The Best Workout for Outer Thighs

Don’t you want to know the best exercises for strengthening and toning your outer thighs? In this article, you’ll learn the most successful workout for outer thighs, so you can confidently show them off!

Quick facts: Best Workout For Outer Thighs

• ✅ Squats are one of the best exercises for targeting outer thighs – Harvard Health Publishing
• ✅ Lunges are a great way to work the outer thighs – American Council on Exercise
• ✅ Step-ups are an effective way to target outer thigh muscles – Mayo Clinic
• ✅ Side-lying leg lifts target the outer thigh muscles – WebMD
• ✅ The side plank is an effective way to strengthen the outer thigh muscles – Shape Magazine

Introduction

Having toned and strong outer thighs not only looks great, but will help you feel better overall, as strong legs are key to a healthy and balanced body. There are a variety of exercises that can be done to target the outer thighs, and choosing the right exercises can help you achieve your fitness goals. In this article, we will explore some of the best workouts for the outer thighs:

Benefits of Working Out Your Outer Thighs

Working out your outer thighs can be beneficial for multiple reasons, so it’s important to understand how it can help you. First, exercises that focus on your outer thighs will help to strengthen the surrounding muscles and bones, which in turn improves posture and balance. Working out your outer thighs strengthens the muscles that support your pelvis, allowing you to move more efficiently. Improved mobility adds to better physical performance in sports and everyday activities.

Second, strong outer thigh muscles also improve hip mobility, which is important for avoiding lower back pain and other types of muscle strain. As we age our hips slowly lose flexibility; however, working out the muscles around this area helps them stay limber and healthy.

Finally, working out your outer thighs helps to tone your legs and improve their overall shape. This reduces the appearance of cellulite while strengthening the surrounding muscles.

Exercises

Strengthening your outer thighs can not only give you a more toned physique, but it also helps you stay balanced and more agile. There are several exercises you can do to target your outer thighs, so let’s go through the best ones here:

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5

Squats

Squats are considered an essential exercise for toning the outer thighs. This movement primarily works the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles, as well as other muscles in the lower body. Squatting also helps with improving posture, core strength and balance.

To perform a squat:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly pointed outwards.
• Point your chest forward and begin to lower your hips until you are in a low squat position. Keep your back straight and tight throughout the entire movement.
• Exhale as you come up from the squat position, pushing through your heels back to standing position.

It is important to keep proper form when performing squats in order to optimize their effectiveness for toning outer thigh muscles.

Lunges

Lunges are a great exercise to target and strengthen your outer thigh muscles. To do a lunge, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with one foot, bending your knee and pushing your hips back until both knees form 90-degree angles. Push back up to the starting position, then repeat on the other side. You can also do side lunges by stepping out to the side instead of forward. When doing any type of lunge, make sure you keep your torso as upright as possible, and avoid any excessive dipping or arching of the back.

Performing 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions will give you an effective outer thigh workout. Other exercises that target the outer thighs include:

• Squats
• Donkey kicks
• Fire hydrants
• Lateral leg raises

Step-Ups

Step-Ups are a great workout for targeting the muscles in your outer thighs. This exercise is as simple as it sounds: stepping onto and then off of a step or bench with one foot at a time. It strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and calf muscles. Step-Ups can be done with bodyweight alone or with added resistance by holding weights in your hands. To make this exercise more challenging hold the weights further from your body, take larger strides while stepping up, or add more repetitions.

Step-Ups are one of the most effective exercises for building muscular strength and size in the outer thighs.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts

Side-Lying Leg Lifts, also known as clam shells, are a great exercise for strengthening the outer thighs. To perform this exercise, begin by lying on your side with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle. Place your hands beneath your head for support and lift your top leg as high as you can without shifting your hips. Hold for two seconds and then slowly lower back down to start position. Make sure to keep the other leg steady and only lift the top leg. Continue lifting in repetitions of 8-12 per set and aim to do three sets on each side in total.

Side-Lying Leg Lifts target the outer thigh muscles and can also help tone and shape these muscles, making them appear slimmer than before. In addition to toning the outer thighs, this exercise can also help strengthen the glutes and improve balance in general. Side-Lying Leg Lifts are an excellent exercise that is easy to do at home or at the gym with enough space and minimal equipment needed.

Fire Hydrants

Fire Hydrants are a great exercise for targeting and toning the outer gluteus muscles, also known as the outer thighs. As the name suggests, this exercise mimics the motion of a dog lifting its leg to relieve itself when you “raise” one or both legs to the side. It is an effective way to build strength in your hips and legs, as well as help you work on your balance and stability.

To get started with Fire Hydrants, start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees shoulder-width apart. Keeping your core engaged, extend one leg directly out to the side while keeping it at a 90 degree angle against your body. Make sure not to twist or rotate your body while doing this motion – this is key in order to really target those outer thigh muscles.

To make this exercise more challenging

• add ankle weights
• lift both legs at the same time

for an added challenge!

Variations

Working out your outer thighs requires a combination of exercises that target the muscles of the hips, glutes, and thighs. There are many variations you can do to target these muscles. In this article, we will discuss some of the most effective exercises that you can do to strengthen your outer thighs:

Squat Variations

Squats are a fundamental leg exercise for targeting the outer thighs. Doing squats can help strengthen your entire lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings and quads. It’s also a great way to improve balance and stability. To further challenge yourself, variations of the squat can be incorporated into your routine to effectively target the outer thighs.

Some variations you can try include:

• Narrow stance squats, stand with your feet close together and lower yourself to a squat position like normal but with a narrower stance — focusing on keeping your balance as you lower and lift.
• Lateral lunges focus on keeping your chest up as you step one leg out to the side as far as possible before you sink into the lunge. While in this position keep an eye on proper form by ensuring both legs are bent at 90 degree angles at the knees, maintain torso upright and keep hips facing forward throughout the movement.
• Side-lying clam shells
• Single-leg Romanian deadlifts
• Bridge walks with hip abduction

Lunge Variations

Lunges are a great workout to target your outer thighs while also engaging the larger leg muscles including your calves, glutes, and hamstrings. Lunge variations can help you increase strength and flexibility in the legs and hips in order to prevent injuries.

Variations of lunges include:

• Walking Lunges which focus on the quadriceps muscle of the thigh.
• Reverse Lunges which focus on the glutes.
• Lateral Lunges which emphasize the inner thighs.
• Jump Lunges which increase power and explosiveness by adding a plyometric element to traditional lunging movements.
• Bulgarian Split Squats which provide an extra challenge for balance and coordination during single-leg training.
• Curtsy Lunges which target the outer hip muscle of the buttocks which is often neglected during more typical workouts.

With all these variations available it is important to perform each variation with correct form in order to avoid injury and achieve maximum results from this type of workout routine.

Step-Up Variations

Step-up variations are a great way to work the outer thigh muscles. This exercise is simple, but effective: you step up onto a box or bench with one leg while keeping your other Foot on the floor. The stepping foot then returns to its starting position and you repeat the exercise with the alternate foot. Step-up variations can vary in difficulty, depending on how high you make the step, or if you choose to add weights for an added challenge.

In addition to working your outer thigh muscles, step-up variations also work your core and glutes for a well-rounded workout. To get started, pick a box or bench of an appropriate height for your fitness level and start performing sets of 10 reps on each leg. As your strength increases, adjust the height of the box/bench accordingly and add weight if desired!

Side-Lying Leg Lift Variations

Side-Lying Leg Lifts are a great lower body exercise which focuses on the outer thigh muscles. It works one leg at a time with minimal effort, and is ideal for those just starting out with weight training. The basic movement consists of lifting your top leg straight up out to the side (keeping the knee slightly bent) and returning back down to the starting position for one rep.

To make this exercise more challenging, you can incorporate variations such as:

• Alternating Leg Lifts involve lifting one leg up and then immediately lowering it as you lift the other one. This can be done at a slow and controlled pace or quickly for an additional challenge.
• Hip Circles is another variation where you lift your top leg up from the starting position and trace a circle with your heel before returning to start.
• Leg Circumduction involves lifting your top leg across your body in a circular motion before bringing it back to the straight side-lying position.
• Pulse Raises involve small pulses when lifting the top leg before bringing it down each time instead of doing one continuous repetition.

Fire Hydrant Variations

Fire Hydrant Variations are a great way to target your outer thigh muscles, or glutes. This exercise is done by first placing yourself in a four-point position, with both hands and feet on the ground. You then raise one of your legs off the floor so that it forms a 90-degree angle with your body. Keeping your back straight and core engaged throughout the movement, you bring your leg to the side and back again to complete one repetition.

Fire Hydrant Variations can be used as an isolation exercise or part of an overall lower body workout routine. These exercises can be modified in order to make them easier (or harder) depending on your fitness level. Some popular variations include:

• Pulsing motions
• Adding external weight resistance bands
• Increasing time under tension for each rep

Fire Hydrant Variations are also great for toning up those inner and outer glute muscles!

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Workout

Working out your outer thighs to achieve toned and sculpted results takes dedication and commitment. Knowing the proper form and technique for each exercise is key, in addition to paying attention to intensity and frequency.

Here are some tips to help you get the most from your outer thigh workout:

• Pay attention to proper form and technique.
• Focus on intensity and frequency.
• Mix up your routine with different exercises.
• Make sure to rest in between workouts.
• Eat a balanced diet for optimal results.

Proper Form

When performing any type of exercise, it is important to remember to use proper form. Proper form ensures that you will be able to maximize strength and stability, prevent injury, and achieve the desired result from your workout.

When performing exercises specifically for outer thighs, be sure to stand with a straight back and chest in an upright position while keeping the legs parallel with a slight bend in the knees. Place hands on the hips or hold onto something for balance as you perform leg-related exercises such as lunges or squats. Make sure to keep your head facing forward with your focus on a particular point ahead of you while keeping the core engaged throughout each set of exercises.

Proper Breathing

Proper breathing is an essential part of any workout and should not be overlooked. When working out, focus on taking deep breaths in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Proper breathing can help stabilize your body as you move through different exercises while also helping to boost your circulation.

Proper breathing can increase your oxygen levels which helps to produce more energy, leading to a better workout overall. Additionally, proper breathing helps keep your muscles relaxed which can reduce soreness after exercising. Lastly, deep breaths can provide you with additional mental clarity which helps maintain focus and balance during a workout.

Proper Rest

Proper rest is one of the most important aspects of getting the most out of your workout. After intense workouts, your body needs time to rest and recover in order to make progress. Without this, any further workouts will be hindered by fatigue and you risk injury or overtraining.

An easy way to monitor this is to have at least one day in between workout sessions for a particular muscle group.

If you are performing multiple exercises for that muscle group, make sure to break it up into smaller sections with rests in between them as well. This can help prevent your muscles from fatiguing too quickly and give them time to rest in order to get the best results possible.

Additionally, make sure that you get enough sleep on a regular basis as this is when your body has the opportunity to repair itself after strenuous exercise sessions.

Proper Nutrition

Proper Nutrition is an important part of creating the best workout for outer thighs. Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue, and is essential before any workout to help fuel your body and provide the energy you need to perform. Eating protein-rich foods like lean meats, eggs, beans or nuts before a workout can help you get the most out of your session.

Starchy carbohydrates can also be beneficial before exercise as they give fuel for longer workouts. Eating ample amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables will also ensure that your body has the nutrients it needs to recover quickly after a workout. Additionally, staying hydrated with plenty of water throughout the day will help keep your muscles fueled and energized.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several effective exercises for targeting the outer thighs. These include: kettlebell swings, side leg lifts, lateral squats, lateral lunges, and reverse lunges. Many variations of these exercises can be incorporated into an effective workout routine to help build strength in the outer thigh muscles and help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Additionally, it’s important to give your body time to rest and recover between workouts in order to prevent injury and maximize results. Combining a healthy diet with a regular workout plan is the best way to ensure improved glycogen storage, increased muscle size and strength in the outer thighs. With patience and dedication, you will be able to achieve your fitness goals!

FAQs about: Best Workout For Outer Thighs

Q1: What type of exercise is best for toning outer thighs?

A1: Squats, lunges, and step-ups are all great exercises for toning the outer thighs. Additionally, you can add resistance band exercises to target the outer thigh muscles.

Q2: How many sets and reps should I do for outer thigh exercises?

A2: It depends on your goals. Generally speaking, performing 3 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise is a good starting point.

Q3: How often should I do outer thigh exercises?

A3: Aim for 2-3 days a week of outer thigh exercises. Make sure to include a rest day between sessions to give your muscles time to recover.