Tag body fat

Don’t rely on Sit-ups Alone for Reducing that Belly Fat

While many “diet and exercise programs” would lead you to believe you can, the cold hard truth is no, you can’t reduce belly fat by doing sit-ups. Reducing fat in just the abdominal area is touted as spot reducing, but the body does not work that way. The only way to lose belly fat is to reduce the fat from your entire body. In the process, a certain amount of fat lost will come from your abdominal area.

Body fat is your body’s “rainy day account”. During the good times when food is plentiful, we store fat so we have an excess supply to use as energy during the lean times. Unfortunately in many people, the belly is one of the first places fat gets stored.

The Value of Abdominal Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat

As noted, doing sit-ups does no good as far as losing belly fat, but they (and their close cousin crunches) are beneficial at strengthening your abdominal core muscles. And a strong core means better posture and less potential for back problems. A strength training routine performed a couple times a week will greatly improve your abs. You want your “six-pack” to shine through once you lose your belly fat.

We know that to lose a pound of weight per week, you have to burn more calories than you consume – 3,500 to be exact. We also know there are two ways to have a calorie deficit, working out and eating foods lower in calories (or a combination of both which actually works the best).

Working Out to Reduce Belly Fat

To burn the maximum amount of fat, two things have to happen. One, you have to increase your heart rate by performing a warm-up routine so your muscles are getting the maximum amount of oxygen. Two, you have to exercise your body as hard as possible (while monitoring your target heart rate) by doing intense workouts, such as cardio exercises, going on long runs or bicycling a long way.

Eating Fewer Calories to Reduce Belly Fat

Not all calories are created equal. Your focus should be on eating food low in saturated fat and carbohydrates, but high in fiber and protein. Such broad choices include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, seafood, beans and lean meats to name a few. And don’t forget to add in some of the good fats – the poly and monounsaturated fats. These come from olive oil, fatty fish such as tuna and salmon, nuts and avocados.

By lowering your overall body fat percentage, some of your loss will be belly fat. To accomplish the loss, eat healthy and exercise as defined in this article.

You can find more “Belly Fat Success Tips” in our weight loss category found at http://myfitnessnut.com and while you’re they, be sure to subscribe to our monthly fitness newsletter and be kept up to date on the latest developments in the world of health and fitness.

This is an excellent question that many women ask. Unfortunately, most of them receive the wrong answers. In this article, we’ll examine if a detox cleanse is really necessary for you to banish that awful cellulite from your body.

First, we need to look at what detox cleanses claim to be. There are several detox cleanse products on the market that make bold claims to flush out the toxins in your body.

Some of these products even claim to have ‘liver flushing’ capabilities. The general idea given is that the body is full of toxins and other harmful substances and these cleanses will remove them.

Are Detox Cleanse Marketers Lying to You?

Next, we need to understand what cellulite is. We must know what it really is. The detox cleanse manufacturers will have you believing that cellulite clumps are actually pockets of toxins in the body.

They’ll say that these pockets of fat are hardened fat that cannot be removed through normal methods. So, you’ll need to resort to cleanses to get to the bottom of the problem.

The only problem here is the lies and misleading information surrounding cellulite.

Cellulite is fat. Nothing more, nothing less. It is NOT pockets of toxins or trapped particles beneath that can’t be removed. It is just normal fat and the same rules apply when dealing with cellulite as you would normal fat.

While a detox cleanse can have other benefits for your body, the removal of cellulite is not one of them.

You may be wondering why cellulite looks so different if it is just normal fat. Shouldn’t it be smooth and thick rather than clumpy, dimpled and ugly to look at? To understand why cellulite looks this way will require having an understanding of your anatomy.

There are several bands of tissue that connect our skin to the muscles beneath it. These bands are known as septae. For women, these fibrous bands are connected in a vertical, perpendicular manner. For men, the bands are connected in a cross hatched manner.

This is the main reason why men commonly do not have cellulite.

The perpendicular bands create spaces that are used by the body to store fat. There is very limited space with the male’s cross hatched pattern. Women definitely have it tougher in this area. Once the fat spaces are filled out and carry on getting bigger, the fat will push up against the skin. The clumpy appearance is due to the fact that the fibrous bands are between the fat stores.

So why does cellulite only appear on the thighs, butt and legs? The answer to this lies in the fact that for the majority of women, the skin is thinner there. Men have thicker skin than women in this area and thicker skin masks it.

How to Deal With Cellulite When a Detox Cleanse is Not an Option

In order to deal with cellulite, we need to deal with the body fat percentage of our bodies. The more fat you have in your body, the more cellulite you will have. Heredity and luck may mean that some women have fewer tendencies to have cellulite than others but nevertheless, the same principle holds true.

So, in order to lose this fat, you will need to adopt a healthy clean diet and exercise program to eradicate the fat stores. No detox cleanse can achieve this. There is no detox product on the market to remove cellulite that is effective. If you wish, you may go on a short 3 day detox plan and then follow up with a healthy diet and exercise program. That would be the best way to go about getting rid of cellulite.

This is a difficult question to answer because there are several costs. There is money, there is effort and time. In this article, we will examine the financial aspect of cellulite removal which will differ depending on what course of treatment you chose to adopt.

Women as a whole spend millions of dollars a year on cellulite treatments. These can range from cellulite creams, massages, surgical procedures, special supplements, etc.

This is a huge cash cow for many companies as they compete for the dollars and their marketing messages can be deceiving. Advertising, testimonials, ‘proof’ are all used to convince women that their special products will work wonders.

So, if you decide to purchase cellulite creams, your costs will be lower than that of someone who decides to go for Endermologie cellulite treatment which is a kind of ‘special’ massage.

There is no Exact Cost for Cellulite Removal.

It varies from woman to woman depending on their means and budget. The question is how much do you want to spend on treatments that rarely produce any long lasting effects?

What most anti-cellulite product companies will not tell you is that there is no product on the market that effectively gets rid of cellulite. Not a single one. This is because cellulite is fat. It’s fat in the body that just looks different because of the tissue structures in the body.

Nevertheless, it’s just fat.

There is no cream or massage on this planet that can get rid of fat. What’s more, the only way to remove fat from your body is to exercise and eat right. You need to create a caloric deficit and your body will start burning fat and the cellulite will disappear. This is neither glamorous, romantic nor easy. It involves sacrifice and hard work.

That’s exactly why it will work.

The true cost of cellulite removal is not just the dollars you spend on products that don’t work…

It’s the time that you have wasted on trying out these products. The disappointment you will experience when you see no results. You may even have low self-esteem or hate your body and this is a very real cost that nobody seems to want to talk about.

Cellulite Removal is the Same as Fat Removal

Cellulite is nothing more than fat. That’s it. It is such a simple concept that most people just don’t get.

Ignore the talk about lymphatic drainage, toxins, damaged fat, poor blood circulation, etc. Fat is fat. It can be burned off if you know what you are doing. If you are in a constant state of caloric deficit and exercise regularly, your body will definitely tap into your cellulite fat and burn it off just like any body fat.

Have faith in your body. It’s a miracle and it will do what is best for you as long as you do right by it. It will find the cellulite and burn it when it needs energy and it’s up to you to use the energy to make this happen.

The Key to Cellulite Removal

There is no such thing as damaged fat or trapped toxins that cause cellulite. Your body will detoxify itself. That’s what your liver does. It does a better job than any detox cleanse product on the market. The key to cellulite removal is to burn more calories each day than you consume; this will burn the fat known as cellulite.

So, go about it the healthy way. Save your money. Do not waste it on the creams or other supposedly ‘scientific’ discoveries that are expensive. The old fashioned method is the only effective way to proven and sustainable cellulite removal. Exercise and eat right and you’ll be able to get yourself there.

There are several cellulite creams available on the market. You may have seen advertisements for these creams on late night infomercials or on ads at your local health store. The anti-cellulite product industry is a 12 million dollar a year industry.

A Huge Chunk of Money is Spent on Cellulite Cream Alone

These creams are marketed very professionally. There are testimonials from satisfied users who in many cases have been financially compensated for their “honest reviews.”

The ads will promise the world and guarantee to deliver results in a short time but of course, the fine print will usually state that results are not typical and may vary from individual to individual.

What Does One Cellulite Cream Have in Common With the Other?

The only thing that all cellulite creams share in common is their ineffectiveness and inability to produce long lasting results. Most cellulite creams make the skin swell a little and become tauter.

When this happens, the appearance of the cellulite diminishes because the skin is tighter. However, the effects of the cream will subside and the cellulite will return. So, will the woman’s disappointment.

Trade-in Your Cellulite Cream for Something That Works

The best way to get rid of cellulite is with a healthy diet and exercise. You will need to reduce your body fat percentage. If you can do this, your cellulite will to a large extent disappear.

Once you get your diet and training in place, your body will start burning off cellulite. Now you may wish to use cellulite cream to hasten the process. The best way to do this will be to make your own cream at home.

It will be a lot cheaper in the long run and is just as effective.

The cream will be beneficial if it gives you the psychological advantage. Many women feel better just by applying the cream. If it makes you feel better doing it, go for it.

The application and massaging will also improve blood circulation to the cellulite prone areas. That is a good thing. The crux of the matter is that the cream is just to supplement a proper eating and training regimen.

Make Your Own Cellulite Cream

After scouring the internet, the following creams were discovered to be the best that you can make at home. You may wish to give them a try.

1. Essential Oil Cellulite Cream

This good-smelling lotion not only pleases your sense of smell; the essential oils used are reputed to help tighten skin and reduce cellulite’s lumpy appearance.

* 1 cup unscented body lotion

* 1 tablespoon witch hazel (available at drug stores and large retailers in the pharmacy or first aid section)

* 3 to 5 drops each of the following essential oils: juniper, rosemary, cypress and grapefruit

First, mix the essential oils with the witch hazel by shaking or swirling. Then add the lotion and stir or shake vigorously. Use this lotion after you shower and before bedtime, working it into the skin with a circular, massaging motion.

2. Coffee Scrub

Caffeine is one of the main ingredients used in a lot of commercial cellulite creams. Using coffee grounds you can apply this caffeine to the skin, and also the abrasive/exfoliating action of the grounds can help increase circulation and skin tone. Here is how to make a coffee scrub for cellulite.

* 1 cup used coffee grounds (some sources say you can use the ground coffee fresh, without making coffee with it first. Presumably, this would have more caffeine but may seem more wasteful)

* 1/4 cup sweet almond oil

Mix these two ingredients and apply to wet, warm skin in small circles, massaging well. You can “wrap” the area with plastic wrap and then a towel, leaving the coffee scrub in place for about ten minutes before rinsing. Make sure you have a strainer over your shower drain so it doesn’t get clogged with coffee grounds!

3. Fruit Cream

The presence of acids such as tartaric and citric acid in fruits may help reduce the appearance of cellulite. This recipe also uses sugar, which can act like an exfoliant to increase circulation and tone up skin.

* 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil

* 3 tablespoons sugar

* 1/2 cup pureed fresh strawberries

Apply this cellulite cream as you would the one made from coffee grounds. It could also be used under a cellulite wrap.

That’s basically it. Use the cellulite cream separately or alternate if you wish, along with a good diet and train hard using a good exercise workout routine. You will see results, save money and be happy with your end results if you just keep after it.

Cellulite is fat that has received a bad reputation. It is not a sign of an unhealthy body. There are many misconceptions about it and some websites will even state that it’s caused by poor circulation and drainage in the body.

They also state that it is fat that has been damaged. To add credibility to their statements, they’ll also state that even female athletes show signs of cellulite.

All this is just confusing and makes women hate their bodies. This article aims to keep things simple. Cellulite is fat. That’s it. Fat that is stored in a unique way that it results in its dimpled and not so pleasant appearance.

That’s it. Just like all fat in your body, it can be burnt off and you can reduce the amount of it in your body.

To a certain extent, it can be hereditary also. Women with thinner skin will show more signs of it since the fats will be more visible beneath the skin. Some women are also more predisposed to gaining fat and that’s exactly what makes up those lumpy dimples.

Within Reason, Fat or Cellulite Gain is Not Unhealthy

That does not mean they are unhealthy. Just like any fat gain, they’re consuming more calories than they are expending. Reversing this state will result in fat loss and the reduction of cellulite.

Cellulite looks different from normal fat only because of the structure of the tissues that connect the skin to the underlying muscles. These bands are perpendicular in women and have pockets of fat storage. Once those pockets are filled and then continue to fill with fat the excess fat starts pushing upwards and becomes visible because the skin is thin.

Yet, it is still just fat.

No, Toxins Do Not Cause Cellulite to Appear or Disappear

Some people may say that it’s caused by toxin buildup. This to a certain extent is true because fat in the body tends to bind toxins so that you do not become sick. However, toxins do not cause it. Fat buildup does.

Eliminate the fats and you eliminate the cellulite.

Another common fallacy is assuming that only overweight women have it. Many slim women have it too. So, if fat causes it to appear, why do these women still have it?

Because, it is not a matter of weight. The all-important number is your body fat percentage. There are many women who see slim, yet they have low muscle mass and a high percentage of body fat. In the fitness industry, this is known as “skinny fat”. So, even if you are slim but have a high body fat percentage, that fat is going to spill out of the spaces between your tissues and pop out as cellulite.

Cellulite is Not a Sign of Poor Health

If you eat a sensible diet, exercise regularly, consume collagen supplements and keep your skin supple and healthy, you’ll do more to banish cellulite than any cream or detox cleanse ever could.

Your health is affected by having fatty internal organs, poor stamina and other problems caused by a lack of exercise and a diet that is not wholesome. Cellulite is a symptom of an underlying problem. It is not an issue in itself. Maintain discipline with your diet and exercise and the cellulite will slowly but surely disappear and become less visible.

Every year women spend upwards of 10 million+ dollars on products created to fight cellulite. New products, creams, miracle cures and other weird contraptions flood the market constantly. All fighting for a slice of the very profitable pie.

Yet, there is not a single product on the market that works effectively or shows permanent results. Slick marketing, compensated ‘testimonials’ and other tactics that prey on women’s emotions, are all used to sell these products.

Almost all the products are a waste of time or money and in most cases, both.

The truth is that cellulite is just fat. That’s it. Not accumulated toxins, poor circulation, damaged fatty tissues or any other nonsense that is so often spouted by the companies that sell anti-cellulite products.

You Banish Cellulite the Same Way You Banish Fat

Since cellulite is just normal fat, it can be eradicated just like normal fat. The same rules apply. No need for special creams or massages to get rid of cellulite. Exercise, a healthy diet and a close eye on your body fat percentage will do more for your cellulite than any cream or massage ever could.

If you were to tell certain woman that resistance training is more beneficial than cellulite creams, she’d probably think that you lost your marbles. Yet, this is the hard truth.

Fat can only be burnt off with exercise. You cannot melt fat with creams and you definitely cannot massage fat away.

If Only It Were That Easy to Banish Cellulite

Of course to lose weight, you will need to watch your diet closely and engage in cardio sessions on a frequent basis. In this article, we will take a closer look at resistance training.

Most women feel that weight training or resistance training is only for men. Again, this is fallacy. Women will benefit greatly from resistance training.

You will not get big and bulky by doing resistance training. Even men struggle to gain muscle. Resistance training will give you a lean and toned body. You will have firm thighs and a nice, perky butt. Toned muscles will give your thighs and legs a taut appearance and cellulite will be less visible.

Good Example of Resistance Training Exercises to Banish Cellulite

Examples of resistance training are squats, lunges, dead-lifts, snatches, leg presses, etc. You may wish to focus more on resistance training for the lower body to increase the lean muscle mass in your lower body. Most women are prone to storing fat in the lower body and cellulite most frequently occurs on the thighs and butt.

When you engage in resistance training, your body composition will change. While your body fat decreases, your lean muscle will increase. So, even though the numbers on the weighing scale don’t change, the appearance of your body will. Your weight may be the same but you will look smaller and more toned. That’s because muscle is denser than fat.

The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn on a daily basis. That means the chances of your body storing fat are much lower. Since cellulite is just stored fat, you will not see it returning anytime soon, unless you start slacking on your diet and training of course.

Two resistance training programs that will give you a good workout for both your upper and that all important lower body are Dumbbell workouts and the Kettlebell workouts. Both provide resistance where you can start out low and work your way up as you see, and get fit.

Resistance training is one of the key components to banish cellulite so start now by making it a part of your daily workouts and you will see and feel the difference in a matter of weeks.

If you’re in a hurry and only have time to read the first 3 lines of this article, I’ll summarize the answer in 1 sentence…

To keep cellulite at bay, watch your diet, eat healthy and exercise till you have a low body fat percentage. That is the best way to keep cellulite at bay. If you’re curious about how to do this, read on.

First thing, remember that it is just fat that we’re dealing with here. It is not accumulated toxins or the result of poor lymphatic drainage. It is not damaged fat. It is not poor circulation or weird metabolism. It is not a disease or condition.

Cellulite is Just Fat – Nothing More.

It only looks different from normal fat because of the way it is stored. There is a layer of fibrous tissue just beneath our skin. This tissue makes our skin adhere to the underlying muscles. For women, the tissue has vertical bands that are perpendicular to the skin. For men, these tissues are connected in a crisscrossed manner.

This is the reason why women are stricken with it and men typically are not. The vertical bands in the woman’s tissues create columns or pockets where fat can be stored. The body then proceeds to store fat in these spaces.

Fat Fills the Spaces Making Cellulite Visible

Once these spaces are filled out and the body keeps filling up the spaces, the fat has nowhere to go but upwards. The fat then pushes the skin upwards and this causes the cellulite to become visible.

Women also have thinner skin than men. So, the fat is more visible. The cellulite appears dimpled or clumpy because of the bands of tissue between the fats. So, while it appears different from normal fat, it is the same and just like normal fat, the same rules apply to keeping it at bay.

Body Fat Determines the Visibility of Cellulite

You will need to get your body fat percentage measured. This is the first key step. You may get a doctor or a fitness professional at your local gym to do it for you because body fat percentage can’t be measured on a body weight scale.

Weighing scales are not a good indicator of body composition. Even women who seem slim may have a high body fat percentage. This is why even slim women sometimes show signs of cellulite on their body.

Now that you have your body fat percentage measured, you will need to bring it down to 12 to 18 percent. It may be difficult and take time but it’s well worth the effort. The most important factor is your diet. You must watch what you eat very closely just as you would on any fat loss diet.

Avoid foods with a high GI. These are the foods that you know are fattening. Cakes, chocolates, ice cream, pizza, etc…

Don’t deprive yourself entirely but try to save these foods for just 1 day in a week opposed to every day of the week. Keep your diet healthy and wholesome and once you have your diet under control that’s 70 percent of the battle already won.

Next, you will need to embark on an exercise program that involves a good mix of cardio and resistance training. The cardio will burn off the excess fat and the resistance training should be geared towards your lower body.

Squats, lunges, deadlifts, etc. are great exercises for women and men both. Your lean and toned lower body will reduce any visible signs of cellulite.

This is how you keep cellulite at bay. It may not be as popular as creams, massages or other methods but this is the only method that is truly effective, budget friendly and has long lasting effects.

On a closing note, be sure to subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of MyFitnessNut.com to get some awesome exercise workout routines and dieting advice that can help you make that cellulite disappear from your body once and for all.

This is a question that many women have on their mind. There is no shortage of anti-cellulite products and services on the market. Cellulite creams, special gadgets which use light therapy, cellulite massages, lymphatic drainage, anti-cellulite pills, etc. This is an industry that sees women spending over 12 million yearly.

With so many products, women are often at a loss as to which way to go about removing their cellulite? Should I try the latest ‘scientific breakthrough’ cream or will the new gadget with the UV light work for me? What about the special collagen pills that will make it disappear in 30 days?

Choices, choices and more choices…

So Which Cellulite Treatment Would Be Right For You?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter which cellulite treatment you decide to choose because they all share one thing in common. They are all ineffective and just a waste of your hard earned money. The truth is that there is absolutely no cream or massage or treatment that will remove it.

The exception to the above statement is laser therapy which is highly effective. However, the cost may make it prohibitive to many women. So, other than laser treatment, is there really no way to treat cellulite?

There is another way but it’s not so easy.

However, if you choose to adopt this method, your whole life will improve and your cellulite will diminish greatly. This method takes time, patience, sacrifice, sweat and in some cases tears. Yet, it is the only way that guarantees visible results that last a long time.

Are you ready to embark on this challenging method?

If you are, then read on…

Cellulite is Not a Unique Condition or Problem

The method is to reduce your body fat percentage. Contrary to popular belief, cellulite is not a unique condition or strange problem that arises because of poor circulation or other health problems; it’s just fat.

Fat that looks different from normal because it is squeezed through hard fibrous tissues beneath your skin. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be alarmed about.

There are pockets of fat stores beneath your skin and once these fat stores are filled, the fat will squeeze outwards and push up against the skin. This is what causes the dimply, orange peel appearance that so many women detest.

Deal With a Cellulite Treatment Like You Would Any Fat Treatment

Since it really is just fat, you can deal with it just like you would normal fat. You can burn it off with a combination of exercise and healthy eating. Measure your body fat percentage and try and bring it down to 15 to 20 percent. This is different from the weight on your scale.

Body fat percentage is your body’s composition taking into account lean muscle mass, etc. Slim women may show signs of cellulite because their body fat composition is high.

This is known as “skinny fat.”

You want to be lean, healthy and toned. Watch your diet closely. Engage in cardio exercises at least 4 times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes. Get your heart pumping and make it an intense session. Throw in some resistance training on other days focusing on your lower body to really work those thighs and butt muscles.

In time to come, your body would have burnt off these fat stores and your lean muscle mass would have increased. Your thighs and legs will be toned and beautiful. Cellulite will barely be visible. This is the best cellulite treatment for any woman to choose because it works, but it does require work to get the job done.

Cellulite is fat. It is formed in the same way that fat is formed. Don’t let the dimpled, bumpy appearance fool you. It is still fat. Just like all fat, it is the result of consuming more calories than required and not exercising enough to burn off that excess consumption.

The question is…

Why Does Cellulite Look So Darn Awful?

If it was just normal fat, it should be smooth and thick. Not clumpy and bumpy like cottage cheese.

So what happened?

The answer lies in the structure of the tissue. Below the skin there is a layer of tissue that is fibrous and it connects the skin to the muscles beneath it.

Women have bands of tissue called septae that are connected vertically and perpendicularly. Similar to little columns. This creates pockets or chambers for fat storage that have always been important for survival and child bearing.

Men do not face this problem because their tissues are connected diagonally and in a crisscrossed manner. There is minimal space for fat storage with this arrangement.

Cellulite Appears Worse with Thin Skin

The thickness of the skin is another key factor for the visibility of cellulite. The thinner the skin, the more visible the cellulite will be. Women have skin that is much thinner than men. So, that makes things worse because their cellulite is more visible.

To a certain extent, cellulite is hereditary. Some women have thinner skin on their thighs and buttocks. This makes their cellulite more visible than women who naturally have thicker skin. Other women store fat on their bodies more easily. So, their higher body fat percentage makes them more prone to having cellulite.

Nevertheless, the majority of women have it and this can be easily avoided if they just stopped and paid closer attention to what they ate. Women love indulging in chocolates, ice-cream and other sweet foods. They feel happier and better when they eat such foods. What they do not realize is that these foods have a high GI index.

That means they cause spikes in the blood sugar level. This leads to increased fat storage and fast weight gain. They then get depressed and this leads to more binge eating to feel better and so the vicious cycle repeats itself and before they know it, they have lots of cellulite on their thighs and butt.

Could this have been avoided? Yes.

The Same as Fat, Muscle Burns Cellulite

Cellulite cannot form in a body that has a low and steady body fat percentage. A body that has a higher percentage of lean muscle mass will also develop this fat less readily. Muscle burns more calories. So, the more lean muscle a woman has, the lower her chances of getting that dimply appearance.

It is highly recommended that women engage in resistance training to increase muscle mass and tone. By doing squats, lunges, planks, dead-lifts, etc. women will develop stronger muscles in the core and lower body. Since women are more prone to developing cellulite in the lower body, by working the muscles in this area, this fatty formation can be prevented.

To summarize, cellulite is just fat. It can be removed the same way fat is removed. With a healthy diet, lots of exercise and some good old skin toner and moisturizer to keep your skin supple and elastic. Collagen supplements would be great too for improving the elasticity of the skin.

You can get some great exercise and fat loss tips when you subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top right of http://MyFitnessNut.com and you get more information on cellulite reduction there as well.

Exercise is one of the best ways of dealing with cellulite. Before looking at the specific exercises any woman would benefit from engaging in, we must first understand what cellulite is.

It is fat that is trapped beneath the skin. It is not the result of toxins or poor lymph ‘drainage’ or other reasons so commonly given by cellulite treatment companies that have a vested interest in this 12 million a year industry.

Cellulite is fat. Plain and simple and just like all fat, it can be reduced with a sensible diet and exercise. Of course, to a certain extent cellulite is also hereditary. Women who gain fat easily and have thinner skin will show more signs of cellulite.

Whatever the case or genetics, all women will gain from exercising regularly and the best way to do exercise trainings will involve both cardio and resistance training.

The Key to Cellulite Reduction

The key to reducing the appearance of cellulite is to bring your body fat percentage down. We are not so concerned about the weight on the scales. We want to alter our body composition. You want more lean muscle and less fat.

Sometimes, there may be no visible difference on the scale since your body has replaced burnt fat with lean muscle. Therefore, it would be a good idea to measure your body fat and keep trying to lower your body fat percentage – aim for a 15 to 18 percent level if you are a woman. This may be a little difficult but it’s a goal worth striving for.

To burn your body fat and boost your body’s stamina levels, you will need to engage in cardio activities. I’d recommend about 20 to 30 minutes of cardio. If you can spare 45 to 60 minutes, that would be great. However, most women are pressed for time, so 20 to 30 minutes should be sufficient if you maintain intensity.

Reduce Cellulite Dramatically with High Intensity Workouts

During these 20 to 30 minutes, your cardio must be at a very high intensity. You must be gasping for air and exhausted. Slow walking or jogging is just not going to cut it. You want to be working out at a fast pace. You want to be tired. Choose cardio activities that engage your lower body the most.

Running, cycling, stair climbing, spinning, skipping, etc. are great forms of cardio. Most women show cellulite on their thighs, butt and legs. These are the areas you want to tone and target. So, engage in high intensity cardio that involves your lower body.

Reduce Cellulite with Resistance Training

The second component would be resistance training. Many women avoid this because in their mind, weights and resistance training is a man’s type of exercise. This is wrong.

There are immense benefits from weight training and one of the best is Kettlebells. Kettlebell workouts can give you a full body workout that will produce better results in less time than most any other type of resistance exercise routine.

Target the Cellulite Directly

You want to do compound exercises such as lunges, squats, leg presses, calf raises, thigh movements, etc. When you do these exercises, your lean muscle mass in your thighs and legs will increase and you will burn off fat more readily in these areas.

A firm buttock or thigh will show less signs of cellulite. So, research on exercises that will tone up your lower body or you may use the exercises stated here. The key is in performing them regularly.

The tips listed above will work wonders for your health and well-being. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of http://MyFitnessNut.com to help you become, fitter, healthier and have a body that many other women want to have. Cellulite will be the least of your worries.