Hello, everyone, fellow exercise enthusiasts! Are you fully prepared to turn a new look and shape on those tough and determined outer thighs? A good set of exercises targeting the outer thighs will do wonders for developing strength, balance, and overall appearance. As a professional physical therapist, let me assure you that targeting this area is at the forefront of workouts. Whether for athletic performance or simply looking and feeling more confident in the favorite pair of jeans, outer thighs is a great place to start.
Understanding Outer Thigh Muscles
Before getting into the best outer thigh exercises, it’s important to know which muscles one is working on in the first place. The main outer thigh muscles are the gluteus medius and tensor fasciae latae, or TFL. Both of these work on the stabilization of the hip and pelvis, obviously useful when walking, running, and sidestepping.
Benefits of Strengthening Outer Thighs
Better Mobility
Strong external hips are sure to improve your side-to-side flowing movement and help you get about, day-to-day. Better Athletics You’re likely to notice an overall improvement in athletes, primarily in those participating in sports that involve sideways actions. Injury Prevention Powerful outer thighs serve to protect the knee and lower back from injury through enhanced support and adjustment in alignment. Warm Up Before Workout
Warm up before exercise by allowing blood flow to your muscles and lubricating the joints for this. It increases blood flow and flexibility, lowering the risk of possible injury. Try these exercises:
Dynamic Stretching
Leg swings, hip circles
Light Cardio
Brisk walking, jogging in place
TOP EXERCISES TO DO FOR OUTER THIGHS
Below are some of the best exercises for outer thighs. Viewed with that mentality, it accomplished—exercises that hit and shape these muscles effectively in this area.
Side Leg Raises
How to Do It
Lie on your side with your legs stacked. Slowly raise the top thigh, then lower back down. Repeat.
Benefits
This move isolates, and then strengthens your gluteus medius—improves hip stability.
Clamshells
How to Do It
On the side, knees bent keeping feet together. Hike top knee, keeping hips stable
Benefits
Awesome for getting the glutes you have activated, and also helping your hip mobility.
Lateral Band Walks
How to Do
Place a resistance band around the legs somewhere above the knees. Take side steps while maintaining a little tension on the band.
Benefits
Great for building strength and endurance in the outer thighs.
Curtsy Lunges
How to Do
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step back with one leg and across, lowering into lunge. Return to start, then switch sides.
Benefits
Works outer thighs, glutes, and balance.
Side Lunges
How to Do
Take a large step to the side with one leg. Lower into a lunge, bending that knee and the other remains straight. Push back to start and switch sides.
Benefits
This exercise develops further lateral strength as it engages the outer thighs.
Adding Resistance Bands
Resistance bands can help take your workouts up a notch and provide additional resistance for any workout to help you engage your muscles even further. Use these bands as additional thrusters during outer thigh exercises.
Advanced Exercises for Outer Thigh
The following few are advanced exercises for those who look to challenge themselves a little more in terms of exercising and gaining muscle mass. Basic exercises lay down the base, but you should keep challenging yourself with more difficult variations to continue achieving results.
Cable Abductions
How to do
Use an ankle strap attached to a cable machine. Stand sideways and raise the leg away from the body.
Benefits
Continuously provides resistance, hence best-developing power and growth of muscle.
Plyometric Side Lunges
How to do
Do a side lunge then suddenly push off, land soft, and repeat.
Benefits
This movement combines strength and power which enhances muscular length and result.
Stretching and Cool Down
Stretch once you have put in a good workout. Stretching aids in the recovery of muscle fatigue and body flexibility, among others. Here are some stretches you can try:
Wrong Form
Wrong forms usually result in poor performance or injuries. Make sure that you are always keeping the right form of the exercise.
Overtraining
Train enough but also give your body adequate time for recovery to rest those muscles to avoid fatigue and prevent injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Equipment Do I Need?
These basic exercises do not require any equipment at all, but you can add resistance with resistance bands or a cable machine if desired.
How Often Should You Do the Outer Thigh Exercise?
Do it 2-3 times a week. Take your rest days in between.
Will These Exercises Help with Cellulite?
Yes, they are going to strengthen the muscles and reduce body fat which makes the appearance of cellulite worse.
Are These Exercises Suitable for Beginners?
Absolutely! Do the simple exercises first and progress to more challenging ones.
Conclusion
Build powerful outer thighs and feel it for yourself in your workout regime—from better mobility to athletic performance enrichment. Get on with incorporating them today into your workouts!
