Workouts for girls on relief with emphasis on the hips and buttocks

Toned and muscular thighs are an integral element of an attractive and harmonious athletic figure in both men and women. Training your legs is important for several reasons: it improves proportions, promotes increased calorie burning, quickly tightens problem areas and provokes a powerful release of endorphins. In our article, we will analyze in detail the most effective exercises for the thighs, consider how to pump up the thigh muscles, and provide several training programs as an algorithm.

Let's start training

If nature has not endowed you with beautiful buttocks, you can correct the situation in the gym by performing the most effective exercises for the buttocks (lunges, leg presses, squats with dumbbells or a barbell, exercises using a butterfly expander or elastic band, leg swings). However, before you start training, you need to do a 15-minute warm-up. To warm up the muscles of the back of the thighs and the ligaments involved in the training, exercises on exercise machines - a treadmill or an exercise bike - are suitable. Then you can safely start doing exercises for beautiful buttocks.

When wondering what exercises you need to do in the gym for your buttocks and thighs, you also need to remember anatomy. This will help you understand which actions will allow you to achieve muscle growth and volume, and which will reduce volume, restore their tone and fight cellulite. The muscle atlas of the back of the buttocks is formed by the small and large, as well as the medius and piriformis gluteal muscles (more about them in the article “How to pump up the gluteal muscles at home”). When performing exercises for the buttocks with weights, these muscles are used first. Therefore, the actions of almost all exercises for the buttocks in the gym assign a special role to the development of these particular muscle fibers.

Thus, men and girls can quickly restore tone and increase the volume of the back of the thighs in one fell swoop. In addition, the best exercises for the buttocks are designed to ensure that, during active work, the muscles of this part of the body oxidize unnecessary subcutaneous fats, which will later be broken down and removed from the body. Therefore, such exercises will help you get rid of excess weight and provide excellent prevention against cellulite.

The most effective exercises for working out the problem part of the body and against cellulite are considered to be exercises for pumping up the buttocks using free weights. You can use dumbbells or a barbell as equipment. For men and girls who have recently started working out in the gym, classes on special installations are suitable, where they perform leg presses in a lying position, leg swings with an elastic band, etc. However, they are not as effective at working the hamstrings as free weights.

Exercises for quick weight loss in legs and thighs

You started eating healthy and regularly - that's great! Now it's time to start training.

All you need is aerobic exercise. Only in exceptional cases is it necessary to resort to the help of hardware, and even then not for too long.

First of all, prepare for the exercises and provide the following conditions:

Sufficient amount of free space.
A ventilated room where you will study.
Clothes for exercise should be light and not restrict movement.
Limit access to distractions.

We start each workout with a warm-up. You need to thoroughly warm up and stretch your muscles, especially if you prefer to exercise immediately after waking up.

The exercises included in the warm-up complex should be light and aimed at toning the body.

Choose a workout to your liking

Tilts of the head, torso, swings of the legs, circular movements of the wrists, bends of the elbows - this will be enough.

When you feel your body is ready, get to work.

Next, we will tell you how to lose weight at home through simple exercises.

Squats

This exercise is universal and especially effective for strengthening the legs, hips and abdomen:

We place our feet shoulder-width apart. The feet are firmly on the floor, the toes are slightly shifted towards each other.
We squat while exhaling. It is important that your thighs are strictly parallel to the floor, your buttocks stretch back, and your arms slightly forward.
We stay in this position for 3-4 seconds, exhale and rise. We watch your back - it should remain straight.
To begin with, three sets of 20 repetitions will be enough for you. Over time you can increase the amount.

Correct squats

Jumping

An effective exercise for removing excess fat from the thighs and strengthening the calf muscles.

It's very simple to do:

We place our feet shoulder-width apart, carefully and slowly squat, as in the first exercise. We do everything while exhaling.
We jump out with our arms extended up.
We squat again and repeat the entire set 20 times.

Jumps can be done not only up, but also in different directions, on the spot or over a long distance.

And the results from jumping rope will instantly affect your figure

Lunges

It is very important to perform this exercise correctly.

Follow the instructions carefully:

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, then take the longest step forward.
Slowly bend your knee, making sure your thigh is parallel to the floor.
The bent knee should always be in line with the heel.
Slowly rise up and repeat the lunge with the other leg.
To begin with, 20 repetitions of three sets will be enough. If you feel that you are used to the load, you can increase it.

This exercise develops several muscle groups at once.

Spreading your legs to the sides

Looking at the video or photographs, it may seem that this is a very simple exercise, but it requires endurance from an unprepared person:

Place a mat or towel on the floor and take a comfortable horizontal position.
Place your hands, palms down, under your gluteal muscles.
Raise your legs straight. If this position is too difficult to hold, you can bend your knees slightly.
We spread our legs to the sides to the maximum allowable width.
Let's put it together.
Do 25 repetitions, rest for a minute and complete at least two more sets.

This exercise will quickly tone your legs.

We actively squat

Squats, oddly enough, are the most effective exercises for the buttocks. They can be performed in the gym with different leg positions (to increase the volume of the buttock muscles) and with different equipment (dumbbells, a bar without weights, a barbell).

Squats with dumbbells allow you not only to develop the muscles of the problem area, but also at the same time to pump up your abs and strengthen the muscles that hold the spinal column. The technique for performing them is quite simple, the main thing is to monitor the position of the back and the direction of the knees. In order to effectively squat with dumbbells, you need to stand straight and place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly apart. Armed with dumbbells, you need to move your pelvis back a little and arch your back, while keeping your gaze straight. Squat with dumbbells in your hands until you feel maximum tension in your thighs (they should be parallel to the floor at the bottom).

You can also perform exercises with dumbbells to lose weight in your buttocks and simultaneously pump them up, as well as work out your inner thighs. In this case, it is worth doing plie (or sumo) squats - with your legs spread wider than your shoulders and your toes turned 120⁰. Lowering and raising with a dumbbell between your legs should be done by tensing the muscles of the buttocks and thighs. Watch the video to see exactly how they are performed.

Also, a trainer at the gym can recommend squats with a barbell as an effective exercise for tightening the buttocks. You can also perform a squat with a barbell from different positions (with different leg positions).

A workout that includes exercises to enlarge the buttocks performed with a barbell in its program helps not only to lose weight and prevent cellulite, but also to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. However, it is worth doing all actions under the supervision of a trainer, because some of these exercises with a barbell are considered very dangerous. Like, for example, front squats (with a barbell on the chest). When performing them, you need to monitor the position of your back, keeping it as vertical as possible and at the same time control the direction of your knees. To pump up the gluteal muscles in this way, you can follow the video instructions.

The best exercises for the thigh muscles

Let's consider what exercises should be performed to achieve ideal shape and pronounced muscle relief.

Squats

The barbell squat is a basic hip-strengthening exercise that works all areas of the muscles in the legs and buttocks, and many of the core muscles as stabilizers.

Depending on the width of your legs and range of motion, you can focus the load on your priority area. Deep squats (below parallel to the floor) engage the gluteal muscles more strongly. Squats in parallel and slightly higher - quadriceps. The narrower your legs are, the stronger the lateral quadriceps muscle, which forms the muscles of the outer thigh, will work. A wide stance shifts the emphasis to the adductor muscles of the thigh (inner part).

It is extremely important to keep your back straight throughout the exercise. This will not only allow you to better focus on muscle function, but will also protect you from injury. When lifting heavy weights, use an athletic belt and knee wraps.

When squatting, look forward and slightly up rather than down, this can lead to injury and loss of balance. It is extremely important not to bring your knees together when lifting; they should move in the same plane.

If you are new to the gym and find it difficult to squat even with an empty bar, do Smith squats - this is also an effective exercise for slender thighs.

Many athletes also perform front squats (with a barbell on the chest). They work much less on the hamstrings, buttocks and spinal extensors; the entire load goes to the quadriceps.

Leg press

The most important exercise for slender thighs. The biomechanics of the movement are similar to squats, but in the platform leg press there is almost no axial load on the spine. Great for beginners for whom the squat technique is too difficult.

Depending on the position of your legs, you focus the load on certain areas of the thigh.

By placing your feet at the bottom of the platform narrow and parallel to each other, you will force the outer quadriceps to work harder. If you put them wide and spread your toes to the sides, the load will transfer to the inner thigh. Feet shoulder-width apart at the top of the platform - the load falls on the hamstrings and gluteal muscles.

The most important feature of this simulator is the amplitude. You should be comfortable throughout the entire movement. Don't lower the platform too low: most machines are designed in such a way that at the lowest point your lower back will round and rise from the surface of the machine. This may result in injury. At the top point of the amplitude, you do not need to fully extend your knees; let the leg muscles be under constant tension.

You should not set strength records in this movement; it is better to work in a comfortable repetition range - from 10 to 15.

Hack squats

This machine is not available in all gyms, but with it it will be easier to achieve the desired goal - to achieve slender, athletic thighs.

The trajectory of movement is strictly fixed, so it will be easier for you to focus on contracting and stretching your thigh muscles. The lower back rests against a special support, so there is practically no axial load on the spine in this movement. Use different leg positions to work the entire array of thigh muscles. Similar to the leg press, do not extend your legs all the way at the top of the movement.

Leg extensions while sitting in a machine

This is an isolation exercise for the hips. In it, the load falls entirely on the quadriceps femoris muscle. Athletes often use this exercise as a warm-up before the main strength work or put it at the very end of the workout to finally “finish off” tired muscles.

The working weight does not play a fundamental role here; it is much more important to feel the work of the quadriceps and take a short pause at the top point, tensing the muscle as much as possible in order to “burn” it properly. This training technique works great during the drying period, as it helps improve the relief of the leg muscles.

Lunges

This is an excellent exercise for strengthening the thigh muscles, which is performed both during muscle gain and during the drying period. In lunges with a barbell on your shoulders or with dumbbells, everything works: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors.

However, in this exercise you can place emphasis depending on your priorities. A short step puts more stress on the quadriceps, a long step on the buttocks and hamstrings:

There are also more specific variations of lunges, such as backward lunges, which place the maximum load on the gluteal muscles, or side lunges, which work the outer thigh (lateral quadriceps) more strongly.

An alternative exercise is stepping onto a platform with additional weights:

Sumo deadlift and plie squats

We have combined these two exercises into one point, since they predominantly load the same muscle group - the adductor muscles of the thigh, and have similar execution techniques.

Sumo deadlifts are typically performed with a barbell. A wide stance is used, with the toes turned outward. This exercise comes from powerlifting, but it is also successfully used in classical fitness. If you perform the movement with a light weight and try to completely turn off the back and trapezius muscles from the work, then the entire load will be accentuated on the inner surface of the thigh.

With plie squats the story is a little different. As a rule, this exercise is performed with a dumbbell, so the amplitude is relatively small. To increase it, stand on two step platforms, and then you can lower the dumbbell lower. The amplitude will be greater (by how much depends on your stretch) and you will be able to better focus on stretching the hip adductors as you move through the negative phase of the movement.

Improving your form with lunges

Lunges are another simple but very effective exercise for firming the buttocks. They are not so in demand among men, while girls eagerly begin to perform them, especially if they have to fight against cellulite.

Lunges in the gym are also best done with dumbbells. By gradually increasing the load, it will be possible to achieve muscle growth in the area of interest (the back of the buttocks), as well as improve their shape. The sequence of actions during lunges is shown in the video below.

For men, back lunges are more effective if done with a barbell or dumbbells. The technique for performing them differs from the one that girls should follow, and at the same time allows you to pump up not only the buttocks, but also achieve an increase in volume in the hips and lower legs. You can see how to make them in the video.

We use other equipment

To pump up your butt to a beautiful shape in the gym, you should also pay attention to buttock enlargement exercises that involve the use of a fitball.

A popular type of exercise on a fitball is the same squats. These are rather exercises for losing weight in the buttocks and tightening them at the same time. To perform a ball squat, you need to stand against a wall with the exercise ball placed between your lower back so that it moves toward your upper back as you squat. Next, lower the position until a right angle is formed at the hips and lower legs, and then lift to the starting position. When the body gets used to this type of squats, you can do exercises with weights (dumbbells), holding them in your hands at your sides.

Another type of exercise on a fitball is a bridge using this apparatus. To pump up the muscles of the problem area and achieve a reduction in the volume in the hips, you should do them multiple times - 2-3 sets of 8-10 times.

To begin, lie on the floor on your back and place a ball near your feet. Place your heels on the exercise ball and begin lifting your pelvis by tightening your abs and the back of your buttocks until you form a straight bridge (the area from your knees to your upper torso should form a straight line). Return to the starting position as you exhale. This type of bridge is an excellent exercise both for pumping up the back of the thighs and buttocks and against cellulite, because it helps to actively engage the muscle fibers of the desired area, which will stimulate the breakdown of subcutaneous fat. But even if it is not possible to exercise on a fitball, a regular glute bridge will help pump up the surface of the inner and back of the thigh.

Another option for exercising on a fitball, which is effective against cellulite and for restoring the tone of the inner thighs, is lifting the ball on your side. Taking a position lying on your side, place the ball between your straight legs, holding it with your feet. Now lift it up by directly tensing the muscles of your thighs and buttocks. These and other exercises for losing weight on the buttocks and thighs, performed on a fitball, with a description of the technique, are in this video.

Exercises to enlarge the buttocks, for which a special expander made with an elastic band with special handles for the feet, will also be a good help to restore the elasticity of the back of the thigh, as well as strengthen the back. And the most popular among them is, again, squats. You can see how the workouts that involve such an expander go in the video, which offers isolation exercises.

Top 7 exercises

After you have warmed up thoroughly, you can proceed directly to training. We present to your attention the best exercises for the inner thigh. Perform 3-4 exercises in one workout. The number of required approaches and repetitions is indicated for each option separately.

Lying leg extensions to the sides

The load in this exercise is on the area we need, the adductor muscles of the thigh, while the lower part of the abs is perfectly used. Excellent for removing fat between the legs. Difficulty - medium, can be complicated with weights if necessary. Good for stretching. It has a beneficial effect on the reproductive system, creating a rush of blood to the groin area.

Technique:

Starting position - lie on the mat on your back, arms are located near the body, legs are extended and raised up 90 degrees relative to the floor;
Inhaling deeply, slowly spread your legs to the sides to the point that is most comfortable for you, hold for a few seconds ;
As you exhale, slowly return to the starting point.

Watch the video for more details:

Breeding should begin from 15-20 times in 2-3 approaches, gradually increasing the load.

At the end of doing the spread, it would be a good idea to linger in the spread-legs position for 20-30 seconds , and then spring the muscles a little.
Carefully! The main thing in breeding is accuracy and unhurriedness; actions with excessive zeal can lead to sprain of the ligament.

Plie squat

Squats are a toned lower body's best friend. For the area we are interested in, plie squats are suitable. In addition to the inside of the thighs, the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calves are also strengthened. High difficulty exercise. Squats with dumbbells, barbells and other weights are very effective.

Also check out our 30-day squat challenge to help you lose fat from your thighs too.

Read more about the effects of squats on your hips here.

Starting position – feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing to the sides, back straight, arched in the lower back, gaze directed straight ahead;
As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down until it is parallel to the floor. We freeze for a few seconds;
As you exhale, we slowly return to the starting position.

It is recommended to do squats 10 to 12 times in 2-3 approaches.
Note! This squat will become multifunctional and effective if you rise on your toes at the lowest point. The effort to maintain coordination increases, and the calves are also perfectly loaded.

"Bow and arrow" - side lunges

An exercise that perfectly stretches the ligaments and affects the inner thighs. Not difficult, made more difficult by holding dumbbells in your hand. It affects not only the area we need, lunges perfectly tighten the gluteal muscles.

In the ranking of the TOP 10 exercises for the hips, such lunges take 3rd place.

Legs wider than shoulder width, back straight, abs tense, hands on your belt or in front of you, look forward;
Inhaling, we land in a squat on the right leg, bring the knee to 90 degrees, the left leg is straight, the foot is pressed firmly to the floor. Let's pause for a second;
We return to the starting position and lunge in the other direction.

Lunges should be used 12-15 times in each direction for 2-3 approaches.
Important! Warm up the pelvic ligaments well before lunges. Otherwise, a sprain (and in the worst case, even a tear) of the ligaments is possible.

Ball pinching

A static exercise, the basis of which is muscle contraction and retention in this state. In addition to the area we need, the muscles of the buttocks are tensed. The difficulty is low, aimed at concentration and endurance. A good static exercise for the legs, inferior in effectiveness to the “Chair”.

Technique:

Starting position - lying on your back, knees bent, feet pressed firmly to the floor. Place a ball (from a small rubber to a medium-sized fitball) between your legs in the area of your knees;
As you inhale, squeeze the ball with force and hold in this state for a couple of seconds;
As you exhale, relax your legs, but the ball should not fall.

You need to repeat such actions 10-15 times in 3-4 approaches.
Note! Clutching the ball can also be performed while sitting on a chair, sofa, armchair. The execution rules are the same. Only when performing while sitting do you need to monitor the arch of your back - straight with your lower back tucked inward.

Swing your legs while lying on your side

There are several types of swings. Below we will look at 3 types. Each is unique in the amplitude of its action, the strength of its complexity. All of them perfectly work the inner thigh, while connecting the buttocks, outer and back of the thighs. They help get rid of riding breeches.

Option one

Technique:

Starting position – lying on your side, fixation on your elbows or on your side, legs straight, one placed on top of the other;
As you inhale, raise your upper leg as high as possible and hold the pose for a few seconds;
As you exhale, return to the starting position. After performing a certain number of times on one leg, we turn over to the other side and perform the swings in the same way.

Option two

Technique:

Starting position – lie on your side, fixation on the forearm, lower leg straightened along the body, upper leg bent at the knee and lying on the lower one;
As you inhale, push the knee of the bent leg forward;
As you exhale, return to the starting position. At the end of the execution on one leg, we turn over and do it on the other.

Option three

Technique:

Starting position - lie on your side, lower leg straight, bend the upper leg at the knee and place it in front of the body, its foot pressed firmly to the floor;
As you inhale, lift your straightened leg off the floor;
As you exhale, lower your leg to the floor. We repeat this exercise on the other leg.

You can include several variations of swings in your training, or choose one that you like best.

You need to perform 12-15 swings on one side in 3-4 approaches. You can make it more difficult by attaching weights to your legs.

In the first embodiment, you can use a gymnastic tape by attaching it around the feet.

Leg swings while standing

To implement these swings, you may need support. A chair, the back of a sofa, an armchair, a door or just a wall will do. You can perform this movement without support. The swing itself can be done in two directions - back and forth or sideways . In the first option, the front and rear surfaces of the bottom of the body are also loaded, and in the second - the outer surface. The execution rules are the same.

Technique:

Starting position – sideways to the support, placing your hand on it, back straight;
As you inhale, move your leg forward/to the side;
As we exhale we go back.

The actions should be performed rhythmically so that the muscles contract as often as possible, which will result in the result. A more complex exercise can be made using a gymnastic tape. It has good resistance, which will add additional resistance to the lower body.

Scissors

Actions that tone not only the hips, but also the abs. Difficulty of execution – medium, endurance.

Technique:

Lying on your back, straight legs extended, arms along the body;
After inhaling, we raise our legs 45 degrees to the floor and swing our legs, imitating the action of scissors to failure;
After some time, exhale and lower your legs to the floor.

About the 5 difficulty levels of “Scissors”, see here.

It is advisable to start performing scissors with one minute in 2-3 approaches, gradually increasing the delay time.

Let's use the simulators

Some of the most effective exercises for pumping up the gluteal muscles and reducing volume in the waist and hips include training on exercise machines:

Swing your legs while standing facing or sideways to the crossover, putting a cuff with weights on your working leg (at home, an expander can replace such a simulator);
Exercises for the buttocks and thighs on the Gakka platform (lying on a bench, leg press);
Exercises on a weighted leg curl bench in a prone position, which are suitable for men and women (especially against cellulite);
Exercises to enlarge the buttocks, which must be performed on the machine in a sitting position - leg extensions (the principle of action is similar to the scheme in which a butterfly expander is used). Beginners should not use weights on these machines until their body is sufficiently conditioned.

Similar in principle to such a simulator are exercises for losing weight on the thighs and buttocks, which are performed using a butterfly expander. Girls, unlike men, prefer them more.

Exercises with such equipment are varied - the butterfly expander helps you lose weight and pump up the muscles in the problem area of the buttocks and thighs. Also, the butterfly expander is used by many to increase the definition of the arms and restore the tone of the surface of the pectoral muscles.

Regarding what exercises there are to tighten the buttocks using a butterfly expander, there are many excellent video instructions. Guided by them, you can study in detail the technique of performing each exercise to work out the most exciting parts of the body with a butterfly expander.

Leg exercises at home

Lunges

Lunges work well on the muscles of the hips and buttocks, which are usually the most problematic.

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Stand up straight, lower your arms along your body.
Step forward with your right foot, distributing your weight evenly over the entire area of your foot.
A right angle should form at the knee.
The left knee should be towards the floor.
Return to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

Reverse lunges

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but you take a step not forward, but backward. It is important to ensure that the knee of the leg that is in front does not extend beyond the foot.

The exercise specifically works the back of the thigh and buttocks.

Side lunges

The side lunge pumps the inner thigh and, with the correct technique, does not overload the knees.

Stand straight with your feet together.
Take a wide step with your right foot to the side. Lower your foot completely and shift your body weight to your right leg.
Perform a deep squat.
The left leg forms a straight line during a squat.
Push your heel off the floor and return to the starting position.

Squats

Where would we be without them? Squats are considered one of the most effective leg and hip exercises for women. Regularly performing squats with your own weight at home (without using weights) will give results comparable to training in the gym. In addition, without additional weight, the load on the knee joint is reduced.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you.
Bend your legs and perform a squat until your knees are at a right angle.
Hold this position for a couple of seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

Plie squats

This squat variation helps target your inner thighs. It's easy to do.

Place your feet wider than your shoulders and turn your toes outward.
Squat down slowly and just as slowly return to the starting position.

Gluteal Bridge

The “glute bridge” leg exercise is great for pumping up your hips and buttocks.

Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body.
Bend your legs at a right angle, place your feet slightly apart.
Leaning on your shoulder blades and feet, lift your buttocks to the maximum possible height.
Hold the position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Bike

The popular bicycle exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles and the front of the thighs. By spinning imaginary pedals, you can significantly improve the relief of your legs.

Lie on your back, fold your arms under your head.
Raise your legs and perform elliptical movements as if you were riding a bicycle.
Pull the opposite arm towards the bent leg - this will increase the load on the abs.

Scissors

Scissors help tighten the back of the thighs.

Lie on the floor, stretch your arms along your body.
Raise your legs straight above the floor.
Perform leg movements and leg extensions with a small amplitude.