Let’s get real: Most of us aren’t in love with our butt cellulite. But the good news is that it is possible to target those pesky butt dimples. If the lumpy appearance of skin makes you feel self-conscious or stops you from wearing certain clothes, rest assured there are various exercises to tighten butt cellulite you can start doing today. Ahead, we have specific exercises that will help you firm and tone this area of your body, brought to you by a fitness pro.
Before we get into them, though, let’s chat about cellulite. You may have heard that cellulite takes on the texture of an “orange peel” or “cottage cheese.” Cellulite is typically found on the butt, hips, thighs, breasts, and midsection, and women are more likely to deal with it than men, the Mayo Clinic explains. Many women actually begin to accumulate some cellulite soon after puberty. There are certain things you can do in order to reduce the appearance of cellulite and tighten the skin—one of those is strength training.
“[Strength training] helps build and maintain lean muscle. Building muscle is what gives you the tone that you desire. If you lost fat in the areas that you want to, but don’t have any muscle, it will not be tighter,” explains Tim Liu, CSCS, an online fitness and nutrition coach who sits on our Medical Expert Board. Liu shares with us the absolute best strength exercises to tighten butt cellulite. Keep reading to learn all about them.
Begin hip thrusts by placing your upper back on a workout bench. Position a dumbbell or barbell on your lap with your feet planted shoulder-width distance apart. Maintain a tight core as you lower your hips toward the floor. Press through both heels and squeeze your buttocks to rise back up. Hold the top position for two seconds. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
Bulgarian split squats start with you standing tall and holding a dumbbell in each hand. (You can also do this exercise without added weight.) Plant your back foot on a workout bench or sturdy surface. Take a step out with your front foot. Using control, lower into a split squat until your back knee almost graces the ground. Push yourself back up to the start position, squeezing your glutes. Perform three sets of 10 reps.
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To set up for the single-leg hip thrust, place the top of your back on a workout bench and your feet on the ground. Breathe out as you lift your left leg and push your body up through your right foot. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Use control to lower your leg. Repeat the same movement on the opposite side. To make this exercise more challenging, you can hold a dumbbell on the thigh of your grounded leg. Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side.
For Romanian deadlifts, grab a set of dumbbells or a barbell with an overhand grip. Hold the weight in front of you with your arms fully extended. Maintain a tall chest as you press your hips back and hinge your body forward to lower the weight down your thigh until it reaches mid-shin level. Then, press your hips forward in order to lift the weight up and return to standing. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
Our list of strength exercises to tighten butt cellulite concludes with the stability ball leg curl. As the name suggests, you’ll be working with a stability ball. Lay down flat on your back, and position your feet on top of the ball. Raise your hips off the floor to assume a bridge position, and “curl” the ball toward your body using your heels. Squeeze your glutes. Bring the ball back to the start position. Perform three sets of 15 to 20 reps.
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Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
