Excess fat or under-developed thighs make you look heavy, even if you are not overweight. Tone the tops of your thighs with a variety of toning exercises coupled with aerobic activities that target this area. Use free weights and strength-training machines in your workout to develop more lean muscle mass to boost your metabolism for more calorie burning, even when you are at rest.
Strength Training Machines
Quadriceps-strengthening machines are especially beneficial for beginners to strength training and weightlifting. Use a leg extension machine or leg press machine and select a light weight for toning. Or load a small amount of plate weights to the bar of a Smith machine and perform a variety of squats, such as front squats, sumo squats or narrow-stance squats. Perform front squats with your feet hip-width apart, sumo squats with your feet at a slightly wider stance and narrow-stance squats with your feet shoulder-width apart. Complete two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.
Free-Weight Exercises
Perform leg extensions with a chair and a dumbbell if you do not have access to strength training machines. Sit on the edge of a chair or weight bench with a dumbbell between your feet. Raise your feet slightly off the floor, keeping your legs bent. Extend your legs forward by straightening your legs.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand to perform front lunges. Step forward with one foot and bend your knees until your knees form 90-degree angles. Do not allow your rear knee to touch the floor or for your front knee to extend past your toes. Perform two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Circuit Training
Combine thigh-toning exercises with an aerobic workout by performing a circuit training workout. Choose four or five thigh-toning exercises and perform a set of each one consecutively before taking a break. For example, complete 10 leg extensions, 15 squats, 15 lunges and 10 leg presses. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds before repeating the circuit. Complete a total of five or six circuits.
Thigh-Targeting Aerobic Activities
Aerobic exercise is a fundamental method of burning fat from all over your body. Numerous aerobic activities target your quadriceps, especially when you implement these activities on hilly terrain. Choose from brisk walking, jogging, running or bicycling to burn calories while further toning the tops of your thighs. Use a treadmill or stationary bicycle and increase the incline for your workout session to concentrate on toning the tops of your thighs, or take your session outdoors to an area with hills or inclines. Perform a minimum of two and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity every week, recommends the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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