how to lose back fat??

JINJA422

I need to fit into a bridesmaid dress and have about 4.5 months to do it, which I think is enough time. Currently, the dress zips up to about mid back, so I need to lose fat/mass in my upper back (shoulder blades area). My current workout has been focused on cardio, will a slow ramp up to lifting (just started working out about 2 months ago). I think some lifting is the way to target the upper back, but I don't want to do too much and bulk up (especially don't want broader shoulders than what I already have). I know lifting = burning fat. I'm just a little worried that with the amount of mass (fat) I already have + lifting = big muscles = not what I want.

Recommendations?

stronglikebull

fat does not equal muscle so your equation doesn't balance. reduce sodium, increase water intake to get rid of water weight and bloating. lift heavy 3x a week, lat pull downs, overhead press, rowing, skull crushers, etc. will help work on that area.

Ral263

Lifting, cardio, and diet modification are the only true routes to fat loss. Bulking up (for women) is a myth-- you are not going to look like a body builder if you do lat pulldowns with say, a 55 lb load. When you lift, you increase muscle mass, and decrease fat mass (which is accelerated with cardio). Combine the two and you'll lose that fat!

BuffERRN

Cardio and diet modification are key. Lots of water. Lifting is also important but with that being said, I would assume you do not want to bulk up, but get long, lean, defined muscle. Heavy lifting will lead to increased muscle size where as using lighter weights and more reps and will create the lean muscle you are looking for. The weight should be heavy enough that by rep 5-6, you should start to feeling the difficulty increasing but light enough that it should not be hard right away. Also do more sets with the lighter weight.

I hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

MzBug

Since you are a girl, chances are that in the 4.5 months you will NOT bulk up no matter what you do unless you have some sort of chemical assistance. Start light and work your way up as your muscles get used to the weight and reps. Keep up with the cardio to burn the fat and the weights to tone what is there. Toss in some yoga or pilates to stretch you out. Swimming is also a good exercise for the upper back and shoulder area if you are leary of using weights.

davejlee

You will not bulk up. Especially if you're on a regular caloric deficit.