The glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves may come to mind first when you think of toning your lower body. Without a doubt, these are the main leg muscle groups. But you are probably overlooking an important one: inner thighs. Your adductor muscles, or inner thighs, not only keep you balanced and moving safely, but they also help to improve your ability to lift heavier on leg day.
Fat accumulation around the thighs is a common concern among a prominent demographic, particularly women. Thigh fat, whether inner or outer, can end up causing severe anxiety in some people. Aside from the belly and upper arms, the thighs are among the first areas of the body to store fat, resulting in inner and outer tight fat. Getting rid of thigh fat can sometimes be difficult, regardless of how hard you work.
Exercise and diet can help you lose body fat, but you’ll lose it all over your body. Within the confines of your genetic potential, building muscle and shedding a little body fat will help you get more toned legs. When you exercise, you burn more calories than you consume, causing an energy imbalance that forces your body to draw on its energy reserves (fat) to meet the calorie demands.
While losing fat through exercise and diet is the best way to shape your inner thighs, keeping your muscles strong will still give you a lean look. Strength training has a two-pronged effect because it burns calories during the workout and the recovery and restoration of the muscle groups worked. Here are some practical exercises to target this area.
12 Best Inner Thigh Exercises For Toned Legs
Choose at least five of the moves listed below, including one single-leg and one lateral exercise. Perform 15 reps of each, then move on to the next. After completing all the movements, rest for 45 seconds before repeating three more times for four rounds. Perform this workout at least twice weekly for the best results.
1. Sumo Squat
The sumo squat is an effective lower-body exercise that works your hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. It targets your inner thigh muscles and adductor muscles more than traditional squats.
Sumo Squat Instructions:
Start by standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed at a 45-degree angle. Bend your knees and extend your buttocks backward like you are about to sit back into an invisible chair. Lower your body until your thighs parallel the floor keeping your chest lifted. Pause at the bottom for two seconds, then press through the heels to return to the starting position. Repeat.
2. Lateral Lunges
Lateral lunges are excellent for developing strength, stability, and balance. They work your inner and outer thighs and may even help you eliminate cellulite.
Lateral Lunges Instructions:
Begin by standing with your feet under your hips and your arms at your sides. Take a giant step out with your right leg, sit back, and bend your right knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor while your left leg remains straight. Return to the starting position by pushing through the right heel. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.
3. Curtsy Lunge
Curtsy lunge is a practical addition to your lower body routine. It targets the main muscles involved in a lunge, focusing on your inner thighs, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. Curtsy lunges are excellent for developing lower-body strength and stability.
Curtsy Lunge Instructions:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips. Step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left. Bend your knees and lower your hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Return to starting position. Then repeat on the other side.
4. Fire Hydrant
The fire hydrant is an excellent exercise for strengthening and toning your glutes, inner thighs, and core. When done correctly, it can help improve hip mobility and lumbar stability, reducing back pain, improving posture, and making everyday movement more comfortable.
Fire Hydrant Instructions:
Start on all fours, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Ensure that your shoulders and hips are parallel to the floor and that your core is engaged. Lift your right leg to the side as far as possible, keeping the knee bent at a right angle. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower the leg to the starting position. Alternate legs until you have completed the number of reps in your set.
5. Skaters
The skaters are a great cardiovascular exercise that works your glutes, hips, thigh, calves, and core while increasing your heart rate and improving coordination and balance.
Skaters Instructions:
Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. Lean slightly forward and jump to the right, landing on your right foot and bringing your left leg behind your body and your left arm in front of you. Jump back to the left, landing on your left foot and getting the right foot behind your body and your right arm in front of you. Repeat.
6. Single-Leg Deadlift
The single-leg deadlift is an excellent exercise for simultaneously strengthening all major muscles and improving balance. It can be performed with a kettlebell or a dumbbell, though beginners can do it without any weights.
Single-Leg Deadlift Instructions:
Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your abs, slowly lean forward, and shift your weight on one leg as your other leg extends straight behind you until your body forms a “T” shape. Drive into the right heel to return to the start position. Repeat and alternate legs until you have completed the number of reps in your set.
7. In-Out Squats
Developing lower body power strength and coordination are just a few benefits of incorporating in-out squats into your workout routine. This functional exercise strengthens your body, increases calorie burn, prevents injuries, and improves your balance and posture.
In-Out Squats Instructions:
Stand with your feet together and your hands on your thighs. Bend your legs and jump into the air, separating your feet in mid-air—land in a sumo squat position with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor, keeping your back at a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. Jump out of the squat and return to the starting position. Repeat.
8. Single-Leg Squat
Incorporating single-leg squats into your workout routine will help you develop strength, balance, and coordination while also alleviating the pain of the runner’s knee. Any squat variation can help tone the legs and glutes, strengthen the core muscles, and increase flexibility.
Single-Leg Squat Instructions:
Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, then extend your left leg straight and slightly in front of your body. Bend your right knee and push your buttocks backward like you are about to sit back into an invisible chair. Lower your body as far as possible while keeping your core engaged and your torso up. Exhale and press through the heels to return to the starting position after a few seconds of pause. Repeat and alternate legs until you have completed the number of reps in your set.
9. Front and Back Lunges
The front and back lunge is a very effective lower body exercise that helps to tone and sculpt your glutes, adductors, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It also improves the flexibility of the hips and corrects imbalances that you may have between your right and left sides.
Front and Back Lunges Instructions:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward, then gradually bend both knees until your back knee is just above the floor. The front knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and the left knee should be just above the ground. Stand back to the starting position, and immediately take a step back with the left leg, bending both knees until your back knee is just above the floor. Repeat.
10. Pulsing Jump Squat
The double pulse jump squat is a high-impact cardio exercise that can help you strengthen your muscles, increase your explosiveness, improve your aerobic fitness, and boost your coordination and balance. This exercise engages the lower body and tones the legs, thighs, and glutes.
Pulsing Jump Squat Instructions:
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Lower into a squat while keeping your back at a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. Pulse twice, then jump as high as possible, extending your knees and hips. Bend your hips and knees to land and return to the starting position softly to avoid injury. Repeat until the set is complete.
11. Step Lateral Bound
The lateral bound is a cardiovascular, calisthenics, and plyometrics exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, outer thighs, calves, and core.
Step Lateral Bound Instructions:
Stand on your right leg, jump to the left side, and land on your left foot. When you land on your left foot, immediately jump back to your right foot. Repeat for the desired number of times.
12. Squat Jack
The squat jack is a compound movement that works the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, abs, triceps, biceps, upper back, and shoulders. Because it is an explosive movement, you’ll raise your heart rate, giving it a calorie-burning cardio edge.
Squat Jack Instructions:
Start standing with your feet together and hands at your sides. Jump your feet out and bend your knees simultaneously, landing in a sumo squat position while keeping your chest up. Push off with your heels and return to the starting position, raising your arms overhead. Continue without stopping until the time or reps are up.
