Upper back fat is a common problem. It is associated with underlying health problems like low carbohydrate tolerance, insulin resistance, and excess testosterone. If unattended, it might give rise to severe complications like diabetes, PCOS, and infertility.
The great news is shedding upper back fat is simpler than you think. Give it 3 weeks, and you can see a visibly toned upper back. Here are a few tips for losing back fat fast.
What Causes Back Fat?
Back fat accumulates slowly over time, causes include:
- Eating excess salt or sugar, which can contribute to inflammation in the body.
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Eating too many calories
- Weak posture can make back fat appear obvious
- Natural aging process
Starting from age 30, each ten-year period becomes more prominent how difficult it is to shift, particularly around the ‘muffin tops,’ ‘love handles,’ and behind the bra strap.’
Unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce body fat. So it’s a case of lowering it holistically, rather than concentrating on particular areas.
Where Is Your Back Fat?
Back fat can impact in a few different areas. Most women and men experience fat in one of these 3 areas:
- Upper back fat: excess fat that spills over behind the bra strap
- Mid-back fat: fat folds behind 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 at your back and hold the other mirror in your hand. Be sure you stand up tall, so the lines of your body are noticeable. You should be able to identify the worrying area.
How to get rid of Back Fat
To get rid of fat deposits behind your back, you will need to start by making a caloric deficit. That means that you will need to burn extra calories during the day than you eat [3].
Besides cutting calories, you will get rid of back fat more quickly if you focus your exercise regimen on targeting your upper and lower back muscles.
Adding HIIT (high-intensity interval exercise) to your regimen, along with working out these particular muscles, will start to give you the desired results.
How to create a caloric deficit
A caloric deficit doesn’t have to be drastic to affect your weight. It can take 3,500 calories to equal a pound. If you decrease your caloric intake by 300 to 500 calories each day, you’ll begin to lose a pound or two each week. It may take a couple of weeks for your body to respond to cutting calories.
The simplest way to create a caloric deficit is to cut back on foods that are rich in calories but low in nutritional value. Cutting out sugary drinks, bleached and processed grains, and foods with many artificial preservatives can be a great place to begin.
Another method to create a caloric deficit is to beef up your exercise regimen. Burning 300 to 500 calories at the gymnasium, apart from cutting 300 to 500 calories daily from your diet, will maximize your weight loss results.
Diet to get rid of Back Fat
Eating a diet that’s low in sodium and rich in fiber can help you trim “water weight” and excess fat that your body might be stored in your back region. Some of the best weight-loss supportive foods include [4]:
- hard-boiled eggs
- avocados
- broccoli and cauliflower
- leafy greens
- salmon and tuna
- lean chicken breast
- sweet potatoes
[Also Read: How to Reduce Tummy Fat Without Dieting]
How to lose Back Fat?
Fat-burning exercises for the lower back
These exercises focus the muscles in your lower back muscles, including your extensors and obliques. The exercises can be done at the gymnasium or home, with minimal exercise equipment required. It is one of the best ways to lose back fat. Lose back fat with these simple exercises.
1. Reverse hip raise with an exercise ball
- This low-impact exercise is a simple way to start toning your back and easy on your hips.
- Begin by lying with your tummy on the exercise ball, your eyes looking at the ground. Your legs should be bent at the knee, and your palms should be flat on the floor.
- Press your glute muscles together and balance on the ball while you press your legs together and up. The ball should remain stable during this process.
- Hold this pose for many seconds, then lower your legs. Repeat multiple times, increasing the length of time you hold the hip raise if you are able to.
2. Side jackknife
This exercise aims your obliques, which are on your abdomen, and impacts your lower back area and “love handles.”
- With your legs stacked over each other, lie on your right side.
- Put your left hand behind your head. You can rest your right hand wherever you feel at ease.
- Press your obliques as you draw your left leg up toward your left arm, which must remain stable on your head. You will be bringing the bent left arm toward your left knee.
Repeat multiple times before switching to the opposite side.
[Also Read: Exercises for Belly Fat]
How to lose upper back fat?
Fat-burning exercises for the upper back
Lateral raises with dumbbells
- This simple weight exercise works the muscles right under your neck. And working out with weights can help spike your metabolism for an entire day.
- Stand with a dumbbell in both hands, facing forward. You can also alter this movement by performing it from a sitting position. You do not have to use a lot of weight, either — doing lots of reps with lighter weights might be excellent for toning your back.
- Slowly lift the weights with your arms spread straight out, until your arms are parallel with the floor. Don’t “shrug” or squeeze your shoulders or while you do this.
- Return your arms to your body with control. Take a deep breath, and repeat 12 to 14 times for one set.
Bottom Line
It’s a misconception that you can target just one place in your body to shed weight. But by doing exercises that target your back, along with cutting calories and eating a healthy diet, you can tone up that region of your body. Consistency is the key here. It’s also useful to have a support system.
Buddy up on a weight-loss app or at the gym to give yourself a better chance to succeed. Remember that each person’s body has limitations, and you do not have to see them as defects. Be patient with the body you have while you work toward your health targets.
