16 Best Exercises To Reduce Back Fat For Women + Diet Tips

Many exercises help get rid of back fat. But why should you be concerned about back fat? Well, back fat is linked to low carb tolerance, insulinⁱ  A natural hormone that regulates and metabolizes sugar in the blood. It is released when blood glucose levels rise, such as after meals. resistance, and high testosteroneⁱ  A male sex hormone produced in the testicles responsible for the development of reproductive tissues and bodily growth. levels. Those with more back fat are more prone to diabetes and PCOSⁱ  A metabolic condition characterized by hormonal imbalances during the reproductive years of a woman, leading to irregular or no periods. . Exercising to reduce body fat percentage as well as reducing back fat can potentially help reverse the risk of the aforementioned health issues. Exercises like lateral raises, mountain climbers, upright rows, overhead presses, bicep curls, box jumps, tricep extensions, and high knees help build strength and core as well as back and shoulder muscles. Continue reading to learn about the exercises that target your rhomboidsⁱ  Two superficial, bilateral muscles located in the upper back that connect the shoulder blade to the ribs and spine. , lats, traps, and erector spinae to strengthen and tone your back, and reduce the appearance of hip dips. Take a look at these best 16 back fat exercises and the foods to eat and avoid. Scroll down!

Workout Blueprint: Exercises To Reduce Back Fat

• Frequency: 1-3 times per week
• Benefits: Improve strength and endurance and tone upper body muscles.
• Equipment Needed: Mat, dumbbell, bench, lat machine, squat rack, cable machine.
• Space Required: Large area
• Assistance Required: Yes, for certain exercises
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with back pain or shoulder injury.

16 Exercises To Get Rid Of Back Fat

efore you get started with the exercises for back fat, you should always warm up.

Get a solid 10-minute warm-up to prep your body for the workout blast. Here’s what you should do.

• Head tilts – 1 set of 10 reps
• Neck turns – 1 set of 10 reps
• Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps
• Wrist circles – 1 set of 10 reps
• Shoulder circles – 1 set of 10 reps
• Waist circles – 1 set of 10 reps
• Side lunges – 1 set of 10 reps
• Calf raises – 2 sets of 10 reps
• Jumping jacks – 2 sets of 20 reps
• Spot jogging – 3 minutes
• Standing upper body twist – 1 set of 10 reps
• Standing alternate toe touch – 1 set of 15 reps
• Standing side crunches – 1 set of 10 reps
• Ankle circles – 1 set of 10 reps
• Russian twists – 2 sets of 16 reps
• Burpees – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Battle ropes – 10 minutes

Now, you are ready for your back exercises. And if your focus is upper back, here’s how to get rid of upper back fat.

1. Bent Over Row

Target – Lats, rhomboids, rear delts, traps, and biceps.

How To Do Bent Over Row

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet close together.
2. Bend forward, push your hips back so that your spine stays long, flex your knees a little, roll back your shoulders, open your chest, and look straight ahead. This is your starting position.
3. Keeping your core engaged, flex your elbows and partially curl your arms. Simultaneously, pull your upper arms back until your elbows reach just behind your shoulders.
4. Bring your arms back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Do not round your shoulders and bend down. Roll your shoulders back and then do this exercise to target the back muscles.

2. One Arm Dumbbell Row

Target – Lats, rhomboids, erector spinae, lower traps, rotator cuffs, shoulder blades, biceps, and core.

How To Do One-Arm Dumbbell Row

1. Place your right knee on a flat bench, and your right hand on the bench. Keep your palm flat, spine in line with your buttocks, left leg a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and left knee bent a little.
2. Pick up the dumbbell with your left hand. Keep your left hand extended downward, and loosen up your neck. Keep your shoulders pinched back, look down, and keep your core engaged. This is the starting position.
3. Flex your left elbow and pull the dumbbell up till it almost reaches your armpit.
4. Slowly, lower your hand to the starting position.
5. After finishing one set, do the same with the right hand.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Keep your spine in a neutral position and your foot flat on the ground.

3. Bent Over Rear Delt Raises

Target – Lats and posterior deltoidsⁱ  A large, triangular muscle that surrounds the shoulder joint and helps elevate the arm away from the side of the body. .

How To Do Bent Over Rear Delt Raises

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend over by pushing your hips slightly out, extend your hands in front of you at a 45-degree angle, push your upper back down, roll your shoulders back, and look straight down. Push your chest forward, and keep your core engaged. This is the starting position.
2. Bend the elbows slightly and pull your arms back till your elbows point toward the ceiling.
3. Slowly, bring your arms back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 15 reps

Tip – Keep your spine in the neutral position.

4. Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

Target – Lats, teres muscles, trapeziusⁱ  A large muscle that begins from the base of your neck, runs across the shoulders and extends to the middle of the back. , rhomboids, infraspinatusⁱ  A triangle muscle that helps elevate the arm and turn it outward. It is positioned at the back of the shoulder. , serratus muscles, shoulders, and biceps.

How To Do Wide Grip Lat Pulldown

1. Grab the bent part of the overhead wide bar attached to the pulley on the lat pulldown machine. Pull it down and sit facing the machine, with the knees underneath the pads, spine straight, chest out, shoulders rolled back, core engaged, and feet flat on the ground.
2. Lean slightly backward and pull the rod down with your elbows flexing and moving first down and then back until the rod almost touches your upper chest.
3. Release the rod slowly until your hands are fully extended up.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Do not release the rod too quickly. Control the motion to work the back muscles properly for a good and effective workout with lat pulldowns.

5. Underhand Cable Pulldown

Target – Lats, deltoids, biceps, and lower back.

How To Do Underhand Cable Pulldown

1. Sit down facing the lat machine with an overhead wide bar attached to the pulley. Your hands must be closer than shoulder-width distance apart and the palms facing you.
2. Hold the bar and adjust the knee pads so that they are just above your knees. Keep your feet flat on the ground, and hands fully extended overhead.
3. Lean back a little and push your chest out.
4. Breathe out and pull the bar down until it almost touches your upper chest. Bring your shoulders and elbows back.
5. Breathe in and slowly release the bar back to the starting position (where your arms were fully extended overhead).

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Squeeze the back muscles when you reach the fully contracted position. Also, keep your elbows close to the body.

6. Lying Lat Pullover

Target – Lats, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and core.

How To Do Lying Lat Pullover

1. Lie down flat on the mat with your knees flexed and feet flat on the ground. Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand and bring them right above your chest by fully extending your hands. Touch the dumbbells, chest out, shoulders rolled back, and keep your core engaged. This is your starting position.
2. Breathe out and move the dumbbells from over your chest to over your head (not forehead).
3. Breathe in and bring your hands back up directly above your chest.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Make sure to keep your core engaged when you do this exercise.

7. Seated Cable Row

Target – Trapezius, lats, erector spinae, deltoids, biceps, and wrist flexors.

How To Do Seated Cable Row

1. Sit down on the bench facing the lat machine. Grab the lower close-grip attachment that is attached to the pulley. Keep your knees slightly bent, feet on the footrest below, arms fully extended, chest out, and sit straight. This is your starting position.
2. Pull the shoulder blades down and back, followed by the bending of the elbows, and pull the attachment close to your abs.
3. Slowly bring your arms back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Do not draw your elbows out, shrug, or pull your upper torso back while attempting seated cable rows.

8. Bent Over Barbell Row

Target – Lats, rhomboids, traps, rear delts, and biceps.

How To Do Bent Over Barbell Row

1. Grab the barbell with a narrow grip. Keep your hands fully extended down, roll back your shoulders, chest out, core engaged, and head in line with your spine. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and knees slightly bent. Push your hips out a little, and keep your upper torso at 45 degrees with the floor.
2. Pull the barbell up until it almost touches your abs.
3. Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – You can also do this exercise with a wide grip to target your rear deltoids.

9. Inverted Row

Target – Lats, shoulders, biceps, and chest.

How To Do Inverted Row

1. You need a squat rack with a bar set at half your height. Make sure that the bar is not moving around.
2. Hold the bar with a close grip with the palms facing out, legs extended, feet flat on the ground, and hands fully extended.
3. Exhale and pull your body up. Inhale and go back down.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 10 reps

Tip – You can use a wide grip with the palms facing you or an underhand grip to target the biceps, delts, and lats.

10. Reverse Fly

Target – Rhomboid, traps, rear delts, and chest.

How To Do Reverse Fly

1. Grab a light dumbbell in each hand and get into a bent over position.
2. Move your hands away from each other till they reach the shoulder level. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Lower your hands back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 12 reps

Tip – Keep your head in line with your spine during reverse flyes.

11. Bench Dumbbell Pullover

Target – Lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and triceps.

How To Do Bench Dumbbell Pullover

1. Sit at the edge of a flat bench. Hold a dumbbell with both your hands, lie down, and lift it up directly above your chest. Keep your arms extended, your elbows slightly bent, and palms pressed against the underside of the upper plates. This is the starting position.
2. Inhale and lower your hands behind your head in an arching motion.
3. Exhale and lift the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 15 reps

Tip – You can do this exercise on a decline bench as well.

Quick Tip

Lifting weights is not recommended if you have back pain as it can affect your lower lower back and exacerbate your pain.

12. Superman Pose

Target – Back, glutes, and hamstrings.

How To Do Superman Pose

1. Lie down on your stomach on a mat. Keep your feet and arms spread out.
2. Lift your right arm up, followed by your left leg. Simultaneously, lift your head three inches off the ground. Keep your abs and glutes squeezed in.
3. Hold this for 3 seconds. Release by bringing your head, arm, and leg down.
4. Switch to the other side. Along with your head, lift your left arm and right leg this time.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 10 reps

Tip – You can also use a gym ball to do this exercise.

13. Bicycle Crunches

Target – Back extensors, erector spinae, rear deltoids, abs, and glutes.

How To Do Bird Dog Crunches

1. Get on your hands and knees on the floor in a quadruped or ‘dog’ position.
2. Take your right arm straight out and extend your left leg straight behind you.
3. Do a crunch by bringing your knee and elbow to meet each other.
4. Extend them back to the starting position and then repeat.

Sets And Reps –

2 sets of 15 reps

Tip – If you experience neck pain while doing this exercise, you are not doing it right. Keep your neck in a neutral position.

14. Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs

Target – Traps, shoulders, and neck.

How To Do Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs

1. Stand with your feet close together, hold a dumbell in each hand, roll your shoulders back.
2. Now, lift your shoulders toward your ears.
3. Hold the pose for a moment and lower your shoulders.

Sets And Reps –

3 sets of 10 reps

Tip – Make sure to roll your shoulders back and do this exercise to target the back muscles.

15. Cat-Cow Pose

Finish your back exercise routine with the Cat-Cow Pose to relax and reduce the chances of back injury.

Target – Upper back, lower back, chest, shoulder, and hips.

How To Do Cat-Cow Pose

1. Position yourself on a yoga mat with your hands and knees touching it.
2. Lift your head up while inhaling slowly. At the same time, arch your back in a concave shape.
3. Exhale slowly, contract your abs, bring your head down, and round your back.

Sets And Reps –

1 set of 20 reps

Quick Tip

While doing this exercise, you can keep your neck in line with your torso during both poses if you have a neck injury. If your wrists hurt, you can rest your forearms on the floor.

16. Side Jackknife

Target –

Abdominal muscles, oblique muscles, lower back, and core

How To Do Side Jackknife

1. Lie on your right side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other. Rest your right arm under your head for support. Bend your left hand and place it behind your head.
2. Lift your left leg and upper body toward the ceiling as you bring your left elbow and knee toward each other. Contract your muscles as you crunch.
3. Slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position without letting it touch the ground.
4. Perform the desired number of repetitions. You can then switch sides and repeat the exercise on your left side.

Sets And Reps –

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side

Tips- Avoid straining your neck; your neck should stay in a neutral position aligned with your spine.

These are the 16 back sculpting and back fat burning exercises. Apart from doing these workouts for back fat, you must also follow a well-balanced and healthy diet to lose back fat. Here are the lists of foods to eat and avoid.

Foods To Eat 

• Veggies – Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, scallions, eggplant, kale, spinach, chive, radish greens, Swiss chard, rocket spinach, carrot, and beetroot.
• Fruits – Watermelon, muskmelon (without sugar), apple, banana, pineapple, plum, peach, and berries.

• Protein – Eggs, fish, soy, tofu, mushroom, chicken breast, ground turkey, beans, and legumes.

• Dairy – Full-fat milk, full-fat yogurt, buttermilk, homemade ricotta and cottage cheese.

• Nuts And Seeds – Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine, macadamia, hazelnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

• Whole Grains – Brown rice, red rice, black rice, oats, buckwheat, wheat flour, and sorghum.

• Fats And Oils – Olive oil, rice bran oil, peanut butter, sunflower butter, and almond butter.

• Herbs And Spices – Cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, mint, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, mace, nutmeg, saffron, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and sage.

Kisha Rose, a fitness enthusiast, details why it is impossible to spot-reduce fat. She explains that a calorie-deficit diet and exercise can speed up the process of losing back fat. In her case, it took around a month to lose back fat. According to her recommendation, it is important to consume sufficient protein while avoiding refined salt. She added, “I started off with HIIT, and that’s high-intensity interval training, and I did that for 17 minutes and then went into my burnout after the HIIT workout with some resistance training (i). ”

Foods To Avoid 

• Bread
• Flour pasta
• Fries
• Ready-to-eat noodles
• Rice noodles
• Fried chicken
• Frozen foods
• Processed food
• Potato wafers
• Biscuits
• Cookies made with refined flour and sugar
• High GI fruits like mango and grapes
• Canned food
• Hormone-treated meat
• Alcohol

In addition, stay hydrated throughout the day by consuming lots of water to enhance general health and metabolism. Get enough sleep every night for proper rest and maintaining hormonal balance, both of which can help you in fat loss.

When trying to lose back fat, avoiding specific foods is essential. This strategy, when combined with strategic dietary adjustments, may improve fat reduction and encourage a healthier body composition. Scroll down to know more.

Dietary Changes To Support Fat Loss

Increasing your protein and fiber intake. This may help reduce back fat by increasing satiety and building muscles. Go for lean protein sources, such as turkey, tofu, chicken, fish, and lentils, which help the body burn more calories throughout the day by boosting metabolism in addition to supporting muscle maintenance. Promoting a feeling of fullness by consuming fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. This will keep unhealthy cravings at bay and prevent overeating.

Infographic: Effective Exercises To Reduce Back Fat In Women

Adding certain effective and targeted training exercises into your workout routine helps reduce back fat. The exercises target lats, biceps, shoulder blades, lower traps, teres and serratus muscles, and the core. Click on the infographic below to learn about the best exercises to reduce back fat in women.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to lose back fat?

Regular cardio, strength training, and a healthy diet may result in back fat loss within 2 – 3 weeks.

Does walking help get rid of back fat?

Yes, walking helps in burning overall body fat loss, including back fat.

Does running get rid of lower back fat?

Yes, running helps get rid of lower back fat. However, you have to couple it with a healthy and balanced diet.

What is the best cardio workout for back fat?

A rowing machine is considered the best cardio for losing back fat.

Is cycling good for back fat?

Cycling is specifically effective for getting rid of back fat. It helps burn calories and strengthen your back muscles.

Illustration: Best Exercises To Reduce Back Fat For Women + Diet Tips

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Discover the ways to get rid of back fat quickly with these easy exercises in this video! Get a toned back in no time with this simple routine. Check it out now!

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Nathan KadlecekPT, DPT

   

Nathan Kadlecek, PT, DPT is a Columbia University-trained doctor of physical therapy who is passionate about improving healthcare for people by focusing on enhancing their quality of life. He specializes in musculoskeletal injuries, pain, and strength and conditioning.

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Charushila BiswasHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 6 years, she has authored more than 400 articles on diet, lifestyle, exercises, healthy food, and fitness equipment. She strives to inform, educate, and motivate her readers via authentic, straightforward, and fact-checked information.

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