Enquire any woman: If at that place's ane thing that's worse than fat, it'due south dimply fat. After all, everyone hates cellulite. And that goes double for the ladies. Yeah, this affliction plagues some men, but it'southward far more prevalent in females. In fact, up to 98% of adult women have some caste of cellulite, according to a recent paper from Cornell University. Read: It doesn't thing if you're carrying around extra pounds or are as skinny as a model, cellulite could still be a trouble—especially on your barrel. (Lift your butt, lean out your legs, and sculpt a sexy breadbasket with Prevention's Apartment Belly Barre!)

Just ask extra Rachel Nichols, who stars in the activity flick, Conan. 8 years ago, when Rachel was working every bit a model, she noticed that a cottage-cheese-like complexion began to appear on her behind. "I was a 23-year old model, but I didn't work out or consume right," she says. "I looked good in dress, though." Her strategy: Avoid making eye contact with her own butt. "You're e'er told that cellulite is hereditary, and that in that location'south zero y'all can exercise," says Rachel. "Yous but take to alive with it." Or and then she thought.

Soon after, Rachel landed a recurring role on the hitting evidence Alias. That's when she hired celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who was already working with Jennifer Garner. "When we first met, Valerie said, 'You're a little soft,' " recalls Rachel. "And she was right: I was skinny-fat." But a few weeks subsequently? "I started noticing that the cellulite was going away. And later on several months, it had disappeared completely," says Rachel. "No massaging, no strange equipment, no nonsense. Merely hard work, 3 or 4 times a calendar week, along with a good diet." (Another cellulite-fighter? Dry brushing, which exfoliates skin and boosts circulation. Add Rodale'southward Merben Body Brush to your cellulite-fighting arsenal.)

While there are many theories to the actual cause of cellulite, one betoken that'due south non disputed: It's fatty. So even if you're still thin when cellulite starts to appear, the dimply area is likely the product of an increase in trunk fat. Think about it: A guy can exist lean, but not accept six-pack abs. The reason yous can't run into his washboard is simply considering a layer of fat is deposited merely under the skin, hiding the musculus. That doesn't have to equate to a beer gut, of grade; softening up is a gradual procedure. And the midsection is the place where many guys seem to collect fat initially. For lots of women, fat tends to start accumulate on their butts and the backs of their thighs.

But that'due south simply ane part of the problem. The other? The area where fat is stored under the skin seems to accept a different structure than elsewhere on the torso. And as those fat cells increase in size, this structural abnormality begins to go visible on the surface of the skin, leaving indentations. That's cellulite. The more those fat cells inflate, the more than evident the cellulite becomes. The flipside: Lose the fat; say farewell to cellulite. Trouble is, just every bit the butt is ofttimes the first place fat starts to appear, it'due south oft the final place information technology disappears. Which may explicate why it seems like y'all can't shake the cellulite.

The truth is, consistency and patience are your friends. "In my experience, it can take upwardly to a year for cellulite to get completely abroad," says Valerie, who has too trained Cindy Crawford, Jessica Biel, and Sasha Alexander. "But information technology can kickoff to get noticeably better within weeks. And that tin exist very motivating, which will help y'all stick with information technology."

So what'due south Valerie's cloak-and-dagger? "Kickoff and foremost, you have to eat a smart diet," she says. "Merely you tin can go slower results or faster results, depending on how disciplined yous want to be. At that place are different options for every lifestyle and goal."

For those who desire to zap cellulite fastest, Valerie recommends that you eliminate processed foods altogether. That includes foods that contain added sugar—soda, baked goods, and candy—too as those products that have been highly refined, such every bit white bread, white pasta, and French fries. She also advises that you limit alcohol consumption to two drinks a calendar week. The upshot: You eat a whole foods diet, with an emphasis on lean meats and fresh produce. "That doesn't mean grilled chicken and steamed broccoli forever," says Waters. "Only six weeks of existence super-dedicated tin can speed your results and give y'all the momentum to keep at it."

Of course, Waters volition tell you that her true expertise is using practice to tone and tighten a woman's barrel and thighs. How does she do it? With fast-paced circuit-training that burns tons of fat, improves cardiovascular fitness, and strengthens every muscle in the trunk, specially targeting the glutes and hamstrings. Here'due south a quick breakdown: A typical workout might be comprised of 3 divide circuits. Each circuit is usually iii to 5 exercises. For the starting time circuit, yous do one exercise after the side by side—around 10 to 15 reps of each—with no residuum in between. Once yous've completed all the exercises, y'all and then residual for about a minute, and repeat the entire excursion 1 to 2 more times. When y'all've finished, you move on to the 2d circuit, and then the third, following the same process for each.

While Valerie makes sure y'all piece of work your entire body, she has advises an of import cellulite-squelching ratio: practise ii lower torso exercises for every one upper trunk exercise. It'due south an approach that's supported by research. In a recent Syracuse University study, scientists found that people burned more than calories the twenty-four hours after they did lower-trunk resistance training than the day afterward they worked their upper body. The likely reason: "Leg muscles—similar your quads and glutes—generally have more than muscle mass than those of your chest and arms," says report author Kyle Hackney, PhD. "Work more muscle during your do session, and your trunk has to expend more free energy to repair and upgrade those muscles later."

And then blend the breath-taking footstep of a excursion routine with the metabolism-boosting benefits of weight work, and yous'll showtime to smooth out that orange-peel pattern on your rear end. What's more, the comeback in strength and fitness you experience will allow you lot to work harder and harder each workout—dipping into your fat stores to torch even more calories, and reach even faster results.

But there's another motive behind Valerie'due south practice prescription. Many of the lower-body movements she advises zilch-in on the glutes, or barrel muscles. This is perhaps the modern woman'southward most admired but also well-nigh neglected torso part. That's because even the leanest of women tin accept what's known as "gluteal amnesia." This is when too much sitting causes your glutes—your body'due south largest muscle group—to forget how to burn. Combine this with a mutual postural problem called swayback, and the muscles becomes lax. The result: Your cheeks merely hang at that place, or sag. Thanks a lot, gravity. The skillful news: By strengthening the muscles of your backside, you train your glutes to switch on again. And the end-payoff is what amounts to a butt lift, says Valerie. (No scalpel necessary.)

Valerie shares all her secrets in her book, Red Carpet Fix. These are the same strategies she used to assistance Rachel Nichols go from a self-professed "skinny-fatty" girl to one of Hollywood's hottest action-hero babes. But to get yous started, we asked Valerie to share her iii favorite butt exercises. Use these moves to target, tighten, and tone your tush for skilful.

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Exercise 1: Single-leg Hip Raise

[A] Lie faceup on the flooring with your left knee bent and your correct leg straight. (Your right leg should be in line with your left thigh.) At present try to brand your stomach every bit skinny as possible and hold it that mode.

[B] Squeeze your glutes and raise your heighten your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. (Your left leg should stay elevated the entire time.) Suspension for 2 seconds, as y'all keep your breadbasket tight and continue to squeeze your glutes. So lower back to the starting position and repeat. Cardinal pointer: Your body and hips should move equally one unit. So the arch in your lower back should remain the same from showtime to finish. This fashion, you're primarily doing the work with your glutes, non your lower dorsum and hamstrings.

If that'southward too hard: Practice the aforementioned movement, but with both feet on the floor.

If that'due south as well easy: Do the same movement, but cantankerous your arms over your chest instead of bracing them against the floor (every bit shown).

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Exercise two: Reverse Lunge

[A] Catch a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm's length side by side to your sides, your palms facing each other.

[B] Footstep backward with your right leg, and lower your body until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your right knee most touches the floor. Push button yourself back to the starting position by pressing into the floor with your left heel. That'due south 1 rep. Do all your reps, then repeat with your right leg.

If that's likewise hard: Try the exercise with only your torso-weight.

Make it even better: Endeavour the practice with your dorsum pes on a Valslide—the secret weapon Valerie uses with all her clients. The idea: Recollect of your back foot simply every bit a support, and so that y'all're keeping most of your weight on your forepart leg. The Valslide will help you practice this better, and that'll brand your barrel muscles piece of work harder.

Hither'due south how to practice the perfect contrary lunge:

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preview for The Perfect Rear Lunge

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Exercise 3: Stepup

[A] Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm'due south length at your sides. Stand in front end of a demote or step that's well-nigh human knee-top, and place your left foot firmly on the step.

[B] Press your left heel into the stride and push your body upward until your left leg is straight and you're continuing on one leg on the bench, keeping your right human foot elevated. Lower your body dorsum down until your right pes touches the floor. That's one repetition. Exercise all your reps with your left leg, then do the aforementioned number with your correct leg.

If that's too hard: Try the do with merely your body-weight.

Add together variety: Stand up sideways, with your right leg next to step. Then cross your left pes in front of your right leg and place your left human foot on the step. Now perform a stepup. Focus on really pressing your left heel into the step to push yourself up.

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Bonus: The Best Do for Your "Bum Smiling"

Never heard of the bum smile? "That'south what I call the line where your glutes meet your hamstrings," says Valerie. Here's her choice for the best way to target that area.

The Exercise: Direct-leg Deadlift [A] Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, and agree them at arm's length in front your thighs. Stand up with your anxiety shoulder-width autonomously and knees slightly bent.

[B] Without irresolute the angle of your knees, bend at your hips (go on your lower back biconvex), and lower your torso until it'southward almost parallel to the flooring [B]. Suspension, then clasp your glutes, thrust your hips forward, and heighten your torso dorsum to the start

Brand it harder: Perform the exercise while balancing one leg. Practise all your reps, then echo with your other leg.