You can’t spot-reduce fat from your inner thigh. You can, however, tone it up by training your adductor muscles.
Today’s inner thigh workout will help you isolate those adductors.
No ankle weights or resistance bands needed. Just give each exercise on the list 30 seconds of your time, and you’re good to go!
Regular Sumo Squats
Regular squats are fantastic for glutes and quads. But they can’t hold a candle to sumos when it comes to adductors.
The wide stance challenges those inner thigh muscles. And that’s why this lean leg workout routine includes a few sumo variations.
How to perform:
- Stand with your feet planted and wider than your shoulders. Point your toes outward.
- Bend your knees to drop into a squat. Don’t lift your heels off the floor or let your knees cave.
- As you rise, make sure to squeeze your inner thighs.
- Repeat.
Sumo Squat-to-Cross-Legs
Next, you’ll add a bit of lateral movement to your squats, focusing on keeping the thigh nice and tight.
How to perform:
- Get in your sumo squat position.
- Drop into a squat as you did for the previous exercise.
- As you get up, shift your weight to your left (supporting) leg and lift your right (working) leg off the floor.
- Feel your right adductors tighten as you push your leg to “cross” over the left. Hold briefly.
- Bring your leg back and repeat, switching supporting/working legs after every squat.
Sumo Squat-to-Kick
The last exercise set your muscles on fire, didn’t it? Let’s turn up the heat even more.
We’re increasing the range of motion, rotating the heel, and aiming for a full-blown side kick.
How to perform:
- Assume the sumo squat position.
- Drop into a squat.
- Shift your weight to your supporting leg as you rise and lift your working leg.
- Using your adductors, push your working leg across and up. Your inner thigh should face the ceiling.
- Return to the starting position and repeat, alternating legs.
Sumo Pulse
We want to end the sumo section of the workout with a bang. And pulses are the perfect choice. They’ll create tension and push your muscles to their limit.
Side Note: This one will really burn! It helps to remind yourself that it’s only 30 seconds long and that you’ll take a break once you’re done.
How to perform:
- You know the drill by now—get in position.
- Bend your knees and drop into a deep squat.
- Keep pulsing, without fully extending your knees.
Scissor Legs
If you hear “leg scissors,” the ab-building exercise comes to mind. You know, the one where you lie flat, then flutter your legs up and down until you feel like your core is getting torn.
Not today, though.
Today, your core is safe. We’re doing HORIZONTAL scissors.
How to perform:
- Lie on your back and extend your arms sideways for support.
- Lift your legs in a V shape, inner thighs facing up.
- Squeeze your adductors to bring your legs closer.
- As the gap narrows, one leg should go across the other.
- Quickly return to the V shape and repeat.
Tiptoe Glute Bridge
People often push through their heels when doing bridges. That’s because the target is typically the glutes.
The keyword here? Typically.
Since we’re not too bothered with booty gains in this thigh-toning workout, we’re going for a heel-raised variation.
How to perform:
- Lie down and get on your tiptoes, with your heel almost touching your but.
- Drive through your toes to lift your hips.
- Hold at the top.
- Lower your body and repeat.
Inner Thigh Leg Lifts
Traditional side raises work ABDuctors. We’re tweaking the exercise so that you’re pulling your working leg towards the midline (i.e., targeting the ADDuctors), not pushing it away.
How to perform:
- Lie on your side, and prop yourself on your elbow.
- Bring your top leg behind the other in a sort of half-clamshell position.
- Pull your bottom leg.
- For extra stretch, reach for your toes with your opposite hand.
- Return and repeat.
Pulsing Leg Lifts
Don’t get up from the mat yet; we’re pushing ourselves with 30 seconds of pulses.
There are no toe reaches here, though. The tension on your inner thighs is going to be more than enough!
How to perform:
- Stay in your leg lift position, but support yourself with both hands this time.
- Lift from your inner thigh and don’t let your leg drop down completely.
- Keep pulsing up and down.
Catch your breath and jump back to finish this quick workout routine.
Side Lunges
Lunges, in general, are good thigh activators. But you’ll really feel this one in your inner thighs in particular.
How to perform:
- Assume a wide stance.
- Bend your working knee and sit into your heel.
- As you push back, visualize yourself squeezing your inner thighs together.
- Repeat without switching sides.
Rest and consider giving those outer thighs a bit of love while you’re at it.
Outer Thigh Exercise
Think of this one as a reversed version of the inner thigh lifts we did minutes ago.
How to perform:
- Prop yourself up on one hand and a bent knee.
- Lift the top leg (the one with the outer thigh facing upwards) off the floor.
- Lower your leg slowly.
- Repeat.
Outer Thigh Exercise
For a bit of fun, add a pilates-inspired movement to your leg workout routine.
How to perform:
- Drop down and lie on your side.
- Bend your bottom leg at the knee.
- Lift your top leg and swing it around to draw a wide circle.
- Return and repeat.
Outer Thigh Exercise
Prop yourself up on your elbow and get ready to work your glutes and hip muscles.
How to perform:
- Lie on your side with both legs bent and stacked.
- Squeeze your glutes and abductors to lift yourself.
- Lower your body and repeat.
Article Medically reviewed by
I’m fitness coach Ashley Castleberry, an NASM-certified personal trainer and nutritionist, as well as a coach on an established YouTube Channel with over 1 million followers. With certifications from major fitness brands, I specialize in athletic, HIIT, and strength training. Leveraging my experience coaching clients on lifestyle changes, I provide customized exercise and nutrition guidance to help people reach their fitness goals, whether that be weight loss, muscle gain or overall health improvement.
