Training Hard, eating healthy but still have cellulite! Help!!!!

[BEEvon]

Unfortunately for us females cellulite effects approx. 85-98% of us! Lift heavy because cardio will not assist in reducing these problem areas! You want the conversion of fat to muscle to tighten up these areas! Stay Hydrated! and NO more yo-yo dieting!

"Cardio will not assist in reducing these problem areas"???????? And what is "fat to muscle conversion"??

Cellulite is FAT. Reducing ones bodyfat=reducing cellulite. Cardio is helpful in this regard once diet is in check.

Fat does not "convert" into muscle.

[EliteTrainingCo]

I know this is old but I do have a question - does HIIT cardio on incline for about 20 mins make cellulite worse? I always found sprinting to be beneficial (the old theory of comparing the legs of a sprinter to legs of a marathoner) which seems to be true - the truth is in the pudding- Sprinters have amazing legs. I will however say that if you think about it, the "cheese cloth" protective layer between the fat and the dermis could be broken down over time with repetitive high impact cardio. Its my understanding a more "in tact" smooth "cheese cloth" the less appearance of cellulite. So if you are constantly doing impact cardio, banging it and breaking it down, how could it withstand its structure over time? So it seems like a catch 22 when I think about the physiology of running, because of above...1. sprinters have great legs so if my theory was true, then it doesn't make sense. 2. My theory only seems to me that it would make sense about breaking down the integrity of the cheese cloth?

My questions are: can anyone shed light on my thoughts? 2. should I stop ALL cardio or just jogging and steady state. 3. Should I swap my HIIT on incline treadmill for HIIT on a stationary bike where there is no impact to break down my cheese cloth (haha sorry I have no other way to explain it)

[kyraschmidt]

Wow so glad I read this! I am going to stop the cardio ASAP! The only reason I haven't already is for fear of fat gain. So to all of you that have stopped the cardio how to do you eat? At maintenice or slightly above?

[anonymous]

I am older, and post-menopausal, to add insult to injury. Since I have all but stopped cardio and concentrated on weight lifting and yoga, my cellulite has all but disappeared. It's amazing what a difference it makes to lift heavy - all those years of destroying my knees.......

[RoidRageZ]

Your a beta. Make me a sandwich, maybe that will help.

[anonymous]

Wow so glad I read this! I am going to stop the cardio ASAP! The only reason I haven't already is for fear of fat gain. So to all of you that have stopped the cardio how to do you eat? At maintenice or slightly above?

Since I am trying to put on some muscle, I am eating a slightly above maintenance - approx. 200 calories above per day - so far in 4 months, I have put on 3 lbs, hopefully mostly muscle, lol! I only do about 15 minutes of walking on treadmill to warm up before training.

[daughterofisis]

I'm 43, a life-long battler with cellulite on my hamstrings, and....approximately 7 weeks away from my first competition. (Bikini this time, then I want to move to figure.) I've been working out regularly with a combination of resistance and cardio for about 15 yrs, and what seems to have worked for me is a combination of heavy lower body strength work and some cardio. Some is still there, but it's drastically reduced. :-)

First of all, it's important to understand what cellulite is. To do so, one should go to medical websites rather than fitness websites. MayoClinic.com is a good one. Apologies if I offend, but...fitness sites have a lot of well-intentioned people who don't understand the interaction between fat and skin that comprise the dreaded "cheese" and as a result come off a tad self-righteous. No, no, no...cellulite is not just fat. It's more complicated. Yes, fat accumulation worsens it and makes the cheese more obvious...but collagen and connective tissue breakdown play almost as big a role. I've seen lean women have it while some large women don't. I once saw a video of Ava Cowan deadlifting, and she clearly had a little bit. Biggest risk factors are gender, age, and genetics. This explains why one of the leanest women I've seen at the gym, who does both resistance & cardio...with ripped abs (& obviously clean diet for that asset)...has cellulite on her hamstring area. The poor woman's in her 50's, for heaven's sake. And the large ladies I've seen without cellulite are usually in their 20's. Their collagen and skin haven't started breaking down yet, so their fat isn't pushing through connective tissue...so the "cheese" is not quite there. As for me, age and genetics aren't my friend as all the women in my family have it. Doesn't mean I excuse myself from working out & heavy leg routines, though. If I did, I wouldn't be competing. :-)

All in all, resistance training and clean diet are still the best ways to minimize cellulite IMO. Notice I chose "minimize," not necessarily eliminate. But at the end of the day if you still have a little bit, don't beat yourself up or call yourself lazy as long as you're working at it and doing resistance training. Might also want to invest in a few supplements that strengthen skin connective tissue and collagen. ;-)

[barbaramory]

Massage using calendula oil on the affected parts works a lot towards minimizing stretch marks, because this oil is known for its medicinal property. Even lavender oil, which is known for its aromatic herbal quality, errand (castor oil), flaxseed oil and cod liver oil can be used to treat the problem.

[ceeco]

You were taking minimal or no breaks; your body had no chance to recover and gain. I wouldn't recommend 6-7 days cardio for anyone. It's counter-productive.

Good luck with the progress. I would expect you'll see decreases in cellulite.
The bunching has to do with how women's skin is layered (differently than the (vast) majority of men which is why men, evenly when obese, rarely have this problem and why females, even when skinny fat, frequently have this problem). Gaining muscle is good. Controlling frequency of cardio will be good.

[ladymystique]

This is just a thought .... Maybe when doing to much cardio ....fat cells are released and not all get burned off so they have no where to go and so they clump up and make cellulite ... But building muscle eats away or dissolves the cellulite.... Damn cellulite !!! I have it to and worse place my bootie and quads . I just want to wear those cute little shorts . I have noticed a difference with mostly weights..but I do cardio (dance and running ) for fun but I agree with most about lifting heavy... I've had great improvements from that and diet of course. I do not eat bread pasta or sugar. And notice less animal protein has helped to and more plant based protein has personally helped me.

[shirun]

Mine only depends on body fat. When I cut (and yes I do lots of cardio) it almost disappears. When I bulk it gets worse. It disappears completely at 15% bodyfat.. and I haven't gotten there since I was 16 so I guess I'll keep it.

[Cran1]

I'm 43, a life-long battler with cellulite on my hamstrings, and....approximately 7 weeks away from my first competition. (Bikini this time, then I want to move to figure.) I've been working out regularly with a combination of resistance and cardio for about 15 yrs, and what seems to have worked for me is a combination of heavy lower body strength work and some cardio. Some is still there, but it's drastically reduced. :-)

First of all, it's important to understand what cellulite is. To do so, one should go to medical websites rather than fitness websites. MayoClinic.com is a good one. Apologies if I offend, but...fitness sites have a lot of well-intentioned people who don't understand the interaction between fat and skin that comprise the dreaded "cheese" and as a result come off a tad self-righteous. No, no, no...cellulite is not just fat. It's more complicated. Yes, fat accumulation worsens it and makes the cheese more obvious...but collagen and connective tissue breakdown play almost as big a role. I've seen lean women have it while some large women don't. I once saw a video of Ava Cowan deadlifting, and she clearly had a little bit. Biggest risk factors are gender, age, and genetics. This explains why one of the leanest women I've seen at the gym, who does both resistance & cardio...with ripped abs (& obviously clean diet for that asset)...has cellulite on her hamstring area. The poor woman's in her 50's, for heaven's sake. And the large ladies I've seen without cellulite are usually in their 20's. Their collagen and skin haven't started breaking down yet, so their fat isn't pushing through connective tissue...so the "cheese" is not quite there. As for me, age and genetics aren't my friend as all the women in my family have it. Doesn't mean I excuse myself from working out & heavy leg routines, though. If I did, I wouldn't be competing. :-)

All in all, resistance training and clean diet are still the best ways to minimize cellulite IMO. Notice I chose "minimize," not necessarily eliminate. But at the end of the day if you still have a little bit, don't beat yourself up or call yourself lazy as long as you're working at it and doing resistance training. Might also want to invest in a few supplements that strengthen skin connective tissue and collagen. ;-)

I know your post is old, but I have been running since October 2013 to de-stress and have only done free weights and weightless squats and lunges. I changed my diet to a much healthier one in February 2014 and lost 10 pounds in a month - wasn't really trying to as I am 5'9" and was 135. Now I am at 128. My legs had greatly improved from the front and for the first time in 15 years by stomach was flatter, but I was aghast when I looked at my back view and I almost started crying. Felt deformed with the sagging and increase in cellulite (always had some but not as much pre-diet) on my butt and thighs. I am over 40 so gravity and thinner skin was not helping - plus, I'm a pasty redhead so my skin is even thinner.

I just wanted to THANK YOU for your post. I am now motivated to start heavy lifting which I have wanted to do for some time. I will continue to run 3 days a week because I love it and it is the best stress reliever for me, but will cross train with heavy lifting. Just wanted you to know that your comment is still inspiring to others and you have really lifted my spirits up and motivated me!!!! Thank you so very much.

[purghy]

Ok, so I just discovered this topic and I want to tell you that you are right and you are wrong in the same time. You don't have to do only weight training or only cardio training. Weight training is for muscles and yes I believe it does wonders against cellulite. Cardio training (stairs, running, cycling) is for the whole body, especially for your heart, and if you do cardio in nature it does wonders for lungs and for mind. So combine them. Train hard, increase weights (don't get scared you're going to bulk, you don't have enough testosterone to look massive) and also do cardio, for the rest of the body. And eat clean. We all want a healthy body, not just an attractive body, so this means to have a healthy life, constantly. Keep up the good work and the results will come!

[StevieMaria]

My cellulite is going away from weight training too, so I agree with this statement to a point.

Scientifically, I don't think that "doing too much cardio" stops you from losing cellulite, I think doing too much cardio meant that you were more focused on it than weight training, which didn't help you lose cellulite.

[nuclearwarfare]

Your friend is correct...as soon as I stopped doing as much cardio and started lifting heavy in the leg department my cellulite all but disappeared! I think deadlifts, lunges, and step ups helped a LOT.

I, too, have noticed a significant difference in cellulite in the thigh area (particularly in the back) after I started lifting vs when I just used to run my ass off. Keep lifting, and it'll keep getting better. Good luck!

[sandyr9]

Mines taken just under a year to go/significant improvement. I've got stretch marks all over my ass now but hey, it's better than cellulite. Just push yourself and go heavy in the gym. And don't look at yourself in poor yellowy lighting - it makes it look so much worse!

poor yellowy light is the worst, I used to look at my cellulite normally and think it was not so bad but as soon as I saw it in that yellow light in the bathroom it made me feel so self conscious. I also heard somewhere that people see you, the way you look a couple meters back from the mirror and don't notice the flaws that we obsess over. Definitely going to pause a bit on the cardio after reading this thread.

[B-Lynn]

This thread makes me feel a bit better, lol. I'm currently cutting (3 mos) and obv continuing to lift heavy- I LOVE it. My trainer has kinda been riding me to up the cardio (which I despise) and although I've added a third day of it per week, that's all I can force upon myself. I guess I'm kind of a lazy lifter, because after 5 mins on whatever cardio machine (it's winter, cut me some slack) I'm looking at the clock like "are we there yet?". I've found that it does help a bit to put a post-it over the timer on the thing. It's just mind numbing.

[ocmatt]

look up these for cellulite: kelp, gotu kola, essential fatty acids. Also, coffee wraps and caffeine scrubs

[Eiliyah]

I just wanna explain what cellulite is. I'm sure this will explain a lot for you.

Anybody and everybody can have cellulite, but it depends entirely on genetics. The dimpling you see, the cellulite, are actual visible fat cells. In some people you see more because we have a thin tissue layer between our fat and skin. However other people can be really overweight and have no cellulite because that tissue layer between the skin and fat is thicker.

So if you wanna reduce cellulite you're gonna have to lower your BF% so keep working out and doing what you're doing and I'm sure you'll reduce the amount. You may not be able to get rid of it completely, it depends entirely on genetics. But don't fret about it too much.

As for the cardio vs weight training? It depends on you again. I do really well with a mixture of cardio and weights or just weights. But if I just do cardio I get smaller, but I still have fat. When I do weights I gain muscle and reduce body fat. It makes sense.

Anyway, best of luck!
Maja

I always found the genetics thing to be pretty weird - my mom and her 4 sisters are now all over 50 but do not have even a glimpse of cellulite. Granted, my mom is an ex athlete but I work out a lot and maintain a healthy diet (by any standards) yet I still have cellulite! I don't know if it's my sedentary job, as I spend at least 8 hours a day at my desk

[Jodie10]

My cellulite is going away from weight training too, so I agree with this statement to a point.

Scientifically, I don't think that "doing too much cardio" stops you from losing cellulite, I think doing too much cardio meant that you were more focused on it than weight training, which didn't help you lose cellulite.

I think the problem would be that doing too much cardio will eat up your muscle, if you aren't consuming enough calories, whereas eating and lifting builds the muscle which I imagine makes the skin 'fit' a bit tighter.

[StevieMaria]

I think the problem would be that doing too much cardio will eat up your muscle, if you aren't consuming enough calories, whereas eating and lifting builds the muscle which I imagine makes the skin 'fit' a bit tighter.

You'll lose muscle mass if you're eating at a deficit and losing fat, regardless of doing cardio or not though.

[sandyr9]

I always found the genetics thing to be pretty weird - my mom and her 4 sisters are now all over 50 but do not have even a glimpse of cellulite. Granted, my mom is an ex athlete but I work out a lot and maintain a healthy diet (by any standards) yet I still have cellulite! I don't know if it's my sedentary job, as I spend at least 8 hours a day at my desk

This! My mom totally does not have cellulite and is probably the same level of fitness as me. On the other hand, I feel like I have the dimpled skin all over my upper thighs. I also have a 8 hour a day desk job so it could definitely have something to the way the weight is on the seat for long periods. Definitely going to cut down on the cardio based on this thread and hope to see results!

[yoojungl]

I have cellulite as well~ but I like to think it's like a tiger that earned it's stripes we

[tapetrader]

The advice on these forums is just ridiculous beyond belief. Stopping cardio does not increase the burning of cellulite. Cardio is simply a tool to create an energy deficit in the body when you're cutting down. You can do it without cardio and all diet, all weights, diet only, doesn't matter.

You cannot defeat the law of thermodynamics. Period. Consume more energy than you burn (especially with the wrong foods) and you're going to stall out or pack more fat on.

If your cellulite is not going away at a consistent rate, you are not in a sufficient calorie deficit. Plain and simple.

You are likely:

A) Over estimating your TDEE
B) Not using portion control (weighing food)
C) Snacking and eliminating your deficit
D) Eating foods you think are healthy but have high calorie counts (nuts, edamame)

If your body fat has stopped burning off, you need to check these things. A weight loss plateau is simply an adaptation. You need to force another one to keep progressing. Once you get down to the lower body fat levels (like 15% for a woman), the effort needed to burn away that last 5-10 lbs is a lot greater than most people think. It won't be fun. In fact, it will suck pretty much the entire time (weeks).

[vhenley164]

The advice on these forums is just ridiculous beyond belief. Stopping cardio does not increase the burning of cellulite. Cardio is simply a tool to create an energy deficit in the body when you're cutting down. You can do it without cardio and all diet, all weights, diet only, doesn't matter.

You cannot defeat the law of thermodynamics. Period. Consume more energy than you burn (especially with the wrong foods) and you're going to stall out or pack more fat on.

If your cellulite is not going away at a consistent rate, you are not in a sufficient calorie deficit. Plain and simple.

You are likely:

A) Over estimating your TDEE
B) Not using portion control (weighing food)
C) Snacking and eliminating your deficit
D) Eating foods you think are healthy but have high calorie counts (nuts, edamame)

If your body fat has stopped burning off, you need to check these things. A weight loss plateau is simply an adaptation. You need to force another one to keep progressing. Once you get down to the lower body fat levels (like 15% for a woman), the effort needed to burn away that last 5-10 lbs is a lot greater than most people think. It won't be fun. In fact, it will suck pretty much the entire time (weeks).

Thanks for the info. Any other old threads you feel like bumping just to disagree with them....?

[jessieleighpage]

I have a similar issue ...

I 5' 3" and weight 123lbs and probably around 17-20% bf. I have had cellulite on my thighs for a good 5 years and getting rid of it is so hard. I life heavy being an ex gymnast as well. I am trying to get lean and get my abs to show but have hit a plateau. I track my macros and exercise 6-8 hour or more a week. I have just started to introduce cardio 3x a week to see if this will make a difference at all I have also upped my Calories as I think I was too low and storing fat.

finger crossed, suggestions appreciated

[notchomama]

best thread ever! Even when I was 17 at 5'6" 100 pounds I still had cellulite. I started off bodybuilding but then thought I was fat (this was back in the day before Internet). So I slowly starved myself and still had it. But, I ate like ****. Had no idea how Important diet was. I am now back at lifting recently at age 40 (only about 3 months) and keep thinking cardio is the answer along w lifting but I still have it. I have been eating right but I think I am going to slow down cardio and just lift hard on legs to see what happens. U girls are so helpful!

[mariamaxx]

girl i SWEAR to you, (and just know that i still have a lot of work to do in the cellulite department) heavy lifting is the BEST thing to get rid of it. when i lost the bulk of my weight through diet/cardio and only medium level weight training, cellulite actually got worse. when you lose fat, a lot of times you're losing muscle as well. so when doing cardio you might be training your leg muscles to a certain degree, but you're also burning off muscle and fat as well. heavy lifting will get the muscles in your leg firmer and improve the cellulite by getting your fat to lay a little smoother.

i know a problem for me is that i have a lot of loose skin on my thighs, which sort of exacerbates the appearance of cellulite. i don't believe in cellulite creams persay, but i do think that daily moisturizing is important, as dehydrated skin will only make things look worse.

best of luck to you!!!!

I know this was posted many years ago, but I too have cellulite and have been fighting it for years! I am 26 years old, and have been training on and off ever since I was a teen. I do cardio every day, 30min-60min depending on the day and weight training after. But not as much as I should (apparently!) what an awesome thread I always feel like I'm the only person in the world with cellulite! everyone says 80-90% of women have it.. but I neverrrrr see it! I am good at hiding it though...

anyways.. so for heavy lifting.. what do you suggest for training my legs? what types of exercises.. also, what do you suggest for a meal plan? again, im 5'7 140lbs and 26 year old female. Thanks again everyone and good luck!!!!

[Partyrocking]

I suggest you start with a full body program like Strong Curves, New Rules of Lifting for Women, or Fierce 5.

You don't need any special diet. If you want to lose fat, eat at a deficit. if you want to build muscle eat at a surplus. Keep your protein high when you're in a deficit so you can save as much lean mass as possible.

[iamanadult]

There is no guaranteed way to rid yourself of cellulite. Lifting can definitely help diminish it (in my case anyways), but it's not a guarantee. I know girls who have been lifting for years and still have cellulite in the booty area. It has a lot to do with genetics.