1. Power up your plankperfect plank is one of the best exercisesHere’s how: You know that a for your core. Now make it one of the best for your back, too, by adding a row to your plank workout, says celebrity trainer Autumn Calabrese, creator of the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme programs. This move hits the important upper push and pull muscles in your back—the ones that enable you to pick up heavy shopping bags, among other things. Holding two medium free weights, get into a straight-arm plank position. Alternating one arm at a time, pull one arm back in a row. Repeat as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
  2. Try resistance bandsNo Excuses Fitnesstighten and tone your whole body with this resistance band workoutHere’s how: Moving throughout the day is not only good for your all-over health, but it’s also a great way to sneak in short bursts of strength training. Store a resistance band at your desk, and during the workday perform standing reverse flies, which not only hit your upper back muscles—latisimuss dorsi, rhomboids, teres minor and major, rear deltoids—but are also great for good posture, says celebrity trainer, Donovan Green, author of . (Learn how to .)  Grasp the ends of a resistance band, choking up on the band for more resistance, if needed. Fully extend your arms with a slight bend in the elbows. Separate the handles by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. Repeat 3 times, twice a week for a month to see definition.
  3. Push, pull and lift The muscles that you use throughout the day to open heavy doors and take out the trash are also some of the easiest to tone through simple moves. “Your back muscles are being activated every time you pick up your child, turn your steering wheel, and to bathe your skin,” says Green. “Your back is basically the key motivator for all human movements.” Here’s how: To target those important back muscles, consider doing bench presses—even with just the bar—push-ups (see “Push It Up”), and dead lifts, which also work your glutes, hamstrings, quads, forearms, shoulders and abs.
  4. Stretch it outstretch—even just for 10 minutesThe No More Excuses DietHere’s how: When your back muscles are tight, you tend to slouch more, resulting in a not-so-sculpted rear. Keep your back muscles limber by making a point to . “Oftentimes, with bad posture, aging, and ultimately a degenerating spine, our back starts to curve and weaken,” explains fitness trainer Maria Kang, author of . “You must maintain flexibility in your body by stretching shortened muscles and, for most people with weak backs, that muscle is often the chest and shoulders.”  Position your arm in a 90-degree angle and place it against a doorframe. Turn your body towards the other arm and stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, then change sides.
  5. Engage your whole backHere’s how: Sometimes all you need is your own body weight (plus a comfy place to lie down) to sculpt a lean and toned back. Calabrese suggests the Superman move, which targets both your upper and lower back and helps strengthen your core simultaneously.  Lie face down on the floor. Lift both your legs and arms off the floor at the same time. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower back down. Repeat as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. Repeat 3 times 3 times a week for best results. 
  6. Perfect your posture Half of maintaining a strong back is proper posture, so make your world ergonomic, suggests Andrew Wolf, exercise physiologist at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa.Here’s how: “At work, get the center of your computer screen level with your line of sight. In the car, recline your car seat less and while you’re in traffic, see if you can press the back of your head against the seat back, ” says Wolf. The idea is not necessarily to engage your muscles but to allow them to relax via ergonomic positions. “If your head, which weighs about 8 pounds, is in front of your shoulders, all of those muscles in the upper back have to work constantly, leaving them overstretched and overworked. Because those muscles are already in agony, creating an ergonomic desk space, for example, spares them during the workday so that when you do go to work them, you can do so without injuring yourself.” 
  7. Walk the right way Yes, it’s walking not weight lifting, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to tone your back, too.Here’s how: By bracing your entire midsection while walking, you immediately pull your shoulders back, forcing your upper back muscles to contract, says Green. Bonus: bracing those muscles not only tones you up but also helps improve posture. 
  8. Push it upHere’s how: Or, rather, do a push-up. This basic exercise hits nearly every major muscle in your upper body including your lats—aka the frustrating “bra bulge.” “Bra bulge is usually formed from stubborn fat pockets on the back close to the arm pit,” explains Green. “Aside from having a balanced diet, high intensity training will assist in reducing or eliminating bra bulge. Though you can’t spot train specific parts of the body, it doesn’t mean you can’t speed up the process of burning fat.”  If you can’t do a full push-up, modify it by kneeling in the position and performing the exercise on your knees. Repeat as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. Repeat 3 times 3 times a week for best results.  MORE: Try This Equipment-Free Body Weight Workout