Every regular guy and gal out there have a problematic pocket of fat at a certain body area. Some folks would point belly fat as their biggest source of frustration, while others struggle the most with back fat and muffin tops. Belly fat has been the star of many fat loss articles so far, which is why we’ll focus on back fat in this one. Since spot reduction is a big, fat myth, what can be done to get rid of these stubborn layers of excessive fat?

Well, the answer to that question is fairly obvious – you have to train hard, eat less and decrease your overall body fat percentage in order to reveal the muscles that are buried underneath the fat tissue. There simply isn’t a way around this and anyone who tells people about a miraculous new tool, routine or drink that allows spot reduction or whatever is trying to cash in on their ignorance.

However, creating a smart and efficient training & dieting strategy instead of hoping that the fat will go away if you starve yourself as often as possible will help you achieve your goals a lot faster. And there is a way to achieve results that are pretty close to spot reduction – read the rest of this article to learn all about getting rid of your back fat!

You probably think that back fat is mostly caused by, well, the piling of body fat in this area, and you are right. But an important contributing factor to the development of this unappealing physical attribute is the atrophy of the muscles of the back. When muscles atrophy they lose their strength and tone, and this is caused by lack of targeted exercise or any type of physical exercise for that matter. When you don’t use your muscles, they get weaker, so having an excessively sedentary lifestyle is one the most common reason for muscle atrophy.

Now, if you couple sitting at a desk for many hours every day and eating a surplus of calories from unhealthy sources such as junk fast food and similar over-processed food items, the natural result is excess body fat. It’s a big, fat fact that no matter how hard you train, you can’t burn enough fat if you don’t get your nutrition in check. You might grow some seriously strong muscles, but they’ll be still covered in layers of fat.

Together, poor nutrition and a lack of exercise lead to excess accumulation of fat tissue around the waist and upper and lower back, which often creates an appearance of a “muffin top”. But there’s a reason that we’re not suggesting that you should simply focus on eating less food and replacing the burgers and sodas with lettuce and broccoli in order to improve the shape of your torso. That’s far from enough and we’re pretty sure you already know that. You need a real plan.

Without further ado, here’s what you could do to lose back fat and uncover a healthy, strong and athletic back!

Shaking off fat tissues that you’ve been carrying around for a long time can be very, very hard. And it’s just as hard for everyone. Keep this in mind and know that burning fat demands patience and dedication. It won’t happen overnight, so better get used to constant sacrifice and step away from the bathroom scale. Hide or destroy it if you have to, just don’t allow it to make you anxious because stress is one of the biggest enemies of weight loss.

Simply focus on training regularly (no excuses for skipping workouts!) and eating as clean as possible. Besides strengthening your atrophied muscles, training is also very important for improving your posture and body shape. In other words, it will help you stand taller and build a more balanced body composition. Then, one day, you will walk past a mirror and suddenly realize how much your body has transformed and that you look kind of amazing. And it will feel great.

Here’s how to start your back fat loss journey:

Your back is made up of four main muscles –  rhomboids, traps, lattissimus dorsi and erector spinae. As we mentioned above, spot reducing is impossible, but that doesn’t mean that you should stay away from targeting your back muscles with the help of resistance training. In addition to your cardio sessions, focus on training the muscles that comprise your back as well as those which surround it with multi-joint compound movements, and throw in a couple of extensive core workouts in your weekly back routine. A sturdy core will improve your performance and balance on all upper body exercises and improve your posture.