The anti-cellulite workout

If you've always thought cellulite was something that could perhaps only be temporarily fixed with creams or lotions, this exclusive workout will change your mind. And if you've blamed your diet, fat or even trapped "toxins" for your cellulite, we'll explain why you've been blaming all the wrong suspects and what you can really do about the dimpled skin on your hips, thighs and butt. In other words, if nothing's ever worked before, this will: the Anti-Cellulite Workout.

"Cellulite is not a cosmetic issue," says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of research programs at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass., and the mastermind behind the workout. "It's an issue of having too much fat and too little muscle. Putting effort into the right exercise program can produce big changes in your cellulite situation and major improvements in your appearance."

To that end, Westcott and his colleague, Rita La Rosa Loud, have created this program, based on the years of research that forms the basis of their book No More Cellulite (Perigee, 2003). Based on Westcott's program, SHAPE put 18 test subjects through a 40-minute cardio and dumbbell workout, three days a week for eight weeks. The results of the SHAPE study and the No More Cellulite studies were absolutely amazing; the women shed an average of 3.3 pounds of fat, gained an average of 2 pounds of muscle and noticeably reduced their cellulite -- without dieting. (Those who also followed an eating plan lost almost three times as much fat and 6 more pounds than the exercise-only group. See "The Cellulite Solution Eating Plan" for details.) The keys to their success? Losing fat and building muscle. So, if you have cellulite -- or want to prevent its appearance later -- this workout is for you. It's quick, effective and proven to work.