Most men probably wouldn’t know this, but women are familiar with this: “bra bulge” at their backs.
Here’s the thing about the back: It’s so much more than just a problem area to target. Your back muscles are integral to your bodily function, and as long as you treat your back right with the following exercises, you won’t just get rid of back fat, you’ll also get stronger, have better posture and be more functional in your daily movements.
Now, let’s go get you that sexy back.
1. Push Up!
In this exercise, you’re going to be in a standard push-up position, but with your arms out wider than the typical shoulder-width apart. This move activates the back muscles when you go down and start pushing up. Now here’s the secret sauce to making this move even more effective: When you’re at the lowest point, hold that position for an extra three to five seconds, then push up explosively. As with all exercises, aim to develop and maintain good form before you start increasing the number of repetitions.
2. Dumbbell Lateral & Front Raises
Quick disclaimer: You don’t need to go to a gym for this. Just fill up some water bottles and use those at home if you want.
Here are how the exercises look:
The good thing about these raises are that both help you tone and engage the upper back and arms at the same time. You’ll get toned arms in addition to blasting that back fat!
3. Side Plank
This move is a yoga variant you can use when you want to work out using slow, deliberate movements to train muscle control and attain extra endurance. It is also a great way to tone your muscles. It’s gentle and simple, yet challenging to the body.
The side plank engages the back, abs, sides of the torso, and arms. In order to get maximum effect, you should start in a push up position, then slowly raise one arm to the side. Remember to keep your core muscles tight, breathe slowly and rotate your hips as your arm goes higher. Once your arm is high in the sky, it’s time to hold the pose for as long as you can. Bring your arm back down the same way you raised it, and remember to do it in a slow, controlled manner.
4. Back Extensions
Back extensions are almost always under-utilised. Most people do them after they get back injuries in a bid to strengthen their back muscles. We recommend doing them way before you injure your back, simply because this exercise can be done at home at almost any time. Lie flat, facing on the ground and isolate your upper body as you come up gently. If you do it right, you’ll start feeling muscle fatigue along the middle and upper back. It’s great for building strength, and giving you superb posture.
5. Cardio Up
Okay, so you’ve done it all: every back exercise recommended here and in the known universe. Now you want to accelerate the process because it feels slow. You need to do some form of cardio. You can swim, bike, run, rock climb or use the treadmills. Choose one activity that will spike your heart rate for 15-20 minutes per session and do it two to three times a week. You’ll say goodbye back fat in no time!
