Cellulite, or dimpled fat, can appear in many places on the body but can be especially embarrassing on the backs of your thighs. To remove this fat, it is important to engage in fat-burning cardiovascular exercise, improve your metabolism through strength training and tone the hamstring muscles in your thighs.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, uses your major muscle groups along with your heart and lungs to exert effort. During cardio exercise, your body burns calories and fat, and your muscle tone is improved. According to Body Building, higher-intensity cardio activity burns more fat off your body than lower-intensity cardio exercise. To engage in high-intensity cardio exercise, work at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. To find 75 percent of your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and multiply the result by 0.75.
When selecting a type of cardio exercise, consider activities that use your hamstring muscles, such as running, swimming, tennis, elliptical training, rock climbing and cycling. Try to engage in two to four different types of cardio every week for at least 30 minutes per day.
Strength Training
Full-body strength training might not seem logical when your goal is to remove cellulite from your thighs. However, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest. By improving your overall body composition, you will enable yourself to remove excess fat and cellulite much faster.
A complete strength-training program includes exercises for the arms, legs, shoulders, chest, back and stomach. Try to focus on each major muscle group one to two days a week for 20 to 40 minutes per session. According to Shape Fit, to build muscle mass, you should use weights with which you can only complete six to eight repetitions. If you can easily perform eight repetitions, you should use a heavier weight that challenges your muscles more.
Hamstring Exercises
Improved muscle tone in the hamstrings will remove cellulite and help to prevent new fat from accumulating in this area. By performing three to four sessions of hamstring strength training a week, you can maximize your results. Aim to leave 24 hours between training sessions so that your muscles can rest and repair. Remember to use weights with which you cannot complete more than eight repetitions.
In the health club, the leg press, leg curl and leg extension machine will strengthen your hamstrings. Using free weights, you can perform lunges, hamstring curls, stiff leg dead lifts and stability ball leg curls. To perform a stability ball leg curl, start on the floor on your back and place your feet on top of a stability ball. Keeping your body in a straight line, lift your butt off the floor, pull your feet in toward your body slowly and straighten your legs. Stiff leg dead lifts are completed in the standing position while holding free weights in your hands at your sides. To complete a repetition, bend only at the waist, slowly lower the weights down toward the floor and stand back up in a controlled manner.
