Exercises that target quadriceps, the muscles in the thighs and the gluteal muscles improve circulation in those areas, improve muscle tone and diminish the appearance of cellulite. Women tend to battle with cellulite more than men, and cellulite is most often found on the hips and thighs. Consistency is key to seeing changes in areas affected by cellulite. In addition to regular exercise, a low-fat diet is also necessary. Focus on whole foods instead of prepackaged items as the staple in your diet.
Dumbbell Squats
The dumbbell squat targets the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. To perform the exercise, stand with your feet hip-distance apart while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lower your body until your thighs are horizontal to the ground, then stand back up. Working with a light weight initially ensures that you're able to move through full range of motion while targeting all the muscles affected by cellulite. Increase the weight used and your strength improves.
Angled Leg Press
The leg press machine targets several leg muscles that are affected by cellulite. The glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings are all targeted during this exercise. Load the leg press machine with the desired amount of weight. Place your back against the backrest with your feet hip-distance apart and knees bent 90 degrees. Push through the heels to execute the exercise. By placing your feet higher on the foot plate during leg press execution, you target the gluteal muscles. Placing your feet lower on the foot plate targets your quadriceps muscles. During execution, be sure to keep your knees in line with your toes to prevent injury. Perform the exercise until you reach fatigue to ensure you target areas of the lower body affected by cellulite.
Leg Extensions
This exercise targets the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thighs. To perform the exercise, sit on the leg extension machine with your knees bent and your shins behind the shin pads. After selecting a challenging weight, extend your legs until they are straight but not locked, then return to the starting position. To ensure that you're targeting the area at the front of the thighs, perform the exercise until your thighs are fatigued.
Stability Ball Leg Curl
Stability ball leg curls target the hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh. To make the exercise more challenging, and further target areas of the lower body affected by cellulite, perform the exercise with the hips lifted off the ground. To perform the exercise, lie on your back with your arms out at your side for support, heels on top of the stability ball. Curl your legs in until you feel the contraction in the back of the legs, then roll the legs back out to the starting position.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy 2nd edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2006
- Workoutz.com: Leg Curl on Stability Ball
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