Strong toned legs. Some people want them so that they look and feel sexy; others want them for athletic performance. Many people work their legs but only focus on their quadriceps or hamstrings or their butt. The groin, or inner thigh, is equally important, because working the groin can help reduce pockets of fat on the inner thigh as well as reduce injury risk.
Wide Squat
The wide squat, sometimes called the plie squat or sumo squat, focuses on the groin area more than the standard squat. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and angled outward. Bend at your knees, keeping your abs engaged and your back straight. Your weight should be on your heels, and your knees should not collapse inward. The low point is determined by your strength and flexibility, but the target is at least 90 degrees at the knees. When you begin standing, do not rock your weight forward or arch your back. Focus on squeezing your butt as you stand back up.
Lying Hip Adduction
Lying hip adduction can be done using the weight of your leg or by placing a small weight on the foot. Due to the long lever of the exercise, added weight feels exponentially heavier, so add weights slowly as you get stronger. Lie down on your side, with your top leg either in front or in back of your bottom leg (it makes no difference) and the foot flat on the ground. Extend your bottom leg out straight. Slowly lift the lower leg as high as you can, then return to starting position. Repeat the same number of reps with the opposite leg.
Resistance Tubing Adduction
Resistance tubing adduction is similar to the lying adduction in that the motion is essentially the same. Anchor a resistance tube to a stable object at ankle height, and attach the other end around your ankle. The ankle attached to the tubing should be the one closest to the anchor point. Hold onto a chair or other stable object, because you will be on one leg during this exercise.
Stand far enough away from the anchor so that there is tension on the tubing. Extend the ankle with tubing out in front of your standing leg by a few inches, and cross it in front of your body. Control the movement back to the starting position. Repeat the same number of adductions with the opposite leg.
Static Contraction
Static contractions can also work the groin very well. Static contractions happen when a muscle contracts but does not change lengths; this is also called an isometric contraction. Lie on your back with the soles of your feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor. Place a ball between your knees, and squeeze. Hold the squeeze for 10 seconds, relax for a second, and squeeze again. As you get stronger, either hold the contraction longer or increase the number of repetitions performed.
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