How to Tighten Your Thighs

Co-authored by Monica Morris

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References

There are two elements to improving muscle tone on the body. The first is fat loss, and the second is muscle gain. Fat loss without muscle gain will reveal muscle tone in much the same way that an underweight person will have visible abdominal muscles. Muscle gain without fat loss will result in increased size and strength, but may have little to no visible muscle tone.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Toning Muscles

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Choose leg exercises that suit you. Some good exercises associated with tight thighs (and legs in general) include squats, lunges, deadlifts, kettlebell swings and several variations upon these exercises. Depending on what you're going for, and the resources available to you, it's good to pick some combination of strength training and isometric exercises, which only use your body weight as resistance.
- Consider joining a local gym, which may have several machines dedicated to exercising your legs.
2
Do squats. Doing squats is the best way to tighten not only your thighs, but your legs, buns, and abs. Do squats in different positions for different results. To do a squat, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and flex your legs until your thighs are at a 90° angle with the floor. Keep your back straight and your butt back. Then, stand back up to straight. Repeat this 20-50 times, doing sets of 10-15.^{[1]
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- The sumo squat is a great way to tone your inner and outer thighs. To do this, take the widest stance possible, then squat as low as you can. Do this 20-50 or more times a day to see fast results.
- Another great one is the plie squat. This is great for toning. To do this, put your arms above your head like a ballerina about to do a plie, while keeping your legs together. Then extend one leg from your right or left side, step into a wider stance and squat. Do 20-50 repetitions per day.^{[2]
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3
Do lunges. Lunges are a wonderful way to tone the lower body. To do lunges, stand with your hands on your hips and your feet together. Extend one leg and step forward and squat with your left leg still behind you. Repeat this as many times as you can on each leg.
- Lunges will target and tone your thigh areas if done correctly. The great thing about lunges is that if you do do them consistently and correctly, you will see amazing results, as it takes more effort than doing squats.^{[3]
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- If you have any sort of knee issues, lunges can be difficult. Squats are a bit easier on the knees.
4
Do butterflies. Butterflies are done on the ground with your legs in an almost seated position. Your knees should be parallel to your groin. From there, move your leg up and down locked in that position like a butterfly flaps its wings. Do this about 50 times on each side.
5
Focus on full-body cardio workouts. You can't spot-reduce fat. Any activity or diet which burns fat from your body will burn that fat proportionately over your body, not specifically near the area or muscle group which has been worked. For instance, doing squats will not reduce the fat on your buttocks and legs before anything else. Squats will help reduce the fat on your whole body, however. Here are a variety of cardio exercises you can do that will help you lose fat and tone your thighs:
- Jogging or running
- Burpees
- Dancing
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Swimming
6
Train with low weight and high repetitions. If you want to strength train with added weight, it's important to focus on doing a high number of repetitions with a low amount of weight. This is how to tone muscles. If you want to build muscles, you should focus on doing fewer reps with a higher amount of weight. An example leg workout for someone aiming for lean, toned legs might look like this:
- Squats (with 10lbs dumbbells): 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
- Lunges (with 10lbs dumbbells): 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
- Single-arm kettlebell swings (with 10lbs kettlebell): 3 sets of 20 repetitions per arm.
- Farmer's walk on the balls of your feet (with 20+ lbs dumbbells) 2 minutes walk around the gym.
7
Include upper-body exercises as well. Make sure that you are also constructing a workout for the rest of your body so that you don't end up with super-strong legs and a weak and poorly toned upper body. At least a little bit of cardio in your weekly routine will also help to improve your overall health and muscle tone. You will also be able to work out more and burn more fat if you incorporate other major muscle groups and exercises into your workouts, so be sure to build a full workout routine.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Burning Fat

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Replace empty calories^{[4]
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- You don't have to stop snacking if you want to lose weight. But instead of reaching for a handful of chips, have an apple. Instead of munching on Cheetos, have a handful of grapes or almonds and berries.
- You can't out-train a bad diet. Even if you're working hard, you won't be able to tone your thighs if you're still eating junk.
2
Focus on lean proteins. Chicken, fish, and nuts are all excellent sources of protein that are an essential part of building and toning out your muscles as you work. As you're working out, it's important to focus on getting plenty of lean proteins into your diet. 2-3 servings per day. As you're working aim for at least 5-6 servings of complex carbs per day.
3
Eat complex carbohydrates. Brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat pastas and breads are excellent sources of carbs for your workouts. Complex carbohydrates take a long time to digest, meaning that they'll fuel your workouts and help you to lose weight.^{[5]
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- A lot of people are carb-conscious when it comes to losing weight, and that's fine. But it's quick-digesting carbs that you want to avoid, not complex carbs. Your body needs carbohydrates to function problems, so you can't avoid them entirely.^{[6]
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4
Eat at least 3-4 times a day. It's important to spread your eating out throughout the day, having a variety of small meals and healthy snacks all day long to keep your metabolism high and working for you, instead of against you.
- Instead of skipping breakfast, eating an energy bar at lunch and having a huge dinner, eat a full and healthy breakfast, and treat yourself to a handful of almonds and dried fruit when you're feeling hungry at 3 pm. This is a better way to lose weight than skipping meals.
- Never skip breakfasts. Eating in the mornings helps to energize your body and awaken your metabolism. Breakfast is an important weight loss tool.^{[7]
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5
Drink plenty of water. When you're hungry, drink a glass of water. When you're thirsty, drink a glass of water. Even if you're not thirsty, have some water on hand to make sure you're staying hydrated. People need up to two liters of water a day to stay fully hydrated. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need.^{[8]
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- Cut down alcohol. Did you know that a glass of wine is contain of as many calories as a piece of chocolate? If you regularly consume too much alcohol, you'll gain weight and it'll be very difficult to train away.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you get rid of jiggly thighs?

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

Doing leg exercises can make a big difference. Try using ankle weights or using a cable machine for a more targeted workout. If you have ankle weights, start in a standing position, then move one ankle toward your other foot by twisting it to the front. If you have a gym, you can use a cable machine, which has an attachment you can just Velcro around your ankle. That strap attaches to a low pulley, and all you have to do is hold on to something stable, then step away from the machine. However, it's very important that when you're trying to develop your inner thigh that you work out your outer thigh as well.

Warnings

With dieting do not starve yourself, this starvation will not keep permanent results but will make your weight fluctuate.

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When doing your exercise do not push yourself into dehydration, drink plenty of water.

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