Add these top at home thigh workouts to your training and reap the benefits of stronger legs. These thigh workouts can be done at home or while travelling with minimal or no equipment. But first, learn what exactly are your thighs?
The thigh is the part of your leg between the hip and the knee. At the basic level, your thighs are comprised of:
- The thigh bone, which is one of the longest and strongest bones in the human body.
- The quadriceps, which are a group of muscles in charge of straightening the knee.
- The hamstrings, which are also a group of muscles that act to bend the knee.
Having strong, well balanced legs is a key component of having a healthy and functional body.
Working towards strengthening your thighs at home will help you:
- Improve your performance in other types of exercise: since the legs are home to some of the largest muscle groups in our bodies and can so have a big impact on our endurance, mobility and general fitness.
- Create a strong and stable foundation: strong thighs (and strong legs in general) will keep your body well balanced.
- Reduce your lower limb injury risk: as legs with strong muscles, ligaments and increased mineral bone density associated with greater strength levels are less likely to suffer from joint injuries or overuse injuries such as stress fractures (1).
Build strong, balanced and mobile thighs at home with these workouts.
AT HOME THIGH WORKOUTS
1 – At Home Thigh Workouts
For Time 50-40-30-20-10 Reps of:
- Double Unders
- Box Step-Ups
On a running clock, perform 50 double unders and 50 box step-ups, followed by 40 double unders and 40 box step-ups, etc. Score is the time on the clock after you finish the last 10 reps of box step ups.
If you don’t have a box available to you any elevated surface such as a chair or park bench should do the trick.
Scaling: swap the double unders for single unders and reduce the number of reps (for example start at 30-20-10) if the total workload seems too daunting.
Step ups are important exercises to increase your thigh strength as they work your legs individually, helping you address imbalances because you can’t compensate with your stronger side.
Make sure you alternate legs when stepping up and stepping down so you work on both your left and right thigh. You should also make sure you step down from your elevated surface in a controlled manner.
Read more: Good Leg Workouts for Bigger Quads, Hamstrings and Calves You Can Do at Home
2 – Living Room Mash 59
For Time
- Buy-In: 30 Tuck Jumps
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
- Alternating Pistols
- Bicycle Crunches
With a running clock, complete 30 tuck jumps before you move on to performing 50 alternating pistols and 50 bicycle crunches, followed by 40 alternating pistols and 40 bicycle crunches, etc.
Score is the time on the clock when you finish the last round of bicycle crunches.
The pistol squat, also known as a single-leg squat, is one of the most difficult unilateral functional fitness exercises to do well. It combines single leg strength, mobility and full range of motion in your ankles.
Because this exercise isolates each leg, it is a great drill to balance strength deficiencies.
3 – Home Workout for Legs and Core
5-minute AMRAP of:
- 5 Jumping Lunges
- 10 Mountain Climbers
Rest 2 Minutes, then AMRAP in 5 Minutes of:
- 5 Tuck Jumps
- 10 Squat Jumps
With a running clock, perform as many reps as possible of 5 jumping lunges and 10 mountain climbers. When the first five minutes are up, without stopping the clock, rest two minutes. At the end of the two-minute rest, perform as many reps as possible of 5 tuck jumps and 10 squat jumps.
Score is the total number of reps completed at the end of the second 5-minute AMRAP.
Jumping lunges are a great exercise to strengthen your thighs as – when done correctly – they target your:
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Hip flexors
- Calves
- Core
Tuck jumps and squat jumps are also two leg-heavy exercises and will help to strengthen your thighs. To perform a tuck jump start standing tall with your feet around shoulder width apart. Drop into about a quarter of a squat to engage your leg muscles and use this to explode into the air.
Once in the air, keep your back straight and tuck your knees towards your chest before landing as softly as possible.
Squat jumps simply require you to perform an air squat but, instead of finishing the repetition by extending your knees and hips, jump high into the air.
4 – Track and Legs
5 Rounds for Time:
- 400m Run
- 25 Air Squats
With a running clock, perform five rounds of 400m sprints and 25 air squats at the end of each run.
Score is the time on the clock at the end of the 5th round.
Your thighs are indispensable when running and sprinting will help you strengthen them. Don’t underestimate this workout – your legs will feel shaky after a couple of rounds as they get no break.
5 – Kronos
For Time
- 100 Burpee Box Jump Overs (24/20 in)
Get as many reps as you can in 1 minute of max effort. Then, rest for 1 minute. Keep going until you complete a total of 100 reps.
Time Cap: 20 minutes
With a running clock, perform 100 burpee box jump overs as fast as possible by working to max effort for a minute and resting the following minute.
Score is the time on the clock when all 100 reps are completed.
Scaling: perform either 100 burpees or 100 box step overs for time, while keeping to the one minute on, one minute off structure.
The burpee box jump over is a great exercise to strengthen your thighs as it combines the strength required to drop to the floor and pick yourself back up from the burpee with the strength required to perform a box jump and come down on the other side.
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6 – At Home Thigh Workouts – Goblet Hold
EMOM in 10 Minutes:
- Odd Minutes: 40 second Wall Sit
- Even Minutes: 30 Goblet Squats (with any weight)
Every minute on the minute perform a 40 second wall sit for the odd minutes and 30 goblet squats for the even minutes until 10 minutes are over.
The wall sit will leave your thighs burning and can be performed anywhere at home, you only require a solid wall. Make sure you engage your abdominal muscles and that your knees are in line with your ankles.
Your legs should make a 90 degree angle between your calves and your thighs, and you back should be flat against the wall. If you’re unable to hold this position for 40 seconds reduce the time and work towards building up to 40 seconds in the future.
To perform the goblet squats either use a kettlebell or dumbbell if available to you, or take a book, a heavy water bottle or any other weight.
7 – Tabata Thighs
4 Rounds of:
45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest:
- Max reps Bulgarian Split Squats
- Max reps Side Lunge
- Max Reps Hip Thrusts
With a running clock, perform 4 rounds of the prescribed work (2 rounds for each side), working for 45 seconds and resting for 15 seconds.
The Bulgarian split squat is one of the top exercises you can do to strengthen your thighs at home. As a single-leg exercise, it also taxes your core to keep yourself balanced. To perform one, stand with one foot in front of the other and elevate your rear foot onto a small surface.
Extend your rear leg and rest your toes on the elevated surface. Keeping your midline engaged, slowly squat onto the floor and come back up in a controlled manner.
Hip thrusts target your glutes, hamstrings, quads, core and hip abductors. To perform one, lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your knees bent, feet planted on the floor.
Engaging your core, press through your heels and drive your hips upwards maintaining a straight line between your knees and your shoulders.
You can also perform this exercise with your upper body resting on an elevated surface for a bigger rage of motion.
