By the healthiergang writer , personal trainer.
One of the biggest problems, found above all in women, is that of localized fat.
Generally in women the most critical points, where fat accumulates, are the hips, outer buttocks and inner thighs; the greatest demand, therefore, that is made of all fitness operators is how to obtain a perfect shape of the legs. One of the most common goals is to lose weight in the thighs.
Often we ask and try, sometimes in vain, various methods to lose weight on the thighs: from hours spent on the treadmill, running or walking, to exaggerated and unbalanced diets, to attending fitness classes or performing aerobic activities.
Do not forget, however, that the best method to lose weight on the thighs is to resort to training with overloads, as the various aerobic activities generally lead to aerobic and caridiovascular adaptations on the body.
Based on what has been said, the best way to tone and slim the thighs, considering that in most cases the soft aspect of this area is due to an atonicity of the muscles, is to resort to workouts that involve the use of overloads; even better if you perform both aerobic and anaerobic workouts in the same session (eg CFT, PHA, CT, HIIT).
1. Anatomical-Functional Notes
Before going on to talk about the main exercises to lose weight on the thighs, let's mention those that are the main muscles. The inner thigh is made up of the following muscles:
- gracilis muscle;
- short adductor;
- long adductor;
- great adductor.
The main function of these muscles is the adduction of the thighs, while the secondary functions are: intra and extra rotation, extension and flexion; therefore the best way to train and develop these muscles is to perform exercises that involve these types of movements.
2. Exercises
The best exercises for slimming thighs are as follows.
Adductor machine
For a correct execution, position yourself on the special seat, back tightly against the back of the bench, hands on the handles. Open the legs to the maximum point allowed by the joint, then close the legs.
It is important, in the execution of the exercise, not to arch the lumbar spine, not to detach the back from the bench, not to perform the momentum exercise. This is to not synergistically help the adductor muscles to perform the movement in order to obtain better isolation; finally, pay attention not to open the legs excessively, a movement that could damage the pelvis and hip joint in the long run.
Exercise that is easy to perform and therefore suitable for both professional athletes and beginners; remember before training the inner thigh that it is advisable to do a little warm-up in order to prepare the muscles for the work that will follow.
3/5 series of 15/20 repetitions are recommended, recovery times between 30 ”and 1 '.
Cable adductions
for a correct execution, position yourself to the side of the cable column, lean with an arm completely stretched to it in order to allow a good excursion of the legs before the weights reach the block.
Tie the leg with an anklet and pull the rope until the leg is overlapping the other. During the execution of the exercise, be careful not to swing with the chest, not to spring with the supporting leg and not to keep the working leg either too tense or too bent.
This is also an easy exercise and can therefore be performed by both professional athletes and beginners.
3/5 series of 15/20 repetitions are recommended, recovery times not exceeding 30 "(do not forget that during the work of one leg, the other is in static rest, so an excessively long recovery time is not necessary) .
Multi-hip adductions
For a correct execution, position yourself on the special platform with your foot resting near the edge; the inner part of the ankle of the working leg, resting on the appropriate roller, which in turn will be positioned at the highest point allowed by the leg.
Abdomen and lumbar framework contracted to keep the position firm and stable. Hands resting on the special supports, center of gravity slightly shifted forward. Having assumed the correct position, close the leg in adduction until it corresponds to the supporting leg. Hold the contraction for a second and return to the highest point allowed by the coxo-femoral joint.
It is important during the execution of this exercise to avoid tilting of the pelvis and to avoid bringing the buttock to retroposition (to reduce the work of the adductor), to perform large movements, up to the maximum point allowed by the joint.
Therefore movements that are not excessively short, with little muscle workload, or excessively long, with the risk of creating trauma to the muscles, joints and tendons.
This exercise of low difficulty can therefore be performed by both professional athletes and beginners. 3/5 series of 15/20 repetitions are recommended, recovery times not exceeding 30 ".
Another great exercise to train and tone the inner thigh is the Squat. Do not forget that the squat is the main exercise for the development and improvement of the muscles of the lower limbs that can also be used as a pre-stress training before moving on to more isolating exercises, such as adductor machine, multi-hip etc.
3. 7 Tips for slimming thighs
Here are seven effective tips to help you lose weight on your thighs.
1. Avoid sugars
If you want to slim down your thighs, limit your consumption of processed sugars, fat-free / low-fat products in your diet. Increase your protein intake, eat organic meats, oily fish and good fats contained in foods such as nuts, avocado and coconut oil. Also, remember to consume lots of vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and watercress to create alkalinity.
2. Monitor toxicity
To slim down your thighs, keep the toxicity of the environment around you under control. Xenoestrogen is a type of estrogen found in some pesticides, fuels, drugs, and plastics.
These can have a really negative impact and cause the body to increase estrogen. We can start by trying to avoid using certain plastic containers, drinking from plastic bottles, using microwave ovens and other such things.
Furthermore, in the gym it would be good to avoid training on the carpet and elliptical, in fact this in addition to increasing estrogen levels, also releases an enormous amount of oxidative stress, causing an increase in fat in the abdominal area.
3. Train with weights
Women spend a lot of their time worrying about fat on their legs and buttocks but at the same time they think that sitting on an exercise bike or walking on a carpet can help them lose fat.
In fact, for this purpose, it would be good to train with weights, alternating strength training with resistance training, with longer work intervals in order to increase the lactate capacity.
4. Avoid exposure to metals
Make sure that the methylation and immune system processes are working well. Methylation regulates hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone. Low methylation can induce increased estrogen and has also been shown to cause increased risk of breast cancer.
The same can happen to men with poor methylation, reducing testosterone levels and increasing the risk of prostate cancer. To avoid this it is important to improve your methylation process, avoiding exposure to chemicals and heavy metals.
5. Improve gut health
Improve gut health. The good bacteria along with the many other digestive enzymes are of vital importance, in fact they allow the body to work much better by absorbing the minerals and vitamins it needs.
6. Reduce cortisol
Sleeping more helps reduce cortisol (the basic raw material that fuels estrogen production); this is the key that will help and fight estrogen at the same time. Sleeping well will help optimize growth hormone to help your body recover.
7. Drink more water
The minerals the body absorbs through water allow it to reduce toxicity in the liver and the rest of the body. Water plays a fundamental role, allowing a much more efficient work of the detoxification process.
Conclusion
As we have seen, there are several useful exercises for slimming thighs. To increase the level of difficulty you can:
- Combine multiple exercises in supersets or alternate exercises with weights / machines (adductor machine, multi-hip etc.) with intense aerobic exercises, such as double unders, skip, starter etc., performed for a time from 3 'to 10'.
- Use active rests that is, instead of performing the classic 30 "/ 1 '/ 1'30" of static recovery, insert aerobic exercises doule under, skip, starter, step, elliptical etc. in the recovery time.
- Finally, it will be possible to combine all the methods listed above in one intense training program.
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you are concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or making major changes to your diet.
