How to Get Rid of Cellulite on Your Butt (8 Best Exercises)

Need help getting rid of cellulite on your butt? Well, you’re not alone! I’m sure by now you know just how stubborn cellulite can be especially on your thighs and butt. Cottage cheese, orange peel, dimples… whatever you call cellulite it seems like satan himself created it.

The crazy thing is you could have lost a lot of weight but the cellulite on your butt doesn’t go away. And it can even look worse! You’d think it’d go away as you lost weight but this is rarely the case. It can be scary to think it’ll never go away since it’s something so many are self-conscious about.

Most women suffering from cellulite on their butt hate how they look in shorts, skirts, and swimwear. Cellulite can still show even though they’re a healthy weight and otherwise look slim. If you’re steering away from wearing a bathing suit or anything above knee height then you’re going to want to read this article.

You might have heard cellulite is genetic and if you have it then you’re stuck with it for good. But this isn’t true! Yes, genetics do play a big role but with the right strategies you can smooth out your stubborn cellulite on your butt. Here you’ll discover not only why you have cellulite in the first place but what really works to lose it.

What Causes Cellulite on Thighs and Bum

cellulite healthy vs unhealthy skin

So to address the elephant in the room let’s talk about genetics. Women tend to naturally have a pear-shaped body type (1). This instantly makes them more prone to storing excess fat in the lower trunk like their hips and thighs (2). And the more fat, you have in a certain area the more likely you are to be plagued with cellulite there (3).

You can even have a really thin upper body but if you’re storing excess fat in your hips then your likelihood of cellulite goes way up. Your fat deposits push through your skin causing this pesky cellulite (4). It’s usually the worst in the butt and thighs but can be present in other areas of the body like your arms and stomach.

It’s estimated that 80-90% of women have cellulite to some degree while only 10% of men have it (5). In bad cases, you can see the cellulite from any posture but in mild cases, you can only see it when you pinch the skin. The good news is cellulite isn’t harmful except to your self-esteem.

formation of cellulite

Women’s fat cells underneath their skin are usually arranged vertically while men’s are typically arranged in a cross structure (6). This makes it significantly easier for women’s fat cells to start pushing their way into the skin. So if you’re suffering from cellulite then you most likely have vertically arranged cells of fat (7). But women who are lucky enough to have genetics that arranges theirs in a cross pattern can be overweight but not suffer from cellulite.

When you’re young the connective tissue in your skin is flexible but as you age it stiffens up. And with more fat in a certain area like your butt then the more your fat cells are going to push and strain this stiff connective tissue. With time your fat cells can grow larger and continue into your outer skin layer leading to dimpling aka cellulite (8).

Get Rid of Cellulite on Your Buttocks Naturally

Get Rid of Cellulite on Your Buttocks Naturally

Ok so now that you know why cellulite happens how do you lose it?

The best thing you can do to lose your cellulite is to lower your body fat and increase your lean muscle mass (9). The reason why you lost weight but still have cellulite is that your body fat is still too high. You need muscle mass to tone up and shape your body otherwise you can easily become skinny fat. This is when you appear to be thin but you still have too much fat on your body that causes your skin to be mushy, saggy, and dimply.

Even dieting alone won’t be able to do the job. The only way is to add in strength training to reduce the appearance of cellulite. As you add more lean muscle to your lower body you’ll reduce these cellulite-causing fat cells that are pushing through your skin. Then with the added muscle, you’ll be able to smooth out your skin even better.

As you lower your body weight and fat you’ll take the pressure off your connective tissue as your fat cells are reduced. Begin a strength training routine at least a few times a week with special emphasis on your lower body. Squats, lunges, step-ups, etc. are all great strength training exercises that can add muscle mass.

But if you just lose more weight without adding in strength training then you’ll develop more loose skin (10). With this loose skin, you’ll end up making your cellulite look even worse. That’s why it’s critical to make sure you’re also strength training to add muscle mass that’ll fill in this loose skin. HIIT, Afterburn training, and Metabolic Resistance Training are the best ways to maximize fat loss while adding lean muscle.

Using Collagen to Smooth Cellulite Away

collagen old vs young skin

If you’re suffering from cellulite then taking collagen may be able to reduce its appearance. Collagen is the connective tissue that’s the support structure for your skin. It holds everything together smooth and tight. But if you become low on collagen or if it becomes damaged then your skin will thin and cellulite will have an easier time poking through (11).

Cellulite strains the connective tissue in your skin making it appear even worse (12). As the cellulite continues to damage your connective tissue it’ll be even more downhill from there.

As you age your collagen production naturally goes down (13). So your skin is becoming damaged from the cellulite and you’re also not making enough collagen to fix it. So taking collagen for cellulite can get results.

under eye bags collagen

By the time you hit middle age, you could very well only be making only half the collagen you once did in your early 20s. This is why you should take collagen if you want to smooth out your cellulite.

Collagen strengthens the connective tissue in your skin. Studies have found supplementing with collagen leads to a clear improvement in the skin appearance of women suffering from cellulite (14).

As you take collagen you’ll not only strengthen your skin’s connective tissue but you’ll hydrate your skin. Both of which lead to better skin elasticity, firmness & plumpness (15). I personally take and recommend Ageless Collagen.

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  • Supports healthy body composition

Fix Hormonal Imbalances

hormones love handles

Having hormonal imbalances is one of the biggest hidden causes of cellulite. Your hormones play a big role not only in your metabolism but also in your skin. And if your hormones are out of balance then they could be making your cellulite appear worse (16).

If you’re insulin resistant then there’s a good chance you’re more likely to be prone to cellulite formation. Studies have found a strong link between high insulin and fat distribution to the lower thighs (17). Having high insulin levels can lead to increased inflammation (18). Some researchers believe cellulite is linked to chronic low-grade inflammation.

Estrogen is another hormone that can lead to the accelerated growth of cellulite (19). Women who are in menopause know just how difficult it can be to lose a hormonal belly.

If you have too much estrogen then it can lead to increased fat distribution in your lower body (20). And as you age you could have not enough estrogen which will lead to decreased blood flow under your skin. Estrogen can also cause fluid retention worsening the appearance of cellulite.

Low estrogen caused by menopause will continue to decline your production of collagen (21). And low estrogen will cause water weight retention under your skin leading to increased permeability (22). All of these contribute to increased cellulite in your butt and thighs.

Diet! Lose Bum Cellulite Without Exercise

low carb diet

If you want to get rid of your butt cellulite without exercise then focusing on your diet is going to be a priority. Your diet can go a long way to reduce the appearance of cellulite on your hips and thighs. Losing weight and skin care will help to reduce the butt cellulite and cottage cheese.

Your main goal with dieting to drop your cellulite is to focus on lowering insulin, lowering glycemic levels, and lowering inflammation. These three are the worst of the bunch and over time not only lead to weight gain but also cellulite (23).

The best and only true way to lower your glycemic and insulin levels is to go on a low-carb diet. Start by cutting out the refined carbs and sugars. You don’t necessarily have to go on a keto diet to do this. Try to get your carbs from vegetables instead of sugar and processed foods.

Intermittent Fasting has been found to improve both glycemic and insulin resistance (24). Try fasting in the morning and drink coffee with Keto Elevate in it. This supplement contains the same ketones you’d produce on the keto diet. These ketones signal for your body to burn fat stores (25).

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Consuming a high protein diet will also increase your lean muscle mass (26). It’s going to be hard to continue to build muscle if you’re not getting enough protein in your diet. Eating a high protein diet will strengthen the collagen fibers in your skin. If you have trouble getting enough protein try taking a low-carb protein shake too.

Lastly, avoid bad vegetable oils that could lead to inflammation. Instead switch these out for good fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and almond butter.

Exercises to Get Rid of Butt Cellulite

woman pointing at butt

It might sound a little crazy but add in some massage to reduce the appearance of your cellulite. Studies have found massaging areas impacted by cellulite significantly smoothed the skin structure (27). Foam rolling strengthens your fascia which is the connective tissue surrounding your whole body. If your fascia is weak or too tight it’ll lead to an increased appearance of cellulite (28).

You don’t have to go out and find a massage therapist to accomplish this. Regular foam rolling of areas like your hips, glutes, and thighs may help reduce the orange peel. Stretching these areas afterward could also reduce cellulite.

Then to lose your cellulite you’re going to need to build muscle mass along with burning fat. I like to combine HIIT, Afterburn workouts, and Metabolic Resistance Training. They use the most strategic methods for maximizing fat loss. You can find a full workout program in my Flat Belly Formula system.

You need to lift heavier weights if you’re looking to build muscle. Don’t worry you won’t end up looking like a bulky bodybuilder especially if you haven’t lifted weights before. If you don’t have access to weights then doing bodyweight exercises will be a good start. Don’t be surprised if you don’t “lose weight” since you’ll be losing fat and adding lean muscle. Use a smart scale and girth measurements to track your progress instead.

Then it’ll be wise to add specific exercises that’ll target your butt. Now, spot reduction isn’t going to work very well for getting rid of your cellulite. But doing these exercises will build lean muscle mass in your butt which will help to “fill out” your skin. This is critical since you could get loose skin after you continue to lower your body and lose weight.

Hip Thrusts

1-legged Hip Thrusts

1-legged hip thrusts

1-legged Hip Bridges

1-legged hip bridges

1-legged Crab Bridges

1 leg crab bridge

Ball Hip Bridges

Lying ball hip bridges

Hip Step-ups

high step ups

Bulgarian Lunges

bulgarian lunges

Hip Bridge Marches

hip bridge marches

Doing these exercises will also increase circulation and blood flow to your butt and thighs. Increasing circulation is also important for reducing cellulite. Low circulation means less oxygen and nutrients to your butt which contributes to less production of collagen.

Increasing your blood flow to your butt with these exercises will also deliver natural fat-burning hormones (29). Poor blood flow is one of the reasons stubborn fat doesn’t go away. Your body needs to deliver hormones and other fat-burning nutrients to these stubborn areas to signal it to start burning fat. For an anti-cellulite thigh workout to lose those butt skin dimples check this out.

How long does it take to get rid of cellulite on your bum?

This is going to depend on how bad your cellulite is to start with. The worse it is then the longer it’s going to take. Also, your age is going to play a factor as well since your collagen levels go down with age. And having a history of strength training will lessen the time it takes. I’ve seen women lose their butt cellulite after a handful of months while in others it’s taken years. A lot depends on how dedicated you are and how much work you’re willing to put into it.

The Last Word

When most women try to get rid of their cellulite they just try more weight loss. But this isn’t the answer and could even make your cellulite worse by making you skinny fat.

Instead, you’re going to have to strengthen your skin again with collagen, reduce the fat on your body, and build muscle mass. This is the most surefire way to get the results you’re looking for.

There are other home remedies you could try to reduce your cellulite like dry brushing. Using a skin brush could lead to improved circulation to the area but there aren’t any studies on dry brushing to back it up. Skin tightening creams could help to rehydrate your skin and strengthen your collagen. But be careful as many of these creams can cause a rash or hives. There also isn’t any scientific evidence of body wraps working.

The good news is you can lose the cellulite on your butt even though you have the genetics for it. Most people think they’re stuck with their cellulite and stubborn fat forever just because they were born with the genes that promote it. But if you’re willing to put in the work then you can get rid of cellulite on your butt for good and faster than you think.