Don’t turn your back on back fat! Because those drooping back folds are associated with insulin resistance, high testosterone, and low carb tolerance. To be specific, if you have back fat, you are at the risk of diabetes, PCOs, and infertility. To get rid of back fat, you must eat healthy and exercise the back muscles. These muscles – the lats, traps, erector spinae, rhomboids, etc. – support your spine and back, aid daily movements, strengthen your shoulders, chest, and core, and improve posture. Here are 10 exercises and a list of foods to eat and avoid to get rid of back fat. Read on.
1. Bent Over Row
Target – Lats, rhomboids, rear delts, traps, and biceps.
How To Do Bent Over Row
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet close together.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Flex your left elbow and pull the dumbbell up till it almost reaches your armpit.
- Slowly, lower your hand to the starting position.
- 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 deltoids.
How To Do Bent Over Rear Delt Raises
- 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.
- Bend the elbows slightly and pull your arms back till your elbows point toward the ceiling.
- 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, trapezius, rhomboids, infraspinatus, serratus muscles, shoulders, and biceps.
How To Do Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
5. Underhand Cable Pulldown
Target – Lats, deltoids, biceps, and lower back.
How To Do Underhand Cable Pulldown
- 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.
- 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.
- Lean back a little and push your chest out.
- Breathe out and pull the bar down until it almost touches your upper chest. Bring your shoulders and elbows back.
- 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
- 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.
- Breathe out and move the dumbbells from over your chest to over your head (not forehead).
- 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
- 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.
- Pull the shoulder blades down and back, followed by the bending of the elbows, and pull the attachment close to your abs.
- 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 rowing.
8. Bent Over Barbell Row
Target – Lats, rhomboids, traps, rear delts, and biceps.
How To Do Bent Over Barbell Row
- 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.
- Pull the barbell up until it almost touches your abs.
- 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
- You need a squat rack with a bar set at half your height. Make sure that the bar is not moving around.
- Hold the bar with a close grip with the palms facing out, legs extended, feet flat on the ground, and hands fully extended.
- 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
- Grab a light dumbbell in each hand and get into a bent over position.
- Move your hands away from each other till they reach the shoulder level. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- 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.
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