Monkey on your back? Or is it the dreaded back/bra fat?
A lot of women (and men) store their unused energy (fat) in their back. Some hide it well using baggier shirts or even a slimming device designed to keep it all together.
Whatever the case, it's embarrassing to those that have it. The good news is, there is a way to get rid of it!
Exercise and diet! How dare I day the D word! The fact of the matter is, somewhere along the lines of your food intake, you are consuming a lot more carbs than you are expending. The end result is what you see above.
Some people store it in their hips, butt, lower abdomen, and some store it where it will find a spot to cozy up to!
In order to take control of this situation you will want to add more cardio to your routine. You need to burn the unused calories. Another way to do this is by lifting weights. I'm not talking lifting like Arnold either. The popular fitness myth is that working a certain area of your body, also called "spot reduction", will solve the problem. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
The most important concept to understand for anyone looking to lose fat anywhere on their body or for weight loss is caloric balance.
Simply put, when you consume as many calories as you expend you will not lose back fat weight.
When you consume more calories than you expend, you will gain body fat and weight. Conversely, if you expend more calories than you burn you will lose back fat and weight.
It is important to consider that this caloric deficit must consistently occur over a period of time to make a noticeable difference. Consider each pound of body fat equals 3500 calories (that math doesn't change) and you can easily figure out that you must successfully maintain a 500 calorie caloric deficit daily for a month in order to lose 4 pounds of body fat.
Where do I start?
Cardiovascular exercise should be the base of your exercise routine if getting rid of back fat is the primary goal. Cardiovascular exercise, specifically high intensity interval cardio (HiiT) burns a large amount of calories which is important because it will significantly contribute to attaining a negative caloric balance.
Regardless of whether you have little or a lot of back fat you would like to lose, cardiovascular exercise is an absolute necessity. If you happen to have only a small amount of stubborn back fat, challenging yourself with high intensity exercise is most important.
Weight Training
Full body weight training is another great way to boost your metabolism by maintaining the muscle you have during a fat loss program. It is important to concentrate on full body weight training for a number of reasons. First, concentrating on the "problem muscles" is not going to burn fat which is covering them, but build the muscles below the body fat and possible making the area appear to be even fatter.
A full body weight training program trains the major muscle groups of the body equally so it will efficiently burn the most amount of calories possible. A balanced, full-body weight training program will train all muscle groups effectively but not over-train them. Over-training a muscle group when on a low calorie, fat loss diet can lead to excessive muscle breakdown or as mentioned before could build the isolated muscles under the body fat instead of burning it.
Below are some examples of back exercises that you can add to your over-all weight training.
Pull ups:
3 sets of 10-12 reps if you can do it. Women, I know this is a difficult exercise because we are naturally weaker in that area, but you can use a chair underneath as a tool to help push yourself up. (
or you can do a reverse, or negative, pull up.)
Seated Rows:
3 sets of 8-12 reps.
This exercise can be done with a machine found at the gym or with a band at home. If using a band, wrap it around a doorknob, table leg, your feet or other sturdy object. Hold the handles. Lift your elbows up to just about shoulder height with your palms facing the floor. Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and draw your elbows straight back. Keep your hands and forearms parallel to the ground; do not bend the wrists or lift the hands. Then slowly bring the elbows back forward.
Bent Over Rows
3 Sets of 8-12 res on each side.
The bent over row is an effective exercise to target the upper back, where back fat usually is found. Place your left knee up on a bench or chair to support the back. Hold a weight in your right hand. Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze the shoulder blades together as you lift the weight up. Lift your right hand about waist high. Do not twist the body as you lift. Then slowly lower the weight.
Back Hyper-extension
3 sets of 8-12 reps
The back hyper extension exercise will tone your overall back. It can be done on a special bench in a gym or while on a ball. If using a ball, place it on the floor. Place your hip bones against the ball. (A common mistake is to lie on your stomach; this does not target the muscles correctly.) Clasp your hands behind your head. Tighten the muscles of the back and buttocks and lift up off the ball so you are arching your back. Then lower back down onto the ball.
*If you have back pain, just arch as much as you can without hurting your back. As the muscles strengthen, you will be able to lift up higher. Do three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.
Checklist:
Proper Diet (balancing your carbs and eating the proper amount of calories)
Cardio Exercise
Weight Training Exercise
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