A well-toned inner thigh is attractive, strong and healthy. According to NY based personal trainer Matt Townsend, getting rid of your inner thigh fat is not an easy option. It requires some serious effort.
The inner thighs can be slimmed down through high intensity activity and also through strenous exercises. In this article, you will come to know the different strengthening thigh workouts that actually work.
Anatomy Of Your Leg Muscles
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The length of your legs basically belongs to your genes. The superficial layer and a deeper layer are the two levels of fat present in your thighs.
The good news is that you can change the composition of your legs that is the ratio of fat to lean mass. If you increase your strength and endurance, you will get strong and shapely legs.
Having a general idea about the anatomy of your thighs will help you to make informed decisions about thigh workouts.
Hamstrings – these muscles form the back of your thigh, help you to flex your knee and extend your hip.
Adductors – They are the inner thigh muscles.
Quadriceps – they are made up of four sections and forms the front muscles of your thigh.
Gastrocnemius – It is the uppermost of your two calf muscles.
Tibialis anterior – this muscle makes up your shin. It helps you to flex your ankle.
Soleus – this calf muscle lies underneath the gastrocnemius.
Having seen the anatomy, let’s move on to the exercises. All of them are easy to perform and are quite interesting.
Ball Leg Lifts
This easy-to-do at-home workout is recommended by Jenny Sugar, Editor Popsugar Fitness
Add some spice to your basic exercise routine using an exercise ball. This exercise will help to tone your inner thighs.
Lie down on the floor with your side. Cross your arms in front of your body. If you are not feeling comfortable, then bend your bottom elbow and rest your head on your hand.
Place a large exercise ball in between your feet. Slowly lift the ball towards the ceiling with your hips and butt.
Return to the start position. Complete three sets of 15 repetitions.
Squats
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This traditional thigh gap workout is advised by celebrity personal trainer Matt Townsend.
This exercise will tighten your thigh muscles and burn lots of calories.
Stand tall with feet just beyond shoulder width.
Place hands at the back of your head. Slowly squat your hips parallel to the ground.
Hold your position this way for three seconds.
Return to your original standing position.
Make sure not to let your knees, hang over your toes while lowering to the ground.
Pull your shoulders back and chest upright.
Repeat this exercise 12-15 times.
Single Leg Lateral Hops
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Fitness Specialist Katya of Vitality Advocate recommends this cardio-bursting routine.
Keep an object on the floor as a marker. You can just imagine an object to jump over.
Stand on one leg, with your knee slightly bent andjump left and right of the object.
Start with a close distance till your knee becomes stronger. Then you can widen the distance.
Keeping your balance might be a challenge at first. If you continue to practice, you can definitely gain your stability.
Bridge Raises
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This exercise is good for your inner thighs and butt. It is advised by Fitness Expert Katya of Vitality Advocate for functional fitness.
Lie flat on the floor with your back. Bend your legs with knees together.
Keep your feet separated. Place a pillow between your thighs. Lift your hips slowly up and lower it down. Squeeze your knees together as you go up and down. Maintain the tension on the pillow the whole time.
In the same position lift the hips into a bridge. Keep the pillow between your knees. Squeeze the pillow with your knees for about 30 times. Lower your pelvis and relax your back.
Frog Bend
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Frog Bend is aquick and easy leg routine that shape up your inner thighs when you are short of time. Vera Musgrove, star of the Shazzy Fitness: In the Beginning DVD recommends this exercise.
This is how you’ll go about. Lie down with your face up and legs extended straight over hips. Flex your feet, keep your heels together and turn your toes out.
Bend your knees slowly out to the sides. Then straighten, using your inner thigh muscles to control the movement. Do three sets of 12 reps and take rest in between.
Thigh Toning Dance Move
Add a little spice to your workout with this fun dance move. This hip-hop workout is recommended by Rachel Warren, Dance, and Fitness professional.
Three moves that go into this workout are the snake lunge, the cross open and the simple hip hops squat.
Start with your feet together. Keep your chest up and abs engaged. Take your right foot back. Snake lunge and stand up. Do this step 4 times and move on to cross open.
Try your rock moves and cross open your legs 4 times. Then move to squats. Keep your toes forward, repeat the squat and bring your body up. Do these dance moves according to the rhythm. Repeat the squat 4 times.
Then repeat all the three positions to the beat. You will get a nice definition in your legs and thighs.
Killer Thigh Workout
Celebrity fitness trainer Astrid Mcguire demonstrates this thigh conditioning workout. Try these to get long slender legs.
Keep your feet together. Shift back and squat. Take a big step out, little wider than the hip width. Bring the other leg together.
Fire out your kick. Squat, step out and back. Do the reps 10 times on the same side.
Take some rest and repeat on the other side.
Inner Outer Thigh Workout
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This thigh-slimming workout or thigh gap workout is again demonstrated by celebrity fitness trainer Astrid Mcguire. The best thing about these workouts is that you can do it in the comfort of your home.
Keep your feet together. Take a lateral step out to the side, bend and keep one hand down for a guideline. Step your feet back together.
Take your leg backside into a curtsy. Don’t let yourself twist. You have to keep your core straight. Your legs look zigzag in this position. You get a complete inner and outer thigh gap workout.
If you want to step up this exercise adds some weights. Take some rest and repeat the exercise the other side. Do it 5 times on each side.
Victoria’s Secret Angel Model Thigh Exercise
XHIT Daily recommends this slimming and toning exercise. It is inspired by Victoria’s Secret Angel models’ exercise routine.
Keep your hands on your hips. Take your leg up in the front and out to the back. Do 12 reps on each side. This is a simple exercise but with stunning results.
Now we move on to thigh lifts, keep your feet together, take it up bring it back to the same position.
Take your leg to the side, bring it to the same position and out to the back of your body. Then again bring it to the front position. Do 10 reps on each leg.
Do this movement slowly and controlled.Move your leg, forwards, sidewards and backwards.
The Gap Toner Exercise
This old-school inner thigh workout is demonstrated by Fitness Expert Katya of Vitality Advocate.
To do it: Lie on the floor on your side. Extend your bottom leg out.
Cross your top leg over it. Rest your head on your arm. To begin with, lift your bottom leg upward.
Keep your foot parallel to the floor and raise the heel of your foot towards the ceiling. This action keeps the tension directly on your inner thigh. Keep your upper body still, while you perform this.
High-Level Inner Thigh Workout With Resistance Band
Coach Mike from 1 on 1 health fitness teaches you this simple but result proven work out.
Grab a resistance band, anchor it to a weight which is 50 pounds or more.
So when you start the exercise, the weight does not roll away. Place your hands on your hips. With your resistance band fixed to your leg, step to your right and step back.
The contraction to squeeze is what makes this movement pattern effective. Repeat the process for the other leg. Do ten reps for each leg. This is a safe and high-level exercise you can do for your inner thigh with a resistance band.
Inner Thigh Exercises With Dumbbells
Stephen Cabral, the body transformation fitness expert, teaches you this, conditioning routine. Try it to get stunning slim thighs and thigh gap.
Stretch your legs. Keep a 35-pound dumb bell between your legs.
Keep your chest apart, sit back in a squatting position and lift the dumbbell.
Move your hips back and bring the dumbbell down. Squat and stand with the dumbbell in your hands for about 10 times. Bend your knees and bring them straight. This is a great exercise for inner thighs and glutes (thigh gap).
Leaner Thighs Workout With Swiss Ball
The Squat to Ballerina exercise by fitness instructor, Andria Ramirez of AndFit is fun and challenging. It makes you sweat, feel the burn and tone your legs to be fit and slender.
Open your legs wider. Squat and make sure your knees are right above your heels.
Press your fingers into your Swiss ball. Go down and when you come uplift your heel. All the while holding the ball in your hand. Again down and lift, do the 10 reps, you can turn to the sides and continue your reps.
The other workout is deadlift with Fitball. Bring one foot forward, take your shoulders back and hold your ball.
Tuck your tummy in. Bend down with one foot up, parallel to the floor and bring your ball down.
Touch the floor with the ball, standing on one leg and the other leg lifted. Now come back to the original position. Do the reps 10 times for each leg.
Foods For Leaner Thighs
Anne Dunev, Naturopath, Nutritionist and health writer gives these thought-provoking tips for slimmer thighs.
- Drink two glasses of water in the morning and 8 more glasses of water throughout the day.
- You can drink herbal tea, but no other beverages are allowed.
- Avoid all grains, you can eat ½ a cup of brown rice per day.
- Feast upon whole fruits
- Avoid all sugar and sugar products. You can include stevia.
- Eat 4 servings of protein per day. A serving is the size of your fist.
- Include two tablespoons of oil per day. Add virgin olive oil, raw coconut oil, unrefined nut oils, and flax seed oil.
- Avoid all dairy products. You can use whey protein along with water and fruit. You can also include egg protein powder.
- Try to include organic foods. Enjoy what you eat.
- Eat often at 3 hours intervals.
- Add fish oil supplements and probiotics.
- This diet not only helps you to achieve thinner thighs but also eliminate some cellulite.
Top Tips For Well-Toned Thighs
- Get yourself a pedometer. Aim to walk between, 5,000 to 10,000 steps each day.
- Try running up and down the stairs.
- Start to jump rope. It may help you to burn calories, increase agility and help you to achieve slimmer thighs.
- Ride your bicycle up a mountain and then cruise down. The more effort you put, the more you will replace fat in your thigh with skinny lean muscle.
- Try scissor kicks. Lie on your back raise your feet into the air and start kicking back and forth with short controlled movements.
- Join a dance class.
- Get friends with lunges and squats, they are the most effective exercises to do to get slimmer thighs.
- Lunges strengthen the hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. While squats work the hips, thighs, bootie, hamstrings and quadriceps.
- You can drink Yerba mate, it is a tea and is proven to burn fat, help in digestion and slim you down quickly.
- Eat more plant protein to pep up your metabolism.
- Try High-Intensity Interval Training, it is shorter than cardio sessions, tones your thighs and slims you down as well.
Conclusion
Patience coupled with proper exercise can help you to attain your dream thighs. The appearance and width of the thigh gap depend on your genetics and body’s natural structure. It is better to hope for results that your body is suited for and not for that perfect supermodel thighs.
You can wear thigh slimming shapewear, apply bronzer all over your legs, dabble some anti-cellulite cream and do dry body brushing to enhance the look of your thighs.
These temporary measures and a religious exercise routine will help you to get slim and shapely thighs. Wear trendy shorts and show off your shapely legs.
Keeping up with these routines will allow you to enjoy the lasting effects of your dedication. The toned muscles would stay as they are for years to come.
Accept the compliments with a big smile, because you are worth it.
[wptabsy][tab].[/tab][tab].[/tab][tabcontent][/tabcontent][tabcontent]Steps in Avoiding Thigh Gap Workout Mistakes1. Before you do anything else and decide to take a thigh gap workout program, realize that your mind and your emotions WILL determine your plan for success. You can have the perfect diet and the perfect thigh gap workout training program, but if your mind and heart are not inside, you WILL fail on your thigh gap workout….Period.2. Realize that you are unique and that the thigh gap workout program / diet that works for someone else may not work for you.3. Understand that even if a thigh gap workout program / diet does work for you, it may not work forever. Your body adapts to the stresses that you impose upon it.4. Have a definite goal. I know that it is a cliche, but make it a S.M.A.R.T. goal.5. Keep a journal. Track your nutrition, your thigh gap workout, your thoughts and feelings. Ups and downs. And I know that most of you will never do this. Especially the guys. But I am serious. I just can’t say enough about what a great tool a health/fitness/workout/diet journal is for guaranteeing your success even in thigh gap workout. I don’t know if it forces you to be more accountable to your success. I just know that thigh gap workout works.6. Educate yourself about thigh gap workout. Hire a trainer. Ask questions. Go online. Surf through the archives of my blog. Read a book….Something. At the very least, you should know how to improve the function of your cardiovascular system and improving your thigh gap. You should know the difference between muscular strength, power and endurance… and how to develop each of them. You should understand how important structural balance is to keeping injury free on thigh gap workout. You should know the impact that different types of food have upon your body. Learn about the importance of sleep to your fitness success.7. Step outside of your comfort zone. Try something new. Apply your knowledge to a new thigh gap workout training method.8. Remember that your fitness progress requires your fitness thigh gap workout program to progress.9. Enjoy yourself. This isn’t work. If you don’t like what you are doing in thigh gap workout, find something else.10. Rest and relax. It is during your periods of rest that your body repairs and improves upon the functions of your body necessary to handle tomorrow’s thigh gap workout.[/tabcontent][/wptabsy]
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