Thighs exercises

Thighs: 100+ exercises in the FitRay library, each with the muscles it works, step-by-step instructions, the equipment it needs and its own common mistakes.

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How the inner thighs work

In the FitRay library, Thighs is where the inner-thigh muscles and hip-mobility work live; the front and back of the thigh have their own pages, Quads and Hamstring. The inner thigh is made up of the adductors: the adductor magnus, longus and brevis, the gracilis and the pectineus. They pull the leg in towards the middle of the body. The large adductor magnus also helps straighten the hip, so it works hard in squats and when you stand up from a low position.

The adductors steady the pelvis when you walk, change direction and kick. Weak or tight adductors are a common cause of groin strains in sports such as football and hockey.

How to train it

Work the adductors in two ways: directly, with cable or machine adductions and side-lying raises, and through movement, with wide-stance squats and side lunges that stretch them under load. Side planks on the inner leg, such as the Copenhagen plank, are widely used in team sports to help protect the groin.

Build up slowly, since the adductors are easy to strain. A few sets twice a week is enough to make a difference.

Seven to start with

  1. 1
    BeginnerCable Hip Adduction

    Isolates the adductors with steady tension from the cable.

  2. 2
    BeginnerHip Adduction Machine

    The simplest way to load the inner thighs. Easy to learn and to progress.

  3. 3
    BeginnerSide-Lying Hip Adduction

    Needs no equipment. A good first exercise for the inner thigh.

  4. 4
    IntermediateSumo Squat

    A wide stance works the adductors through a deep range, along with the glutes.

  5. 5
    IntermediateLateral Lunge

    Stretches the inner thigh under load and trains moving to the side.

  6. 6
    IntermediateCossack Squat

    A deep side-to-side squat for adductor strength and mobility together.

  7. 7
    AdvancedCopenhagen Plank

    A demanding side plank on the inner leg. Start with a short lever, the knee on the bench.

All 100+ inner-thigh and hip exercises