You can’t spot-reduce thigh fat, but you can tone and strengthen your thigh muscles with spot training. Schedule leg workouts twice each week with a favorite exercise from each of these three groups: Lateral lunges and band leg side raises will do wonders for your inner and outer thighs. Bridges with hamstring curls, deadlifts and reverse leg curls will lend definition to your hamstrings. For an overall thigh workout, do curtsy lunges, sumo squats and goblet squats.
Combine compound movements such as squats and lunges that work several muscles with targeted exercises such as bridges and hamstring curls. You’ll want to do each exercise for eight to 12 reps at your maximum weight for a total of three to four sets. Switch up your moves to challenge your thigh muscles in different ways with different exercises. For example, plan front squats one day to target your quads and do back squats the following day to work your glutes and hamstrings.
Mixing strength training and weight lifting with HIIT will help you burn extra calories in a shorter period and create the calorie deficit you need to lose fat. Blending strength with interval work burns more calories without having to work out more.
The key to losing fat from your thighs is overall weight loss. While you can’t really target where your body loses fat, you can take steps to promote healthy weight loss. Get plenty of protein and fiber at every meal. Protein especially builds lean muscle that will give you shapely legs.
Take steps to get rid of bloat caused by excess water. Drink coffee to stimulate your metabolism and your workouts. Coffee also has a very mild diuretic effect that may help rid your body of excess water. Watch your salt intake, which also makes your body retain water. Excess water causes bloat that can show up on hips and thighs.
Get more electrolytes into your diet. The more electrolytes that you have—particularly potassium—the less salt your body will retain. Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Your body transforms carbs into glycogen and stores that along with water. The more carbs you eat, the more water your body stores.
This may sound counterintuitive to the steps you take to get rid of excess water, but here goes: Drink plenty of water. Drinking water flushes out excess salt and fluids from your body doesn’t need. Losing the excess reduces bloating.
Here’s a thigh trimming exercise to get you started on toning and strengthening your thighs.
Don’t discount the effectiveness of this exercise just because you think it’s easy. This baby is great if you want to target your inner thighs. The band side leg raise also gives you a core workout because those muscles work to counter the movement of your legs.
Band side leg raise:
Lie on your left side on the floor. Loop a mini-band around both ankles. Rest your head on your left arm and brace your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Without moving any other part of your body, raise your right leg as high as you can. Pause, then return to the starting position.
Read More: 5 Trainers’ Top Exercises for Tightening and Toning Your Inner Thighs and 5 Hamstring Exercises That’ll Make You Want To Show Off Your Thighs
