Top 10 Exercises for Toning and Strengthening Your Thighs

If you want to develop strong and shapely thighs, it’s important to work on all the muscles in your upper legs, including the front and back. An effective thigh workout should engage the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, as well as pay attention to often-neglected areas like the inner and outer thighs. Whether your goal is to enhance the fit of your jeans or achieve more muscular and toned legs, it’s crucial to include a diverse range of exercises in your regimen. Below, you’ll discover top 10 exercises that can help you carve out muscular thighs.

From classic compound movements to isolation exercises, the right mix of lower-body exercises will help you achieve the thigh thickness you’re after. But don’t just focus on one type of movement; compound exercises like squats and deadlifts are unbeatable for stimulating overall muscle growth, as they allow you to move heavier weights and recruit multiple muscle groups. On the other hand, exercises like lateral lunges and machine work isolate and activate the inner and outer thighs, ensuring no muscle is left untouched. Together, these exercises offer a complete thigh-building regimen that adds size and improves functional strength and stability.

Now, let’s explore the 10 best exercises for muscular thighs. Each move is broken down with a step-by-step guide and the optimal sets, reps, and rest periods to help you maximize your results.

Squats

Squats are a staple for building thick, powerful thighs. This compound movement targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, making it a hard-to-beat full-leg builder. Squats allow you to move heavy loads, which helps stimulate muscle growth, especially in the front of your thighs.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Whether you use a barbell, dumbbells, or body weight, squats are a must for anyone looking to add size and strength to their legs.

How To Do It:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed out.
2. Keep your chest up and core tight.
3. Bend your knees and lower your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
4. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below.
5. Push through your heels to stand back up.
6. Complete 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, with 90 seconds of rest between sets.

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Sumo Deadlift

The sumo deadlift emphasizes the inner thighs (adductors), glutes, and hamstrings, making it perfect for adding thickness to the entire lower body. By using a wider stance, this variation shifts more of the focus to the thighs, giving them a greater workout than a conventional deadlift.

How To Do It:

1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Grip the barbell with your hands inside your knees.
3. Keep your chest up and back straight.
4. Drive through your heels and pull the bar up, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
5. Lower the bar back to the floor with control.
6. Perform 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.

Lateral Lunge

Lateral lunges are an excellent exercise for targeting the inner and outer thighs while improving hip mobility and balance. Moving side to side activates the often-overlooked muscles in your thighs, particularly the adductors and abductors.

How To Do It:

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step out to one side and lower your hips as you bend your knee.
3. Keep the other leg straight.
4. Push through your bent leg to return to the starting position.
5. Alternate legs with each rep.
6. Complete 3 sets of 12 reps per leg, with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

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Hip Adductor Machine

The hip adductor machine explicitly targets the inner thighs, or adductors, helping to build definition and strength in this often-neglected area. It’s a great way to isolate the inner thigh muscles and ensure they get the attention they need for balanced leg development.

1. Sit on the machine with your legs on the outside of the padded levers.
2. Slowly squeeze your legs together, engaging your inner thighs.
3. Return to the starting position with control.
4. Perform 4 sets of 10-15 reps, with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

Hip Abduction Machine

The hip abduction machine works the outer thighs, or abductors, as well as the gluteus medius and minimus. This exercise helps to shape the sides of your thighs and improves lateral stability, making it essential for a well-rounded thigh workout.

How To Do It:

1. Sit on the machine with your legs inside the padded levers.
2. Push your legs outward, engaging the muscles on the sides of your thighs.
3. Slowly return to the starting position to complete the rep.
4. Complete 4 sets of 10-15 reps, with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

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Sled Push

The sled push is a dynamic exercise that challenges your quads, hamstrings, and glutes while also providing a cardiovascular workout. The continuous resistance from the sled pushes your muscles to work harder, making it perfect for developing muscular thighs and building strength.

How To Do It:

1. Load a sled with an appropriate weight.
2. Grab the handles and lean forward.
3. Keep your core tight and back flat.
4. Push the sled forward at a strong pace, focusing on driving through your legs.
5. Perform 5 sets of 20-30 meters, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.

Single-leg RDL

The single-leg RDL targets your hamstrings and glutes while also improving balance and stability. This unilateral exercise forces each leg to work independently, helping you correct any imbalances and build muscular, more symmetrical thighs.

How To Do It:

1. Stand on one leg, holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
2. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat as you lower the weight toward the floor.
3. Extend the free leg behind you.
4. Return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings.
5. Switch legs after completing all reps on one side.
6. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps per leg, with 90 seconds of rest between sets.

Glute Bridge

Although the glute bridge mainly targets the glutes, it also engages the hamstrings and helps strengthen the entire posterior chain. It’s an excellent exercise for building the back of your thighs and enhancing overall lower-body strength.

How To Do It:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
2. Push through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower back down with control.
4. Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps, with 60 seconds of rest between sets.

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Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a unilateral movement that targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s a fantastic exercise for building thigh thickness and improving balance, as each leg works independently, allowing for focused strength development. Just be ready for that post-leg day soreness; Bulgarian split squats will get you!

How To Do It:

1. Stand a few feet in front of a bench and place the top of one foot on the bench behind you.
2. Lower your hips as you bend your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
3. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
4. Switch legs after completing all reps on one side.
5. Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg, with 90 seconds of rest between sets.

Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are a powerful exercise for the glutes but also engage the hamstrings and quads. By isolating the glutes and posterior chain, hip thrusts help build strength in the thighs while improving overall lower-body power.

How To Do It:

1. Sit on the ground with your upper back against a bench and a barbell across your hips.
2. Plant your feet firmly on the ground, hip-width apart.
3. Drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower back down with control.
5. Perform 4 sets of 8-12 reps, with 90 seconds of rest between sets.

Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS