8 Best Exercises for Inner Thighs
Get those sculpted legs that you’ve been dreaming of by trying these effective inner thigh exercises on your lower-body days.
If you’re on a strength training journey, then you definitely have a few exercises for your lower body in your routine. Whether it’s your quads, hamstrings, glutes… A great number of leg exercises target these major muscles, but there’s an area that’s often overlooked during lower body workouts: your inner thighs!
Targeting your inner thighs during your workouts is key if you’re looking to build a strong physique. But keep in mind, just because you can specifically target your inner thighs doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to get rid of any extra fat that you might have in the area – fat loss doesn’t work like that!
To truly sculpt your lower body you need to put in the work and include a variety of exercises in your workouts so that you can hit your muscles from every angle possible. This is what will get you far in your fitness journey and help you get more defined muscles. By implementing inner thigh exercises, like the one’s listed below, you’ll be able to have a more well rounded workout routine that will help you achieve your goals effectively.
Lateral lunges
Starting strong, lateral lunges are one of the best movements that you can try if you’re looking to sculpt your lower body. Also known as side lunge, this exercise requires you to move in a horizontal plane, which is highly effective if you’re looking to target your inner thighs as well as your glutes, core, and other stabilizing muscles.
How to do it:
First, stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or extended in front of you for stability. Begin by taking a big step to the side with your left leg and lower your body by flexing the left knee until it’s bent at around 90 degrees. Make sure to keep your right leg stretched out and in place, without bending your right knee, and your back straight. Pause for a moment, then press with your foot to go back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.
Inner thigh lifts
This is probably one of the simplest exercises on this list, but it’s still super effective, which makes it perfect for beginners who are just starting their strength training journey. It’s low-impact and targets your inner thigh directly while challenging your balance throughout the full range of motion.
How to do it:
Lie on your right side on the floor or on a mat to be more comfortable. Keeping your body in a straight line, bend your left knee and place your foot flat on the floor in front of your right thigh, with your right leg straight on the floor. Put your right arm around your head to support it and your left hand on the floor for stability. Begin the movement by lifting your right leg off the floor as high as you can without moving your left leg. Pause at the top of the movement, then go back down and repeat. Finish your reps and switch to your left side.
Fire hydrants
This exercise involves getting on all fours and raising your leg to the side. It’s a great bodyweight movement to get nice toned legs, but if you want a bigger challenge, consider looping a short resistance band around your legs!
How to do it:
First, position yourself on your hands and knees on the ground with your back straight and your face looking down so you don’t strain your neck. Keeping the right knee in a bent position, begin the movement by abducting your right leg, moving your knee away from the midline of the body. Pause at the top of the motion when your thigh is parallel or almost parallel to the floor, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat. Finish your reps and switch to the left side.
Scissor legs plank
This exercise is great if you’re looking to give your upper body a good workout while still targeting your inner thighs. It requires good balance and coordination, and will definitely leave your muscles burning after just a short session.
How to do it:
Get into a full plank position, which means having your arms completely straight while you hold yourself up with your hands, and the rest of your body forming a straight line down to your toes. Place each foot on a sliding surface, whether it’s a gliding disc or just a folded paper towel. Engage your core for stability and begin the movement by sliding your feet apart in a scissor motion so that your legs are open wide. Pause, then go back to the starting position by squeezing your thighs back together and repeat.
Barbell back squat
Even the most popular compound exercises for your strength training days can be effective at targeting your inner thighs, such as back squats! Squats in general are great for your legs, no matter the variation that you try, but the barbell back squats will suppose an additional challenge for you thanks to the heavy weight that will leave your muscles burning at the end.
How to do it:
Stand in front of a squat rack with a loaded barbell placed at chest height. Take a step under the bar, placing it behind your head and over your traps while keeping your back straight. Unrack the bar and take a step away from the rack with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly outward. Begin the movement by slowly going down into a squat position so you lose control of the weight. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause for a second, then go back up and repeat.
Clamshell with resistance band
The clamshell is like a lying-down fire hydrant because you perform the same leg movement, except you’re lying on your side which shifts your weight and helps hit your inner thigh muscles differently. In addition to the position change, you also have a resistance band looped around your legs to make your muscles work against constant tension.
How to do it:
Lie on your right side and loop a short resistance band around your thighs, almost at your knees. Bend your knees in front of you as if you were sitting on a chair, forming a 90-degree angle between your torso and your thighs, as well as your thighs and your shins. Put your right arm around your head to support it and your left hand on the floor for stability. Begin by abducting your top leg up without lifting your left foot until your knee is pointing upward, fighting the tension of the band and keeping your bottom leg on the floor. Pause for a second, then go back and repeat. Finish your reps and repeat with the other leg.
Goblet squat
Another well-known squat variation that can do wonders for your thigh area is the goblet squat, which uses a kettlebell to add resistance between your legs to the movement. It targets your quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings, and core for stability while you try to keep the weight in place.
How to do it:
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and grab a kettlebell by the handle with both hands in front of your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body, your back straight, and your shoulder blades together. Begin the movement by lowering yourself into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly deeper if you’re able to. Hold this position, then go back up and repeat.
Squeeze and lift
This exercise is slightly similar to the inner thigh lift, but instead of lifting only one leg, you’ll be lifting both with the added challenge of holding a small ball in between. This movement effectively targets your inner thighs as well as your core for stability.
How to do it:
First, find a small ball with a light weight. Lay on your right side so that your body forms a straight line and place the ball between your ankles, holding it by pressing your legs together. Put your right arm around your head to support it and your left hand on the floor for stability. Begin the movement by lifting your legs off the floor toward the ceiling without dropping the ball. Go as high as you can, then pause for a second before you go back and repeat. Finish your reps and repeat on the other side.
And there you go! The great thing about leg exercises is that they usually recruit other major lower-body muscles in the process, so building a complete leg workout isn’t as complicated as it may sound. Just make sure to include exercises that target “hidden” areas, such as your inner thighs, for a successful workout!
Want to build a better lower-body routine but don’t know where to start?
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