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Practicing certain lower body exercises can give you a productive outer thigh workout. The outer thighs contribute to stability and balance and are also responsible for moving your legs away from your body’s midline.
An important point to note here is that you cannot isolate your outer thigh muscles, but there are several exercises to target these areas more efficiently. Not only do these exercises target your thigh muscles, but they also help you achieve toned, muscular and well-defined legs.
From compound exercises such as Romanian deadlifts and lunges to goblet squats and more, we’ve listed below some of the best exercises that you can add to your outer thigh workout routine.
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Goblet squats and clamshells are among the best exercises for an outer thigh workout
Try the following outer thigh exercises to give your lower body a result-worthy workout.
1. Goblet squats
An effective outer quad exercise, goblet squats, are one of the best exercises to incorporate into your outer thigh workout. This exercise is basically a squat variation that requires you to grab a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest level and squat.
Goblet squats work on the outer thighs, quads, and glutes and also build strength in your legs.
How to do it?
- Stand straight and grab a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically in front of your chest. Position your feet at a hip-width distance and turn your toes out.
- Now with your back flat and legs pressing on the floor, squat down until your thighs get parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your core muscles engaged and maintain an upright posture.
- Slowly stand back up to the start and repeat the exercise.
2. Clamshells
Another great exercise to add to your outer thigh workout is clamshell. This exercise is basically a glute isolation movement, but it equally works on your outer thigh muscles.
How to do it?
- Lie down on your left side with your legs stacked upon one another. Loop a resistance band over your thighs.
- Now lift your top (right) knee while maintaining the joint in your feet and then hold the position for a few seconds.
- Lower your knee and then continue for a few reps more before switching sides.
3. Romanian deadlifts
Any thigh workout is incomplete without this lower-body strengthening exercise. Romanian deadlifts are an amazing exercise that not only targets your outer thigh muscles but is equally beneficial for your glutes and hamstrings.
How to do it?
- Stand straight with your feet at a hip-width distance and a barbell in front of you.
- Hinge forward at your hips and reach towards the floor to grip the barbell with both hands.
- Now engage your hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles and press your feet into the floor to deadlift the barbell.
- Push your hips back and hinge forward again to bring the barbell below your knee length.
- Repeat the exercise.
4. Curtsy lunges
Curtsy lunges are also among the best outer thigh exercises that can be added to your lower body or outer thigh workout routine. This exercise is a lunge variation that targets each leg separately and improves hip stability along the way.
How to do it?
- Stand upright with your feet positioned at a shoulder-width distance and grab a dumbbell or kettlebell on your sides.
- Shift your weight into your left foot and step back and around with your right foot. Ensure that your chest is up and your back is flat at all times.
- Lunge until your left thigh gets parallel to the floor. Now straighten your left leg and push through your heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat a few times more and then switch sides.
5. Lateral lunges
Lateral lunges are often done as an inner thigh exercise, but this single-leg exercise can also be practiced to target and strengthen your outer thigh muscles. Moreover, this exercise works on your glutes as well.
How to do it?
- Stand straight with your feet at the hip-width stance and knees slightly bent. Grab a dumbbell in each hand on your sides.
- Now take a step out to your right with your right leg and bend your knee while pushing your hips back and lowering your body until your right knee is bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Push back to get into the initial position and then repeat the movement on your left side.
Aim to practice these exercises at least twice a week by adding them to your outer thigh workout or leg workout routine. Initially, start with your body weight, and gradually move up using dumbbells and other free weights.
Alongside the aforementioned exercises, however, you can also go for outer thigh machine movements to get a productive workout. You can use the hip abductor machine or the leg press machine in your gym to get a great outer thigh workout.
