The 6 Best Exercises for Annihilating Back Fat!
Many people neglect the back because they can’t see it in the mirror. Instead they place all of their focus on the legs, chest, shoulders, abs, and arms.
However, one of the worst kept secrets in the fitness industry is that the back can provide a powerful, strong look that impacts your entire physique. If you have a larger back, not only will you look better from behind, but it’ll also make your waist look smaller and your top half look bigger.
Not to mention, a strong back is a useful tool in the fight against poor posture, pain, and injury. Spending all your time building up the front can build up imbalances in the shoulders and upper torso which can lead to pesky injuries down the line.
Today, we’re going to go over 6 exercises that help to build up the back, burn calories, and improve your overall physique for a stronger, more well-rounded look.
- Assisted Pull-Ups
First up, we have assisted pull-ups. Not everyone can do regular pull-ups, and most of those who can can’t do that many in a row. The assisted pull-up takes some of the weight out of the movement to make it that bit easier so that you can complete more sets and reps.
To do an assisted pull-up, you can either use a specific machine or tie a band around the bar which you then loop around the underside of your foot or knee. Make sure to complete the full range of motion from a dead hang positional the way up to your chin being over the bar.
- Wide Grip Lat-Pulldown
The lat-pulldown is essentially the reverse of the pull-up as you’re pulling the bar down opposed to pulling yourself up towards the bar. This is useful as you can change the resistance more easily. By using a wide-grip, you place more emphasis on the back and less on the biceps. Taking a closer underhand grip will shift more of the intensity onto your arms.
- Inverted Row
You may have also heard inverted rows being referred to as ‘Australian Rows’ because they’re down down-under the bar. This movement has your body starting parallel to the ground as you grip a smith machine bar in front of you. You then drive your elbows towards the ground to bring your chest upwards. The closer your back gets to the ground in the starting position, the harder the movement is.
The benefit of this movement is that it’s the opposing movement to the bench press which hits the shoulders and chest pretty hard. By working the upper back with rows, you can sort through any imbalances and build up strength across your entire upper body.
- Tabata Swing
Tabata is a type of high intensity interval training (HIIT) that lasts for much less time than your regular workout. In standard Tabata, you would work hard for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest period and alternate between the two for 8 complete rounds.
In this exercise, we’re combining this calorie-burning workout with the kettlebell swing to not only burn through fat, but also build muscle in the hips and lower back.
- Dumbbell Pull-over
The dumbbell pull-over is one of the few tried and tested back exercises that’s lasted the test of time, and for good reason, too. Whereas the lat-pulldown and pull-up hit both the back and the arms, this isolates your lat muscles to place all of the intensity on them. It also takes the lates through their entire range of motion, placing a large amount of stretch on the muscle at the bottom of the movement.
- Jumping Plank and Renegade Row
Finally, these final exercises combine together to make one incredibly challenging circuit. By placing the jumping plank and renegade row one after the other, you’re challenging your heart, musculature, and mind. Whilst the back is the main emphasis of this superset, you’re getting more bang for your buck with added intensity placed upon the arms, abs, and shoulders to create a versatile and toned physique.
For more great exercises, check out these awesome workouts here!
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