Do you cringe when you turn your head to look at yourself in the mirror? You’ll want to know how to lose that unattractive back fat.
A pudgy hind profile can be disconcerting. Fortunately, there are exercises you can do to make it less unsightly. Making lifestyle changes is also part of the answer to getting rid of back fat.
How does fat accumulate?
So, how does it build up? It has everything to do with how active you are and your diet.
1. Activity level
Take stock of how busy you are. If you find yourself sitting most of the time, you’re not likely to burn off the excess fat on your back. Your metabolism will decrease, and you will gain and notlose weight.
2. Diet
As the old saying goes, ‘you are what you eat.’ Consider where you get your food. Do you love luncheon meat and sausages? Or do you prefer natural, organic meals? Fast food from restaurants is usually junk food. It is calorific and full of carbohydrates. Though the body needs these items to function, excessive amounts of them lead to weight gain.
11 Reasons Why Back Fat Is Difficult to Lose
Fat doesn’t just accumulate on the back. It collects in other places too. If you have excessive body fat, you are obese. You increase your risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, depression, cancer, apnea, hypertension, and stroke. It’s also hard to lose, and here’s why.
1. Not enough exercise
First of all, you’re probably too easy on yourself when it comes to regular exercise. That’s why it’s hard to get rid of that ‘muffin top.’ Patience is never easy, but you will get a lean back if you work out consistently.
2. Water
Also, water flushes toxins from the body. You don’t want to limit your intake, and you may find yourself eating less. Of course, water helps you lose weight. Drink lots of it, though not too much at once to avoid water poisoning. Drinking water about half an hour before eating reduces your need for food.
3. Variation
The same exercise routine, performed in the same way daily can be mundane and draining. Switching things up once in a while can motivate you to progress with your workouts.
4. Not enough rest
Everyone has a lot on their plates but must learn to discard some items when they are too full. Our bodies need rest. If they are worn, they will not function optimally.
5. Stress
Hormones like cortisol, which triggers anxiety, may prevent your body from burning fat. Your mental well-being deserves attention; recharge when necessary, or you will not do your best work. This study shows the connection between cortisol and weight gain.
6. Not enough fuel
Your body needs fuel, just as your car does. Carbohydrates are the body’s fuel, and filling it up with the right ones makes a difference. Refined carbs, sugar, and processed foods slow it down. Fill it with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
7. Focus on your back
Your back muscles are the rhomboids, trapezoids, lattissimus dorsi, and the erector spinae. Make sure that your workout routine includes these muscles so that they are well-proportioned.
8. Too much alcohol
Furthermore, alcoholic drinks contain calories. There are about seven calories per gram of alcohol. Too many alcoholic beverages add weight, and consequently, back fat.
9. Diet
Moreover, exercise isn’t enough to eliminate ugly back fat. A bad diet will spoil the physique you worked hard to build in the gym. An eating plan consisting of fiber and lean protein will keep it fit.
10. Weak Cardio
You will need to spend some time doing cardiovascular exercises if you want to get rid of your back fat. Running, swimming, and Zumba are suitable cardiovascular exercises.
11. Lack of resistance training
Finally, your workout should have back exercises, which involve resistance training. Lifting weights would keep your back muscles in shape.
How to lose back fat with these eight exercises
The right exercises are the perfect way to lose back fat. Doing them every day will keep fat off your back and the rest of your body as well.
1. Pull-ups
People, women, in particular, get a little edgy when doing pull-ups because they have a bit of a learning curve. Dislike them though you might, they are a top defense against back fat. They tone up all the muscles in your back. You may modify them to make them doable; they will still be efficient.
a. Negative Pull-ups
Stand on a stool and hoist yourself up the pull-up bar. Get into the end pull-up position. Slowly lower your body in controlled movement.
b. Assisted Pull-up machine
All gyms have assisted pull-up machines, but they are sadly empty. However, they are an excellent tool for doing pull-ups. Most gyms will show you how to use one.
c. Inverted TRX
This machine exercises work out all the muscles of your upper back. All gyms have a TRX band that you can use. Trainers will also show you how to use it.
2. Dumbbell Row
The Dumbell Row gets the upper back in shape. Place a knee on a chair, table or bench. Carry a three-to-five pound weight in your hand. Pull your arm backward in a straight motion. Contract your upper back and let your elbow skim the side of your body. Do 12 repetitions of this and use the other arm.
3. Renegade Row
In a plank position, stretch your arms out to straight, underneath your shoulders. Squeeze your butt and pull your arms back into your spine. Carry a three-to-five pound weight in each hand. Pull the weight back in a row move, engaging the upper back and delts.
4. T.Y.I Exercise
Lie with your abs on the floor or balance on a physiotherapy ball, carrying a three-pound dumbbell in each hand. Engage your back muscles and move your arms into an I. This exercises the delts, essential for posture.
5. Push-Ups
Push-ups work your chest muscles and are an excellent back exercise as well. Get into a push-up position, putting your hands on the ground, more than a shoulder’s width apart. Engage your back and lower yourself gradually, and concentrate on the downward movement. When you reach the bottom, hold for 3 seconds before pushing upward. Contract your chest.
6. Jumping Rope
Jumping rope isn’t only a kid’s game – this exercise works out the upper back too. It is also a cardio workout that burns fat.
7. Upper Body Cycle
The upper body bike is another gym tool that is always empty. That’s a waste because it’s excellent for your triceps and back. Try pedaling back for an even more effective workout.
8. Rowing Machine
Rowing machines are well-received because it targets back muscles. A row movement focuses on your back muscles.
How to lose back fat with these lifestyle changes
Making a few lifestyle changes along with eating the right foods will help you get rid of that ugly back fat. We suggest a few.
1. Eat sweet potato
First of all, you may think that can’t lose your back fat if you’re addicted to carbohydrates. Don’t be mistaken – not all carbs are enemies of the beautiful body. Sweet potatoes are ideal carbs because they leave you feeling full. They also have antioxidants and carotenoids. They are perfect for patients with diabetes because they stabilize blood sugar and enable insulin resistance.
2. Watch Your Sleep Schedule
Cutting back your sleep can reduce the leptin in your body. This hormone prevents hunger, and this is not good news for back fat. Your appetite increases as your leptin levels drop. You tend to overindulge in food. Get a consistent amount of sleep every night. An erratic sleep schedule tends to make hormones shift.
3. Stay Hydrated
We may merely be dehydrated when we think we’re hungry. We may believe that we are starving, but we are thirsty. Eight glasses of water can fill us up without causing you to gain calories. Citrus fruits are an excellent substitute if you’re tired of water. They contain d-limonene, which helps our bodies get rid of toxins and fats. So, water does keep us slim.
4. Take in Fiber
Fiber controls your hunger pangs and keeps you full. Oat bran is the ideal source of fiber because one cup of it gives at least 20 grams of protein. Others are rye, barley, or Jerusalem bread. Another example is oligofructose, which boosts ghrelin.
5. Fight Inflammation
It’s difficult to sculpt the Body Beautiful when you have back fat. Refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods can lead to chronic inflammation. They also result in drowsiness and indigestion. Flavonoids, found in strawberries and blueberries, can help you trim your back.
6. Watch your diet
A busy day at the office doesn’t mean that you have to gain weight. Spend some time preparing healthy meals. Don’t give in to the temptation of frozen dinners, as they add to the fat not only on your back but the rest of your body as well.
7. Vary Your Calories
Another answer way to lose back fat is to take in a set number of calories. You can keep back fat at bay by regulating your calories. Doing this will get your body used to a consistent amount of calories. This discipline results in weight loss over time.
8. Replace Your Fork with Chopsticks
Eating with chopsticks may help you stay slim. It’s hard for your brain to register that it is full if you eat with a fork. However, don’t order Chinese takeout too often – you’ll have an oversupply of calories.
9. Brew Some Matcha
By now, we’ve all probably heard of green tea’s fat-busting effects. This study proves that it has catechins, which help weight loss. Make way for Matcha green tea, an even more powerful cousin. It has more EGCG, an antioxidant, that increases CCK, another hormone that gets rid of hunger. A matcha shake will take the fat off your back.
10. Avoid salt
Salt isn’t as innocent as it looks. It can contribute to an unsightly bra bulge. Research proves that it causes obesity in children. The daily recommended intake of salt is 2300 milligrams a day. It prevents weight gain because of water retention and will stop you from eating more than you should. You won’t carry extra water either.
As you have seen from the above, losing back fat is not that difficult as it may seem. Make a few lifestyle changes, do some exercise and you will soon get rid of it.
