Whenever you want to lose weight in one particular area such as the back, you need to take your whole body into consideration. By losing weight throughout your entire body, your area of concern will be included. That doesn't mean you cannot benefit from doing specific exercises to tone your back. This can actually work out to your advantage by building metabolically active muscle and creating muscle tone.
Step 1
Eat foods that are low in saturated fat, simple sugars and sodium. Avoid processed meats, canned soups, deep fried foods, fast food, commercial baked goods, and foods prepared in butter or cheese. Stick with nutrient dense foods like chicken breasts, eggs, fish, lean beef, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
Step 2
Perform cardio to increase your caloric expenditure and promote weight loss. Do anything that will get your heart rate up like rowing, biking, running, swimming, brisk walking, jumping rope, kick boxing or inline skating. Aim for 45 to 60 minutes, three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 3
Perform pull-ups to build your back muscles. Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand shoulder-width grip. Pull your body up until your chest reaches the bar. Lower your body down in a controlled fashion and repeat.
Step 4
Execute a set of deadlifts. Stand in front of a barbell with a shoulder-width stance. Bend your knees and hips and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip. Straighten your legs and let the bar touch your thighs. Slowly lower it back to the ground and repeat. Keep your back straight the whole time.
Step 5
Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands to do bent-over rows. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing your body. Bend over at the waist until your back is slightly higher than parallel to the floor. Lift the weights up until they are by your stomach, slowly lower them back down and repeat.
Step 6
Perform a set of supermans. Lie on your stomach with your arms straight in front of your body. Lift your arms, chest and legs simultaneously so your back is arched and your hips are the only thing touching the ground. Lower yourself back down and repeat.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform 10 to 12 reps and four to five sets of these back exercises. Do the strength exercises three times a week on the days you don't do cardio. Add some chest exercises into your routine to avoid muscle imbalances. Bench presses, push-ups, incline presses and flyes are examples. If conventional pull-ups are too challenging, have a training partner assist you. Bend your knees and have them apply pressure on your shins while you do your pull-ups.
Things You'll Need
- Pull-up bar
- Barbell
- Dumbbells
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