It’s that time…with swimsuit season in full swing, it’s time to talk inner thigh thinning and ALL the errors you’re making! Who knew you’ve been doing it WRONG all these years?! Countless hours spent doing exercises you THINK are “spot reducing” the fat on your inner thighs…when really those exercises are actually BULKING THEM UP!
TRUTH: You cannot spot reduce. Nope. Nada. Not possible (without some magical wand, surgical procedure, or pixie dust). What this means is that no matter how hard you work your inner thighs, those movements alone WILL NOT burn fat. Fat loss is done in the kitchen!
ALSO TRUTH: Those inner thigh lifts you’ve been doing relentlessly at gym all these years —called ADDUCTORS— are actually just doing what lifting does…building muscle.
So while you thought you were slimming your thighs by doing countless reps on the machine that mimics Suzanne Summers Thigh Master from the 70’s, what you were actually doing was building so absolutely beautiful (and slightly larger) Adductor Longus and Gracilis muscles…ie. inner thighs.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to point out a problem without giving you a solution or ten. So let’s talk SOLUTIONS. Watch this vid real fast…then scroll down for all the solutions + PLUS my favorite AT-HOME RESISTANCE BAND MOVES to thin those inner thighs.
YOU CAN’T SPOT REDUCE YOUR INNER THIGHS.
So let’s talk about this + get into the magical moves! Two very important things to remember:
1. First and most importantly, don’t forget “calories in, calories out!” I cannot post about this without reminding you. Fat cannot be lost at a calorie surplus. This is a longer post for another day, BUT eat at either a deficit OR maintenance (asterisk…we’ll talk later) to burn fat….GLOBALLY (ie. All over the body, which is how body fat is lost!).
2. ABduct!! Don’t ADduct!! A-B. ABDUCT. As in “AWAY from the body.” Grab the machine NEXT to the one you always hop on…you know, the one where you press your knees OUTWARD and feel it more in your glutes?! Yeah. That one. By focusing on the OPPOSITE motion, we are able to inflate and sculpt opposing muscles that help create the look of an ACTUAL THINNER INNER THIGH.
* Add in some squats w/ weight on heels, hip thrusts w/ and w/out band, banded squat walks…and you’re golden.
Resistance Band Moves for Thinner Thighs
Now for the moves. Here are three of my faves exercises for building the booty and shaping thighs for bikini season (or really any season, for that matter!). The best part about these moves? NO GYM, NO PROBLEM! You can do them from the comfort of your home, your hotel, your kids soccer game, or poolside while you play! Now let’s do work.
Shop my favorite Resistance Band Set and 4KOR Resistance Band →
AIR SQUATS
- Begin in a standing position, feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out from parallel. Place the resistance band just above the knees.
- Keeping your weight on your heels, bend your knees and lower your buttocks down and back, as if being pulled from a belt.
- Using your arms as a counterbalance, reach upward as the crease of your hips drops slightly below your kneecap, making sure that your knees are tracking directly over your toes (not inward).
CLAM SHELLS
- Lie on the floor on your side with your legs bent at around 90 degrees at the knees, knees on top of each other and forward so you feel supported. If you’re using a resistance band, place it just above your knees.
- Keeping your hips straight and “stacked” on top of each other, raise the top knee up towards the ceiling, keeping your feet together, like a clamshell. Squeeze your glutes to drive the movement, making sure your pelvis doesn’t roll backwards as you raise your knee.
- Return to the starting position.
STANDING LEG ABDUCTORS
- Begin in a standing position with a resistance band around your ankles. Holding your core tight, transfer your weight to one leg and raise the other one out to the side, using the band as resistance.
- Be sure and keep your upper body straight—no leaning!
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.
HOW MANY OF EACH MOVE SHOULD I DO?
Start with 3 sets of 10 of each move (both sides), working up to 5 sets of 20 over time.
HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK SHOULD I DO THESE?
Start with once a week on lower body days, working up to 3 days a week. Make sure to allow a day rest between each time you perform these moves.
HOW CAN I MAKE THESE EASIER IF I’M A BEGINNER?
Easy! Simply remove the band and do what you can!?
So remember, if you’re after thinner inner thighs, hit the Abductor machine or use a resistance band to work on the muscles that are OPPOSITE your inner thighs. By doing this, you’ll strengthen the muscles that will pull everything away from the midline and give your thighs a killer shape and a leaner, bikini-ready look!?
What other muscle groups would you like to improve for swimsuit season? Share with me below so I can help us all get into our very best bikini shape!
xo,
Heidi
Related reading:
7 Resistance Band Moves You Can Do Anywhere + A Cash Out Bonus Challenge!
BBQ Buns and Thighs
8 Resistance Band Moves You Can Do Anywhere
7 Workout Moves You’re Doing Wrong
Top 10 At-Home Exercises for Total Body Toning
41 Responses
Good Morning, I am 54 years old. I have been obese all of my life. Over the last 10 years I lost 92lbs and then a few years ago I lost another 70lbs. My weight stays between 137 and 140. I have been able to tone my arms but I have a big problem with my lower abdomen and my private area. Is there anyway to tone these two areas up. Thank you so much for your time.
Hi Dee: Congratulations on losing 162 lbs! That’s amazing! Unfortunately, you really can’t spot tone/reduce, any unwanted fat will leave our bodies in its own unique way. And this can be so frustrating! If your body fat percentages are good, these areas that are bothering you might be due to extra skin from all those pounds you’ve lost. Which can also be frustrating! I’d keep following a sound nutrition program, work out all your major muscle groups 2-3 times a week through resistance training to build those muscles underneath those areas (make sure you skip a day between working out the same muscle group), and do regular cardio, and any problem areas will hopefully get better. Hang in there and be patient…you got this! 🙂
Hello my name is Sally and I am 54 years old how do younger brother that is 21 my mother adopted him she is 82 she is very worried about him because he is extremely overweight my guess would be he weighs around 500 lb she’s constantly worried that he could just died in his sleep he gets no exercise at all I’m reaching out in hopes that someone would contact him and help him her phone number is 304-836-5524. My phone number is 304-833-2068 or my cell is 304-964-2541 please tell us that you will help him his name is Bud kinder thank you and my email is [email protected]
Hi Sally: Thank you for contacting us about your Bud. Here’s a post on this blog that can help him begin his transformation journey today! https://heidipowell.net/9062 We know he can do this, especially with you on his team.
wouldn?t that built my bum as well? i need to get my bum smaller
Hi Anya: These exercises will strengthen the glutes.
Hey questions I’m doing transformation shakes. And how many can I do in a day. Also how many boosts can I have. I have lots of questions I still crave sugar.
Hi Cherise: We recommend no more than 2 shakes and 2 servings of Boost Shot a day. We hope you love them!
Thank you Heidi. I have looking for this.
What are the best exercises to get rid of saddlebags?
Hi Kim: Unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce. Any extra fat will leave your body in its own unique way. Heidi talks about the importance of nutrition in this post, and make sure you have a solid exercise program that includes both cardio and strength training too. You got this! 🙂
I really want to print this but the print button isn?t working.
Hi Stephanie: You should be able to go to the top of your browser screen on the toolbar and hit “File” then “Print.” If that doesn’t work, from the “Print” screen, click on “PDF” and then either save the post as a PDF or print it as a PDF. This might be a different process depending on your printer settings. Hope that helps! 🙂
Where is your swimsuit from? So cute!
Hi Jen: You can find it here: https://heidipowell.net/15528 🙂
Heidi! This is seriously my least favorite part of my body! My inner thighs have a layer of fat that NEVER goes away. It makes me hate shorts and makes me want to cry trying to wear swim suit bottoms. I can?t ever find one that looks even remotely ok. My question is though, are doing the band workouts or anything that?s working the putter part going to build the muscles in the saddle bag area and make them bulkier??
Hi Stephanie: It is really difficult for most women to bulk up, and Heidi even has a whole blog post about this! You can check it out here: https://heidipowell.net/15520/ 🙂
Heidi, I workout out 5-6 days a week doing a HIIT bootcamp and tennis. I am noticing cellulite on the front of my legs towards my inner thighs. Is it diet? Is it my exercises? Help! I don?t know what to do ?
Hi Lori: That can be a tricky question depending on your ideal weight range, nutrition, and biometrics. I’d double check and make sure your nutrition plan is in line with your goals and your activity level. And as women, some cellulite is very common. Hope that helps!
Thank you! So my question is…. will this be adding muscle/bulk to my outer thighs/buns? My bottom half tends to make gains very quickly.
Hi Kenzie: It is actually very difficult for most women to get bulky unless that is their goal. You might like this post on the blog: https://heidipowell.net/15520/ Hope that helps!
Heidi,
I understand what you are saying about not bulking up the inner thigh by working the outer muscles to get the appearance of thinner thighs. I would also like to strengthen and tone the inner thighs so they aren’t flabby. Which moves do you reccomend for that? I can not do squats, not yet anyway. I have sensitive knees and am trying to strengthen the muscles around them.
Thank you for all the wonderful information you take the time to give us! It has helped me so much!
Hi Lavana: Here’s a link to some posts with lower body workouts you might like: https://heidipowell.net/?s=glutes And you mentioned that you have some knee issues, so please make any necessary modifications to any of these exercises. I hope these help! 🙂
Thank you Heidi , it?s so nice of you to do this kind of emails, I have tried every time when you advice over body training.
I have only one question:
I?m a mom of 3 little children my oldest is 5 , I Can?t exercise a lot may 2 times a week? do you think that is enough to begin with.
Lots of love
Sara woror
Hi Sara: Yes, 2 times a week is a great start! You can also work in your workouts a few minutes at a time during the day. Here’s a post that can help with this: https://heidipowell.net/15535 You got this! 🙂
Triceps and back
Hi Heidi, thanks for the great info.
I would really like info on how to reduce fat around my stomach area. It’s my problem area and seems to be last place I’m losing weight from. X
Hi Sophie: Unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce. Any extra fat will leave our bodies in its own unique way, which can be so frustrating! Make sure you’re following a sound nutrition program, work out regularly (both cardio and strength training), and that area will hopefully get better. You got this! 🙂