After doing some research, I learned many interesting and informative things when it comes to cellulite. Let me give you a little explanation of exactly what cellulite is before we try to figure out how to prevent, and most importantly, get rid of it. When a collection of fat cells and liquid builds up under the skin and pushes against the connective tissue it causes that lumpy appearance often labeled as cottage cheese. It develops in different stages and is not even visible in the beginning. Cellulite most often occurs on the butt, thighs, and stomach and is very common. In fact, over 90% of woman have experienced cellulite. Men can get cellulite as well, but it is not as likely due to way the fibers within their skin are shaped and they have smoother, tighter skin. Another major reason why men don’t get cellulite as often is hormonal differences.

The major causes of cellulite include: a poor diet, lack of exercise, too much body fat, heredity, and hormonal fluctuations. If you’re diet is high in fat and carbohydrates and you’re barely exercising, then regardless of body weight, you are likely to have cellulite. Even what appears to be more slender people have cellulite because their body still stores fat, which appears as cellulite. In order to reduce cellulite one should perform a regular exercise routine that includes strength and cardio vascular training.

Cellulite can be hereditary and even at body fat levels as low as 14% it can still be visible. Unfortunately this is unavoidable factor may affect the fat storage in these areas. One of the most major causes of cellulite is if there is a strong increase the female hormone – estrogen. This would increase cellulite. Pregnancy, birth control pills, menstruation, and excessive stress or weight gain are multiple reasons why hormones will fluctuate. Of course not all of these things can be avoided either, but we should try our hardest to prevent what we can.

If you happen to develop cellulite don’t give up hope and decide to never wear your bathing suit or a skirt again. What it all comes down to is cellulite is nothing more than a visible flaw that most women hate, but now you know there are many things that you can do to decrease it and get completely rid of the appearance of cellulite. If you start by living a healthy well balanced lifestyle that consists of regular exercise, low stress, and a balanced diet you can watch your cellulite begin to melt away!!

Now that we’re into July, it’s summer time, which means it’s getting hotter and hotter everyday. During “prime time” the gym is packed, and even with the AC blaring it still manages to feel like a sauna with all those bodies packed into there. One simple solution to staying cool — whether it’s in the gym, outdoors, or wherever you spend your time — is to wear less clothing, which results in exposing more of your bod. Sounds great, right? Especially for all you guys out there that want to keep your testostrone levels high while getting your pump on — what’s better than watching the girl in the booty shorts with the really nice legs doing some lunges?

When you walk into the gym you see all different types of physiques and body types. A woman can be skinny, muscular, athletic, thick, thin or anything inbetween. There are many different body types, but one thing tends to stand out on any woman regardless of her shape. There is a very unpleasant looking layer of fat that tends to accumpulate on about 90% of all woman at one point of there lives. It likes certain regions like the thighs, butt, and stomach and it looks someone stuck a couple of servings of cottage cheese under the skin. This dreaded trait is called — you know it — cellulite, which is something most woman get at one point or another, and many of them hate and would love to get rid of it.

Recently, I was in the dressing room with a girlfriend at Nordstrom, and watched her checkout the bottom of her butt in a terribly lit mirror. I could tell by her body language that she wasn’t about to purchase that very nice fitting pair of short shorts and could see the discomfort wash over her face as she glared at her backside. In her eyes she lacked the perfection she was striving for on her *almost* perfectly sculpted body. I hear woman in their 20’s talk about never wanting to put on a bathing suit again due to issues like this! Woman in the gym are covering up there legs when it is 100 degrees in there! I asked myself why, as well as the following questions:

1. What’s causing it?
2. Who gets it?
3. Can you prevent it?
4. Do certain things make it worse or better?
5. Can you get rid of it?

I wasn’t doing my research because I saw someone with dimples on there legs and thought, “Ewww.. nasty! Put some clothes on.” I’m sure we can agree that it’s usually not the most beautiful thing to look at, but we are all human and have imperfections. If physical issues add to our stress, lack of confidence or poor self image, then we should try to take care of them for those reasons alone. I wanted some answers for myself and I wanted to help my friends, clients, and any of you ladies that struggle with your appearance. Anything to make life easier and to get us looking and feeling better — I am game!

I am doing my research now and will have answers for all of you soon — stay tuned to my next blog. Get rid of the Cottage Cheese Epidemic Part 2!

People aren’t busting there asses in the gym just to pass the time; we workout to stay healthy and also because we want to look our best. If you want to get the most out of your workout, then you have to take into account every factor of health and fitness, and a very overlooked one is the intake of water.

Even the slightest amount of dehydration can decrease a persons strength up to 15%. If you are fatigued during your workout then you aren’t going to perform your best. Not to mention that by the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Even if you are training early in the morning, you may want to pound a glass or two of water along with your Axis Labs Clutch Whey and Smash. If you’re not urinating clear or waking up at least once a night to use the restroom chances are you are already dehydrated.

Your joints are lubricated by fluids that are primarly comprised of water. In order to prevent from pulling or tearing anything you want to be properly hydrated. You are also more likely to cramp up if you don’t have enough fluids, not to mention that water also aides in proper digestion. If you want your food to feed your muscles properly, you need to have enough liquids in your body to help absorb the nutrients. In addition, water also helps to regulate your blood pressure.

Proper diet, supplementation, and the right workout with enough discipline can get you pretty amazing results. Doing whatever we can to get these results should make drinking water seem like a breeze compared to doing a set of heavy squats. Proper hydration is so important when it comes to muscle building, strength, and proper digestion, as well as being key to having a better workout and — in my opinion — it is the easiest component that goes into your regimen.

The average human can survive for a few weeks without food, but normally no longer than 2 days without water. Up to 70% of the body is comprised of water and and 75% of our muscle tissue. Water is ranked second to oxygen as the most important nutrient in the body. One of the things that most bodybuilders emphasize while working out is the pump. When you get a pump have forced a majority of your blood flow into the muscles. Your blood is mostly comprised of…WATER! I think these simply facts alone tell us why water is essential to our health and our workouts, now we have more than one reason to drink up! Cheers!

Accountability plays a huge role in why people stick to their training routines. If you are having a hard time cultivating this new habit, why not add a training partner into the mix. Having someone else to train with can have multiple benefits. Not only will you have more pressure to actually show up for your workout, but it is pretty much a guarantee that you will workout harder, enjoy your workout more, and stick to your routine.

The hardest thing for most people is actually getting to the gym. If you work a normal nine to five which many of us do, then you have a few options when it comes to getting to the gym. You need drag yourself to the gym early in the morning, go during your lunch break, or hit the gym after a long days work. The reality is most of us are tired and sometimes going to the gym isn’t really our top choice of activities, and even though we know all the great benefits it has, it is still pretty challenging to overcome all the obstacles. Chances are if you tell a friend that you are meeting them at a certain time — you will be there. If you blow that person off, you may make yourself look like a flake and it puts more pressure on you to get to the gym.

Working out with a partner helps a lot of people to make their workout more enjoyable as well. You have someone to chat with while doing cardio or in between sets. If you don’t enjoy working out, it can be a good distraction from what you are actually doing. Just try to find someone that is on the same page as you when it comes to goals. You may find yourself getting impatient if your partner doesn’t want to train as hard as you and wants to sit around and chat. Having similar goals is important when it comes to finding the right person to train with.

By nature, humans are all competitive on numerous levels. If you train with someone else you are probably going to workout harder than you normally would. You have someone to push you when you are tired and to spot you when the weights get too heavy. If you have a big ego (which many weightlifters do!) then chances are you are not going to let your partner show you up day after day. It will help you to challenge yourself on a daily basis and you can push harder knowing someone has your back.

Nobody likes to let another person down. If you get together with a friend and make a serious commitment to become training partners then you are both most likely going to stick with your new routine and continue to make progress in the gym. Remember, it takes a few weeks to develop a habit and having someone else hold you accountable while developing these new habits can only be an added assistance!!!