Traqade
Moving on with our series on best exercises for each body part/muscle group, let’s now take a look at some of the best moves for toning the upper thighs to give them the firm and sculpted look we all want. There are many exercises and techniques you can do during your workout to tone your upper thighs. Firstly, you have to ask yourself why you’re interested in this particular area; that is, do you want smaller thighs, or do you just want them to be firm and taut while retaining their current size?
Sumo Squat
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulders.
- Keep your back straight and slowly bend your knees and hips as if you are sitting.
- Keep bending your knees till your hamstrings and quadriceps are parallel to the floor.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat
The Single-leg Circle
- Lie back on the mat with your arms by your sides and your palms facing down.
- Begin by pointing with your left foot, as if reaching out with your toes toward the ceiling, and rotate your leg slightly outward.
- Inhale, and trace a circle on the ceiling with your left leg, moving your whole leg, but keeping your hips still. Don’t lift your left hip off the floor.
- Trace the circle on the ceiling 5 times in a clockwise direction. Repeat in a counterclockwise direction.
- Switch legs and repeat 5 times.
Lunge with dumbbells/barbells
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a 5 or 8-pound dumbbell in each hand.
- Lunge forward with your left leg, then straighten your leg. When you lunge, your right knee should come to about an inch above the ground without touching it.
- Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor, with your weight evenly distributed between your legs. Align your front knee over your front ankle, keeping the weight in your heels instead of on your toes.
- Continue these lunges for 30 seconds before switching sides and doing another 30 seconds on the other leg.
Plié Squats
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing out.
- Bring your arms out straight in front of you and lower into a squat.
- Come back up and repeat. Go as low into the squat as you can without letting your knees move past your toes.
- Be sure to tuck your tailbone under and contract your glutes. Keep your torso tall, and don’t let your knees creep past your toes.
- Do for 1 minute (after about 40 seconds, pulse at the bottom of the squat for 20 seconds).
Side Lunges
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5 or 8-pound dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
- Lunge to one side with the first leg, landing on your heel and forefoot.
- Lower your body until your thighs are just past parallel to the floor.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat
Strong and well-toned legs are not only aesthetically appealing but also helps you perform upper body exercises better. Not just that, having strong legs also help you through various day to day tasks. While leg day is not everyone’s favourite, sometime this happens solely due to a lack of proper guidance. Fortunately, gyms like Power World take great care of its members in their fitness journey.
The unique ‘Help Me’ badge provided by Power World Gym makes sure that you always have a certified trainer on hand who will take you through the process step by step so that your fitness regime is on track. In fact, why don’t you walk in at one of the Power World Gyms in Bangalore or Delhi NCR and avail a free two-day trial yourself? Give it a shot and let us know how it was. See you on the other side! Till then, stay fit, stay happy!
