Exercises For The Inner Thigh Gap?

Options
KatKatatrophic
KatKatatrophic Posts: 448 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know you can't spot reduction. If we could, that'd be amazing; it'd be like liposuction in your house. Anyways, side-tracked, what are some exercises to do for the inner thigh gap and thinner thighs? I heard squats and stuff like that makes your thighs bulkier, which I want to avoid. I'll take any exercises, but the problem is they have to be done at home without equipment. Thanks! <3
«1

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Options
    Don't worry - you will never get big thighs doing body weight squats.
  • sarah692
    sarah692 Posts: 136 Member
    Options
    I suppose any cardio would work if all you need to do is lose some fat/bulk. There's really no guarantee for a thigh gap though as that shape is pretty much determined by your genetics.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Options
    I have a thigh gap and my legs got the way they look by doing squats, (they made them slimmer NOT bulky) plea squats, and leg lifts. Although I'm not sure why anyone would want a "thigh gap", it is just not a possibility as genetics plays a large role in where you store fat.
  • KatKatatrophic
    KatKatatrophic Posts: 448 Member
    Options
    I have a thigh gap and my legs got the way they look by doing squats, (they made them slimmer NOT bulky) plea squats, and leg lifts. Although I'm not sure why anyone would want a "thigh gap", it is just not a possibility as genetics plays a large role in where you store fat.

    I have a thigh gap, but it's not as big as I want it to be. My friend was wrong about squats then, I'll keep doing them.
  • medoria
    medoria Posts: 673 Member
    Options
    The thigh gap is a mix of low bodyfat percentage and wide hips. I just wish we could all stop spreading the myths that this or that excersise will work wonders because in 9 of 10 cases it probably wont.

    I bet its a lot easier for you to learn to love and accept all aspects of your body instead of putting to much focus on the one thing that you cant change.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    Options
    Working those muscles with squats and lunges will make things thinner, so long as there's less fat on top of the muscle. What will make you appear bulky is if you do a lot of lower body workouts, but don't lose any fat over the muscle, because the fat will make you appear bulkier when the muscle beneath it gets worked.

    Not that it matters for some people. I could never have one of those gaps myself, because my hips are way too narrow. Even when I was a size 1/2, my thighs touched, all the way to my knees. Hell, my calves touched, too. I kind of like it. Makes it easier to keep my hands warm in the wintertime.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
    Options
    Working those muscles with squats and lunges will make things thinner, so long as there's less fat on top of the muscle. What will make you appear bulky is if you do a lot of lower body workouts, but don't lose any fat over the muscle, because the fat will make you appear bulkier when the muscle beneath it gets worked.

    Not that it matters for some people. I could never have one of those gaps myself, because my hips are way too narrow. Even when I was a size 1/2, my thighs touched, all the way to my knees. Hell, my calves touched, too. I kind of like it. Makes it easier to keep my hands warm in the wintertime.

    And you are far less likely to have a large Q-angle putting stress on your knees. I'll keep my touching thighs. I really like being able to run without the knee issues that wider-hipped women deal with.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Options
    Lunges
    Squats
    Side Leg Raises (lay on your side and lift your top leg up and down - add weights or a resistance band for more muscle work)

    Also... you may not necessarily get a thigh gap...these will just work your inner thigh muscles. Most women with thigh gaps have a low (or healthy) percentage of weight, and wide hips, as someone already pointed out.
  • theNurseNancy
    theNurseNancy Posts: 149
    Options
    1. Lean forward
    2. Gain bigger thigh gap
    3. ???
    4. Profit!


    But seriously, you can do the squats and lunges to tone up the area, but unless you have the genetics for it, it won't happen.
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    Options
    Pilates!
  • cdtoms
    cdtoms Posts: 6
    Options
    Squat, lunge, and leg press type exercises are of course something you should never stop doing. However, if you want to target your inner thigh more a little more side lying inner leg raises are good and pilates ring or ball squeezes are good. Hold the ball or ring squeezes for 5 seconds and release slowly. Never let the tension go at the end of the negative. Three sets of 25 with 45 second rests between should help. Enjoy!
  • alikat42
    alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
    Options
    Working those muscles with squats and lunges will make things thinner, so long as there's less fat on top of the muscle. What will make you appear bulky is if you do a lot of lower body workouts, but don't lose any fat over the muscle, because the fat will make you appear bulkier when the muscle beneath it gets worked.

    Not that it matters for some people. I could never have one of those gaps myself, because my hips are way too narrow. Even when I was a size 1/2, my thighs touched, all the way to my knees. Hell, my calves touched, too. I kind of like it. Makes it easier to keep my hands warm in the wintertime.

    And you are far less likely to have a large Q-angle putting stress on your knees. I'll keep my touching thighs. I really like being able to run without the knee issues that wider-hipped women deal with.

    You speak the truth. I have constant knee problems that my doctor says is due in large part to how wide my hips are.
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    WTH? I have severe hip dysplasia and really wide hips. I wonder if this is why my knees are KILLING me???!!! I need to look into this a little more.
  • alikat42
    alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
    Options
    WTH? I have severe hip dysplasia and really wide hips. I wonder if this is why my knees are KILLING me???!!! I need to look into this a little more.

    It probably plays a role. The way my doctor explained it to me is that women with narrower hips have femurs that connect straight down to their knees, like this: I I

    With wider hips, your femurs meet your knees at an angle, like this \ / which stresses the knee joint.
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    WTH? I have severe hip dysplasia and really wide hips. I wonder if this is why my knees are KILLING me???!!! I need to look into this a little more.

    It probably plays a role. The way my doctor explained it to me is that women with narrower hips have femurs that connect straight down to their knees, like this: I I

    With wider hips, your femurs meet your knees at an angle, like this \ / which stresses the knee joint.

    Thanks for the explanation.

    ok, now back to thigh gap talk....
  • hypersensitiveb
    hypersensitiveb Posts: 342 Member
    Options
    WTH? I have severe hip dysplasia and really wide hips. I wonder if this is why my knees are KILLING me???!!! I need to look into this a little more.

    I totally feel ya. Wide hips with hip, knee, & ankle problems here.
  • sunrise611
    sunrise611 Posts: 1,850 Member
    Options
    For those with knee problems, I found a great article for modified and alternative squatting exercises:

    http://exercise.about.com/library/blsquatFAQ.htm
  • emmiee921
    emmiee921 Posts: 224
    Options
    you might not be genetically made to have it, some people can lose a lot of weight but never really have it unless
    they get really thin, people with bow legs and straight legs are more likely to get the thigh gap
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    Options
    Horseback riding? :tongue:
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
    Options
    I suggest you grow old and break a hip.
    I've been paying attention to the "thigh gap" since there are pretty frequent threads on there about it.
    I've seen a few younger women (mostly pretty thin overall) who have a thigh gap but it seems to be most common and noticable in elderly women who limp. I would take an educated guess that they have had a pretty nasty hip fracture and have an ongoing leg length discrepancy which causes the gap.

    I suggest that you concentrate on diet and exercise to reduce your overall body fat to a healthy level (too low is really not attractive) and see if your body manages a thigh gap. If not, well you probably aren't built that way, but you will be gorgous anyway.
    You may also want to find a more acheivable goal - this one is pretty likely to end if failure for lots of women.

Categories