Tired of scouring the internet for hours, trying to learn how to eliminate cellulite without surgery?
You are NOT alone. A lot of women have a hard time getting rid of stubborn cellulite. And it seems that every woman deals with this to some degree throughout their life (some less than others.) I have seen estimates of up to ninety percent of women have cellulite, so if you are reading this you are definitely part of the greater majority.
Why does it seem like such an impossible problem to effectively deal with? Most of the difficulty stems from all the misinformation about “cottage cheese skin” floating around the internet as well as by word of mouth from our friends and family.
There are some medical/surgical procedures to help with cellulite but understandably many women would rather reduce it by natural means.
That is what this article is all about, naturally reducing cellulite. So let’s get to it!
Weight Train More (Specifically Life as HEAVY of weights you can safely handle)
Many women mistakenly focus on cardio to lose fat and reduce cellulite. While cardio is great for the heart, the type of cardio most of us do is not anywhere near as effective as lifting progressively heavier weights could be.
If you are doing high-intensity cardio like sprinting, jump roping, difficult swim strokes, etc. then you may be experiencing many fat-burning benefits. However, medium to low-intensity cardio workouts done over a long period of time does not generate very good results for improving cellulite in most women.
Instead try a different approach for at least 3 months. It is likely you will experience a noticeable difference before then. In fact, many women have reported beginning to notice a difference after only 2 – 3 weeks. But it’s good to do it for at least this amount of time to ensure you get good results.
What you should do is stop focusing on cardio and put the majority of your effort into weight training for the next three months.
Exercise your legs heavily for at least two days out of the week, and of course, work the rest of your body as well. You can design whatever kind of workout you please for your legs but make sure it includes more compound lifts than isolation lifts.
Of course, if you are trying to focus your cellulite elimination efforts on other parts of your body then just chose to focus your lifts on ones that work those problem areas more. But for the sake of this article, we want to focus on the thighs and buttocks since those are the problem areas most of us deal with.
Focus on compound lifts:
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Lunges (forward, reverse, and side lunges)
- Step Ups
- Good Mornings
- Pullups (if targeting cellulite on back, lats, or upper arms)
Use isolation lifts like a desert (they should make up the minority of your workout):
- Leg Extensions
- Leg / Hamstring Curl Machine
- Hip Abduction Machine
- Hip Adduction Machine
- Calf Raises
Attempt to use increasingly heavy weight from week to week. Don’t make the mistake of using low weight for high reps. Do just the opposite. Lift as heavy as you can while still maintaining good form in your lifts. Focus on lifting difficult weights for low to medium reps. 3 – 5 sets of 3 – 8 reps is a good range. And don’t forget to record your progress, it’s very motivating to visually see that the amount of weight you can move is increasing. It sure helps to take some before and after pictures as well, just remember that it can take a few months to really notice the results.
How Does Lifting Weights Reduce Cellulite?
Honestly, it’s hard to say. I can’t say I have read any scientific studies regarding weight lifting and cellulite, although they may exist. So everything I say here is just theory.
My guess is that heavy weight lifting builds more muscle (no, not so much that you will get bulky, don’t worry about that) and as that muscle grows a bit it pushes outward against your skin and stretches it a bit. Less loose skin seems to result in less noticeable cellulite. So maybe it does not erase it completely but it can sure make it less visible as many women have attested.
I know most of the advice I gave here seems counter-intuitive. Usually, we associate cardio with fat burning and because of that, we think cardio is a great cellulite reducer. However, more and more women are finding that by laying off the cardio and focusing more on strengthening their legs, they are seeing great results.
Worried about gaining weight if you dial down your cardio? Don’t be. Most women who have gone this route have reported no weight gain, in fact, many reported the opposite.
Lifting Heavy Is Not The Only Way To Eliminate Cellulite Without Surgery
Below are some other cellulite tips and tricks that you may want to consider or investigate further. Remember everyone’s skin and body is different so some people will respond better to certain types of cellulite treatment whereas another person’s body might not experience any significant results with the exact same treatment. It doesn’t hurt to experiment and see what works for you.
Use Moisturizer to Help Reduce Cellulite
Dehydrated and dry skin can exasperate the unpleasant appearance of cellulite. When you use a daily moisturizer you can further minimize that ripple effect of cellulite. And no, you do not necessarily need one of the pricier cellulite creams for this, although if you have the money it wouldn’t hurt to read some reviews on these and give one a try.
Try Ultra Cavitation for Cellulite Reduction
Another thing you could try if you have the money is an ultra cavitation session at a spa or purchase your own machine. Cavitation machines use low-frequency ultrasound to break up and destroy fat cells as well as help massage your muscles (added bonus!) Your body then metabolizes the fat cells and removes them through your lymphatic system.
Generally, a cavitation session can cost from 200 – 250 dollars for a 3-hour session at a spa. If you plan on doing this multiple times it could really add up fast so another solution to look into purchasing your own machine and learning how to do it yourself.
What Even Is Cellulite & How Does It Form?
Cellulite is fat—plain and simple. But it’s also a bit more complicated than that…
When you are looking at cellulite what you are really seeing is the fat that is pushing through the connective tissue and collagen, pressing against our skin. This is why people (men and women, contrary to popular belief) tend to get worse with cellulite as they age. Our connective tissue begins to break down as we grow older. Cellulite’s “lumpiness” factor depends on three primary factors:
- Genetics
- Amount of Fat (subcutaneous adipose tissue, i.e. the layer below your skin)
- Collagen and Connective Tissue Breakdown
Your genes you can’t really do anything about. Some people are just born with collagen that is not as strong as others. So don’t beat yourself up over that, instead, focus on what you can control.
The amount of fat you have is definitely within your control. Eat clean foods as close to their natural source as possible. If you have excess fat, dial down your nutrition and keep lifting weights. Fat loss will follow. Do some research as well on foods that help your skin and collagen because that can indirectly improve your cellulite appearance.
As far as helping strengthen your collagen and skin connective tissue, do some research on supplements to help restore and strengthen these. This could also indirectly help reduce your cellulite by strengthening the tissue that is supposed to be encapsulating your adipose tissue (fat layer) and keeping it from pressing against your skin and causing cellulite.
Now you know how to eliminate cellulite without surgery, so go out there and give it a try for a few months. Remember to focus on weight training, and implement the other tips if you wish, but those remaining tips are only supplemental. Come back and let us know if it helps! Best of luck to you all.
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