How to get rid of the back fat

Although I am a doctor, I am not your doctor. This information is for informational purposes only and should not substitute the advice from your healthcare professional. All kinds of exercise and dietary changes are potentially dangerous, and those who do not seek council from the appropriate health care authority assume the liability for any injury which may occur. Please read my full Disclaimer for more information. Also, this post may contain meaning I may receive a commission if you use them.

If back fat is bothering you, there are a few things you can do. There is no way to get rid of back fat completely, but you can change the appearance of your upper, middle, and lower back.

Luckily, fat on your back is unlike fat in some other areas of your body so there are several different ways to solve the problem. But before you decide on the best way for you to lose back fat, first decide which area of your body to target.

Where Is Your Back Fat?

Back fat can attack in a few different areas. Most men and women experience fat in one of these three areas:

Upper back fat: excess fat that spills over the back of the bra strap
Mid-back fat: fat folds near the back of the waist
Lower back top fat: a pocket of fat that spills over the top of the pants in the back

The best way to find the area you want to target is to stand with a mirror behind you and hold the second mirror in your hand. Make sure you stand up tall so the lines of your body are apparent. You should be able to identify the area that is troublesome.

What Exercises Get Rid Of Back Fat?

There’s one very important thing that you need to understand when it comes to getting rid of fat.

Exercise will not directly get rid of fat.

Not in your back, abs, legs, or anywhere else.

That’s because fat loss is primarily determined by two things:

Your diet: The more calories you consume, the less likely you are to lose fat. Exercise can help burn calories, but if you don’t pay attention to what you eat, fat loss will never happen.
Your genetics: You are unique. Every woman carries fat in different locations. When you begin to lose fat, you may or may not lose it from the spots you desire, at first.

So the key takeaway is this:

You need to focus on both dietary changes and exercise to lose fat anywhere in your body.

These exercises will help you develop lean muscle tone in your back, but they won’t help you get rid of the dreaded bra strap fat by itself.

Back Fat Exercises You Can Do Without Equipment (Good For Beginners)

Okay so now let’s go over the most effective exercises for the back.

The good news is, that these exercises are great for beginners with little to no experience.

Walking

Okay, so the first exercise isn’t exactly a back exercise. Instead, it’s the most important exercise any woman can do for overall health

Walking is one of the best ways to consistently stay active and burn calories. It won’t specifically target back fat, but regular walking can help you lose overall body fat.

When you combine walking with resistance exercise,

Back Exercises On Your Stomach

Prone Lat Pull down

The first exercise is the prone lat pull down.

This exercise will strengthen your lats, posterior shoulders, and the muscles of your upper back.

ie face down on the floor.
Raise your arms overhead with your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
Next, retract your shoulder blades (aka scapulae) and bring your elbows down by your sides as if you wanted to place your elbows in your back pocket.
Hold this contraction for 1 second and return back to the starting position.

Keep your glutes engaged the entire time and DO NOT arch your lower back

Supermans

The next exercise is my favorite, the superman. It focuses on strengthening both the upper and the lower back muscles at the same time.

Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
From here, lift both arms straight into the air while lifting both of your feet off the floor as well.
Keep your elbows and knees straight, and hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
Slowly return back to the starting position and repeat

NEW

The next exercise is the YTW. This exercise is great for strengthening the rear delts (posterior shoulder), the lower trapezius, and the rhomboids.

It’s also done in the prone position.

Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead, and thumbs facing the ceiling.
Separate your arms to create a “Y” shape, just like the YMCA song.
Lift your arms off the floor by squeezing your upper back muscles together. Hold this contraction for 2 seconds.
Next, bring your arms directly out towards your sides. This is the “T” position. Again, lift your arms off the floor (thumbs facing up) and hold this contraction for 2 seconds.
Lastly, bend your elbows and hold them up close to your side to create a “W” shape. Hold that contraction for 2 seconds and repeat.

Where Is Your Back Fat?

Back fat can attack in a few different areas. Most men and women experience fat in one of these three areas:

Upper back fat: excess fat that spills over the back of the bra strap
Mid-back fat: fat folds near the back of the waist
Lower back top fat: a pocket of fat that spills over the top of the pants in the back

Towel Slide Pulldowns

The last exercise that you are going to do on your stomach is the towel wall slide. This is similar to the lat pulldown you see in regular gyms.

Any old towel will do.

This exercise will strengthen your lattisimus muscles.

Lie face down on the ground and hold a towel in your hands overhead.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
Arch your upper back and slide the towel down towards your chest by squeezing your scapulae together.
Slowly return the towel back overhead by sliding it along the floor.
Repeat it .

Reverse hip raise with exercise ball

This low-impact exercise is easy on your hips and a simple way to start toning your back.

Start by lying with your belly on the exercise ball, your eyes looking at the ground. Your palms should be flat on the floor, and your legs can be bent at the knee.
Squeeze your glute muscles together and balance on the ball as you press your legs together and up. The ball should remain stable during this movement.
Hold this pose for several seconds, then lower your legs. Repeat several times, increasing the length of time you hold the hip raise if you’re able to.

Side jack knife

This exercise targets your obliques, which are part of your abdomen, and will tone your “love handles” and lower back area.

Lie on your right side with your legs stacked over each other.
Put your left hand behind your head. Your right hand can rest wherever you feel comfortable.
Squeeze your obliques as you draw your left leg up toward your left arm, which should remain stable on your head. You’ll be bringing the bent left arm toward your left knee.
Repeat several times before switching to the opposite side.