks or fad diets.
Before you dive into why back fat is such a stubborn problem, its essential to understand the difference between the two types of fat in your body subcutaneous and visceral. The best way to tell them apart is by their location.
Subcutaneous fat is found directly under your skin, and it takes up residence in areas like your arms, buttocks, and thighs. And because it lies right below the skin, it is often referred to as pinchable or jiggly because you can literally pinch it.
Visceral fat, on the other hand, tends to be more deep-seated, often accumulated in all sorts of inconvenient places near your vital organs, lower back, and abdominal cavity.
Other Tips And Tricks To Curb Back Fat
You dont have to be a gym enthusiast or clean-eating fan to cut back on some back fat. Over time, small lifestyle changes can lead to major changes. Here are a few tips to move toward a healthier you:
- Yoga: You dont need to attend a fancy class to implement some yoga into your life just grab a mat, pull up a YouTube video, and downward dog your way into better physical fitness.
- Sleep:Sleeping for weight loss sounds too good to be true right? Not exactly. One research review found a link between poor sleep quality and obesity in adolescents. Even if youre not a kid, scientists think that a lack of sleep may negatively impact your metabolism.
- Posture: Constantly being hunched over a laptop can quickly lead to poor posture. Straightening the spine causes weight to distribute differently on the body, which often lends a slimmer appearance around the core and back.
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Back Exercises With A Resistance Band
All of the exercises up to this point could be done with zero equipment.
But I think there is one investment you should make to really increase the number of back exercises you can do.
Get yourself a pair of resistance bands!
Bands are such an easy way to add resistance, difficulty, and variety to your training.
The best part?
They are really affordable and lightweight. That means you can take them anywhere and get a great workout in.
Now lets get to the exercises.
Band Pull Aparts
The first exercise is the band pull apart. This exercise is really simple, yet very effective at helping to improve your posture, and activate your upper back muscles.
I suggest you start with the lightest band first.
Heres how it looks:
- Grab both ends of the band and hold it up by your chest.
- Keep your palms facing up toward the ceiling.
- Next, pull the band apart without bending your elbows.
- Keep going until the band touches your chest
- Hold this contraction by squeezing your upper back muscles together.
- Slowly release and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Band Seated Rows
The next exercise is the seated row. This exercise is similar to the one you would do at the gym, but instead, you can do it from the comfort of your own home :).
Heres how it looks:
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Deadlifts
Last but not least is one of the best exercises of all time.
This includes your glutes, hamstrings, core, low back, and upper back.
Exercises To Tone The Upper Back
Exercises to help tone and strengthen the upper back include:
Lateral raises with dumbbells
Lateral raises can improve definition in the shoulders and back.
Using a rowing machine can help strengthen and tone the upper back.
Alternatively, someone can use a barbell or dumbbells to do bent-over rows.
As well as making dietary changes and getting regular exercise, people may find that other lifestyle measures help them reduce body fat.
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Aerobic Activity And Back Pain
A key ingredient in nearly every type of weight loss program, aerobic activity is any rhythmic motion that uses the large muscles of the body and is maintained continuously for at least ten minutes.
Obviously, choosing activities that minimize pounding on your joints is best if your back is hurting. Walking, and in particular, cycling, swimming, and aquatic exercise are good low and moderate impact activity choices.
Thirty minutes of aerobic activity performed five days per week is the amount generally recommended by experts for realizing health benefits. If that’s too much, start with less and build up over a period of weeks or months.
You can also accumulate workouts throughout the day. For example, walking for 15 minutes twice per day counts as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in one day. Key here, is to no do less than 10 minutes at a time.
Say No To Fizzy Drinks & Junk Food
If weve said it once, weve said it a thousand times: NO fizzy drinks, NO junk food. Even if you are one of the slimmest individuals in your neighborhood, that still does not mean that you should pack in junk food and soda. They all contain ingredients that can sincerely damage your health in the long run. You can start by eliminating all of the fattening and harmful snacks and beverages from your home and replacing them with healthy snacks. For example, instead of sodas you can make your own juice, and instead of chips you can snack on some nuts or fruit.
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Belly Fat And Back Pain
How does belly fat affect back pain?
Belly fat kills as you may already know.
Studies have shown that belly fat can affect spine degeneration.
Belly fat secretes a chemical known as adipokines, which causes your spine to deteriorate.
Moreover, there are numerous cases where lower back pain is prevalent in overweight individuals.
In recent years, there has been strong evidence suggesting that if the nutritional supply of the end plate is altered by targeting its microcirculation, the risk of developing intervertebral disk degeneration increases. Studies have noted that altered metabolism may affect the normal integrity of the disk by affecting proteoglycan synthesis, thereby contributing to degenerative changes
Why You Cant Lose The Back Fat
The main reason you cant get rid of your back is your body doesnt want you to lose it in the first place.
You see our bodies have evolved over thousands of years to hold onto fat in case of future famine. Having these fat reserves meant our ancient ancestors were much more likely to survive if they ran out of food.
But it todays day and age it can make things frustrating to not be able to get rid of these stubborn areas on the body that hold onto fat more than others.
These stubborn spots on your body are largely determined by your genetics . And if youre reading this then its more than likely you inherited the gene to hold onto more back fat.
Just like how some people are born with a pear-shaped body or an apple-shaped body. In your case, you tend to store excess fat in your back area.
Now it is largely true you cant traditionally spot reduce a specific area on your body. So if all you did was a few sets of pull-ups you shouldnt expect to slim down your back fat much at all.
But below Im going to share some techniques and strategies you can use to help to better get rid of your back fat faster than you think.
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Effective Tips To Lose Belly Fat
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Belly fat is more than a nuisance that makes your clothes feel tight.
Its seriously harmful.
One type of belly fat referred to as visceral fat is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions .
Many health organizations use body mass index to classify weight and predict the risk of metabolic disease.
However, this is misleading, as people with excess belly fat are at an increased risk even if they look thin .
Though losing fat from this area can be difficult, there are several things you can do to reduce excess abdominal fat.
Here are 19 effective tips to lose belly fat, backed by scientific studies.
One Arm Overhead Press
Yet another variation of the traditional overhead press is one arm press, which adds a balance challenge and also involves the abs and back to help stabilize the body. This exercise is another way to change your shoulder workouts and to work both sides of the body independent of each other.
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Is Back Fat Unhealthy And How Much Body Fat Is Normal For Women
In general, back fat isn’t unhealthy, no. More often than not, it’s a sign of totally natural changes in the body, such as:
- Somatopause
- Ageing
- A change in posture as you age
Luke Worthington, a PT and performance specialist, adds that another case of back fat being totally normal is when it comes down to genetics. ‘We all have a predisposition to store body fat in particular areas,’ he explained. ‘There’s no specific reason or cause for storing body fat in one area over another.’
All that said, back fat could, as we’ve said, be associated with insulin resistance, high testosterone and low carbohydrate tolerance, increased risk of diabetes, PCOS and infertility. It’s vital you see a GP if lifestyle changes aren’t making any difference to the amount of back fat you have.
How much body fat is normal? It’s impossible to advise on how much fat you should have on your back in particular, but it could be helpful to take stock of your body fat in total. The Royal College of Nursing advises that a healthy body fat percentage for women aged 20 to 40 is between 15% and 31%. As you get past 40, your ideal body fat percentage might get higher.
‘While healthy levels are usually between 15 and 31% for women, this is really individual,’ explains Dr Rebecca Robinson, a consultant in sports and exercise medicine.
Remember: women need a certain amount of body fat for proper hormone function fact. It is also normal and necessary for women to carry slightly more body fat than men.
