Question 1

How to Tone Back Fat in a Week?

Accepted Answer

This question can be used to break a couple fitness myths! First off, fat cannot be “toned.” Fat is adipose tissue in the body and can be reduced in response to a caloric deficit (meaning you burn more calories than you take in). Fat cannot be converted to muscle. Fat and muscle are two completely separate tissues with very different physiologic properties, and one cannot turn into the other.

Secondly, using the word “toned” for muscle is a bit of a myth and misnomer in itself. All muscle tissue has tone, which allows it to remain in a partially contracted state even at rest. This is important for posture, initiation of movement, balance, and stability, among other important physiological factors. However, working out does not “tone” your muscles. Increasing muscle mass is known as hypertrophy and, when combined with a low body fat percentage, can lead to a more defined appearance. In other words, your muscles will be more visible, and the separation between your muscles will be more apparent.

Neither fat nor muscle is actually getting “toned” when you workout. It is a commonly used term, and most people understand what is actually meant by it, but it is not accurate phrasing. Either way, muscular hypertrophy and fat loss typically take far more than a week for noticeable difference.

Question 2

How to Train Back in the Gym?

Accepted Answer

There are countless exercise options for training your back, and there are many muscle groups in your back to train. Unless you are a competitive bodybuilder preparing for a competition who is lacking muscle balance somewhere specific, it is far less important to worry about training each individual muscle group with isolation exercises than it is to focus on compound exercises that can recruit significantly more muscle fibers at the same time, while being much more functional as well.

Make deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, and other compound exercises your main focus in the gym when focusing on your back, and save the smaller isolation exercises for the end (if you so choose to do them).

Question 3

Do Pushups Work Back?

Accepted Answer

The greatest electromyographical (EMG) muscle activity during pushups occurs in the pectoralis major, external obliques, and rectus abdominis. The triceps brachii is also highly active, along with the anterior deltoids (12). There is very limited muscle activity in the posterior (back) side of the body, due to the “pushing” nature of a pushup.

So, while pushups are an excellent exercise, they are considered a chest and abdominal exercise vs. a back exercise.

Question 4

How to Get a Defined Back?

Accepted Answer

To improve muscle definition in any muscle group, including those of the back, it is important to provide an adequate training stimulus to trigger muscle adaptation. This will require using compound exercises that recruit a high quantity of muscle fibers, providing enough training volume (try for at least once a week, preferably 2-3 times per week for each major muscle group), and progressive overload to ensure your body continues to adapt.

Question 5

Will Back Workouts Help With Thoracic Spine Mobility?

Accepted Answer

Back exercises can certainly help with thoracic spine mobility! Many back exercises require some amount of mobility in the spine, and continued practice will help improve your range of motion. However, strengthening exercises will provide most of their benefits for your strength and stability. If you are specifically looking to improve your thoracic mobility, you should utilize stretching and mobility exercises that specifically target this area. Pilates exercises, like the wall roll down, are especially good at stretching this part of the body(11).

Ed Malaker

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