20 of the best exercises to tone and strengthen your inner thighs. No equipment required for this amazing at-home thigh gap workout.
20 Best Exercises For Inner Thigh
- Sidelying Hip Adduction
- Plank Jacks
- Wide-Leg (Sumo) Squats
- Plie Squat
- Standing Hip Adduction
- Side Lunge
- Bridge With Ball Squeeze
- Sidelying Squeeze and Lift
- Straight Leg Ball Raises
- Scissor Jacks
- Frog Press Crunch
- Slide Lunge
- Wide-Legged Kettle Bell Swing
- Curtsy Lunge
- Side Plank Leg Lift
- Slider Mountain Climber
- Jump Squat
- Wall Sit with Ball Squeeze
- Scissor Kicks
- Chair Hip Adduction
Keep reading below for detailed instruction on how each exercise is performed!
Looking for a guide even more comprehensive than this one?
- Six phases of workouts to ensure your continued progression
- Large color photos and clear instruction regarding performance, sets, and reps of each exercise to ensure proper performance
- The exact same workout plan my wife used for her amazing results
Now onto the INNER THIGH WORKOUT!
One of the areas that I get asked about a lot lately is the inner thigh.
Everyone seems to be after a killer “thigh gap” these days and I’m happy to share what I know.
Today is all about 20 of the best exercises you can do at home with zero equipment required that are designed to maximally activate the hip adductors and give you the inner thigh gap you desire.
I even shot a video to make it easier for you.
Now before we get started – it’s important that I stress when it comes to fitness, weight loss, and body toning – IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SPOT TREAT!
For example – you can’t do a ton of inner thigh or stomach or arm exercises to lose weight in that specific area.
Weight loss will occur throughout your whole body.
Really there’s no substitute for a regular cardio program combined with strength training and a healthy, well-rounded diet.
However – if you’re looking to STRENGTHEN and TONE these areas, there are some specific exercises you can do that will help maximize muscle activation resulting in more strength and increased muscle tone overall.
How to get a thigh gap?
You can maximize your thigh gap by toning and strengthening the muscles on the inside of your legs. These are referred to as your hip adductors. They include the adductor magnus, minimus, longus, brevis, and pectineus. These muscles are responsible for pulling your legs together or crossing one leg in front of the other. Toning and strengthening these muscles results in tighter muscles in your inner thigh and a more prominent “gap”.
What determines a thigh gap?
The biggest trait that determines a thigh gap is your bony structure including the width of your pelvis and the angle of your femurs. The wider the pelvis structure and the straighter the femurs the wider the gap will naturally be. However, soft tissue (skin, muscle, and fat) in this area can be a powerful predictor of thigh gap as well. Someone with a wide bone structure but a lot of soft tissue will have less of a gap than someone with a narrow bone structure and less soft tissue.
How do you tone your inner thigh?
It’s impossible to “spot treat” and only lose weight in one area. A steady, healthy diet and regular cardio and resisted training are essential to losing weight. However regular exercise to your hip adductor muscles will help you to tone the muscles in this area.
THIGH GAP WORKOUT
So let’s get down to it! Hit play on the video below to see actual demonstration of each exercise; scroll down to see some images and descriptions of each one.
1. Sidelying Hip Adduction Exercise
- Lay on your right side with your right leg straight and the left leg crossed over the top.
- Pull your straight right leg up towards the ceiling as high as you can.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
2. Plank Jacks Exercise
- Get down in a plank position with your legs together.
- Keep your core tight and”Jump” your legs apart as in performing a jumping jack.
- “Jump” back into the starting position.
3. Wide-Leg (Sumo) Squats Exercise
- Place your feet approximately 6 inches wider than your hips on both sides.
- Drop down into a squat – try to keep your chest up and back straight – and try to keep your knees over your toes (big stretch to the adductor area at the bottom of the squat).
- Slowly return to the starting position
4. Plie Squat Exercise
- Place your feet approximately 6 inches wider than your hips on both sides.
- Externally rotate at your hips by pointing your toes out to the side.
- Drop down into a squat – try to keep your chest up and back straight – and try to keep your knees over your toes (big stretch to the adductor area at the bottom of the squat).
- Slowly return to the starting position
5. Standing Hip Adduction (resistance band) Exercise
- Stand on your left leg with a resistance band looped around your right foot.
- Use the muscles on the inside of your right leg to pull your right foot in front of you until it crossed in front of your left foot.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
6. Side Lunge Exercise
- Stand upright with your feet close together.
- Take a large step to your left and drop down into a lunge.
- Try to keep your left knee over your toe.
- Push straight up to return to the upright position.
- Repeat on the right leg.
7. Bridge with Ball Squeeze Exercise
- Lay on your back with your knees bent.
- Squeeze a ball or pillow between your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes to raise your hips up off the floor (keep the ball/pillow smashed).
- Hold 3-5 seconds and return to starting position.
8. Side-lying Squeeze and Lift Exercise
- Lay on your sides with your legs straight.
- Squeeze a ball between your ankles and left both legs up off the floor.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
9. Straight Leg Ball Raises Exercise
- Lay on your back with an exercise ball between your feet.
- Squeeze the ball and raise your straight legs up towards the ceiling.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
10. Scissor Jacks Exercise
- Start with your legs spread apart and your arms straight out to either side.
- Perform a jumping jack, but cross your arms and legs all the way in front of you.
- Leap back to the starting position and repeat.
11. Frog Press Crunch Exercise
- Lay on your back with your legs out straight.
- Press the soles of your shoes together and bend your knees up towards your chest.
- As your knees bend take them out wider than your body, but the soles of your feet should stay together.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
12. Slide Lunge Exercise
- Grab a “fitness slider” (paper plates work great on carpet; towels/rags work well on hardwood and tile).
- Put the slider under your right foot.
- Go down into a lunge on your left leg while your right foot slides way out to the side.
- Use your left leg and both inner thighs to pull yourself up to the starting position.
13. Wide-leg Kettle Bell Swing Exercise
- Place your feet 4-6 inches outside of shoulder/hip width (wider than normal).
- Drop into a squat (chest up, back straight) holding a kettle bell in both hands.
- Use your butt, legs, and back to explode upwards and swing the kettle bell up to eye level.
- Use your upper body, core and hips to control the weight back down to the starting position.
14. Curtsy Lunge Exercise
- Stand upright with your feet together.
- Stand on your right leg and drop down into a lunge with your left leg back behind you and to the right (outside of your right leg).
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat on your left leg.
15. Side Plank With Leg Lift Exercise
- Get down in a side plank position on your left elbow and the outside of your left foot.
- Hold this position steady while lifting your right leg off of your left.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Be sure to repeat on both sides.
16. Slider Mountain Climbers With A Twist Exercise
- Grab your fitness sliders (towels on hardwood/laminate/tile or paper plates on carpet) and put one under each foot.
- Perform rotating mountain climbers by pulling your right knee up towards your left elbow and vice versa with left knee to right elbow.
- Use your muscles to pull the sliders against the friction caused by the floor.
17. Jump Squats Exercise
- Start standing upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Drop down into a bodyweight squat position by bending your knees to 90 degrees (knees over toes).
- Explode up into a 6-inch jump.
- Land softly on the return.
18. Wall Sit with Ball Squeeze Exercise
- Squeeze a ball/pillow between your knees and drop down in a wall-sit position.
- Try to hold this position squeezing the ball with your thighs parallel to the floor for as long as you can.
19. Scissor Kicks Exercise
- Lay on you back and raise your heels and shoulders up off the floor.
- Keep your core tight while scissoring both legs out to the side and then back.
20. Chair Hip Adduction Exercise
- Get in a side plank position on your right side.
- Put the inside of your left leg up on a chair.
- Raise your right leg to the bottom of the seat of the chair.
- Hold 2 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.
The Total Body Transformation
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