Soon after, Rachel landed a recurring role on the hit show Alias. Thats when she hired celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who was already working with Jennifer Garner. When we first met, Valerie said, 'Youre a little soft, recalls Rachel. And she was right: I was skinny-fat. But a few weeks later? I started noticing that the cellulite was going away. And after several months, it had disappeared completely, says Rachel. No massaging, no strange equipment, no nonsense. Just hard work, 3 or 4 times a week, along with a good diet.
While there are many theories to the actual cause of cellulite, one point thats not disputed: Its fat. So even if youre still thin when cellulite starts to appear, the dimply area is likely the product of an increase in body fat. Think about it: A guy can be lean, but not have six-pack abs. The reason you cant see his washboard is simply because a layer of fat is deposited just under the skin, hiding the muscle. That doesnt have to equate to a beer gut, of course; softening up is a gradual process. And the midsection is the place where many guys seem to collect fat initially. For lots of women, fat tends to first accumulate on their butts and the backs of their thighs.
But thats just one part of the problem. The other? The area where fat is stored under the skin seems to have a different structure than elsewhere on the body. And as those fat cells increase in size, this structural abnormality begins to become visible on the surface of the skin, leaving indentations. Thats cellulite. The more those fat cells inflate, the more evident the cellulite becomes. The flipside: Lose the fat; say goodbye to cellulite. Trouble is, just as the butt is often the first place fat starts to appear, its frequently the last place it disappears. Which may explain why it seems like you cant shake the cellulite.
The truth is, consistency and patience are your friends. In my experience, it can take up to a year for cellulite to go completely away, says Valerie, who has also trained Cindy Crawford, Jessica Biel, and Sasha Alexander. But it can start to get noticeably better within weeks. And that can be very motivating, which will help you stick with it.
So whats Valeries secret? First and foremost, you have to eat a smart diet, she says. But you can get slower results or faster results, depending on how disciplined you want to be. There are different options for every lifestyle and goal.
For those who want to zap cellulite fastest, Valerie recommends that you eliminate processed foods altogether. That includes foods that contain added sugarsoda, baked goods, and candyas well as those products that have been highly refined, such as white bread, white pasta, and French fries. She also advises that you limit alcohol consumption to two drinks a week. The upshot: You eat a whole foods diet, with an emphasis on lean meats and fresh produce. That doesnt mean grilled chicken and steamed broccoli forever, says Waters. But six weeks of being super-dedicated can speed your results and give you the momentum to keep at it.
Of course, Waters will tell you that her true expertise is using exercise to tone and tighten a womans butt and thighs. How does she do it? With fast-paced circuit-training that burns tons of fat, improves cardiovascular fitness, and strengthens every muscle in the body, especially targeting the glutes and hamstrings. Heres a quick breakdown: A typical workout might be comprised of 3 separate circuits. Each circuit is usually 3 to 5 exercises. For the first circuit, you do one exercise after the nextaround 10 to 15 reps of eachwith no rest in between. Once youve completed all the exercises, you then rest for about a minute, and repeat the entire circuit one to two more times. When youve finished, you move on to the second circuit, and then the third, following the same procedure for each.
While Valerie makes sure you work your entire body, she has advises an important cellulite-squelching ratio: do two lower body exercises for every one upper body exercise. Its an approach thats supported by research. In a recent Syracuse University study, scientists found that people burned more calories the day after they did lower-body resistance training than the day after they worked their upper body. The likely reason: Leg muscleslike your quads and glutesgenerally have more muscle mass than those of your chest and arms, says study author Kyle Hackney, PhD. Work more muscle during your exercise session, and your body has to expend more energy to repair and upgrade those muscles later.
So blend the breath-taking pace of a circuit routine with the metabolism-boosting benefits of weight work, and youll start to smooth out that orange-peel pattern on your rear end. Whats more, the improvement in strength and fitness you experience will allow you to work harder and harder each workoutdipping into your fat stores to torch even more calories, and achieve even faster results.
But theres another motive behind Valeries exercise prescription. Many of the lower-body movements she advises zero-in on the glutes, or butt muscles. This is perhaps the modern womans most admired but also most neglected body part. Thats because even the leanest of women can have whats known as gluteal amnesia. This is when too much sitting causes your glutesyour bodys largest muscle groupto forget how to fire. Combine this with a common postural problem called swayback, and the muscles becomes lax. The result: Your cheeks just hang there, or sag. Thanks a lot, gravity. The good news: By strengthening the muscles of your backside, you train your glutes to switch on again. And the end-payoff is what amounts to a butt lift, says Valerie. (No scalpel necessary.)
Valerie shares all her secrets in her book, Red Carpet Ready. These are the same strategies she used to help Rachel Nichols go from a self-professed skinny-fat girl to one of Hollywoods hottest action-hero babes. But to get you started, we asked Valerie to share her three favorite butt exercises. Use these moves to target, tighten, and tone your tush for good.
Exercise 1: Single-leg Hip Raise
[A] Lie faceup on the floor with your left knee bent and your right leg straight. (Your right leg should be in line with your left thigh.) Now try to make your stomach as skinny as possible and hold it that way.
[B] Squeeze your glutes and raise your raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. (Your left leg should stay elevated the entire time.) Pause for 2 seconds, as you keep your tummy tight and continue to squeeze your glutes. Then lower back to the starting position and repeat. Key pointer: Your torso and hips should move as one unit. So the arch in your lower back should remain the same from start to finish. This way, you're primarily doing the work with your glutes, not your lower back and hamstrings.
If thats too hard: Do the same movement, but with both feet on the floor.
If thats too easy: Do the same movement, but cross your arms over your chest instead of bracing them against the floor (as shown).
Exercise 2: Reverse Lunge
[A] Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arms length next to your sides, your palms facing each other.
[B] Step backward with your right leg, and lower your body until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your right knee nearly touches the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position by pressing into the floor with your left heel. That's 1 rep. Do all your reps, then repeat with your right leg.
If thats too hard: Try the exercise with just your body-weight.
Make it even better: Try the exercise with your back foot on a Valslidethe secret weapon Valerie uses with all her clients. The idea: Think of your back foot simply as a support, so that youre keeping most of your weight on your front leg. The Valslide will help you do this better, and thatll make your butt muscles work harder.
Exercise 3: Stepup
[A] Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arms length at your sides. Stand in front of a bench or step thats about knee-height, and place your left foot firmly on the step.
[B] Press your left heel into the step and push your body up until your left leg is straight and youre standing on one leg on the bench, keeping your right foot elevated. Lower your body back down until your right foot touches the floor. Thats one repetition. Do all your reps with your left leg, then do the same number with your right leg.
If thats too hard: Try the exercise with just your body-weight.
Add variety: Stand sideways, with your right leg next to step. Then cross your left foot in front of your right leg and place your left foot on the step. Now perform a stepup. Focus on really pressing your left heel into the step to push yourself up.
Bonus: The Best Exercise for Your Bum Smile
Never heard of the bum smile? "Thats what I call the line where your glutes meet your hamstrings," says Valerie. Heres her pick for the best way to target that area.
The Exercise: Straight-leg Deadlift [A] Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, and hold them at arm's length in front your thighs. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
[B] Without changing the angle of your knees, bend at your hips (keep your lower back arched), and lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor [B]. Pause, then squeeze your glutes, thrust your hips forward, and raise your torso back to the start
Make it harder: Perform the exercise while balancing one leg. Do all your reps, then repeat with your other leg.
Get the best workout for cellulite using butt exercises and leg exercises to reduce lumps and dimples and lose weight fast.
How to get rid of cellulite: Thin thighs in 30 days ...
Think nothing can be done about cellulite and of exercises two to four on each leg and hold Ballet Thigh as she films workout scenes on set of
6 Moves That Target Stubborn Cellulite - Prevention
Learn effective leg exercises, butt exercises, and thigh exercises to help get rid of cellulite. With the right exercise plan, you can reduce your cellulite and
The 30-Minute Stop-Cellulite Workout | Fitness Magazine
30-Day Squat Challenge: One Month to a Better Butt. Lose Belly Fat ; Ab Workouts; Free Workout Videos;
Cellulite Removal Exercises : Get Rid Of Cellulite on Thighs, Legs & Butts
Learn How To Get Rid Of All Cellulite Within Only 3 Weeks! 100% Guaranteed Results by Over 100,000 Women Worldwide. CLICK HERE http://www
Exercises to Reduce Cellulite in the Thighs & Butt | Live ...
Weight Training and Resistance Exercises. Exercise will it will reduce body fat. Workouts on What Kind of Exercises Can You Do to Slim Big Legs, Hips & Butt?
How to Lose Thigh Fat: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
How to Lose Thigh Fat. Spin those legs or work those laps for an hour at least three times You can also try the "mountain climbers" exercise to lose thigh fat.
7 Best Leg Exercises to Blast Leg Fat - Wellsphere
How to Lose Leg Fat cardio and interval training that should be the basis of a fat burning workout. Doing targeted leg and butt toning exercises
How to get rid of cellulite on legs, thighs and butt
These anti cellulite exercises were created by Joey Atlas, a weight loss and womens health specialist, who has helped thousands of women worldwide get healthy and
5 Exercises to Get Rid of Cellulite | Washingtonian
Try this workout to tone up your legs Blast away cellulite with the right exercises No creams or other wacky products will reduce your cellulite.
