10-Minute Inner Thigh Workout
Looking to strengthen and tone your inner thighs at home? This quick and effective workout targets the adductors – those inner thigh muscles that help support your pelvic floor and power side-to-side movement. Here are the best inner thigh exercises you can do right in your living room.
If you’ve done my workouts before, you know I’m a big believer in training the body in all planes of motion – not just the forward and backward movements we often default to. That’s why it’s so important to work the inner thighs, a group of smaller muscles that are often overlooked but play a major role in how we move and feel.
Today’s workout targets the inner thighs in a quick, burnout-style routine packed with the best adductor exercises to strengthen and tone your legs. This workout has been highly requested in my DMs and inbox, and for good reason. Whether you do it on its own as a quick lower-body burnout or tack it on to another leg workout for an extra burn, it’s guaranteed to challenge those inner thighs in a whole new way.
This is a low-impact, strength-focused routine that targets the hip adductors – 5 muscles (including the gracilis, pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus and adductor magnus) that work together to support side-to-side movement. Strong inner thighs stabilize the hips and knees, and contribute to core and pelvic floor strength, which can prevent lower back pain.
Strengthening these muscles can help improve your balance, coordination and overall movement quality, especially if you’re active in sports, chasing after kids or just want to feel more stable and strong in everyday life.
Workout Details
Target and tone your inner thighs with this quick, effective workout that focuses on strengthening the muscles along your inner legs. These exercises are great for improving stability and supporting side-to-side movements.
Try adding this inner thigh finisher to your routine 1-2 times per week, either on lower-body days or as a bonus burnout at the end of a full-body workout. It’s a great option for most fitness levels, but if you have a history of groin or hip injuries, check with a healthcare provider before starting.
Workout Equipment
Medium to Heavy Set of Dumbbells and an optional Pilates ball. I recommend 5-25 lbs, depending on your fitness level. I used 20 lb dumbbells in today’s workout.
Workout Instructions
Follow along with the guided Inner Thigh Workout with Dumbbells on YouTube, led by me, your certified personal trainer (CPT), Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 9 Inner Thigh Exercises
- Timed Intervals (perform each exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed by 20 seconds of rest. Perform as many reps as possible while maintaining proper form during the timed intervals.)
- Repeat All 9 Exercises x 1 Set (No Repeats)
Note: Today’s workout is an updated version of an inner thigh burnout. I re-filmed this workout to improve the audio and video quality and share some new moves. If you try both, I’d love to know which version is your favorite!
Workout Outline
1. Sumo Squat
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips, outer thighs and glutes (gluteus medius and abductors) and inner thighs (adductors).
How to Do a Sumo Squat
- Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold a pair of dumbbells between your legs.
- Bend your knees to lower down into a sumo or plie squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
- Drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes and pulling your inner thighs together to stand tall.
2. Cossack Lateral Squat
Targets: Gluteus medius (outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements), quads, inner thighs (or hip adductors), hamstrings and calves.
How to Do a Cossack Lateral Squat
- Start with your feet wider than your hips (think a wide squat stance). Your knees and toes are either pointing forward or your toes are just slightly turned out away from your body. Hold one dumbbell at your chest in a goblet squat hold.
- Shift your weight into your left heel as you push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your left leg while your right leg remains straight. At the bottom of the movement, rotate your right foot so that your toes are pointing towards the ceiling.
- Pivot the right foot back, placing it flat on the mat. Drive through your left foot to reverse the movement, pushing you back to center.
- Repeat, this time shifting your weight into your right heel as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight.
Modification: Omit the cossack portion of the movement by keeping both feet flat on the ground, toes pointed forward. If pointing your toes towards the ceiling is uncomfortable, try adding ankle mobility to your routine.
3. Curtsy Lunge
Targets: Legs, quads (thighs) and gluteus maximus (butt), hip flexors and core.
How to Do a Curtsy Lunge
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
- Step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge (left knee should meet right calf as your left knee lowers towards the mat). Lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your right glute to reverse the movement, stepping your left foot back to center and standing tall.
4. Sumo Deadlift
Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings back (posterior chain) and inner thighs.
How to Do a Sumo Deadlift
- Stand with feet wider than hips (sumo squat stance, heels slightly in, toes slightly out).
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs; palms facing in toward each other.
- Hinge your hips back as you lower the dumbbells in a straight line towards the ground. Think about pushing your hips and butt back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down towards the mat.
- Then drive through your heels to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall to return to the start of the movement.
5. Lateral Lunge Slide
Targets: Glutes (gluteus medius), quads, hip adductors (inner thigh muscles), outer thighs, hamstrings and core.
How to Do a Lateral Lunge Slide
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your left toes on an exercise glider or towel (if you work out on hard floors) or paper plate (if you work out on carpet).
- Slide your left foot out to the side, bending your right knee while leaving your left knee straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight. Knees and toes are pointing forward. Range of motion will be different for everyone.
- Pull your inner thighs together to reverse the movement, standing up to return to center.
Modification: If you don’t have a slider, take a large step out to the side, performing a standard lateral or side lunge.
6. Wall Sit With Ball Squeeze
Targets: Outer glutes, inner thigh muscles, hips and core.
How to Do a Wall Sit with Ball Squeeze
- Place your back flat against a wall and place your feet hip-width apart. Plant your feet firmly on the ground.
- Slide your back down the wall until your legs form a 90-degree angle, your thighs parallel to the ground, creating a straight line, your hips in line with your knees. Hold this position with your back firmly connected to the wall. Place a pilates ball between your knees.
- With control, squeeze your legs together, compressing the Pilates ball. Then release some of the tension. Continue this pattern of squeeze and release. Note that wall sits are a great alternative if squats and lunges hurt your knees.
7. Reverse Clamshell (With Ball)
Targets: Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus (hip extension), inner thighs, obliques and core.
How to Do a Reverse Clamshell (With Ball)
- Lie on one side, with your legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. The soles of your feet should touch. Place a Pilates ball between your knees.
- Rest on the forearm of your lower arm with your shoulder stacked over your elbow.
- Exhale to engage the core and stabilize your spine and pelvic floor.
- Keeping your feet touching, use your outer glutes and hips to lift your resting hip off the floor. As you lift your hips off the floor, squeeze the Pilates ball between your inner thighs.
- Hold at the top of the movement for a moment before returning to the starting position.
FAQs
How do I tone my inner thighs fast?
To tone inner thighs, you need to build muscle. Focus on exercises that target the adductor muscles, incorporating both strength training and cardiovascular activities. Dumbbell exercises such as curtsy lunges, lateral lunges and sumo squats are effective for toning the inner thighs. Cardio activities such as walking or elliptical training can help burn overall body fat, including the inner thighs.
What exercises effectively target the inner thigh muscles?
The best inner thigh exercises include sumo squats, lateral lunges and adductor squeezes. Bodyweight and resistance band exercises such as side-lying leg lifts and clamshells are also effective. These exercises strengthen the hip adductors from multiple angles, building inner thigh muscle.
How can I lose fat on my thighs?
Spot training (or spot reduction) is the common fitness myth that you can perform specific exercises to lose weight in certain areas of your body. Burning fat in a certain area of the body is difficult because the body pulls energy reserves (i.e. fat) from all over. That said, strength training can increase the size of a specific muscle. When paired with a reduction in body fat, that muscle will appear more “toned.”
What are tips for creating a balanced at-home workout routine without a gym?
To create a balanced at-home workout routine, include a warm-up, a variety of strength training exercises that target various muscle groups, cardio and mobility-focused cool-downs. Choose workouts that you enjoy and schedule them, treating them like appointments. This will help you stay accountable to your fitness goals.
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