Thighs...

[June1]

Hello, everyone!

I'm in desperate need of some help! In 3 weeks, I have a very important dance and would like to look a bit more toned than I do now. I do exercise everyday, but without cardio along with it, I know it's not that useful. I do practice karate three times a week for 45 minutes, so I am getting some cardio. My biggest issue would be toning my flabby INNER thighs, as well as my lower ab muscles.

Could anyone please prescribe some exercises that would help me tone these muscles groups quickly?

Much appreciated!

[Aodhan]

You need to work the inner quadriceps. Here is one exercise:

Lie on your side (Lets say the right side to start). Put your left leg slightly behind, so your right leg has nothing impeding it. Now lift your leg straight towards the ceiling. Hold for a second, lower it. Do 8-12 reps, 3 sets each leg.

If you have access to stretch bands, you can do the same thing standing up against resistance.

Aodhan

[June1]

Sounds great! Thank you!

[ROB]

You can't spot reduce !! try :- Squats, burpees, tuck jumps, walking lunges - hundreds of them!

[June1]

Wow! Could you please explain what burpees, tuck jumps, and walking lunges are, ROB? I'm not familiar.

[Aodhan]

Wow! Could you please explain what burpees, tuck jumps, and walking lunges are, ROB? I'm not familiar.

Tuck jumps - Jump as high as you can, bring your knees up to your chest (Tuck) and then back down before you land.

Walking lunges - Take a normal step forward with one foot, then before you take another step, squat down until your back knee touches the floor, then back up. Take another step, repeat.

Burpees - There are different exercises that go by this name, our version is stand with feet together, squat down quickly, put your hands on the floor and thrust your legs out to a pushup type position. Bring your legs back up, and stand up. Lather, rinse, repeat. If you want to add challenge to it, you can add the pushup in the middle.

Aodhan

[CapitalKarate]

Or to make burpees even harder, when you come back up from the squat, don't just stand up, jump as high as you can.

Also you want to consider using weights in conjunction to body weight stuff previously mentioned. Power lifts; dead lift, squats. Olympic lifts; snatch, clean and jerk. Also weighted front lunges and side lunges are good.

[taekwondomom]

I swim laps. It's not instant thin thighs, but I think if you do it, it helps you get trim and smooth (vs. big and bulky) limbs (arms and legs)! Plus, it really doesn't seem like a workout. . . . (I don't swim too many laps).

[CapitalKarate]

taekwondomom- a major misconception among women is that if you lift weights the way males usually do (which for the most part is already incorrect) then you'll get big like men... it doesn't happen. You can lift all you want, you will never get as big as a man unless you have abnormal hormones or take crazy supplements. Testosterone is the only reason this doesn't happen, women don't have testosterone and therefore cannot possibly get naturally large at all. Cut yes, but not large.

[Aodhan]

taekwondomom- a major misconception among women is that if you lift weights the way males usually do (which for the most part is already incorrect) then you'll get big like men... it doesn't happen. You can lift all you want, you will never get as big as a man unless you have abnormal hormones or take crazy supplements. Testosterone is the only reason this doesn't happen, women don't have testosterone and therefore cannot possibly get naturally large at all. Cut yes, but not large.

Also, to get big and bulky requires a different style of lifting than what most women do. Typically, women do a lot of light weight, high repetition movements. This will lean more towards involving the cardio side of things, and produces toned muscles with more endurance. Bodybuilding is a mix of middle to heavy weights with middle to low repetitions. Powerlifting is as heavy as is feasible with few repetitions. (In a broad sense.)

So, if you do hit the weights, just keep it on the lighter side with higher repetitions, and you won't be in too much danger of looking like an iron junkie.

Aodhan