How To Lose Thigh Fat: 5 Exercises That Work

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Looking to trim excess fat on your thighs? Achieving tight, toned legs is a fitness goal many of my clients strive for. If you're in the same boat, we've rounded up five of the best exercises to get rid of thigh fat fast that trainers swear by. But before we get into how to lose thigh fat, let's talk about why it's important to melt excess fat and keep your lower body strong.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, carrying around too much extra body fat is linked to major health risks, including depression, strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Needless to say, it's important to keep the excess fat at bay. In order to tighten things up, performing lower-body strength training exercises is key. Cardio alone won't help you lose fat; building leg muscles will help improve their shape, which in turn will speed up the fat-burning process in that area.

If you're looking to lose thigh fat in a speedy fashion, then we have some of the best moves that target your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Your leg workout should include a squatting movement, single-leg variation, knee flexion exercise, and hip extension pattern so you're covering all your bases. Keep reading to learn how to lose thigh fat: five exercises that actually work. You can perform the below movements as a standalone workout, or incorporate them into your current routine.

To perform the Barbell Back Squat, place the barbell comfortably on your upper back. (Make sure it's not putting pressure on your neck!) Then, take hold of the secure bar with both hands a bit outside your shoulder span. Un-rack the barbell, take two steps back, and stand tall. Activate your core, hinge your hips back, and squat down until your hips are parallel to the ground. Then, rise back up to complete one rep. Perform three to four sets of eight to 10 reps. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=a1c7eb68-d650-42a2-bdd3-171f48205ef4&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=8333707085703467777'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); } else { var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); xhr.send(payload); } } ); }6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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The Bulgarian Split Squat starts with you standing tall and holding a dumbbell in each hand. Position your back foot on a workout bench or couch, and step out with your other foot just about two to three feet away from the bench. Using control, lower your body into a split squat; your back knee should almost grace the floor. Then, push yourself back up to return to standing, flexing your glutes and quads as you rise. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Begin this next exercise on the leg press sled. Your feet should be placed outside your shoulder span and your toes pointed a bit outward. Press the weight up, then pull the switches to unlock the machine. Lower the weight with control, then drive through your heels, flexing your quads and glutes to finish the motion. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.

RELATED: 5 Simple At-Home Exercises To Stay in the Best Shape

Now, gear up for Machine Lying Leg Curls. Set up for this exercise by lying down on a leg curl machine. Your chest and hips should be pressed against the pad. Drag your heels in toward your body, flexing your hamstrings to finish the motion. Using control, lower the weight back to the starting position, keeping the tension strong in your hamstrings until full extension. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.

Last but not least, we have the Barbell Romanian Deadlift. Grab a barbell, and position it in front of your body. Keep your chest tall and knees soft as you hinge your hips back while lowering the barbell down your thigh. Once you feel your hamstrings are getting in a solid stretch, move your hips forward, squeezing your buttocks to complete the motion. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.

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