I’m a fitness coach – 3 exercises that are a waste of time if you want to get rid of thigh fat – and 3 that WILL work
TAYLOR Swift, J.Lo, Beyonce… aside from all being powerhouse singers, there’s something else they all have in common: long, lean, shapely pins.
Although genetics play a part, hard work also goes into owning a pair of catwalk-worthy legs.
So if you're keen to burn off unwanted weight around your thighs there are some exercises that can help - and as a personal trainer, I should know.
However, before we go into the yays and nays of exercise, it’s important to remember the fundamental rule of weight and fat loss.
Losing weight is about being in a calorie deficit; taking in less than you burn.
But, there’s a little more to it, because, when we lose weight, we may also lose muscle. And we don’t want this.
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Instead, we want to lose fat, but retain the muscle that helps to give our legs the tone, definition and strength that we’re after.
In order to do this, resistance training is important.
Challenging our muscles and adding weights to our workouts, while eating a healthy balanced diet, will help to ensure we burn fat, rather than muscle.
We also can’t spot-reduce fat, in that, you can’t dictate what part of the body you’ll lose fat from, unfortunately.
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We’re all prone to carrying fat in different areas, so some might find that they naturally carry more weight on their legs, while others will find it easy to lose weight from here.
So it’s worth remembering this if you’re struggling to lose thigh fat. Essentially, patience is key.
Some exercises however will target the thigh area a little more than others, and could help burn more fat in that area.
However, if you’re doing these while eating a processed diet filled with high sugar, high fat, unhealthy foods, you likely won’t see the benefits you want, so make sure your diet is on point alongside your workouts.
Here are three exercises that are a waste of time when it comes to burning thigh fat, and three that should definitely make it to the top of your thigh-fat-burning list…
3 exercises to AVOID for burning thigh fat
1. Squats
Squats are great, so please don’t neglect these completely.
However, I find they don’t just target the thighs, rather they work the glutes too, so if it’s really just thighs you’re focusing on, then these may not be your best bet.
2. Glute Bridges
Again, a great exercise to work your glutes and help to build a peachy butt, but your thighs won’t necessarily be targeted during a glute bridge.
Glute bridges are good for the back muscles, as well as the muscles in our core though.
3. The Stair Master
This stepper machine made TikTok fame back in 2022, with the infamous ‘stairmaster workout’.
However, although it’s a great machine for overall lower body strength, it doesn’t hone in completely on the thighs.
The glutes will likely be targeted more here, however the quads, hamstrings and calves will also get a workout, but the stairmaster isn’t a fast track way to slimmer thighs.
I’d recommend sprinting, running or walking as a cardio-based thigh workout.
3 exercises you SHOULD try…
Give these a try, following the allotted rep count below…
1. Treadmill Sprints
Not a specific exercise per se, however, sprints - where you run as hard as you can for a short distance or time - not only help to burn calories, but also help to build power and strength in the lower body.
Either on a treadmill, or outside on a flat surface, run as fast as you can for ten seconds, keeping your core engaged, driving your knees up and pumping your arms fast.
Your whole body is working when you sprint, especially your lower body muscles, and because of the high intensity of sprints, they torch though calories too.
Aim to do ten to 12 ten-second sprints, with a 30 second recovery between.
BOOST YOUR SPRINTS: Want to work a little harder? Sprint for longer and rest for less, or take your sprints to a hill which will activate the lower body even more and work your cardiovascular system a little harder.
2. Forward and Reverse Lunges
Both types of lunges are great for the thighs.
While reverse lunges place more focus on the hamstrings, the muscles on the back of the thighs, forward lunges place more focus on the quads, which lie along the front of your thighs.
For a reverse lunge, stand upright, holding a dumbbell close to your chest with both hands. Or, use just your bodyweight.
Take a big step back with your left foot and slowly bend both knees until the back knee just touches the floor and the front knee is stacked above your front ankle.
Keep your core engaged as you push up through your front heel to rise.
For a forward lunge, take a big step forward with the left foot from standing, and again, drop down and bend both knees until the front knee is stacked above the ankle at a right angle.
Aim for three sets of ten reps on each leg of both forward and reverse lunges.
BOOST YOUR LUNGES: To place more emphasis on your thighs, try adding a pulse at the bottom of every rep.
Gently bounce up and down once or twice, staying low throughout, before pushing yourself back up to standing.
This keeps your quads and hamstrings under tension for longer, and time under tension is how muscles grow and get stronger.
3. Skaters
A high intensity exercise that also works the lower body, especially the thighs.
The lower your stance, and the more you bend your knees, the more resistance that will be placed on the quads and hamstrings.
Start standing tall before taking your left leg all the way behind the right, bending both knees and then power up from the right foot, jumping the left leg all the way to the left, simultaneously taking the right foot and placing behind the left, bending both knees, before doing the same again, but in the other direction.
Your arms should help you power from left to right.
Try to do four sets of 20 skaters on each side.
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BOOST YOUR SKATERS: To add extra resistance, try wearing ankle weights as you do your skaters.
Or, just use your lower body to power you from left to right and use your hands to hold a dumbbell to your chest.