Stomach and back fat can be persistent and challenging to target, often affecting both confidence and overall health. Excess fat in these areas can result from a combination of genetics, diet, and lifestyle factors. However, incorporating specific exercises into your routine can help reduce fat and tone these regions. Targeted workouts, such as core-strengthening exercises and back-focused movements, combined with a balanced diet, can effectively burn calories, enhance muscle definition, and improve posture.
We checked in with Andrew White, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the co-founder of garagegympro.com, to discover six exercises that can help tone your back and stomach. He revealed that swan prep, plank rows, and bird dog are some of the best options. Read on to discover all six!
1. Plank Rows
Plank rows challenge your balance and stability as you shift your weight from one arm to the other. This enhances the activation of stabilizing muscles in both the core and back. Holding a plank position requires significant engagement of the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. This constant tension helps strengthen and tone these muscles.
"This exercise engages the deep core muscles and works the upper and middle back. The alternating rowing motion challenges your balance, engaging more stabilizing muscles throughout the core," says White.
How to perform: Start in a plank position with a dumbbell in each hand on the floor. Keep your feet wider than hip-width to maintain balance. Pull one dumbbell up towards your hip while stabilizing your body with the other arm, then lower it back down and repeat on the other side.
2. Stability Ball Back Extensions
This exercise primarily works the lower back muscles, including the erector spinae. Strengthening these muscles helps improve posture and provides a toned appearance to the back.
White says, "This exercise strengthens the entire back and the glutes while actively engaging the core for balance. It's particularly beneficial for reinforcing the lower back and improving posture."
How to perform: Position a stability ball under your hips and stomach with your feet anchored against a sturdy object. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest. Slowly raise your upper torso off the ball, squeezing your back and glutes at the top, then lower back down with control.
3. Side Planks
This exercise challenges the core muscles to maintain stability while also working the muscles along the sides of the torso, promoting strength and toning. Side planks not only help sculpt and define the waistline but also improve overall core stability and balance.
White says that "side planks primarily target the obliques, the muscles on the sides of the torso. They also engage the quadratus lumborum and erector spinae muscles in the lower back, promoting lateral stability and strength."
How To Do It: Lie on your side with your legs straight and prop yourself up with your forearm, keeping your body in a straight line. Lift your hips and hold the position for 20-40 seconds on each side.
4. Bird Dog
This movement engages the core muscles, including the abdominals, obliques, lower back, and glutes, as they work together to stabilize the body. Bird dogs not only target the muscles of the core but also help improve posture, reduce the risk of lower back pain, and enhance overall spinal alignment.
White elaborates further and says, "Bird dogs strengthen the muscles of the core, including the rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and multifidus. They also improve balance, coordination, and spinal alignment, contributing to a strong and stable back and midsection."
How To Do It: Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back, maintaining a straight line from your fingertips to your heel. Hold for 10-15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
5. Swan Prep
An exercise like swan prep can help get rid of stubborn back and stomach fat by focusing on a combination of targeted movements, core strengthening, and full-body conditioning. Swan prep engages the entire core, including the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles along the spine, to improve posture, increase muscle tone, and burn fat.
Logan breaks down how to correctly perform the swan prep: Laying on your stomach, place your hands underneath your forehead. Drop your shoulders out of your ears. Reach your tailbone to your heels. Press your feet down. Keeping your tailbone reaching to your heels lift your hands, head, chest and elbows off the mat and hover. Lower down and repeat. If you push your lower back down to lift your chest, you have lost the abs and are overworking your lower back.
6. Single Leg Kicks
This Pilates-based exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles while promoting better posture and spine alignment, which can contribute to a more toned appearance. As a dynamic movement, single leg kicks also elevate your heart rate, contributing to calorie burn and fat loss over time.
Logan elaborates further by saying, "Pilates requires you to work from your center out. Your center includes your abdominals, glutes, back (including the upper back). Then the movements challenge your connections. It's not just about bracing the abs or turning them on. You want to breathe into your upper back so that you can engage the abdominals and keep them engaged while you breathe. Then the arms and legs work from the center challenging the core and the back more."
Single Leg Kick: Laying on your stomach, prop yourself up on your forearms. Pull your chest forward and lift your frontal hip points away from the floor as you reach your tailbone towards your heels. Press your feet into the mat. Bend one knee to kick that foot towards you seat 2x. Straighten the leg to the mat and repeat on the other side. If your lower back drops down or your chest bounces because of the legs, you have lost your abs and are hanging in your lower back.
