The upper, front part of the thighs contain a large muscle group known anatomically as the quadriceps. On the back part of the upper thighs are the hamstrings. To get rid of fat on the thighs, you need to work these muscles with key exercises, while reducing caloric intake and eating healthy foods to promote weight loss. By doing weight training exercises while losing weight, you can tone up your muscles and give off the appearance of leaner thighs. Exercises can be performed with free weights and the weight of the body.
Step 1
Perform cardiovascular exercise to burn the fat on your thighs. Do any form of cardio that involves your upper legs moving, such as stair climbing, biking, running, versa climbing and inline skating. Aim for 45 to 60 minutes of cardio, three days a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 2
Place a barbell across your shoulders to do squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the bar behind your neck with a wide grip. Lower your body down by bending your knees. Stop when your thighs are parallel the floor, stand up and repeat. Keep your core tight and back straight throughout.
Step 3
Execute a set of step-ups with a weight bench. Stand behind the bench with your feet hip-width apart and dumbbells in your hands. Press into the bench with your right foot and lift your body in the air with your left leg hanging behind you. Lower yourself down on your left foot and repeat. Do a set of reps and switch sides.
Step 4
Place the top of your left foot on a bench to do single leg split squats. Hold dumbbells at your sides and step your right foot forward. Lower yourself down by bending your knee. Stop once your right thigh parallels the floor and your left knee is 1 inch above the floor. Stand up, repeat for a set of reps and switch sides. Keep your back straight throughout and do not let your knee go past your toes on your working leg.
Step 5
Execute a set of stiff leg deadlifts with dumbbells to work your hamstrings. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Bend forward at the waist and let the weights descend toward the floor. Stop once you feel a strong contraction in your hamstrings. Stand up and repeat.
Step 6
Perform lying abductions to target the outside of your upper thighs. Lie on your right side with your legs stacked. Raise your left leg up in the air in a sweeping motion as far as possible. Lower it back down and repeat. Do a set of reps and switch sides. Fasten ankle weights to your lower legs to increase the resistance.
Tips and Warnings
- Do 10 to 12 reps and four to five sets of each exercise. Work out three days a week on the opposing days of your cardio.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Dumbbells
- Bench
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