10 Leg Exercises That Will Tone Your Inner Thighs
Before anyone gets too caught up in the idea of achieving perfectly toned inner thighs like those seen in bathing suit advertisements, it’s worth remembering even those pros get retouched when the photos are edited. Their lean legs probably don’t look much different than yours when the cameras aren’t flashing, but there’s also nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. Feeling good about your appearance can do wonders for self-confidence, so strengthening your inner thighs is a great place to start.
Even if appearance is the typical motivator for working on these muscles called your adductors, they actually deserve more attention for some more practical reasons. T Nation explains weakness in your inner thigh muscles limits how much strength you can build during other lifts and also increases your risk of injury, particularly if you play sports that involve quickly changing directions.
Now that we know the aesthetic and athletic benefits of this muscle group, it’s time to hit the gym. We’ve picked 10 exercises to target your adductors while also strengthening other key muscle groups.
1. Hip bridge with squeeze
Woman performing a glute bridge for stronger inner thighs | iStock.com
Start by lying on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Your arms should be extended along the sides of your body with your palms facing down. Place your object of choice between your knees and squeeze them together to hold it in place. From here, push through your heels to bring your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold briefly, then lower your hips back to the ground. Head to Prevention to see the move in action.
2. Wide-stance squats
Wide-stance squats are great for the inner thigh muscles | iStock.com
Squats are one of the best moves for toning your glutes and thighs, and they’re also easy to adapt to work other muscle groups. For this particular variation, simply changing the direction your toes point can pose a serious challenge for your inner thighs. Since the move is probably different than what you usually do, use just your body weight to start. As you find the move becoming easier, you can add weight by holding a dumbbell in both hands between your legs.
For this exercise, start by standing with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Point your toes out to the sides as far as you can without losing balance. Keeping your back flat, lower yourself into a squat, then press straight back to the starting position. While most people stop when their thighs are parallel to the ground, you can feel free to go deeper as long as you maintain good form. Head to Real Simple to see a great diagram.
3. Warrior I
Warrior I strengthens the lower body | iStock.com
Even if you’re a dedicated weight lifter, consider adding some yoga moves to your routine. These exercises build flexibility and strength, so they ensure you maintain good mobility for sports as well as everyday activities. Warrior I is one of the best choices for strengthening legs, particularly the adductors. The key is to stay concentrated and work to squeeze your thighs toward the center line.
To get into this pose, step your left foot forward into a partial lunge as you point your right foot diagonally toward the right side of the room, then extend your arms straight over your head. Your left leg knee should be bent not quite at a 90-degree angle and your right leg should be fully extended. Work to keep your hips squared and your legs squeezing toward each other as you sink down into the pose. For a more detailed tutorial, head to Yoga Journal. After holding this pose for your desired length of time, switch sides.
4. Single-leg knee adduction
Single-leg adductions are surprisingly difficult and effective | iStock.com
Sometimes the exercises that look the easiest are actually the hardest. This is definitely the case with the single-leg knee adduction. Though it’s a simple exercise, your muscles have to work extremely hard to maintain balance. Correct form is more important than ever for this move, so don’t be afraid to go slow.
Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your right leg off the ground by bending your right knee at a 90-degree angle. Sink into your left leg, allowing your knee to bend, keeping your hands on your hips. Lift your right leg out to the side, about 45 degrees away from your body. Hold this pose, then carefully bring your right leg back in, then to the ground. Fitness recommends performing eight to 10 repetitions on each side.
5. Scissor jacks
Need a challenge for your inner thighs? Try scissor jacks | iStock.com
For time-crunched folks, moves that strengthen while boosting heart rate are often the best option. Mountain climbers, burpees, and jumping jacks are all great examples that can be incorporated into these types of circuits. By modifying the movement slightly, jumping jacks can even help target your inner thighs.
To perform scissor jacks, begin standing with your feet spaced shoulder-width apart and your arms extended straight out to the sides. As you jump your arms and legs together, cross your right foot in front of your left foot and your right arm in front of your left arm. Jump back to the start, then switch arm and leg positions on the next jump. Continue to jump, alternating sides each time. To get a better idea of the movement, head to PopSugar.
6. Side lunge sweep
Side lunge sweeps are great for strengthening the inner thighs | iStock.com
If you’re tired of doing the same forward lunges, try side lunges to target your outer and inner thighs. This move also adds a sweep, where you cross your leg in front of your body before going into the lunge. This extra move challenges your balance and will further work your thighs and core.
Begin standing with your feet together. Then, take a wide step to the left and bend your left knee to lower into a lunge. Sink your hips back and keep your right leg straight when you’re in your side lunge to work the inner thigh. Then, stand back up by pushing through your left heel. Keeping your leg straight, sweep your left leg across your body without touching the floor for balance, and bring your left leg back into your wide stance for another side lunge. Repeat 15 reps on each leg. Head to Shape for more details about the move.
7. Hundreds
Hundreds work the inner thighs and core | iStock.com/DenizA
When you’re targeting your inner thighs, you can also hit other major muscle groups as well. This move is a full-body strengthening exercise you’ll feel in your core, back, and inner thighs. The key here is to engage the abs and squeeze the inner thighs throughout the move so multiple muscle groups get a workout. For an added challenge, place a piece of paper between your heels to ensure you’re not cheating. Aim to keep that paper in place by squeezing the legs together for as long as possible.
Begin lying on your back with a mat underneath you. When you’re ready to begin, keep your legs straight and press your heels together, then lift your legs up so they hover over the mat. The higher you lift your legs, the easier this exercise will be, so lower them close to the floor for an extra challenge. Next, lift your head and upper back slightly and keep your hands extended along your sides. Press your hands up and down toward the floor a quick 100 times before relaxing. Head to The Huffington Post to learn more about this exercise.
8. Step crossovers
Work the inner thighs using a stepper | iStock.com
If you have a stepper hiding in the back of your closet, it’s time to dust it off for your thigh-toning routine. For this particular move, you can move slowly with heavy weights or quickly with high knees to really torch those extra calories — the choice is yours.
Begin by standing on the right side of your stepper, then take your right leg and cross it over your left to step up onto the stepper. As you step with your right leg, place your left leg to the left of the stepper, and step down with your right. Repeat by crossing your left leg over your right, and sink further down into the move to target those inner thighs. To learn how to incorporate high kicks, side kicks, and high knees, head to Bodybuildingestore.com.
9. Single-leg lateral hops
Lateral hops will get your blood pumping | iStock.com
This cardio exercise is great for raising your heart rate and targeting your inner thighs all at once. Begin by placing an object on the floor in front of you — this is the object you’ll imagine yourself laterally jumping over so you can ensure you’re getting the most out of the exercise. Then, stand to the right of the object and balance yourself on your right leg. When you’re ready to begin, bend your knees and push off with your right leg to jump to the left. Land with your weight in your left leg, and repeat the move back over to the right. Stay light on your feet, and sink into the move for more inner thigh strengthening. Positive Health Wellness recommends only jumping a short distance at first to make sure you’re maintaining stability.
10. Transverse lunge
Transverse lunges work your inner thighs | iStock.com
Lunges are among the best exercises you can do to strengthen and shape your glutes and quads, but to really target those inner thighs, you’ll want to try this variation. You can start with no weights for this move, or you can hold a pair of dumbbells to make it more difficult.
Start with feet hip-width apart, facing forward. Step out with your left foot back and to the side, almost as if you’re going into a side lunge. Keeping your right leg straight, pivot on the ball of your right foot and rotate your torso as you go into your lunge. Then, pivot back onto your right foot and push through your left heel to return to your starting position. Alternate on each side. For a more detailed explanation, head to Workoutaholic.
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