Resistance bands will firm your thighs with little risk of creating big, bulky muscles. Strength training exercises with little resistance and a high number of repetitions such as 12 or more builds endurance and tone without huge increases in size, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). If you want to tone your thighs, use a light to medium resistance band and do two to three workouts a week.
Quick Kicks
Step 1
Wrap a looped band around your calves or ankles and stand up straight. Place your hands on your hips, pull your shoulders back and squeeze your abs and glutes. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and position them so that they are straight.
Step 2
Shift your weight onto your right leg and bend your knee slightly. Kick your left leg out and upward to the side against resistance from the band. Maintain an upright position with no forward lean. Do not rotate your left leg or hip outward.
Step 3
Perform 16 quick kicks and then place your left foot back on the floor. Do 16 kicks with your right leg.
Skater Squats
Step 1
Stand on the middle of a straight band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Point your feet straight forward. Grasp an end of the band in each hand with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Hold your arms tight to your sides. Squeeze your abs tight.
Step 2
Step your left foot out against the resistance of the band as far as you feel comfortable. The further you step, the more resistance you'll feel from the band. Bend both knees but do not drop your hips below knee level. Keep your back straight and incline your upper body forward with your chest lifted. Allow a slight arch in your lower back. Squat for two seconds.
Step 3
Bring your left foot back to shoulder-width distance from your right. Perform 16 reps to the left and then do 16 skater squats stepping out to the right.
Single-Leg Press
Step 1
Sit in a chair or on an exercise bench to do a single-leg press for both legs, one at a time. Bend both knees to 90 degrees and place your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight and squeeze your abs.
Step 2
Lift your right foot off the floor but do not lean back or round your lower back. Wrap the middle of a band around the bottom of your right foot. Bring your knee to belly button level and hold the ends of the bands in your hands with your arms bent at your sides.
Step 3
Push your right leg straight against the resistance from the band. Your leg should be at a 30-degree angle downward from your body. Scoot forward to the edge of the chair if you have trouble extending your leg.
Step 4
Bend your right knee in toward your stomach again. Perform 16 leg presses with your right leg and repeat with your left.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform two sets of thigh exercises.
Things You'll Need
- Regular resistance band
- Loop or circular resistance band
References
- "Fitness"; Skater Squats
- Thera-Band Instruction Manual; The Hygenic Corporation; 2006
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual": Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn: 2008
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