The Cellulite Solution: The Workout

Dimples can be cute—but not when they appear on your butt, hips and thighs. If you're plagued by the uneven texture of the skin on your lower body (or anywhere else), simply try this miraculous program for a smoother, firmer, better physique. The plan is based on the years of research that forms the basis of the new book No More Cellulite (Perigee, 2003) by strength guru Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., and Rita LaRosa Loud of the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass.

Based on Westcott's program, we put 18 test subjects through a 40-minute cardio and dumbbell workout, three days a week for eight weeks. The results of our SHAPE study and the No More Cellulite study combined 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 pages 158-163 for details.) "Cellulite is a two-part problem -- too little muscle and too much fat," say Westcott and Loud. "This program offers a two-part solution -- more muscle and less fat."

Now it's your turn. Do this workout for the next eight weeks (add the motivation and diet plans for even better results) and the only dimples you'll be sporting will be on your face.

THE PLAN
Workout Schedule
Three days a week, perform the 20-minute cardio workout of your choice (see suggestions at right), followed by the 20-minute dumbbell or machine-based strength workout on pages 148-151. Take a day off in between each 40-minute workout.

Warm-up/Cool-down
A warm-up is built into the start of each session. After completing both your cardio and strength workouts, you can stretch all of your major muscle groups, holding each stretch to a point of mild tension for 30 seconds without bouncing.

Strength, Set and Rep Guidelines
Do all 8 moves in the order listed. For each dumbbell move, perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps, resting 60 seconds between exercises (if you only do 1 set) or between each set. When you rest, stretch the muscles you just worked, holding each stretch for about 15-20 seconds.

If you choose to do the machine-based option of each move, perform 1 set of 12-15 reps, stretching between exercises as instructed for the dumbbell moves.

Weight Guidelines
Always use as much weight as you can so the last 1-2 reps are difficult, but form is not impeded. Increase your weight by 10 percent whenever 15 reps become easy to complete. See captions for more specific weight recommendations.