When it comes to the lower body, the quads get most of the attention because they add size and strength to your legs, but the inner and outer thighs don’t get nearly as much love. And yet, these muscles are just as important for building a well-built lower half. Your inner thighs, or adductors, help pull your legs toward the midline of your body, while your outer hip muscles, like the abductors, help stabilize your pelvis when you’re balancing on one leg and control your knees when they move from side to side. Together, the inner and outer thigh muscles support everyday movements and exercises alike.
If you don’t want to make your way to the abductor or adductor machines, there are other exercises that’ll get the job done. By incorporating the below targeted exercises into your workouts, you can build strength beyond the quads and develop a more balanced foundation for better functionality.
Related: The Simple Trick That Makes Squats Harder Without Adding Weight
3 Inner and Outer Thigh Exercises
How to Do Mini Band Monster Walks
- Place a mini resistance band around your legs, either just above your knees or around your ankles, and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Slightly bend your knees and hips to lower into a quarter squat.
- Keeping tension on the band and your core engaged, take a controlled step forward and diagonally out with one foot, then follow with the other foot. Continue walking forward for several steps without letting your knees collapse inward.
- Reverse direction or walk backward to return to your starting position.
How to Do Kettlebell Press-Outs
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell by the horns with both hands in front of your chest.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat. As you descend, keep your heels planted and your torso upright.
- Push the kettlebell out in front of your chest until your arms are extended.
- Push through your feet to stand back up.
How to Do Overhead Dowel Squats
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and hold a dowel overhead with a wide grip. Extend your arms fully, keeping the dowel aligned over your head and your shoulders engaged.
- Brace your core, push your hips back, and bend your knees to lower into a squat. Keep your chest lifted, your heels planted, and the dowel overhead as you descend as far as your mobility allows.
- Press through your feet to return to standing, maintaining the dowel overhead and keeping your arms extended.
Related: No Barbell? This Wall-Ball Squat Will Still Light Up Your Quads
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a health and fitness writer for Men’s Journal and an ACE-certified personal trainer with more than five years of experience training clients and coaching various group fitness modalities, from HIIT to indoor cycling.
