If you’re looking for the best exercises to tighten flabby inner thighs then you’ve come to the right place. These inner thigh exercises will sculpt and tone the stubborn inner thigh flab fast.
Most leg exercises and workouts only focus on the thigh muscles in general, and not on the inner thighs. By using these inner thigh exercises, you’ll focus on this stubborn area with the most effective targeting exercises possible.
The last thing you want to do is the wrong thigh exercises that don’t even focus on toning your inner legs. You could be doing leg exercises that can cause your inner thighs to become bulky-looking.
But these inner thigh exercises are specifically designed to target the stubborn area on the inside of your thigh. Plus, you’ll discover how to use these exercises to the maximum effect so you can get results faster.
The Hidden Causes of Inner Thigh Fat

It’s common and rather easy for inner thighs to become flabby and loose. There are a few causes of inner thigh fat…
The inner thigh muscle groups are known as the adductors. The adductors pull the thigh towards the midline of the body. Muscle imbalances, such as relying more on the outer hips when walking (or exercising), can gradually cause the inner thigh muscles to weaken.
These inner thigh muscles will weaken and lose muscle mass over time if not exercised and worked enough.1 As the muscle is lost, the inner area will become jiggly and loose. Muscle tone is also reduced with muscle loss, leading to less firmness and support for the overlying skin and tissues. This is also a cause of hip dips.
Many people don’t work and exercise their inside leg muscles regularly. Daily activities like walking use the front of the thighs and outer thighs most. Even general leg strengthening exercises like traditional squats barely train the inner thigh area.
Not using targeted exercises that specifically focus on the inner thigh area is also a big cause. Strengthening your inner thighs with the targeting exercises below is the fastest way to tone the area. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity are also the primary causes of flabby inner thighs.
Aging can naturally cause a decline in muscle mass (sarcopenia) in your inner thighs and the rest of your body.2 Exercising the area can help prevent and reverse this muscle loss due to aging. Skin elasticity (ability to snap back) is also reduced as the body reduces collagen production.3 This causes skin to lose firmness and increase flabbiness.
Hormonal imbalances can cause women to lose muscle tone and distribute fat to stubborn areas. Women during menopause are particularly susceptible to muscle loss and increased fat storage.4 Low thyroid (hypothyroidism) can slow metabolism and increase fat build up.5
Can Flabby Inner Thighs Be Toned?

While general leg exercises like squats and lunges can help tone inner thighs, there are better, much more effective alternatives. These exercises usually focus mostly on strengthening the front and outer thighs instead of the inner thigh.
So, it’s crucial to specifically target the inner thigh with exercises for the area. Otherwise, you’ll mostly be building up the rest of your thighs and hips instead of the inside of your leg. The rest of your legs will be tight and toned, but the inner thighs won’t be!
Improving your total body fat composition will also make a big improvement. Your body fat composition is the percentage of your body fat compared to your overall body weight. Genetics play a big part in fat distribution locations so you can combat this by improving your total body composition.6
Many who focus only on losing weight will also lose muscle mass unless they’re resistance training and eating enough protein. While some may get thinner by losing weight, they can also become “skinny fat” if body fat is too high.7
This can leave stubborn areas on the body with flabby, loose skin. These targeted exercises will help tighten the inner thighs, but improving your total body fat composition will drastically boost your results.
Do This to Tone Inner Thighs Fast
You’ll get the best results by combining these exercises with additional high-intensity exercises. Combining the two will improve fat burning and muscle building in your inner thighs (as well as the rest of your body).8
Try to focus on the “muscle burn” instead of just repetitions when doing the exercises. The more you can push the muscle area into the burning sensation, the more you’ll strengthen the inner thighs.
Exercising the inner thigh muscles with intensity and past their limit during exercise will produce better results. Then, combine this with a high-intensity exercise like jumping rope or running in place to elevate the heart rate.
You’ll increase the temperature of the inner thigh area, which is needed for fat burning. You’ll also improve the delivery of natural fat-burning hormones like catecholamines to the inner thighs.
Afterwards, add 20-40 minutes of traditional slow-go cardio after doing these exercises. This can help increase the regional fat loss in your inner thighs.9 Some great examples of cardio for the inner thighs are brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, hiking, and stairclimbing.
10 Best Inner Thigh Exercises List
These exercises for this inner leg workout can be done virtually anywhere with minimal equipment. Here’s the equipment I used:
- Workout mat
- Slider (carpet or hardwood floor)
- Dumbbells
- Step box
- Exercise ball (not used here but can help with balance)
- Resistance band (can be used instead of dumbbell)
- Thigh Master 3000… just kidding!
Lateral Lunge

- To do a Lateral Lunge, first stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a big step out with your left foot as you squat down with your right leg.
- Try to keep your chest up as you lower your butt.
- Stand back up and repeat on your right side.
Sumo Squat

- Sumo Squat is a better variation of the Goblet Squat to target the inner part of your thigh.
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
- While holding a dumbbell (or resistance band) in front of your body, bend your knees and lower your hips until your thighs are level with the floor.
Side Plank with Hip Flexion

- Get in a side plank position.
- Raise your hips up until your body forms a straight line.
- Then, raise your bottom leg’s knee towards your chest like you’re about to step forward on a box.
- Slowly bring your foot back to the starting position.
Copenhagen Hip Adduction

- Place your top foot on top of a step-up box that’s about knee height.
- Keep your top leg straight as you raise your hips up off the ground.
- Keep your lower back straight with your shoulder and top leg.
- Bring your bottom leg up towards your hip.
- Hold for the desired time.
Offset Curtsy Lunge

- Curtsy Lunge is a variation of a Reverse Lunge.
- Hold a dumbbell in your right arm (or you can use a resistance band) at chest level and stand with your feet together and your toes pointed forward.
- Take a large step back with your left leg and slowly lower it back behind your right leg.
- Try to increase your range of motion by getting your knee on your left leg low to the ground.
Side-Lying Hip Adduction

- Lay on your side and put your right leg back with your left leg forward.
- Raise up your right leg towards the sky.
- Make sure to keep your lower back straight throughout the movement.
Lateral Slide Outs

- First, stand with your feet hip-width apart with one foot underneath a slider.
- Then push the foot with the slider out, and be sure to keep your leg straight.
- Bend your other knee as you go down in the squat position.
- Make sure to keep your toes straight throughout the exercise.
- After you return to the start position, repeat on the other side.
Cossack Squats

- This exercise is a variation of the Lateral Lunge.
- In the starting position, stand with your feet in a wide stance, much wider than hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees as you do a side-to-side lunge.
- Stay low and keep your knees bent as you alternate sides to increase your range of motion.
Medicine Ball Hip Bridges

- First, lay on your back while squeezing a medicine ball between your knees to get in the starting position. Your knees should be about hip-width apart.
- Point your toes up to the sky, then raise your hips up off the floor.
- Pause at the top and squeeze your cheeks.
- After you return to the start position, repeat.
Skater Plyos

- Skater Plyos will get your heart pumping! To get in the starting position, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Jump out to your left side, landing on the outside foot of your left leg.
- The inner trailing right leg should swing back behind your foot on the ground.
- Then, jump to the other side, landing on your right leg. As you balance on your right leg, allow your trailing left leg to swing behind your foot on the ground.
- Try to keep your toes pointed straight ahead through the exercise.
Discover How to Effectively Work Out Your Inner Thighs (Using These Exercises)
So now it’s time to put it together for a workout routine since you know what causes inner thigh fat and the best exercises to tone them up.
This workout uses high-intensity cardio and specific exercises to target the inner thigh muscles.
Remember this is just one example of a workout for your inner thighs…
A1. Jump Rope 3×30 sec.
A2. Lateral Lunges 3×8/side
A3. Sumo Squats 3×12
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B1. Step Sprints 3×20
B2. Side Plank w/Hip Flexion 3x20sec./side
B3. Cossack Squats 3×12
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C1. Mountain Climbers 3×20
C2. Offset Curtsy Lunges 3×12
C3. Jumping Jacks 3×20
C4. Lateral Slide Outs 3×8/side
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Summary
- Combine the inner thigh exercises above with high-intensity exercises for the fastest results. Increasing intensity will elevate your heart rate to burn more fat while also increasing temperature and hormone delivery to the inner thigh area.
- It’s true that you can’t spot-reduce very effectively, but you can still tone up the area as you lose fat throughout the rest of your body. This will give you much better results and faster results, too.
- While general thigh exercises can help tighten the inside leg area, you’ll have better results with exercises that specifically target the area. General thigh exercises usually train the front and side of your thigh more than the inside.
- If you’re worried about loose skin on the inner thighs (or other areas) then you may want to consider taking collagen. Collagen is the support structure for the skin and studies have found it improves skin elasticity (tightening).
Josh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) by American Council on Exercise. He’s worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the high school and college levels. He has over 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and nutrition coach. He strives to bring inspiration and results for people to live healthier lives through smart diet and exercise.