How to slim down shoulders and upper back

Strong back muscles help improve posture and a taller appearance makes you look instantly thinner.

Lower Your Calorie Intake

And you can also reshape your back by building the muscles along your spine and torso. Here are some exercised you can try. If you've tried diet and exercise and still can't lose back fat, there are several surgical and non-surgical methods to target your trouble spots. These include liposuction, smart liposuction also called laser lipolysis , Coolsculpting , and Ultrashape.

Of course, many medical procedures have side effects and some require that you take time away from strenuous activities after having them performed. There is also cost to consider. Surgical and non-surgical treatments can run into the thousands of dollars for each area that you target. These are good reasons to try to lose back fat with traditional methods like diet and exercise first. Then if you have remaining pockets of fat on your back, talk to a board-certified plastic surgeon or a board-certified dermatologist to see which method would work best for you. Looking to lose weight?

Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Exercise your chest and arms and your back to emphasize your muscles and get rid of pesky back fat. To lose upper body fat, start by doing cardio exercise, such as swimming or running, 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time to improve your metabolism and burn fat. Also, focus on weight-training exercises that work your pectoral muscles, like dumbbell bench presses, and your back and arm muscles, like rowing or chin-ups. In addition to exercise, try to eat 3 balanced meals a day of whole grains and lean protein to cut down on body fat.

If you can, eat more fiber to keep you full and decrease cravings for junk food, which can create a buildup of back fat. For tips on how to avoid late-night snacking, which causes your body to store fat, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No.

How To Get Rid Of Upper Back Fat In 3 Weeks

Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Log in Facebook. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article.

Get Rid Of Your Bulky Shoulders With These 4 Easy Yoga Moves

We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow.


  • 7-Day Back & Shoulders Challenge.
  • how to not lose weight while working out.
  • How to Get a Thinner Back.
  • 4 Ways to Lose Upper Back Fat - wikiHow Fitness.

Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Julian Arana, M. Method 1 of Go for a run if you can't get to the gym. Try running 20 to 30 minutes at a time 3 times a week. National Institutes of Health Go to source Running is a high-impact cardio workout, so if you have problems with your feet or knees, you might want to try something else.

Try cycling for a lower impact workout. Cycling gives you the same type of workout as running, but with less impact on your legs. You can cycle on a stationary bike machine, or go for a bike ride outside. Cycle 3 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes per ride. Go for a swim to work out your whole body.

Swimming works the muscles throughout your whole body and also burns a lot of fat. You can use the basic freestyle stroke, or you can mix in the other strokes — butterfly , breast , and backstroke — for variety. How much you can swim at a time will depend on your overall health, but start by swimming 20 to 30 minutes 3 days a week. Go for a walk for a low impact workout. Go for a to minute walk 2 to 3 times per week. You can walk outside, on a treadmill, or on a track in a gym. Choose 1 to 2 of your favorite cardio workouts each week.

You should do cardio 2 to 3 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes per day. You can do the same cardio each time, or you can switch it up each day. National Institutes of Health Go to source For example, if you do cardio on Mondays and Wednesdays, you can go for walks both of those days, or you could go for a walk 1 day and a swim the next. Method 2 of Perform a dumbbell bench press to exercise your pectoral muscles. Lie on your back on a workout bench or other flat surface.

Search form

Bring the dumbbells up to your chest, holding them shoulder-width apart with your palms facing each other. Rotate your arms so your palms face out and your forearm and upper-arm create a degree angle. Exhale as you use your chest muscles to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the push and breathe for a second. Lower the weights slowly as you inhale. National Institutes of Health Go to source Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps of this exercise. To determine how much weight you should use, figure out the heaviest weight you can use for 1 rep.

Then figure out about 60 to 70 percent of that weight for your regular set.

5 Ways to Lose Upper Body Fat - wikiHow

If it begins to feel like there's hardly any resistance with the weight you're using, try the heaviest weight test again and readjust the weights you use. Try a one-arm shoulder press to build your triceps. Stand with your legs just less than shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells at your sides. Exhale and push the dumbbell up so your arm is fully extended. Pause for a second and then lower the dumbbell back down.


  • hunger a sign of weight loss.
  • The Final Word.
  • exercises for back fat.

Perform 8 to 10 reps and then switch arms. Repeat 3 sets. Perform an upright row to sculpt your back. Stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. Keep your back straight and your arms slightly bent at the elbow. Lift the dumbbells to your shoulders as you exhale, keeping them as close to your sides as possible. Keep your elbows above your forearms as you lift, and bring the dumbbells as close to your chin as possible.

Fortunately, when you lose fat, it disappears all over your body, so a healthy diet can help you ditch those batwings for good. While building strength will get those arms more defined, cardio is still king when it comes to shedding the fat that's causing your arms to wiggle. Researchers at Duke University studying overweight, sedentary subjects found that those who stuck to a cardio program lost twice the weight of those who did strength training, despite the fact that the cardio group spent 47 fewer minutes exercising every week than their weight-training peers.

So, if you're ready to make your upper arm fat turn into toned and tight muscle, make sure you're making time for cardio, too. Not feeling up to heavy lifting? Try doing more reps at a lower weight instead and you'll be kissing that arm fat goodbye in no time. Researchers at Canada's McMaster University studied a group of something men over a week period, with half the study subjects lifting heavy weight and doing low reps, and another group lifting lighter weights for higher reps.

Push-ups aren't everyone's cup of tea, but when you're trying to get rid of that excess arm fat, they're a pretty killer workout. Push-ups not only tone your biceps and triceps, they're a great way to build muscle on your chest, making you feel stronger and look leaner in the process. If the thought of doing traditional plank push-ups has you feeling nervous, try doing the same motion at a degree angle against a wall; you'll get a similar workout, but without the intensity of a traditional push-up.

That stubborn back-of-the-arm fat is some of the hardest to ditch, but making tricep presses part of your routine can help tone and tighten that area fast. While seated, extend a dumbbell over your head, holding it with both arms.