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Fighting Cellulite

Q and A with Trainer Chris Powell

Rea in Phoenix is fighting cellulite...

"Dear Chris,
I'm 39 years old with about 35 lbs to lose. I have horrible cellulite in my thighs and buttocks and would like to know the best diet and exercise to get rid of it."

Hey there Rea!

I’m glad you brought this up. Cellulite is something that women often complain about, but most don’t even know what it is! Just so everyone’s ‘in the know’ on the stuff, here’s the nitty gritty on cellulite:

Cellulite is known as the uneven, dimpled, or “cottage cheese” skin often found on the thighs, hips and buttocks of most mature women. If you have cellulite, you are not alone! An estimated 95% of all American women have cellulite.

Cellulite occurs when there is damage to the layer of connective tissues just beneath the skin’s surface. There is a layer of adipose tissue (fat) that lies between these connective tissues and the muscle. When circulation to the connective tissues diminishes, the tissues become weak from lack of nutrients, allowing the fatty layer beneath to ‘bulge’ through in the weaker areas.

The early stages of cellulite can be anywhere from a few broken veins to slight discoloration of the skin and easy bruising. This can quickly develop into small lumps that eventually create the “orange peel” look. The longer the condition goes without remedy, the more damage is done to the connective tissue and the symptoms worsen to swollen, lumpy tissue that surrounds the fatty deposits in the skin.

So, you're thinking… how do I get rid of it?
You guessed it – proper nutrition and exercise!

For those who already have cellulite, don’t worry – you can do something about it! The most effective method for the reduction of cellulite is proper nutrition and exercise. By reducing body fat and building the muscle underneath your skin, you can actually re-shape your body and “tighten” the cellulite. The layer of fat between the muscle and connective tissue will slowly diminish, while the muscle takes more shape and “pulls the skin tight.” In addition, exercise will increase circulation and nutrient flow to the connective tissue to reverse the trends of cellulite.

To reduce the body fat, we must always set a good nutrition base first. Check out my nutrition guidelines in the TRIAXIOM Pyramid.

Development is the center of the pyramid and accounts for roughly 15% of our success.  ‘Development’ refers to strength and resistance training – stimulating the muscles of our body for development and shape.  Our muscles account for the majority of calories our body burns, so working the muscles through a full range of motion, stimulating them for shape and development, is of utmost importance when we are looking to lose weight and increase calorie burn. 

In this case for the Development element, I recommend heavier weight/low repetition exercises, to stimulate the muscles for growth.  Because most cellulite that we are referring to is located in the buttocks and back of the leg, let’s focus on stimulating those muscles for growth, selecting several squatting movements that stimulate the glutes (buttocks), quads (thigh) and hamstrings (Back of leg) for shape and development.  Here are some great exercises that you can do at home:

Butt & Thigh Exercise
25-30 repetitions of each exercise
Sofa Squat (beginner)

1. Begin with feet shoulder width, keeping your weight on your heels
2. Tighten your abs as much as you can
3. Slowly lower your butt down to the sofa like you are going to sit down, extending your arms forward as a counterbalance
4. As soon as you feel contact with the sofa, press slowly through your heels until the legs are fully extended again.

Rest: As long as it takes to move into the next exercise

1 Leg Lunge (advanced)

1. Step about 2 feet away from the sofa and place one foot back on top of the sofa
2. Tighten your abs as much as you can
3. Keeping your weight on your front heel, slowly lower yourself down , trying to touch the ground with the back knee (see picture)
4. At the bottom of the motion, press through your heel slowly until the leg is fully extended again.
5. After 25 reps, repeat on the other side

Hamstrings
25-30 repetitions of each exercise
Bridge Ups

1. Start on your back facing up – heels should be resting on the edge of the couch
2. Squeeze your glutes (butt) and raise your hips off of the ground
3. Hold for 2 counts then return to starting position

Cardio is the top of the pyramid and accounts for roughly 10% of our success. Cardio is an incredibly effective way to burn extra calories, and especially burn the fuel in the muscles – to ensure that the body will begin to use its other fuel (fat) for energy. (we will discuss this further in future articles).

For the Cardio element, always start out light:

• Maybe 15 minutes of light to moderate activity: walking, jogging, swimming, hiking, etc.

As your stamina increases, try interval training:
• 4 minutes light activity
• 1 minute moderate to intense activity

Keep increasing duration of your cardio 5 minutes or so every other week, and you’ll see a difference in no time!

Let me know how it goes!
~ Chris

Don’t forget, you can get in shape in the cool comfort of home with Chris' Home workout

Learn more about Chris

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