5 Best Thigh Exercises for Men

Let’s face it: building a great set of thighs is not easy. It takes time and dedication, but more importantly, it needs the right exercises. Thigh size is determined by body type, and so some have a natural advantage. However, a number of factors are independent of your genes, too. So don’t feel stuck thinking that your thighs are destined to always be slim.

There are plenty of great exercises you can do to pack on amazing muscle size to your lower half. The 5 best thigh exercises for men in this article will give you the workout ratio to see your leg muscles grow like never before!

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Five Effective Thigh Exercises to Build Muscles

1. Barbell Front Squat

The barbell front squat is one of the best thigh exercises for men. It's particularly effective for building quadriceps, and it's safer to do than back squats because you have to place your body in the correct position to do it effectively.

Here's how you should do it:

• Place the barbell on the squat rack at around mid-chest height.
• When you approach the bar, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands just wider than that.
• Touch the bar with your fingertips, and let it rest on your shoulders.
• The bar is meant to just be in place.

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2. Bulgarian Split Squat

One of the thigh exercises for men with an absolutely incredible effect is the Bulgarian split squat. It’s a single leg variation of the classic squat, which piles far greater pressure on the active leg, thus increasing muscle growth. Balance is also important, so your core will get stronger while you work on your balancing skills.

Here's how you should do it:

• From a standing position, step forward with one leg and plant it a few feet in front of you.
• Keeping your torso upright and pelvis tilted forward, brace your core and squat down until the thigh of your leading leg is parallel to the floor.
• Drive back up through the heel of that leg to return to your starting position and repeat with the other leg.
• Start using just your bodyweight before adding dumbbells or a barbell for extra weight.

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3. Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is a popular exercise for thighs, but you don’t want to start the exercise with a heavy weight. There is a tendency to want to use the same weight in this workout as you would for a regular deadlift, and this will cause an injury.

Here's how you should do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in front of your thighs.
• Bend at the waist and lean forward slightly, then lower the barbell by bending your knees and hinging at the hips.
• Go down until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and hold for a second to contract those muscles.
• Then return to the starting position by driving up through your heels to straighten up.

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4. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat or front squat, is a great exercise for quadriceps and thigh muscles as well. It can be done anywhere with a weight that can be held close to your chest, for instance, a dumbbell, kettlebell, or even just a water bottle.

Here's how you should do it:

• One way to perform the goblet squat is to have either a kettlebell or a dumbbell.
• Use both hands to hold the weight to your chest, and stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
• For a better squat, move your bodyweight back and keep your torso upright.
• The weight of the kettlebell will naturally cause you to want to fall forwards.
• It’s a good idea to keep your torso upright as you squat down, keeping your knees pushed outwards.
• If you do this, it will help improve your form and make your thighs stronger.
• You should feel most of the burn in your quadriceps, but your hamstrings and glutes will get a workout too!

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5. Walking Lunges

Walking lunges and other exercises for your thighs are easy to do, and they still work out the entire thigh, including groups of muscles that other exercises focus on, too. Try walking lunges in the morning before you shower, or after you come back from a walk with a friend.

Here's how you should do it:

• For the lunge, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
• Take a big stride forward using the right leg and bend your knees to lower your body down until both knees are at a 90 degree angle and the front thigh is parallel to the ground.
• Step into a lunge, pushing up from your left foot. Now step forward into another lunge, repeating the same sequence.

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Takeaway

Remember, eating enough calories is essential for your muscle growth, so don't skimp here. Once you've gotten the basics down, try adding in one or two of the above exercises as part of your weekly routine. Always remember to keep your form and intensity up!