Upper back fat bulge - how to work the Latissimus Dorsi muscle - help me! -any success stories?

cheesychiplet
cheesychiplet Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay so, I have a lot of upper back fat. The type that is above the bra line and bulges out to the sides near my arms. I cant wear a strappy top or short sleeves and if I wear a dress it has to go with a black shrug style top or I cant wear it.

This back fat is ruining my ability to wear pretty dresses and I feel too embarrassed go strappy in the summer.

Can anyone help me? how do I work these muscles effectively without all the gym equipment. Does anyone have success stories to share? I would love some motivation right now!

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    You can't remove back fat by working your back muscles. Having upper back fat simply means that is where your body likes to store it. You have to lose fat to lose that fat. I wrote a post about stomach fat that still applies to back fat:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach#latest
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    You can't remove back fat by working your back muscles. Having upper back fat simply means that is where your body likes to store it. You have to lose fat to lose that fat. I wrote a post about stomach fat that still applies to back fat:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach#latest

    This.

    You need to lower your body fat all over, and eventually the bulges will lessen and eventually disappear.
    As far as working out your back without equipment: you can do kettlebell workouts (usually the compound movements with kettlebells tend to constantly engage the entire core) It has made a big difference for me.
    But note that the main benefit of the kettlebells is that the workouts have added significant strength to my back, the lessening of back bulges have had to do with losing weight all over, not the back exercises.
    You can also look up back workouts on Fitness Blender.com (minimal equipment)

    hth
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited October 2015
    As other's have said, you can't spot reduce.

    Are you wearing a bra that actually fits? This would be another culprit I would consider. Not that it causes back fat, but a bra that doesn't fit correctly can make it appear worse than it actually is. A lot of women wear bras that aren't the correct size (including myself. I currently can't afford to spend $50+ on a bra in my size...they just don't come cheaper).

    http://excelle.monster.com/news/articles/5054-6-telltale-signs-of-an-ill-fitting-bra?page=2
    4) Your bra causes back fat.

    Many women mistakenly think that back fat is caused by bands that are too small. (I know I did.) But bands that are too big are actually to blame. According to Madeline, when they’re too big, they don’t stay in the right place on your back, which is parallel to or a little lower than where it is in front; the bands ride up and create dreaded back lumps.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
    Lats can be worked by doing pull-up/chin-up exercises. If you aren't there yet, use a lat pull-down bar. There's nothing wrong with working the muscles there, but as others have said, your problem is solved through reduced body fat; there's no way to target trouble areas,fat just burns off everywhere.
  • cheesychiplet
    cheesychiplet Posts: 27 Member
    well, I am dieting so I'm not simply relying on reducing fat in that area by doing the exercises with no means of fat burning, but every little helps. I am a bit worried about losing wight because i don't want to lose boob fat as my boobs are already a bit flat and rubbishy from breast feeding. but my back is the last area that seems to disappear....I was slightly hoping that maybe the fat would burn a little more there or look little less bulgy if i worked those muscles whilst on my diet. ....maybe i could make my boobs appear fuller by exercising chest muscles so it doesn't matter if I burn fat there?....maybe if i get rich i can get a boob job hahaha.

    Oh yeah and it isn't the bra. My bra is the perfect fit. The fat is in that area regardless of the bra unfortunately. My fat seems to go off my legs, bum and waist first but sticks around on the tummy and back...lucky me...I'm 10st 2lb's so probably need to get down to 9 st 5lb's to notice anything significant...although I've lost over a stone so far and i still look no different eurgh!....feeling a bit stuck.
  • jodsaccount
    jodsaccount Posts: 22 Member
    swimming
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
    cheesychiplet wrote: »
    well, I am dieting so I'm not simply relying on reducing fat in that area by doing the exercises with no means of fat burning, but every little helps. I am a bit worried about losing wight because i don't want to lose boob fat as my boobs are already a bit flat and rubbishy from breast feeding. but my back is the last area that seems to disappear....I was slightly hoping that maybe the fat would burn a little more there or look little less bulgy if i worked those muscles whilst on my diet. ....maybe i could make my boobs appear fuller by exercising chest muscles so it doesn't matter if I burn fat there?....maybe if i get rich i can get a boob job hahaha.

    Oh yeah and it isn't the bra. My bra is the perfect fit. The fat is in that area regardless of the bra unfortunately. My fat seems to go off my legs, bum and waist first but sticks around on the tummy and back...lucky me...I'm 10st 2lb's so probably need to get down to 9 st 5lb's to notice anything significant...although I've lost over a stone so far and i still look no different eurgh!....feeling a bit stuck.

    Breasts are made of breast tissue and fat. Unfortunately if yours are mostly fat (like mine) they'll slowly get smaller as you lose fat. My breasts tend to disappear before I am satisfied with how my legs look.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Just some other exercise ideas, not meant to imply that actual fat gets changed with different lifts ;) :
    -- Lat pull-ins with strong exercise bands. Look those up, because angle matters. Form always does, too.
    -- 'Dumbbell' Pullovers with something heavy that you can hold onto VERY WELL. You don't want to drop it on your face! Those work all sorts of nice things. It's my favorite UB exercise for muscles that are often underused in women, although I do think something like pull-ins are needed, too, to work the lats lower down.

    You might be able to do good rows with exercise bands, too, but I've never tried. If you do, use an underhand grip and row to your waist, not above, for lat focus (and actively try to use your lats). These aren't the bent-over kind.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Aside from lipsuction you aren't going to be reducing fat in that are alone. You will have to lose all over, which includes from your breasts and wherever else your body chooses to lose it.


    :(
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Aside from lipsuction you aren't going to be reducing fat in that are alone. You will have to lose all over, which includes from your breasts and wherever else your body chooses to lose it.


    :(

    Sad, but true.

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