Exercises for the inner thighs at home - 7 effective movements for losing weight and tightening muscles

The seductive curves of women's hips have always captivated men and evoked envious glances from women. Do you dream of a good figure, but still consider your thighs and buttocks to be your problem area? We offer you a super workout that will quickly help you find the ideal shape of your buttocks and finally fit into your favorite jeans. Special exercises for the hips and buttocks will not take much time and will amaze you with their effectiveness.

All exercises are performed without additional equipment and are ideal for girls. The author of the program is Janet Jenkens, a Hollywood fitness instructor whose clients include celebrities such as Pink and Carmen Electra.

Leg abduction in a kneeling position

Together with the outer side, this exercise also works the inner side of the thigh. Difficulty – medium.

Starting position - lay a mat, emphasis on straight arms, legs bent at the knees. If you use a dumbbell, place it in the bend of the thigh and lower leg;
While inhaling, we move the bent leg to the side until it is parallel to the floor, fix the point;
We return to the starting position.

How to remove sides on hips even faster? Use weights.

At the end of the working number of repetitions, remove the weight if you were using it and do 10-15 jerking movements in the same direction. Then do the workout on the other side.

Watch the video for more details:

It is recommended to perform 15-20 repetitions in 2-3 approaches on each side.

A little anatomy.

The facial surface of the thigh - the quadriceps - consists of 4 heads: intermediate, straight, medial and lateral. The latter is located on the outer side of the thigh, giving the legs a powerful look not only in frontal poses, but also from the back and the side. The lateral head is one of the most massive and powerful muscles in our body, and therefore should respond to the load without any problems, you just need to correctly place the emphasis in leg training. But how to place these accents? What should you do to pump it up?

The secret lies in the position of the foot - the more the toe is turned inward, the more the lateral head is involved. The trouble is that squatting or doing leg presses in this position is not only uncomfortable, but also traumatic for your knees, so we will start the training with leg extensions in the machine.

Reverse hyperextension

A fun exercise that helps to effectively load the riding breeches area and, as a bonus, the buttocks. Difficulty is average, made harder by a coordination test. To perform this you will need a chair with a soft seat and a bench. Also remember that hyperextension is one of the most effective exercises for the buttocks.

About 5 options for “Hyperextension” at home, see here.

Technique:

Starting position – rest your stomach on the seat of the chair, clasp its side with your hands, legs straight, feet together;
While inhaling, we push our legs up, strongly strain our buttocks, and hang for a second ;
Exhaling, we return to the starting position.

In our ranking of the TOP 10 exercises for the hips, “Hyperextension” takes 6th place.

More details in the video:

The movement should be repeated 15-20 times, with a break, in several approaches. Watch your lower back, avoid excessive bending and tension in it.

Exercises for the hips: what you should pay attention to

When starting training, you should be patient and persistent.

Firstly, figure flaws cannot be removed quickly. This is the result of constant efforts.
Secondly, if it is natural for the body to store fat in the thighs, the problem will return as soon as you give yourself some slack.

But if this happens, you shouldn’t consider yourself a failure. It is important to get yourself together again and go towards your goal.

So, what is worth considering before starting classes:

For thigh reduction exercises to be effective, you need to do them regularly. Although the pace of life for many people does not allow for much time for themselves, it is better to exercise a little every day than to exhaust yourself for hours with huge breaks between workouts. The best option is a schedule with classes three times a week.

Keeping the main task in mind, it is worthwhile to competently create a training program. It is believed that in order to most quickly reduce the problem area, it is necessary to perform 5-6 exercises little by little.

Remember that not all exercises are designed to reduce hip size. Some set the exact opposite goal: to pump up muscles in this part of the body. Therefore, if the tasks are designed for speed and intensity, they will help you lose weight. And if for endurance, then to increase muscle mass.

Before starting exercises, a warm-up is necessary, since intense training on unwarmed muscles can lead to injury.

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A set of exercises for the hips must include a cool-down and prolonged stretching of the muscles that were trained in the exercises. This will help improve metabolism and remove toxins and lactic acid from the problem area.

Swing lying on your side

You can do it either lying simply on the floor or with emphasis on a chair. Focusing on a chair in this exercise will allow you to simultaneously use the inner surface on two legs at once - one in static tension, the other in dynamic tension. Swings are great for burning fat between your legs. The difficulty is high, you need to control the position of every point of the body, take your time, so as not to damage yourself.

Technique:

Starting position - lying on your side, emphasis on the forearm, the straight lower leg is located on a chair, and the straightened upper leg is extended forward over the lower one;
Inhaling, we swing the extended leg up as high as possible;
As you exhale, we return to the starting point.

More details in the video:

We perform 15-20 repetitions on one leg and turn over.
We perform 2-3 approaches with a break of 30-45 seconds. Note! In the same position, you can swing your upper leg not upward, but closer to the body, bending it 90 degrees.

Top 7 exercises

After you have warmed up thoroughly, you can proceed directly to training. We present to your attention the best exercises for the inner thigh. Perform 3-4 exercises in one workout. The number of required approaches and repetitions is indicated for each option separately.

Lying leg extensions to the sides

The load in this exercise is on the area we need, the adductor muscles of the thigh, while the lower part of the abs is perfectly used. Excellent for removing fat between the legs. Difficulty - medium, can be complicated with weights if necessary. Good for stretching. It has a beneficial effect on the reproductive system, creating a rush of blood to the groin area.

Technique:

Starting position - lie on the mat on your back, arms are located near the body, legs are extended and raised up 90 degrees relative to the floor;
Inhaling deeply, slowly spread your legs to the sides to the point that is most comfortable for you, hold for a few seconds ;
As you exhale, slowly return to the starting point.

Watch the video for more details:

Breeding should begin from 15-20 times in 2-3 approaches, gradually increasing the load.

At the end of doing the spread, it would be a good idea to linger in the spread-legs position for 20-30 seconds , and then spring the muscles a little.
Carefully! The main thing in breeding is accuracy and unhurriedness; actions with excessive zeal can lead to sprain of the ligament.

Plie squat

Squats are a toned lower body's best friend. For the area we are interested in, plie squats are suitable. In addition to the inside of the thighs, the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calves are also strengthened. High difficulty exercise. Squats with dumbbells, barbells and other weights are very effective.

Also check out our 30-day squat challenge to help you lose fat from your thighs too.

Read more about the effects of squats on your hips here.

Starting position – feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing to the sides, back straight, arched in the lower back, gaze directed straight ahead;
As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down until it is parallel to the floor. We freeze for a few seconds;
As you exhale, we slowly return to the starting position.

It is recommended to do squats 10 to 12 times in 2-3 approaches.
Note! This squat will become multifunctional and effective if you rise on your toes at the lowest point. The effort to maintain coordination increases, and the calves are also perfectly loaded.

"Bow and arrow" - side lunges

An exercise that perfectly stretches the ligaments and affects the inner thighs. Not difficult, made more difficult by holding dumbbells in your hand. It affects not only the area we need, lunges perfectly tighten the gluteal muscles.

In the ranking of the TOP 10 exercises for the hips, such lunges take 3rd place.

Legs wider than shoulder width, back straight, abs tense, hands on your belt or in front of you, look forward;
Inhaling, we land in a squat on the right leg, bring the knee to 90 degrees, the left leg is straight, the foot is pressed firmly to the floor. Let's pause for a second;
We return to the starting position and lunge in the other direction.

Lunges should be used 12-15 times in each direction for 2-3 approaches.
Important! Warm up the pelvic ligaments well before lunges. Otherwise, a sprain (and in the worst case, even a tear) of the ligaments is possible.

Ball pinching

A static exercise, the basis of which is muscle contraction and retention in this state. In addition to the area we need, the muscles of the buttocks are tensed. The difficulty is low, aimed at concentration and endurance. A good static exercise for the legs, inferior in effectiveness to the “Chair”.

Technique:

Starting position - lying on your back, knees bent, feet pressed firmly to the floor. Place a ball (from a small rubber to a medium-sized fitball) between your legs in the area of your knees;
As you inhale, squeeze the ball with force and hold in this state for a couple of seconds;
As you exhale, relax your legs, but the ball should not fall.

You need to repeat such actions 10-15 times in 3-4 approaches.
Note! Clutching the ball can also be performed while sitting on a chair, sofa, armchair. The execution rules are the same. Only when performing while sitting do you need to monitor the arch of your back - straight with your lower back tucked inward.

Swing your legs while lying on your side

There are several types of swings. Below we will look at 3 types. Each is unique in the amplitude of its action, the strength of its complexity. All of them perfectly work the inner thigh, while connecting the buttocks, outer and back of the thighs. They help get rid of riding breeches.

Option one

Technique:

Starting position – lying on your side, fixation on your elbows or on your side, legs straight, one placed on top of the other;
As you inhale, raise your upper leg as high as possible and hold the pose for a few seconds;
As you exhale, return to the starting position. After performing a certain number of times on one leg, we turn over to the other side and perform the swings in the same way.

Option two

Technique:

Starting position – lie on your side, fixation on the forearm, lower leg straightened along the body, upper leg bent at the knee and lying on the lower one;
As you inhale, push the knee of the bent leg forward;
As you exhale, return to the starting position. At the end of the execution on one leg, we turn over and do it on the other.

Option three

Technique:

Starting position - lie on your side, lower leg straight, bend the upper leg at the knee and place it in front of the body, its foot pressed firmly to the floor;
As you inhale, lift your straightened leg off the floor;
As you exhale, lower your leg to the floor. We repeat this exercise on the other leg.

You can include several variations of swings in your training, or choose one that you like best.

You need to perform 12-15 swings on one side in 3-4 approaches. You can make it more difficult by attaching weights to your legs.

In the first embodiment, you can use a gymnastic tape by attaching it around the feet.

Leg swings while standing

To implement these swings, you may need support. A chair, the back of a sofa, an armchair, a door or just a wall will do. You can perform this movement without support. The swing itself can be done in two directions - back and forth or sideways . In the first option, the front and rear surfaces of the bottom of the body are also loaded, and in the second - the outer surface. The execution rules are the same.

Technique:

Starting position – sideways to the support, placing your hand on it, back straight;
As you inhale, move your leg forward/to the side;
As we exhale we go back.

The actions should be performed rhythmically so that the muscles contract as often as possible, which will result in the result. A more complex exercise can be made using a gymnastic tape. It has good resistance, which will add additional resistance to the lower body.

Scissors

Actions that tone not only the hips, but also the abs. Difficulty of execution – medium, endurance.

Technique:

Lying on your back, straight legs extended, arms along the body;
After inhaling, we raise our legs 45 degrees to the floor and swing our legs, imitating the action of scissors to failure;
After some time, exhale and lower your legs to the floor.

About the 5 difficulty levels of “Scissors”, see here.

It is advisable to start performing scissors with one minute in 2-3 approaches, gradually increasing the delay time.

Lunges forward

A functional dynamic exercise that works both to work the muscles and to stretch them. Exercises for the outer and inner thighs, such as this one, are effective in helping you lose weight throughout your lower body and remove cellulite from your legs. You can weigh down your performance with dumbbells or weights. You can further diversify it by jumping when changing legs or resting one side on a hill. About 7 different types of “Lunges”, see here.

Starting position – legs together, back straight, arms down along the body;
While inhaling, step your left leg back until a 90-degree angle is formed at the right knee, the left leg is extended and taut;
Return to the original position and perform the actions on the other leg.

More details in the video:

You need to perform 15 to 20 times on each side, repeating approaches 2-3 times.
Carefully! The knee of the bent leg in this exercise should under no circumstances extend beyond its toe. Otherwise, there will be an incorrect and traumatic load on the joints.

Exercises for legs and buttocks. Which ones are really the best?

There are a lot of exercises for the gluteal muscles and legs. But are they all good? And do you need everything? There are a lot of very stupid and downright useless moves. They often look impressive, but they are of almost no use. We will do real, effective exercises. The ten exercises below are truly the best of the best.

Here are the main signs of properly selected exercises for the muscles of the legs and buttocks.

The exercise for the buttocks should have a wide amplitude

Be sure to use exercises in which the muscles of the buttocks are stretched quite strongly and contracted almost completely. Squats and lunges are ideal for this.

The muscles of the legs and buttocks need to be trained from different angles

For good shape of the muscles of the legs and buttocks you need variety. There should be several exercises, not just one or two. These exercises should be loaded in different ways, in different body positions and in different planes. Your leg and butt training program should include squats, lunges, and various leg swings.

It must be possible to increase the load

And not just the number of repetitions! This is extremely important so that you are able to do each repetition with an increasing load. Ideally, this rule corresponds to exercises with dumbbells and a barbell, and on some exercise machines. Simply increasing the number of repetitions does not build muscle or improve the shape of your butt. However, high repetitions help dry out the body.

Exercises for legs and buttocks should not be isolated

Isolated exercises are exercises in which only one joint is worked. Such exercises are definitely needed. But in limited quantities. Much more important and productive are multi-joint exercises, in which, in addition to the buttocks, the hips and other muscles are worked. Therefore, try to ensure that the exercises you choose are multi-joint: squats, lunges, leg presses, etc. But there shouldn’t be too many different leg swings and knee extensions and bendings on the machines.

Exercises for legs and buttocks require an arched lower back

This is one of the most important rules that for some reason no one talks about. If you bend at the waist during squats, rest assured that you will not have any elastic and pumped up buttocks! The back should be arched in the lumbar region. This provides a wide range of movements and, accordingly, increased development of the buttock muscles. Well, and, among other things, it will strengthen the back muscles, improve posture and protect against back pain.

Flexibility is important

Training the muscles of the legs and buttocks requires increased flexibility. It is important to understand that developing flexibility will help improve muscle shape. And proper training of the legs and buttocks always improves flexibility. One helps the other!

Now let's move on directly to exercises for the gluteal muscles and legs.

Side Lunges

Static muscle tension in these actions helps to actively burn fat and activate the growth of muscle fibers. Removes both the riding breeches area and the hated ridges on the inner thigh.

Technique:

Starting position – legs wider than shoulder width, back straight, gaze directed forward;
Inhaling, we step with our right foot to the right, making sure that the knee does not go beyond the toe and is perpendicular to the floor, the left leg is straightened, the toe and heel are pressed to the floor surface;
As you exhale, go back and repeat the effort on the opposite side.

You will see more details in the video:

You can burn additional calories if, after performing a lunge, you also perform a straight leg swing or a cross squat back. The combination has a better effect on the problem area and tightens faster.
Carefully! Perform actions with great care and concentration. Ligaments that are just beginning to get used to stress are very fragile and any sudden movement can cause stretching or tearing. If the ligament area still hurts after training, do a light pinching massage and treat with warming ointment.

Wide stance squats

A great stretch for the outer thigh comes from wide squats. The multi-tasking plie covers the fat battlegrounds of your butt, inner, front and back thighs, and is also a great exercise for slimming your calves. The difficulty is average, which can be easily increased with dumbbells, weights, or simply instead of resting on your heels, rise on your toes.

Technique:

Starting position – straight back and wide stance with toes turned to the side;
Inhaling, slowly lower your pelvis until it is parallel to the floor. We make sure that the knees do not go beyond the toes, otherwise we make the stance wider. We twist our lower back, tighten our buttocks;
Exhaling, we get back to the original position.

More details in the video:

Complete 10-12 repetitions, rest for 45 seconds and repeat the circuit 2 more times.

See also: 7 best types of squats for the buttocks How effective are dumbbell squats for the buttocks? 30 Day Squat Challenge to Tighten Your Gluteal Muscles

Squats with your own weight or with an empty bar

Squats are one of the basic exercises for the buttocks. It pulls your gluteal muscles up, visually improving their appearance, and depending on the goal and method of performing this exercise, it helps to increase the gluteal muscles or, on the contrary, reduce their volume. Now we will look at how you can use squats to make your buttocks lose weight.

Exercises for thighs and buttocks for weight loss in the gym called “squats” are performed either with your own weight or with an empty bar for multiple repetitions. Multi-repetition involves performing an exercise a large number of times. This is the method used in training for weight loss or muscle drying. You perform 3-4 sets of 25-30 reps each set. Your own weight or the weight of an empty bar allows you to do this without extra effort. If you feel that you can do more times, then please, it will only benefit you and your buttocks.

General recommendations

A balanced diet will only speed up the approach to the desired result;
Be sure to do stretching - this will relieve stress on the muscle group being trained and will also relieve painful soreness. Taking a warm bath with sea salt helps a lot;
Don't neglect massage and wraps. Warming/cooling creams, cling film and a natural bristle brush are your best friends. Massage should be performed from bottom to top along the lymph flow;
Massage cups are a good helper for skin tightening. To apply it, you need to lubricate the treated area with massage cream or oil and slide the jar from bottom to top until the skin turns red. BUT! This procedure is contraindicated for people prone to varicose veins or who already have spider veins and vascular problems.

And, of course, we must not forget that there are many other movements for the lower body that have shown high effectiveness:

“Bicycle” and “Scissors” are considered especially effective for the butt muscles;
“Stepping onto the platform” is required to be included in your complex;
You can build up your muscles with static exercises by completing our “Circular” complex, which includes such an effective exercise as “Chair against the wall.”
At the end of the workout, do some stretching , such as Downward-Facing Dog and Upward Dog asanas;
“Walking on the buttocks” not only burns cellulite, but also has many beneficial properties for the pelvic area;
Well, of course, you can’t do without “Deadlift”.

Be sure to pay attention to your technique when performing exercises for the outer thigh. Better smaller and more accurate than faster and with the result not where it is needed, and even worse, with injuries.

Nutrition

This is the first area where adjustments will have to be made. Otherwise, burning extra calories won't do any good if your body is still getting more than enough nutrients. Therefore, reduce sweets, flour and fatty foods in your diet.

If necessary, reduce the portion while at the table, especially in the evening. It is worth getting rid of the habit of snacking on the go that is harmful. Be careful with anything that stimulates your appetite, such as alcohol.