Last Updated on July 11, 2022
Discover the Best Exercises that Get Rid of Back Fat and Bra Overhang. Tighten and tone your back where fat bulges from bra straps with these exercises.
This past week I had 3 different training clients ask me for exercises that get rid of back fat from bra overhang. I led them through a series of exercises that target the muscles in the upper and middle back “bra strap” area.
After the workout, everyone said they felt like they were working muscles they didn’t know they had.
EXERCISES THAT GET RID OF BACK FAT AND BRA OVERHANG
In today’s episode of CCtv, I’m sharing the best exercises for the bra strap “fat bulge” area of the back.
If you’re self-conscious about the bra strap area, this back fat workout is for you. : ) See me demo the exercises below.
How to do the Back Fat / Bra Strap Workout
- Warm-up first with some light cardio and stretching.
- Repeat each back fat exercise 15 times to complete 1 set.
- Complete 3 full sets of all 6 exercises to complete this bra strap back fat workout.
- Don’t forget to follow a meal plan. It’s impossible to out-exercise a bad diet and proper nutrition is mandatory to burn fat and preserve muscle.
Exercises for Back Fat
Back Fat Exercise #1 Front and Lateral Raise

Back Fat Exercise #2 Bent Over Rows

Back Fat Exercise #3 Trouble U’s

Back Fat Exercise #4 Chicken Wings

Back Fat Exercise #5 Upright Rows

Back Fat Exercise #6 Wood Chop
Grab a dumbbell or medicine ball. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the weight in front of you with both hands. Tighten your abs and squat, rotating the weight up and across to the left. Now, use your abs to control the movement as you ‘chop’ down and across to your right foot. *Keep your body weight over your heels. Don’t let your knees go past your toes and keep your shoulders pressed down.*
That’s it! You’re Done!
Notes about this Back Fat Workout
- I recommend completing this workout 2 times a week to get the best results.
- If you train this area consistently, you’ll build lean muscle in the middle back which can help reduce inches from the bra strap area.
- You can’t spot train to reduce fat. To burn the most fat, do this workout along with my Total Transformation Program.

Results using my Total Transformation Program
You’ll get noticeable results in DAYS not weeks!! Guaranteed.
I hope you like this workout! It works if you work it! So work it you’re worth it!
If you like this video, or if you think someone you know would like it, please share it.
Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader
xxoo
- Here are some more back exercises with dumbbells for women.
You may also like this arm and back workout for women if you want to target your arms more, too.
Don’t forget to pin these exercises to Pinterest so you’ll have them forever.
You’re just the gift that keeps on giving! On behalf of your gazillion subscribers who didn’t even have to ask for these FANTASTIC “oh my GOD there’s hope for my back seeing the light of day again” exercises. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I can’t bear to send photos of myself for this very reason. Tears of joy are falling….
Thank you so much Lenita! This workout works if you work it, so work it, YOU ARE SO WORTH IT!! xxoo CC
Hi Christina 🙂
How many inches could someone lose in their back in two weeks. Im.so close to fitting in my dress and have lost 20 pounds so far but im getting nervous if I should get a size up.
How much you can lose, that quickly depends on a lot of factors. I can’t advise you without asking a dozen or so questions. You should be aiming for 1-2 pounds of fat loss a week… but that doesn’t translate easily into inches.
Looking for the blog…Love the exercises
Awesome tips. Thanks!
At last! Someone who undrestands! Thanks for posting!
Can you do 3 exercises every day instead of all 6 2x a week? Or would that defeat the purpose? Christina, I love your website. Thank you for the awesome tips and you’re also drop dead gorgeous btw.
Hi! this is a great question Hadsn! I’d recommending picking 3 exercises and doing them every other day. That way you’ll give those muscles the time they need to recover before hitting them again. Thank you 🙂 You’re so sweet! Let me know if you need more help xoxoxo
Thank you so much for clear explanation – wonderful tips!
Hi,
Oddly enough, my back looks lean, its the area under the armpit that needs help. Will these exercises help address this issue. I exercise daily and do a lot of yoga and resistance training for this area and have not seen results.
Yep! This workout will help you too!! It targets the arms/pit area.. Check it out here:: https://youtu.be/2NmXtDfmXbE
Dear Ms Carlyle,
Since I was sitting up in bed at the time I viewed you, and not wishing to get out of bed, it being 12:20am, I began to imitate your movements in the simplest way and lo, I could feel the local circulation – those in the areas you were targeting – working, warming. And I wasn’t even using weights! Nor was I repeating the movements 15 times. I was simply focusing, adjusting my hands and wrists as I went along – feeling the shoulder(s) rotating and the rib cage stretching – and copying you. During that short demonstration something was already accomplished.
What i most appreciated was your inventiveness, the variations you had thought of and your casual but inner focus. You were, ‘really in it’. And that strengthened the communication. I can just imagine what I’ll accomplish when I get out of bed tomorrow! .
Your comment is amazing!! Thank you so much Arlene!!!!!!!! YESSSSS!!!!!
Hello Christina! I’m morbidly obese, however, I’ve committed my life to making changes and have both started strength-training and have adopted better eating habits that have allowed me to lose 25 lbs in the last 6 weeks. My back is a problem area both in lack of strength and in stubborn fat. I am willing to workout as much or as little (to provide my muscles time to rebuild) as needed, What is the MOST you would recommend doing this workout every week? I have a military ball to attend in 3 weeks and while not looking for overnight success, do you think doing this workout 3 times per week will allow me to see a change between now and then? There is a special dress involved and I want realistic expectations! BTW – I feel fantastic, love my body at all of its sizes, and this isn’t the first time I’ve done strength-training or weightlifting (just a little background info so you know where I’m at!). Thank you so very much for your time, comments, and help!
I’d recommend doing this workout a minimum of 2 times a week. This workout alone isn’t going to create dramatic changes. This workout + a meal plan + cardio + a complete weight training routine = noticeable results in 3 weeks.
I have been really lazy the past few weeks and started getting back fat gonna try this to get rid of all the fat also gonna try doing full body workouts, this is so far the best workout I’ve found thank you so much will try and do this a few times a week
Let me know how it goes or if you need any help. xxoo
You’re an angel sent from above. These moves really helped me. Just want you to know that instead of dumbbell or medicine ball, I am lifting a 1 gallon container filled up with water. I can’t afford to buy a dumbbell or exercise ball from off-island and send here due to the high cost of freight. Anyway, the effect was amazing! I guess it really depends upon the moves and not the equipment…
YASSSSSSSS!!!!! I’m so proud of you for being innovative and using water! So smart and totally ok! You can use cans of soup, too. Or get resistance bands. They’re light and won’t incur a high freight shippig cost. You’re absolutely right… it’s not what you use, it’s the moves you do. I’m so happy. Thank you so much for you amazing comment. : ) xo
Thanks for that exercise, I really needed it
Thank you so much for this exercise, exactly what i was looking for
o yes i love the workout thats what am looking for to get rid of thats bra bulge thats killing me thank you
I had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction so my range of motion is nowhere near what ot should be. Where you are able to put your elbows high up I can get mine slightly above my shoulders. Will I still get benefits from the exercise? I can feel the burn!
Hi! Yes you’ll still get benefits from do these exercises even if you can’t go all the way to the top. Feeling the burn is a great sign. I’m so proud of you for working it! xo
Loved your video. Will try exercises for back.
On the woodchop, do we need to alternate sides or stick with left to right for all sets?
I recommend doing all right, then all left, making sure you complete the same number of reps on each side.
I have been looking for something to tighten my back. I recently lost a lot of weight and have excess skin. I am hoping that these exercises will help
I have a question about this- I have read that spot reduction doesn’t work. Isn’t this considered spot reduction?
Thanks!!!!
No it’s not… that’s why I said this workout won’t do much if you’re not following a meal plan, cardio, and complete weight training program. You can’t spot reduce fat… you CAN spot train with weights to target an area that concerns you… but you won’t see much of a change if you’re not following a complete plan.
Ok, thank you!
Thank you for the underarm and back exercises.
You’re welcome!! xo
Great combination of specific exercises. Can feel it already after one set!
Yay! I’m proud of you for working it!
Hi … I took the metabolic profile quiz. and was never redirected to my results. All it gave me was a print out of my results and
told me I was a Kirstie.
Is there any way you can send me the results of the profile to my email?
I would greatly appreciate it!
Greer
I sent you an email with the link : )
what is the weight of the dumbbells used
What I used doesn’t matter. You need to choose a weight where you can do the exercises with proper form… but the last few reps should be difficult.
Hi, I love your videos. Great way to really fatigue those muscles from home with dumbbells. My question is should both the back fat and and getting rid of back fat over hand work outs be combined with in the same workout on the same day or should they be split?
They should be split 🙂
Great workout. Tonight was my first night trying this. I am disabled so there are a lot of exercises I cannot do but these I can do easily. Thank you so much.
Thank you!
You are the BOMB!!! I’ve been looking for something this targeted. Thank you so much for sharing!
Christina,
Thanks so much for your informative explanations for these exercises. What is especially helpful is the fact that you take time to explain the muscle groups in detail. In the fall I’ll be going on a 16 day tour of Italy. I plan on taking resistance bands with me so I can do my exercises. I tried doing the trouble u, funky chicken, upright row and wood chop with a tube resistance band and wasn’t very successful. Can you demonstrate how to do those exercises with the tube resistance band?
Those exercises are best suited for dumbbells or other free weights. I’d recommend using bottles of water or try bodyweight exercises while on your trip. Here’s a collection for you. https://www.christinacarlyle.com/category/workouts-and-exercises/ Have fun in Italy! xoxo
Wow, Christina! I have tried all sorts to get rid of those pesky back-fat lumps! I am disabled with limited ability to stand and does that fat look just awful over the back of my wheelchair. Uggh.
I did several sets of the above exercises over a few weeks and they have just gone, leaving me a nice, tight back. They have also helped with my bingo-wings and man-boobs, too!
I am a CCTV fan from now on. Thank you so much.
I just stumbled upon your page, I don’t want to exaggerate but with every move, my bra felt slacker in that area.
Hi, I started eating Keto in March and have lost 57 pounds so far and have 35 left to lose. I started going to the gym with a personal trainer at the beginning of September and work with him twice a week and alone once a week plus am doing cardio 5 days a week – a minimum to 30 minutes
I have noticed however that HE doesn’t seem to work to target areas I, and most women have problems with).
So. I am following you so that I can do your work outs too. I will add them to his work outs at the end and do them on my by myself days.
Hi! Love these workouts, I’ve been doing them for about three weeks now (comined with simple yoga stretches and very light cardio (jump rope on alternate days or as warm up). whilst I feel great and have lost fat around my waist and stomach, my soft back fat aint firming up (im i guess ‘skinny fat’ im very petite but soft love handles in this one trouble area) I’m not really feeling that burn when lifting the weights, just a little tired and sore afterwards should I increase the weight? Myarm muscles are strong but shoulder and back muscles very loose.
If you’re sore after that’s a good thing. Back muscles are bigger than arm muscles and need more weight to feel more burn. You can try increasing a few pounds to see if that helps. If soft isn’t turning to tight/toned/hard that’s a HUGE sign your nutrition doesn’t match your workouts. When you lose fat you get firm. When you lose weight you lose muscle… ie ‘skinny fat’ You need my Total Transformation Program!
I have a question! What is the strength of the weight to use for these excercises? I only have two 5 lbs weights in my possession. Will those be too heavy to start out?
I am personally weigh 149 lbs, 5′ 2″ and age 64.
Mary Ann
5 works. add more weight as you get stronger
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually know what you are
talking about!
Thanks Mark xo CC
Exactly what I was looking for! And really easy to do for such fantastic results. I will be back for your other routines for other areas real soon. You are awesome!!!
Awwww YAY! Thanks for letting me know Sheena. Make sure you sign up as a VIP and I’ll email you all of my new workout routines and free trainings. Here’a direct link for you. https://www.christinacarlyle.com/become-a-vip/ Welcome to my Fit Family xoxo CC
Are these good for the heart?
all exercise is 🙂
I can’t even explain how much I am loving your workouts. They are simple enough that I don’t get bogged down, but oh my word, I can feel the burn for DAYS. Thank you so much for making these available. As a super-busy stay-at-home mom of three, these are exactly what I need to tone back up.
Awww yay! Thank you so much for your comment! xo CC
You’re welcome : )
Omg I’m getting back Into it and wanted some targeted strength training exercises and this was great Combo after 3 mile Cardio. The trouble u was brutal .
Glad you liked this! and yes, the trouble U is brutal lol xo
I love your workouts so much that I want to start a program! Which program would you recommend? I’m anxious to get started!
Hi! Thanks so much for your comment. If you like my workouts, I’d definitely recommend the Mind Right, Body Tight® Program! You can learn more and get started here. https://www.christinacarlyle.com/mind-right-body-tight-program/