Do you want to learn how to get rid of back fat?
You are in the right place!
In this post, you will learn 15 simple back fat exercises you can do from home.
The best part?
All these exercises are beginner friendly.
Let’s get started!
Disclaimer
Although I am a doctor, I am not your doctor. This information is for informational purposes only and should not substitute the advice from your healthcare professional. All kinds of exercise and dietary changes are potentially dangerous, and those who do not seek counsel from the appropriate health care authority assume the liability of any injury which may occur. Please read my full Disclaimer for more information. Also, this post may contain affiliate links: meaning I may receive a commission if you use them.
What exercises get rid of back fat?
You need to understand one very important thing when getting rid of fat.
Exercise will not directly get rid of fat.
Studies show that you cannot target fat loss in your back, abs, legs, or anywhere else.
That’s because two things primarily determine fat loss:
- Your diet: The more calories you consume, the less likely you are to lose fat. Exercise can help burn calories, but fat loss will never happen if you ignore the foods you eat.
- Your genetics: You are unique. Every woman carries fat in different locations. When you begin to lose fat, you may or may not lose it from the spots you desire at first.
So the key takeaway is this:
You need to focus on dietary changes AND exercise to lose fat anywhere in your body.
A recent 2021 study outlines these key driving factors for fat loss.
The following exercises will help you develop lean muscle tone in your back, but they alone won’t help you eliminate the dreaded bra strap fat.
Now let’s talk about the best exercises to begin targeting your back muscles.
15 Back Fat Exercises You Can Do Without Equipment (Good For Beginners)
Okay, so let’s go over the most effective exercises for the back.
The good news is these exercises are great for beginners with little to no experience.
Exercises On Your Stomach
Prone Lat Pull Down
The first exercise is the prone lat pull down.
This exercise will strengthen your lats, posterior shoulders, and upper back muscles.
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie face down on the floor.
- Raise your arms overhead with your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
- Next, retract your shoulder blades (aka scapulae) and bring your elbows down by your sides as if you wanted to place your elbows in your back pocket.
- Hold this contraction for 1 second and return to the starting position.
- Keep your glutes engaged the entire time, and DO NOT arch your lower back.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Prone Thoracic Extension
Next up are prone thoracic extensions.
This exercise will improve your thoracic mobility while simultaneously activating your upper back muscles.
This is one of the best ways to obtain good posture in your upper back!
Here’s how to do it.
- Lie face down on the floor with your hands cross-linked behind your head.
- From here, make sure to squeeze your glutes and engage your core.
- Lift your head and upper chest off the mat by arching at the upper back ONLY.
- Hold this position for 2-3 seconds and go back down.
- Do not let your low back arch at all.
- You may have a very short range of motion at first. That’s ok. Work within your current abilities.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 10-12 repetitions per set
Super-woman
The next exercise is my favorite, the superwoman. It focuses on strengthening both the upper and the lower back muscles at the same time.
You also do it in a prone position (lying face down).
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead.
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
- From here, lift both arms straight into the air while lifting your feet off the floor.
- Keep your elbows and knees straight, and hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 10-12 repetitions per set
YTW
The next exercise is the YTW. This exercise strengthens the rear delts (posterior shoulder), the lower trapezius, and the rhomboids.
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead and thumbs facing the ceiling.
- Separate your arms to create a “Y” shape, just like the YMCA song.
- Lift your arms off the floor by squeezing your upper back muscles together. Hold this contraction for 2 seconds.
- Next, bring your arms directly out towards your sides. This is the “T” position. Again, lift your arms off the floor (thumbs facing up) and hold this contraction for 2 seconds.
- Lastly, bend your elbows and hold them close to your side to create a “W” shape. Hold that contraction for 2 seconds and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 6-8 repetitions in each position per set
Towel Slide Pulldowns
The last exercise you will do on your stomach is the towel slide. This is similar to the lat pulldown you see in regular gyms.
Any old towel will do.
This exercise will strengthen your lattisimus muscles.
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie face down on the ground and hold a towel in your hands overhead.
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
- Arch your upper back and slide the towel down towards your chest by squeezing your scapulae together.
- Slowly return the towel back overhead by sliding it along the floor.
- Repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions in each position per set
Exercises On Your Back
Now we transition to lying down on our back.
Here are the best back exercises while supine.
Bridge Press Ups
The bridge press-up is a great way to improve mobility while developing your back muscles.
It is also a great way to train your core muscles.
This exercise does require good mobility – but that doesn’t mean you can’t train it.
Just work with whatever range of motion you possess.
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your hand’s palm down by your head, with your fingers pointing toward your heels.
- As always, squeeze your glutes and brace your core before each repetition.
- Press your hands down as you lift your butt off the ground.
- The ultimate goal is to straighten your elbows completely at the movement’s top.
- Control your body back to the starting position.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 10-12 repetitions per set
Supine Bodyweight Flys
The supine bodyweight fly is one of the best exercises for targeting the posterior deltoids and the upper back.
While it may look simple, don’t underestimate how challenging it could be.
Here’s how it looks:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place your arms directly out to your sides with your elbows straight and thumbs up toward the ceiling.
- Next, press your fists into the ground to elevate your upper back off the floor.
- Hold this contraction for 2-3 seconds before releasing the tension.
- Repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Exercises On Your Hands Or Knees
These next two exercises are done in the quadruped position.
Quadruped Straight Arm Pulldowns
This next exercise is fun!
It strengthens the lattisimus muscles, as well as your core.
You’ll need a towel and a sleek floor that will allow the towel to slide.
Here’s how it looks:
- Assume a quadruped position (on your hands and knees).
- Place a towel underneath both your knees.
- Next, place your hands as far out in front of you as possible with your palms flat on the floor and elbows straight.
- From here, brace your core and pull your body forward by pressing your hands back and down on the floor.
- Pretend you are trying to touch your knees with your hands without letting your palms leave the ground or bending your elbows.
- Your lower body should slide along the floor towards your hands.
- Replace your hands out in front of you again and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 6-8 repetitions per set
Plank Rows (AKA Renegade Rows)
Next up is the plank row, my other favorite exercise. This great exercise will train your entire body, not just your back muscles.
Feel free to do this exercise with light dumbbells or just your body weight.
Here’s how it looks:
- Get into a plank position with your feet together and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- As always, keep your core tight and your glutes activated.
- From here, pick up one hand (with a dumbbell if using) and bring your elbow up toward your chest in a straight line.
- Next, rotate your upper body and bring that hand toward the ceiling.
- Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and return to the plank.
- If this exercise is too challenging, you can do it from your knees.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 8-10 repetitions per side.
Standing Back Exercises
In this next section, we will go over back exercises you can do while standing.
Wall Pulls
The first one is the wall pull.
This exercise will strengthen your rhomboids, trapezius, lattisimus, and biceps.
Here’s how it looks:
- Find a sturdy door frame (or a pole) that you can use to support yourself.
- Grab the door frame with both hands and straighten your elbows.
- The closer you place your feet to the frame, the harder the exercise.
- Pull yourself toward the door frame until your chest makes contact.
- Hold this position for 2 seconds, and focus on squeezing your back muscles.
- Slowly extend your elbows and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Bent Over W’s
You should be familiar with the W exercise at this point.
We will perform it from a bent-over position to change the angle and increase the intensity of the movement. Also, feel free to hold some weights in each hand.
Here’s how it looks:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend at your waist.
- Bend until your back is parallel to the floor or as far as you can.
- Do not arch or round your spine.
- Your knees should have a slight bend to them.
- Next, bend your elbows and hold them close to your sides.
- From here, externally rotate your arms to create a ‘W’ shape.
- I want you to SQUEEZE YOUR UPPER BACK muscles hard.
- Hold this position for 3 seconds and release.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Scapular Wall Slides
Scapular wall slides are a little-known exercise that engages many key back muscles, especially the middle back.
It’s also great for improving scapular mobility and keeping your shoulders healthy.
All you need is a wall to lean against.
Here’s how it looks:
- Stand with your back against a wall, making four points of contact – your head, upper back, lower back, and butt.
- It is important to keep your low back flat on the wall the entire time.
- Place the back of your hands against the wall by your head.
- Next, slide your arms up the wall as slowly as you can.
- Try not to let your elbows, wrists, or hands come off the wall, which is very difficult.
- Go as far as you can, then slowly reverse the move.
- Repeat for repetitions.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 8-10 repetitions per set
Back Exercises With A Resistance Band
All of the exercises up to this point require no equipment.
But there is one investment you should make to increase the number of back exercises you can do.
Get yourself a pair of resistance bands!
Bands are an easy way to add resistance, difficulty, and variety to your training.
The best part?
They are really affordable and lightweight. That means you can take them anywhere and get a great workout in.
This is the set of bands I recommend from Amazon
Now let’s get to the exercises.
Band Pull Aparts
The first exercise is the band pull apart. This exercise is simple yet effective at helping improve your posture and activate your upper back.
I suggest you start with the lightest band first.
Here’s how it looks:
- Grab both ends of the band and hold it up by your chest.
- Keep your palms facing up toward the ceiling.
- Next, pull the band apart without bending your elbows.
- Keep going until the band touches your chest.
- Hold this contraction by squeezing your upper back muscles together.
- Slowly release and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Band Seated Rows
The next exercise is the seated row. This exercise is similar to the one you would do at the gym, but instead, you can do it from the comfort of your own home and get the same effect.
Here’s how it looks:
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Place the middle of a band around your feet and grab the two ends.
- Keep your back straight, and don’t let it round.
- Brace your core and begin pulling the band toward your waistline.
- Drive your elbows back and focus on squeezing your upper back muscles together.
- Hold the contraction for 1-2 seconds.
- Slowly release and repeat.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 12-15 repetitions per set
Deadlifts
Last but not least is one of the best exercises of all time.
The deadlift is often regarded as one of the top 5 exercises ever. That’s because it trains and develops so many different muscle groups simultaneously.
This includes the glutes, hamstrings, core, low back, and upper back.
All you need is a medium-sized band to do it.
Here’s how it looks:
- Stand in the middle of the band, ensuring that there is an equal amount of length on both sides of your feet.
- Bend down and grip both loops with your palms facing each other.
- Next, straighten your back, and push your butt back to feel the tension in your hamstrings.
- From here, brace your core, and stand up tall by extending your hips and knees.
- It is important THAT YOUR BACK STAY FLAT the entire time. Also, keep your chin down.
- Squeeze your glutes to finish the lift.
- Slowly return down.
How many repetitions should you do?
- 10-12 reps per set
See The Video Of These Exercises Below!
If you’re ready to start a comprehensive at-home upper body workout routine, check out
The Postpartum Trainer’s Arm Toning Workout Guide!
It includes 30 different exercises to tone your upper body, plus a 6-week workout plan to get you started!
Bonus Exercise: Walking
Walking is one of the best ways to stay active and burn calories consistently. It won’t specifically target back fat, but regular walking can help you lose overall body fat.
When you combine walking with resistance exercise, in addition to improving your nutrition, this will give you the best chance of losing weight.
How much walking should you do?
At least 20 minutes a day on most days of the week. Or, you can try to walk 5000 to 7500 steps daily for the best results.
Other Related Questions
What causes back fat?
There isn’t one specific cause of back fat. You can develop excess fat due to poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle (source).
It also happens due to the changes in your hormones related to aging.
However, where and how your body stores fat is unique to you and determined by your genetics.
Some women have more upper back fat, armpit fat, or lower back fat, while others will have more fat in their lower bodies.
The best way to reduce back fat is through a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.
What should you eat to promote fat loss?
The only way to lose fat is to create a calorie deficit by reducing your caloric intake. The easiest ways to reduce your calories while improving your nutrition include:
- Drink more water and fewer sugary drinks
- Consume more lean protein
- Consume more fiber rich foods
- Choose whole grains instead of refined grains
I go over all of this in more detail in my nutrition guide.
Are there any exercises to target fat in the lower back?
Unfortunately, you cannot target your lower back fat with exercise alone. The best way to lose fat in this area is to decrease your overall body fat percentage through diet and exercise.
You can, however, strengthen the low back by doing supermans and deadlifts, as seen above.
What about the love handles?
Again, there is no direct way to lose fat on your love handles just from exercise alone. However, I go over specific exercises to strengthen the love handles here!
Is cardio helpful for losing fat?
Cardio is a great way to stay in shape and burn calories, but it is not the best way to lose back fat. Your nutrition is the most important factor.
With that said, I still recommend you regularly do some form of cardio to live a healthy life.
These include:
- brisk walking
- running
- high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- swimming
- and more.
Does back fat ever go away?
Back fat does not go away on its own. The only way to lose back fat is to lower your overall body fat percentage through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Exercise will help define the muscles in the back area, but diet plays a much more significant role in fat loss.
Final Words On Getting Rid Of The Bra Bulge
So there you have it. Those are the best exercises you can do at home to improve the appearance of your back.
Remember, exercise alone WILL NOT help you lose weight.
You will need a multi-channel approach to lose excess fat the right way!
The key lifestyle changes include:
- A healthy diet (with a variety of food groups)
- A calorie deficit (aka decreasing your calorie intake)
- Physical activity such as strength training and cardio
- Patience – trust the process!
Now I want to hear from you.
Which of these movements will you include in your workouts?
What other body parts would you like to exercise?
Comment below and let me know!
Related Exercise Posts For Different Areas
- Best Exercises to Get Rid of Your Bat Wing Arms
- Can Exercise Help Lift Saggy Boobs? Try These 9 Exercises
- The Muffin Top: 9 Best Exercises To Target Your Love Handles
- How To Get Rid Of Saddlebags: Best Exercises For Outer Thighs
Get Four Free Workouts To Help Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor & Heal Your Mommy Tummy!
Brittany Robles, MD, MPH, CPT
Brittany Robles is a full-time OBGYN physician, a NASM certified trainer, and a prenatal and postnatal fitness specialist. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in maternal health with a special interest in exercise and nutrition. She is also the co-author of The White Coat Trainer. Learn more about her here.
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References:
1. Ramírez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Campos-Jara C, Henríquez-Olguín C, Alvarez-Lepín C, Izquierdo M. Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Aug;27(8):2219-24. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827e8681. PMID: 23222084.
2. Kim JY. Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2021 Mar 30;30(1):20-31. doi: 10.7570/jomes20065. PMID: 33107442; PMCID: PMC8017325.
3. Lin X, Li H. Obesity: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Sep 6;12:706978. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.706978. PMID: 34552557; PMCID: PMC8450866.
Excellent exercises that are varied so that a preferred approach in a a choice of setting provides opportunity for success. Much appreciated. Thank you.
superb . I have started with it and they feel very effective. Thank you !!
Hi Rasshme,
Thank you so much for your comment.
I am glad these exercises are working for you!