Exercise For Men To Lose Weight In The Thigh

A man cannot reduce fat from his thigh without losing fat throughout his body, according to the American Council on Exercise. Like women, men need to burn 3,500 calories more than they consume to lose 1 lb. of weight, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Exercise provides one of the best ways to burn extra calories.

Types of Exercise

Exercises that cause motion at the knee or hip target the muscles of the thigh. The three main forms of exercise that will help men lose weight include aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and stretching. Aerobic exercise causes continuous, rhythmic movement of the legs or arms. Aerobic exercises for the thighs include brisk walking, climbing stairs or running, according to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Resistance exercise relies on weight from the body, free weights, machines or homemade weights to increase muscle strength and mass. Stretching helps reduce aches and pains associated with exercise, and it helps decrease a man's risk of injury.

Get Started

Exercise may adversely affect the health of some men, making it important to consult a medical professional before starting an exercise program. The exercise program a man uses to lose weight from his thighs depends on his interests and fitness level. A successful program includes exercises a man finds enjoyable and effective, according to Rutgers University. Men with little or no knowledge of exercise need the advice of a personal trainer to ensure safety while exercising. Resistance exercises for the thighs include squats, leg presses, forward lunges and knee extensions.

Frequency

Healthy men under the age of 65 can include aerobic exercise a minimum of five days each week and resistance exercise a minimum of two days each week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Resistance workouts need to be spaced at least two days apart, because the muscles require 48 hours to recover after resistance exercise, says Renee Cloe, a certified personal trainer at the University of South Carolina. Include stretching exercises for all muscles worked before and after each exercise program.

Intensity

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends working out aerobically at a moderate to vigorous intensity level to achieve weight loss and health benefits. The weight used during resistance training should cause a man to struggle with the 10th repetition of any exercise. When a man can easily perform 12 repetitions at a given weight, an increase in intensity is required to continue building muscle. A man can typically lift more weight than a woman.

Duration

Exercise duration depends on the type of exercise a man performs. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise. However, if a man cannot complete the recommended daily minutes of exercise, he can break his workout into two to three 10-minute workouts at the specified intensity. The length of time required for resistance training will depend on the number of resistance exercises included in the workout and the number of repetitions performed of each exercise. A man should aim to perform a minimum of eight to 10 resistance exercises for eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise.