break your back
break (one's) back
To put forth a great deal of effort. I've been breaking my back trying to get a passing grade this semester, so failing by two measly points is incredibly frustrating. Don't break your back trying to please these people—they'll never appreciate it.
break your back
If you break your back to do something, you work extremely hard to try to do it. When you're breaking your back to make a business work, it's going to cut into your time with family. `I had been travelling all over the country, breaking my back just to get a job,' she says.