Written by Kirsten Yovino | CPT Brookbush Institute
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
Unwanted back fat can be a serious bummer. How can you look and feel your best when you’re worried about how to get rid of back fat? Fortunately, through hard work, some sweat, and a little work in the kitchen, you can turn burdensome back fat into defined muscle. Back fat exercises designed to build muscle and burn calories will set you on your quest to lose back fat, and whether you are looking for lower back fat exercises, upper back fat exercises, back fat exercises at home, or back fat exercises with equipment, we've got you covered. In this article, we’ll discuss:
- Back fat causes
- Whether it’s hard to lose back fat
- If you can spot reduce back fat
- How to lose back fat
- The best diet to get rid of back fat
- The 10 best back fat exercises
- Workout ideas featuring back fat exercises
A svelte and defined back can increase your confidence, improve how you look and feel in your clothes and skin, and as you start to build muscle and burn fat, will make you feel better. Read on: We’ve quite literally got your back.
WHAT CAUSES BACK FAT?
Excess body fat causes back fat, which often occurs due to a higher percentage of fat instead of muscle. Back fat, similar to all body fat, is the result of consuming more calories than are burned, and not using the back muscles regularly can lead to a loss of muscle tone. If you're wondering how to lose back fat, one of the main components lies with the amount of muscle you have.
Back muscles have a tendency to be neglected when it comes to strength training, mainly because they're not physically front and center like some of the big guns - notice how no one skips biceps day, ever? And most people don't use back muscles as frequently as other muscle groups in everyday activities. So if the muscles are not getting worked in the gym and are underutilized in day-to-day activities due to a sedentary lifestyle, they're going to decrease. Fewer muscles result in poorer posture as well, which can give the appearance of even more back fat.
IS BACK FAT HARD TO LOSE?
Time for some tough love! Losing weight takes hard work, both in the kitchen and the gym. If fat loss was easy, everyone would do it. The good news is that it is very doable if you can commit to an exercise routine and dietary changes. As you gain muscle and lose fat, subtle back changes will occur. Less fat and more definition equals tank tops that have never looked better on.
CAN YOU SPOT REDUCE BACK FAT?
Back fat cannot be spot reduced. Although you may have uneven fat distribution, spot reduction is not real, so please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But as you gain muscle definition and make dietary changes, you'll burn more calories. This technique leads to losing back fat and overall body fat stored throughout the body.
HOW TO GET RID OF BACK FAT
For the best techniques on losing back fat, a proper balanced diet and a mix of strength training and cardio will get you there. This strategy causes you to lose stubborn fat simply because you're burning more calories than consuming. Also, more muscle will cause changes to body composition, resulting in a more muscular and toned body, and it will change the way your body stores fat. Ladies, looking for a sleeker backside? Try these women's back exercises to develop and tone your muscle.
DIET FOR LOSING BACK FAT & BODY FAT:
Dieting is a part of the equation in your quest to lose back fat. Before we get into what you need to do, let's cover a few big dieting no-nos. First, your calories should never go too low. It may seem like the more you drop them, the better it is, but that is not the case. Doing this not only slows your metabolism down - so what little you are eating is burned far more slowly than it should be - but it also makes it hard to gain muscle.
Ultimately, this plays a part in your quest to get rid of back fat, so we don't want to sabotage muscle building. Plus, no one is happy eating 1,000 calories a day. That is less than a toddler’s daily caloric needs.
Now, let’s get into how to lose excess weight, which includes pesky back fat.
1. Reduce calories consumed (within reason):
Start slowly with your calorie reduction. By reducing your calories, shifting how you disburse your daily calorie allotment and getting regular exercise, you will lose weight without making any crazy calorie changes. As you lose weight, keep adjusting your calorie intake, because as you lose weight, your caloric needs will likely lessen.
To begin reducing calories and gaining muscle, decrease your daily calories by 5-10%, monitor progress, and make adjustments as you go. If you have no idea what your current calorie intake is, we suggest spending a few days before diving into a new diet tracking what you consume in a day. MyFitnessPal works great for this. Input your food, paying attention to not only how much you are eating, but of those calories, how many are going toward carbs, protein, and fat.
Again, no need for a calculator, MyFitnessPal (or any tracking app) will do that work for you. Once you know how much you’re consuming in a day, decrease that number by 5%. For example, if eating 2300 calories each day, reducing it by 5% would mean the new daily goal is 2,185 calories per day. Slow and steady wins the weight-loss race. It is better for maintaining muscle and increasing the rate of muscle protein synthesis1. This is what we want as protein synthesis occurring faster than protein breakdown means more muscle growth.
2. Track your protein:
More specifically, make sure your daily protein intake is nice and high. If you are in a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle, you should keep your protein intake pretty high. Research recommends 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day. Beginner lifters should aim for the lower portion of that protein goal, while intermediate lifters with more weight training experience looking to lose back fat should aim for the higher end of the range to preserve lean muscle2. In addition, research shows that a diet high in protein leads to weight loss and can help prevent future weight regain. It also increases certain hormones that cause you to feel full for longer. When you have increased satiety signals, you’re going to eat less - great for weight loss! There are so many great ways to incorporate more protein into your daily diet. For example, java lovers can combine protein powder with coffee, creating a delicious cup of protein coffee to kick-start their day.
And if you need one more reason to start, protein requires more energy to digest - meaning more calories burned with minimal work3. We suggest first calculating your calorie goals and then within those goals, setting a protein goal based on the recommendations we just made. You can even take it further by setting carb and fat goals. Forty to 65% of your daily calories should be from carbs, while 20-25% should go toward healthy fats. Take a look at the best food for muscles and high protein low fat foods to get a sense of ideal protein sources.
3. Pick nutrient-rich food:
Nutrient dense foods like lean protein sources, fruits, plenty of vegetables, and whole grains are your new best friend. If you choose to spend your allotted 1,900 calories a day on pizza and chips, it will not amount to a lot of food, will not leave you feeling full, and won't lead to muscle growth.
An example of a day’s worth of eating that touches on all food groups and will help you hit your caloric and macro counting goals can look something like this:
- Breakfast: Eggs, turkey bacon, and avocado toast for breakfast
- Snack: An apple and Greek yogurt
- Lunch: A grilled chicken power bowl filled with brown rice, broccoli, snap peas, and shredded carrots
- Snack: Edamame and hummus
- Dinner: Bison meatballs, quinoa, and sautéed vegetables
BEST “BACK FAT” EXERCISES
Spot reduction isn’t an option, but when paired with solid nutrition, you can get rid of back fat through resistance exercise. Many back fat exercises will help you build more muscle, leading to the improved body composition we’ve been discussing. Building more muscle is great for metabolism, and the more mass you have, the more your body burns even in a resting state. As you build more muscle and burn more calories, your goal to get rid of back fat may happen even more quickly.
When selecting exercises for back fat, there are three things you want them to do: build muscle, burn calories, and increase the heart rate. These back fat exercises include a mix of strength training and cardio, bodyweight and weight-required exercises, and compound movements that will work multiple muscle groups and keep that heart rate nice and high. Between our diet recommendations and these 10 best fat-burning moves, consider yourself well on your way to losing back fat.
1. Rowing Machine:
A full-body cardio exercise that hits each of our checklist requirements, the rowing machine works many of the upper body muscles, burns calories, and is a great cardio exercise. One of the best back fat exercises with equipment, two major back muscles - the rhomboids and trapezius - are targeted. The rowing machine is also great for posture. It may take a few minutes to get used to the rhythm, but keep repeating this order to yourself: legs, arms, arms, legs.
We highly recommend checking out our article on rowing machine muscles worked for a detailed look at just how great this training equipment is!
How to do the rowing machine:
- Grab the oar with straight arms, bent knees, and the weight on the balls of your feet.
- Keep the back straight, push back using the legs, rolling through your feet. A second after pushing back with the lower body, use the upper back to pull the handles toward your chest.
- Release the arms toward the base, bending the knees to glide back to start.
2. Superman:
Targeting the lower back muscles, particularly the erector spinae, is the perfect example of back fat exercises without equipment. As it targets the lower back and core, the superman exercise will also help you hit another problem area: love handles.
How to do a superman:
- Lying face down on the floor, keep your legs straight and the arms extended in front. Avoid looking up.
- Lift the arms and legs approximately 6 inches off the floor, until the lower back muscles contract. Try to lift the belly button off the floor.
- Hold for 2-3 seconds, and lower the arms and legs back to the floor.
3. Swimming Exercise:
While lying face down from the superman pose, add a swimming exercise to your routine, a move that hits the upper and lower back muscles.
How to do a swimming exercise:
- Lay face down in the superman pose.
- Lift the right arm and left leg simultaneously, keeping the head down.
- Lower them, and immediately lift the left arm and right leg. The movement should feel as though you’re swimming.
4. Dumbbell single-arm row:
All the major back muscles, the latissimus dorsi, traps, and rhomboids, will get worked in this weight lifting exercise that's excellent for building muscle.
How to do a dumbbell single-arm row:
- Holding a dumbbell in the right hand, bending over, placing the left knee and left hand on a bench. The left hand should lie under the shoulder and the knee under the hips. Press them into the bench to support your body.
- Stiffen the torso, and keep the back straight. Retract the shoulder blades, extending the right arm and dumbbell toward the floor, keeping your shoulder down and back.
- Pull the dumbbell slowly upward by bending the elbow and pulling your arm backward. With the arm close to your side, continue pulling the dumbbell upwards. Pause, squeezing the shoulder and back muscles.
5. Lats pulldown:
Don’t get us wrong, the lat pulldown is excellent for everyone, but as far as women's back fat exercises go, it ranks at the very top. It targets muscles around the bra line, an area that tends to have more fat for ladies. This exercise leads to sleek and well-defined lats, making it the perfect move for looking great in tanks, swim tops, and strapless dresses.
How to:
- Sit at the machine, adjusting the thigh pads to allow the quads to sit tightly under them.
- Grab the bar with an overhand grip.
- Keep your back straight, and pull the bar down to chin level or even lower, toward your chest.
- Squeeze your shoulder blade together.
- Return the bar to its full height.
6. Standing Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldown:
Another excellent lats-targeted exercise, the standing cable straight arm lat pulldown (aka cable pullover) also hits the rhomboids, making it one of the best back fat exercises. The lats are the largest muscle in the upper back, so the more muscle you build here, the faster the metabolism and the sleeker your back will look.
How to do a standing cable straight arm pulldowns:
- Face the adjustable cable machine with a straight-bar attachment on the high setting.
- Grabbing with an overhand grip, keep your arms straight and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the bar down in an arc motion until the bar reaches the thighs.
- Return the bar to the start position.
7. Pull-up:
Say hello to powerful lats and rhomboids after you begin working this move into your regular exercise rotation. This is a challenging move, so if you can’t do it right away, don't worry! Almost all gyms have an assisted pull-up machine - look for that and start there. This exercise is great for everyone, but it should 100% make the men’s back fat exercises list.
How to:
- Stand directly under a pull-up bar, placing your hands slightly further than shoulder-width in an overhand grip.
- Lift your feet from the floor and hang from the bar. Rotate your shoulders backward and downward.
- Bending the elbows, raise your upper body toward the bar until your chin is above it.
- Slowly straighten your elbows, lowering down to the start position.
8. Renegade Row:
The renegade row is a compound movement that emphasizes the back, particularly the traps and lats, while also working muscles throughout the body, making it an excellent muscle-building, calorie-torching exercise. That makes it one of the best exercises for back fat out there, and as it only requires dumbbells, you can easily do it at home or the gym.
How to do a renegade row:
- Grab the dumbbells you’ll be using. Start in a plank position with the feet slightly wider than hip-width. Place your hands on each dumbbell, which should be shoulder-width apart.
- Tuck the chin, keeping the body straight. Bend the right elbow, pulling the dumbbell toward the hip.
- Retract the shoulder blades during the movement. Make sure your shoulders and hips stay square to the floor.
- Lower the dumbbell to the starting position before repeating on the left side.
9. Barbell bent-over row:
The lats, traps, and rhomboids are all put to work in the barbell bent-over row, one of the top exercises for back fat. You’ll need a barbell and weighted plates for this move, so it’s a great movement to work on at the gym.
How to do a barbell bent-over row:
- Grab the bar with hands palm down, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Keep your arms and back straight, squeezing your shoulders together.
- Row the weight up to your chest; slowly lower back down.
10. Barbell Deadlift:
A how-to-lose-back-fat list isn't complete without the barbell deadlift. The lats, traps, rhomboids, and erector spinae are highly activated. In addition, most of the lower body muscles work as well, meaning that muscle is increasing everywhere (faster metabolism and more definition!) and burning crazy calories.
How to do a barbell deadlift:
- Select a barbell and desired weights. Place the feet shoulder-width apart with your toes under the bar. The feet point straight ahead.
- Squat down, bending at the knees, grasping the bar just outside your knees with an overhand grip. Keep your arms straight.
- Pushing upward with your legs, lift the bar, having it graze your shins. Stop around thigh level.
- Keep your shoulders rolled back.
- Slowly lower it to the floor, keeping your back straight.
BEST WORKOUTS TO LOSE BACK FAT & EXCESS FAT
A good workout routine that helps get rid of back fat combines strength training, cardio, and high-intensity interval training (not all on the same day)! The main strength training focus of this article is highlighting the best back fat exercises, but the ideal weight lifting routine targets all of the upper body and lower body muscles.
Remember, spot reduction doesn't work, so you want to improve total muscle mass, leading to a decrease in body fat and more muscle everywhere. A sleek back is a must, but it’s not going to look nearly as defined if the arms, chest, and legs aren't also getting attention.
For best results, strength train four times a week with two upper-body days and two lower-body days. Include several of the best back fat exercises we just discussed in your upper body days. We highly recommend creating a routine that incorporates strength training with plyometrics thrown in, so that heart rate stays nice and high. For an upper-body day that targets exercises for back fat, here’s a sample workout:
|
Exercise: |
Sets: |
Reps: |
Rest: |
|
Superman |
3 |
8-12 |
30 seconds |
|
Pull-Ups |
3 |
6-10 |
60 seconds |
|
Mountain Climbers |
2 |
1 minute |
30 seconds |
|
Single Arm Dumbbell Row |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30-60 seconds |
|
Chest Press |
4 |
8-12 |
30-60 seconds |
|
Barbell Bent Over Row |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30-60 seconds |
|
Renegade Row |
3 |
6-10 |
30-60 seconds |
|
Half Burpee |
2 |
1 minute |
30 seconds |
|
Lats Pulldown |
3-4 |
8-12 |
30-60 seconds |
|
Cardio: Rowing Machine for 20-30 minutes |
|
Aim for 20-30 minutes |
|
Notice a few things: There are two back-focused plyometric moves weaved into the workout - mountain climbers and half burpees - that will get the heart rate up while working the back. If you are unfamiliar with half burpees, start in a plank, and jump the feet up to just outside the hands. Keeping the hands on the floor, jump back to the plank position.
There is also a chest press included ensuring that the front upper-body muscles are getting a little love. And as the shoulders and biceps are engaged in many of these movements, you’ll notice continued definition throughout the entire upper body. End with the rowing machine, and you’ll continue working your back as you burn more calories.
If you don’t have access to a rowing machine or want to switch it up, 30 minutes of lower-intensity cardio, such as walking, light jogging, or these elliptical workouts for weight loss, will give your body an extra calorie burn. For best results, 1-2 other days of the week should involve high-intensity interval training. These workouts don’t need to be lengthy, 20-25 minutes is more than enough, and they’re easy to throw together. Pick 4-5 high-intensity moves, such as burpees, squat jumps, jumping rope, frog jumps, and box jumps, using the same move for 4-5 minutes, following a 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest format, before switching to the next. Here’s an example:
Round 1: Burpees (5 minutes)
- Perform burpees for 30 seconds.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 5 times total.
Round 2: Squat Jumps (5 minutes)
- Perform squat jumps for 30 seconds.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 5 times total.
Round 3: Jumping Rope (5 minutes)
- Perform jumping rope for 30 seconds.
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Repeat 5 times total.
Round 4: Frog Jumps (5 minutes)
- Perform frog jumps for 30 seconds.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 5 times total.
And most important, do not forget your rest days. You should have 1-2 rest days a week, allowing your muscle to rebuild and repair. This leads to more muscle mass, so don’t skip it!
WHY IS BACK FAT SO HARD TO LOSE?
Losing back fat (and fat in general) is no easy feat, but if you put the time and work into it, both in the gym and the kitchen, we are confident you can get rid of it! Just remember, losing fat and gaining muscle takes time. You’re in it for the long haul, and consistency of a healthy diet and overall healthy habits is key. It may be tempting to believe the quick results promised by the latest fad, but if losing fat were that easy, everyone would be strutting around in size 0 swimsuits.
If you put the time in but are still struggling with how to lose back fat, plastic surgery is an option. If considering it, consult with your doctor so you can weigh the pros and cons. Please remember that removing back fat in this way is a temporary fix. If you don’t make changes through exercise and nutrition, it’s likely the back fat will return. Put the hard work in now, focus on those exercises for back fat, and you’ll sustain the results long-term.
Related:
- How To Get Rid of Neck Fat With Exercise & Dieting
- How to Get Rid of Chest Fat With Exercise & Dieting
- How to Get Rid of Knee Fat With Exercise & Dieting
- What Exercises Help Reduce Hip Dips?
References:
- Cava E, Yeat NC, Mittendorfer B. Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss. Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal. 2017;8(3):511-519. doi:10.3945/an.116.014506
- Stokes T, Hector A, Morton R, McGlory C, Phillips S. Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180. doi:10.3390/nu10020180
- Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. 2020;29(3):166-173. doi:10.7570/jomes20028
Kirsten Yovino
Author