Being a personal trainer and nutritionist, one subject comes up quite often with my clients.

How can I make my cellulite go away?

This is a touchy subject, because not only do 90% of all women get some degree of cellulite, they sometimes dont know how to get rid of it.

First lets go over just what cellulite is. And by the way…some men get it too.

Actually cellulite is plain old body fat. So why does cellulite have a somewhat dimpled appearance? The reason is that the body fat is compartmentalized by connective tissue in the deep layers of the skin. While everyone has connective tissue under their skin, mens connective tissue tends to have horizontal patterns, which make it more difficult for fat to accumulate. &bsp;

Womens connective tissues under the skin tend to have more of a honeycomb pattern. This allows more fat to bulge out, and give a dimpled effect.

There are also many other variables that influence the amount of cellulite a person might have. These include gender, genetics, age, and skin thickness.

The question is…can you get rid of&bsp; your cellulite? The answer is yes, but make no mistake, there are no quick fixes. Ive had clients lose significant amounts of cellulite, but it takes planning and effort.

First, lets go over what doesnt work. Stay away from creams aimed at reducing cellulite. If you read the label of most of these creams carefully, youll find that most of them only reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Also, treatments like liposuction are expensive, and can actually be contraindicated, because they are designed to remove deep body fat, not cellulite, which sits just below the skins surface.

Beware of herbal extracts designed to reduce cellulite. Theres not much evidence that they actually work, and some can even be dangerous, because they can interact with certain prescription drugs.

So what does work? I use a combination of treatments with my clients. First is a proper weight training program. This is important for women and men for two reasons. First, for every ounce of muscle you work, you burn extra calories 24 hours a day. Second, muscle that is not toned will tend to sag, which makes the cellulite look even worse.

Aerobic exercise comes next. This helps you burn more calories, and also, helps tone muscle.

I also help clients design an individualized eating program to help them lose even more excess body fat. In fact, one of my Charlotte clients has lost 72 pounds of body fat with just simple changes to her diet.

I also make sure all my people get proper rest. Remember, rest is the glue that ties everything in your program together.

Finally, make sure your supplement program supports you. While there are no supplements that in and of themselves get rid of cellulite, there are vitamins and minerals that, without which, cellulite would stay. For example, vitamins C & E are necessary for red blood cell formation, and collagen production, both of which affect connective tissue below the skins surface. Without firm connective tissue, cellulite is much more apparent.

By properly using all these techniques together in a program, you can significantly reduce the amount of cellulite you have at any age.

David Crocker of Landrum has served as strength director of the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., strength coach, S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, USC-Spartanburg baseball team, and Converse college equestrian team. He taught four semesters at USC-Union. David is also a regular guest of the Pam Stone Show. David also served as lead trainer to L.H.Fields Modeling Agency.