Exercises to burn back-fat

By: Davina Bagot

Backfatcanbestubborn and requires determination andstrengthtoreduce.

If you have noticed the bulgethatyouwouldliketo getridof,hereafewsimple exercisesyoucantrytohelp burnthatstubbornweight.

My favourite part about these exercises is that they can be done right in the comfortofyourhome.Like I have been advising for some time in my column, one of the best investments youcanmakeistopurchase apairofdumbbells.Evenif y o u h a v e a g y m membership, owning your own pair would come in handy especially when you can’tmakeit.

ReverseFly

To do the reverse fly, grabapairofdumbbellsand beginbystandingwithyour feet shoulder –width apart, holding the dumbbells at yoursides.

Next,slightlybendyour knees, lean forward with your arms hanging next to your calves, with your elbows slightly bent. Make sure your palms are facing each other and slowly raise the weights until your elbows are level with your shoulders. Slowly bring the weights back down; this is onerep.

Bentoverrows

Begin by standing with yourfeetjustaboutshoulder width apart with the dumbbellsatthesideofyou.

Bend your knees slightly as you bend over, keeping your back straight and chest up with shoulder blades back When performing this exercise you may opt to have your palmsfaceeachother

After bending over slightly, lift the dumbbells by bringing your arms closer to your rib cage, keeping your wrist under your elbows. Repeat this exercise a few times and you’ll notice results particularly in your upper body

Deadlifts

Here again stand with yourlegsslightlyapartwith your dumbbells in each hand. Hold the weights in frontofyouwithyourpalms facing your body Slightly bend your knees then begin to lower the dumbbells towards the ground To maintain proper form in doing this, avoid bending your knees and keep your back straight. Only your waist should be lowered as you take the dumbbells slowly to the ground at a depth that is comfortable to you. Try to keep your back straightasyoureturntoyour standingposition.

RussianTwists

Next, be sure to try out the‘Russiantwist’.Forthis exercise,sitonthefloorand beginnerscankeeptheirfeet ontheground.

Slightly tilt your back towards the ground (your bodyshouldbeinav-shape) and clasp your palms in frontofyourtummy

Begin the ‘Russian twist’bymovingyourhands totheleftsideofyourbody, keepingyourbacktiltedand squeezing your core; move your hand to the opposite sideofyourbodyandrepeat this motion for about 20 times. You may also throw in some weights to make this exercise a bit more effective.

Dumbbellswing

Another easy exercise thatcanhelptoreduceback fat is the dumbbell swing. Beginbystandingwithyour feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbell with one hand in front of the other Keep your back straight, bend your knees slightly,pushyourhipsback and swing the weight in betweenyourlegs.

Once the weight is behind the body, contract your glutes and thrust your hips forward, swinging the weight up to chest level. When the weight is at its highest point, contract your glutes,quadsandcore.

Allow the weight to swing back between your legs.

Latpull-down

Gym lovers would be familiar with the lat-pull down machine, which targetsthemusclejustunder the armpits and spreading acrossanddowntheback.

Todolatpull-downs,sit comfortably on the seat of the machine with your feet flatonthefloor

Check the height of the bar as you may need to adjust its height by shortening or lengthening the chain or cable that supportsthebaroryourseat height.Thebarshouldbeat a height that your o utstretc hed arms can comfortably grasp it withouthavingtostand up entirely, but you should also be able to still extend your arms to achieve a full range of motion. If the station has a thigh pad, adjust it so that the upper thighs are tucked firmly underthepad.

This will assist you whenyouapplyefforttothe bar

Next, grasp the bar and pull it down until it reaches near your chin. Exhale on the downward motion and aimtokeepyouruppertorso (chest, abdomen and back) stationary Besuretokeepyourfeet flat on the floor and engage your abs as you pull. Take your elbows as far back as you can before slowly returning the bar to the starting position Avoid letting it crash into the weight plates as you repeat