These Inner-Thigh Exercises Will Strengthen Your Whole Lower Body

Updated on Feb 15, 2024 at 10:15 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Chaunté Vaughn

Plan your average week of lower-body workouts, and you might decide to treat your glutes to heavy hip thrusts and squats. You could add in good mornings to fire up your hamstrings, plus lunges and leg extensions to work your quads. But you may not be giving your inner-thigh exercises as much forethought.

Your inner thighs are made up by the pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, and obturator externus. These muscles are collectively known as hip adductors, and they work together to adduct the leg (read: move the leg toward the midline of the body). Any time you're moving side-to-side or performing powerful movements, such as plyometrics, these muscles are firing up, says Khetanya Henderson, a NASM-certified personal trainer, 600-hour comprehensive Pilates instructor, and the founder of KKRU. So, the best inner-thigh exercises target this group of muscles.

Your adductor muscles also help stabilize the knees and hips — and, in turn, support proper alignment of all your joints, Henderson says. If your inner-thigh muscles aren't strong enough, your knee, for instance, can begin to cave inward, which can lead to a domino effect of changes in the positioning of your ankles and pelvis, she says. "Our ankles, calves, knees, the muscles around the knees, inner thighs, outer thighs, glutes — we need all of that to work functionally together," says Henderson. "Because when one of those building blocks falls, then the building starts to collapse toward that side." Weak adductors are also a risk factor for muscle strain, hence the need for inner-thigh exercises.

For the record, it's impossible to "spot tone" specific areas of your body, a common misconception I hear as an ACE-certified personal trainer. You can use isolation exercises, moves that call on a single joint and rely primarily on one muscle group, to strengthen specific muscle groups. You'll reap the most benefits, though, when you continue to perform compound movements — exercises in which multiple joints and muscle groups all work in unison — along with your isolation moves.

All that's to say squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, good mornings, lunges, and some isolating inner-thigh exercises make for a well-balanced body. So on your next lower-body day, test out some of Henderson's favorite inner-thigh exercises shown here, many of which are compound moves that strengthen other muscle groups, too.

Alternating Side Lunge

To best engage your adductors while practicing this compound inner-thigh exercise, imagine squeezing a big beach ball between your legs as you press up out of the lunge, suggests Henderson. For a low-impact variation, perform the movement without stepping out to the side; just stand with your feet spread wide, shift your weight to one side, and lower into a lunge.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, shoulders rolled down and back, and hands clasped in front of your chest. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, take a large step out to the left. Keeping your right leg straight and your right foot planted on the floor, shift your body weight into your left leg. Then, sink your hips back (imagine sitting back into a chair) and lower into the lunge as far as is comfortable. Keep your chest lifted, back flat, and gaze forward.
On an exhale, press into all four corners of your left foot to rise up out of the lunge, then step your left foot back to meet your right foot.
Repeat on the right side.

Do 10 to 12 reps on each side, alternating sides.

Curtsy Lunge With Side Kick

Imagine squeezing a book between your thighs while you curtsy back into your lunge to activate your adductor muscles, says Henderson. Bonus: tThis move also targets your hip abductors (the muscles on the outside of your thigh and butt, specifically the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fascia latae) with the added kick to the side.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, shoulders rolled down and back, and hands resting on your hips. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, step your right leg back, crossing it behind your left leg until your right foot is in line with or just outside your left hip. Both feet should be pointing forward.
On an exhale, press through all four corners of your left foot to rise out of the lunge. Uncross your right leg to bring it next to your left leg.
Without letting your right foot rest on the floor, lift your right leg out to the right side until your right foot is hovering about six inches above the ground. Keep your hips stable and square with the wall in front of you.
Slowly lower your right foot back to meet your left foot and return to standing.
Do 10 to 12 reps before repeating the steps on the opposite side.

Walking Lunge

To engage your inner thighs during a walking lunge, "imagine you're driving your knee inside of a small space," says Henderson. "The wall on the inside is the inner thigh, the wall on the outside is the outer thigh. We're hugging them toward each other so that it keeps the placement of the knee." To scale down, try a forward lunge and return to standing rather than immediately stepping into your next rep.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, and shoulders rolled down and back. Hold a moderate-weight dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, step your left leg forward, then bend your left knee to about a 90-degree angle, lowering your body toward the floor. Your right leg should simultaneously bend to about 90 degrees. Keep your chest lifted and core engaged, and try to keep your left knee stacked with your left ankle.
On an exhale, press through all four corners of your left foot to rise up out of the lunge and bring your right foot to meet your left, placing your right toes on the ground and keeping your right heel lifted.
On an inhale, step your right leg forward, then bend your right knee to a roughly 90-degree angle, lowering your body toward the floor. Your left leg should simultaneously bend to about 90 degrees. Keep your chest lifted and core engaged, and try to keep your right knee stacked with your right ankle.
On an exhale, press through all four corners of your right foot to rise up out of the lunge and walk forward, bringing your left foot to meet your right, placing your left toes on the ground and keeping your left heel lifted. That's one rep.

Do 10 to 12 reps.

Slider Lunge

A classic reverse lunge with a slider, demonstrated below, will surely call on your inner thigh muscles. But if you want to up the challenge, use the sliders for a lateral lunge; you'll need to actively pull the foot on the slider back to the start using your adductors, says Henderson.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, shoulders rolled down and back, and hands clasped in front of your chest. Place your right foot on a slider and lift your heels so only your toes are touching. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, slide your right foot backward and bend your left knee to a roughly 90-degree angle, lowering your body toward the floor. Your right leg should simultaneously extend as far backward as comfortable. Keep your chest lifted and core engaged, and try to keep your left knee stacked with your left ankle.
On an exhale, press through all four corners of your left foot to rise up out of the lunge and slide your right foot forward to meet your left. That's one rep.

Do 10 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Squat Jump

A squat jump becomes a difficult inner-thigh exercise when you focus on pulling your heels together as you leap toward the ceiling, Henderson says.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed forward, shoulders rolled down and back, and hands clasped in front of your chest. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, sit back into your hips and bend your knees to lower your body until your knees form roughly a 90-degree angle or your thighs are parallel with the floor. Keep your chest lifted, core engaged, and back flat. Make sure your knees don't extend past your toes.
On an exhale at the bottom of your squat, quickly press into your heels to explosively jump toward the ceiling, simultaneously driving your hands down toward your pockets. Think about pulling your heels together to activate your inner thighs.
Land softly, then immediately sink into your squat to begin the next rep.

Do 10 to 12 reps.

Sumo Squat

As you press up out of your sumo squat, imagine driving your heels together — without them actually moving — to further activate your inner-thigh muscles, Henderson says.

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, and shoulders rolled down and back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with one end of each weight resting on your shoulders. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, sit back into your hips and bend your knees to lower your body until your knees form roughly a 90-degree angle or your thighs are parallel with the floor. Keep your chest lifted, core engaged, and back flat. Make sure your knees don't extend past your toes.
On an exhale, press into all four corners of your feet to return to standing.

Do 10 to 12 reps.

Step Up

A step-up is a great progression once you've nailed the walking lunge, Henderson says. Plus, it mimics real-life conditions, like walking up your apartment building's stairs or climbing a steep hill on a hike. Start with a low step or bench and slowly increase its height as you progress.

Stand facing a bench with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, shoulders rolled down and back, and hands at your sides. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an inhale, step your right foot onto the bench, ensuring your entire foot is resting on its surface. Bend your left elbow to bring your left hand up to chest height in front of your body.
On an exhale, press into your right foot to straighten your right leg and bring your left foot up to meet your right foot on the bench. Simultaneously, bend your right elbow to drive your right hand up toward your chest and straighten your left arm, driving your left hand toward your side.
On an inhale, reverse the movement, stepping your left foot back onto the floor, then your right foot. Drive your right hand back down and bring your left hand up toward your chest.

Do 10 to 12 reps per side, alternating sides.

Leg Lift

This classic core movement works double-duty as an inner-thigh exercise. To increase adductor engagement, perform the move with your heels together and toes apart (known as a Pilates "V"), picturing yourself holding a grain of sand between your feet, suggests Henderson. You can also place a small stability ball between your heels and ankles and squeeze the ball as you lower and lift, she adds.

Lie face-up on the floor with your gaze toward the ceiling, legs fully extended and glued together, and arms resting flat on the floor. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an exhale, drive both of your legs up toward the ceiling. Your ankles, knees, and hips should be stacked. If you have tight hamstrings, bend your knees slightly. Inhale. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, press your palms into the floor and drive your hips up toward the ceiling, allowing your butt to lift off the floor slightly and toes to align with your chest.
On an inhale, reverse the movement, lowering your butt back to the floor and stacking your ankles, knees, and hips.

Do 10 to 12 reps.

Elbow Plank

Though the forearm plank is often seen as a core-building movement, it can also help you strengthen your inner thighs, says Henderson. Place a yoga block in between your ankle to further activate your adductors and lift your pelvic floor — both of which make for a plank with perfect form and full-body engagement, she explains.

Start in a table-top position on the floor with your knees aligned with your hips, your shoulders aligned with your wrists, and your toes resting on the ground behind you. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
Lower your elbows to the floor one at a time, then step your feet back one at a time so just your elbows and toes are resting on the ground. Your palms are pressed against the floor, your forearms parallel with one another, shoulders stacked with elbows, and feet hip-width apart.
Hold this position, continuing to breathe. Your body should form a straight line from head to heel. To prevent your lower back from sagging, imagine a string attached to your belly button that's pulling you up toward the ceiling.

Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Superman Lift

The superman is a sneaky inner-thigh exercise, as it requires total-body engagement, says Henderson. By holding a yoga block between your ankles, you'll further activate your adductors which, in turn, can help protect your lower back, lift your pelvic floor, and further activate your core, says Henderson.

Lie face-down on the floor with your legs fully extended, feet hip-width apart, and tips of toes resting on the ground. Your arms are extended on the floor above your head, with your palms facing down. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an exhale, lift your feet, shins, chest, head, and arms a few inches off the floor. Gaze down to the floor slightly in front of you to maintain a neutral neck.
Pause, then on an inhale, slowly lower your feet, shins, chest, head, and arms back to the floor to return to the starting position.

Do 10 to 12 reps.

Clamshell

A clamshell is often seen as a hip abductor exercise, but so long as you think about squeezing a ball when closing your shell, so to speak, you can get in some inner-thigh work, too, says Henderson. You can even use a small exercise ball in between your thighs to amp up that inner-thigh engagement.

Lie on your left side on the floor with your legs and feet stacked, your left hand supporting your head, and your right hand resting on the ground in front of your chest. Bend your knees slightly and bring them a few inches in front of your hips. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the gut.
On an exhale, drive your right knee up toward the ceiling, lifting your right leg off of your left while keeping your heels glued together. Imagine your legs opening up like a book.
On an inhale, slowly lower your right knee back to meet the left.

Do 10 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.