7 exercises and activities to thicken thighs

When joining a gym or starting any other physical activity, each person has their goal… Some simply want to lose weight or look for a more defined body, others want to gain muscle mass, etc.

The important thing at this time is to talk to the professional in charge, who will supervise the exercises, about your wishes, so that he can prepare an adequate training, aiming to achieve your goals. And, of course, it is essential to be aware that no positive result is achieved overnight. Therefore, the path to be followed also requires perseverance.

A very common desire among women is to conquer thicker and toned thighs. And of course, to achieve this goal, it is not enough to enroll in a gym and wait for them to gain muscle naturally: it is necessary to follow a specific program for this.

Training should be individualized, that is, done by a professional in the area especially for your case. However, below you can check which are the exercises done in gyms and other activities that are best suited to help you achieve your goal.

At the gym

1. Free squat with the long bar

Rafaela Martone, Physical Education teacher at Academia Contours, explains that this is an intense and deep exercise that works all the quadriceps muscles. “The bar must be located on top of the trapezius musculature (avoid placing it on top of the spinous processes of the cervical). With your feet and legs hip-width apart, lower until you reach your heel and come back to the starting position again,” she says.

The professional guides you to perform 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions, giving a 60-second break between sets.

2. Extension chair

Rafaela Martone explains that this is a single-joint exercise, which is able to isolate the quadriceps muscles. “Aim to perform the exercise at medium/slow speed, the slower the exercise, the more you activate the local muscle fibers. Try to go up with more explosion and come back slower and more concentrated. Keep your feet parallel and pointed up, and elbows propped up on the chair for more stability,” she says.

The teacher advises to perform 4 series of 10 to 12 repetitions with maximum load.

3. Leg Press

According to Rafaela, this is an exercise that, depending on the positioning of the feet, you emphasize more other muscles. “Keeping your feet hip-width apart and under the platform, you work your quadriceps (full thigh). When performing the flexion movement, it is important never to exceed 90º, so as not to harm the hip. In extension, one should never fully extend so as not to force the knee joints. This is for all variations”, he says.

“When you do it with the feet adducted, you emphasize the internal quadriceps: vastus medialis, adductor muscles and sartorius. When the feet are more closed, it emphasizes the external quadriceps: vastus lateralis, abductors (tensor fascia lata)”, adds the professional.

Rafaela advises performing 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions with maximum load.

4. Barbell lunge

Rafaela explains that this is a difficult exercise to perform, as it requires balance, however, it is intense and works all the quadriceps.

To excute it: “place the bar on top of the trapezius musculature (avoid placing it on top of the spinous processes of the cervical). Standing up, take a step forward, keeping your back heel off the floor. An important tip is to keep all the weight of the body on the leg that is in front, the one that is working, with the back leg just a support for the exercise. The torso should not be bent and bent too much. The posture should be kept as straight as possible, but always keeping a slight inclination to mark the weight well on the front leg. Perform the knee flexion and return to the position again”, explains the Physical Education teacher.

The guideline is to do 4 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

Other activities to conquer thick legs

5. Bike: To conquer thick thighs, this is a great activity. “Putting on a high load you gain resistance and, consequently, the effort is greater, increasing muscle tone”, says Rafaela.

6. Football: this is also an excellent option to thicken your legs. “It is a very intense sport and requires a lot of resistance and muscular strength, which, consequently, tones the legs”, explains the physical education teacher.

7. Swimming: another activity that can bring great results. “When it is practiced with the board, Swimming uses the legs a lot to perform the swim, working the muscles and strengthening them”, explains Rafaela Martone.

Now you already know several options of exercises and physical activities that can help in the goal of conquering thicker thighs. Just choose your preferred option and always count on the guidance of a professional in the area!