Your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves may take centre stage when it comes to training your lower body. But did you know its actually made up of over 80 muscles? If you're looking to build all round functional strength, then there's no place for favourites, and one area that often gets the short straw is the inner thighs. If that sounds familiar, then this workout is for you. It'll help strengthen your adductor muscles, sculpting your leg and it'll only take you 25 minutes.
Your adductors are a group of muscles located on the inside of your thigh which help 'adduct' your leg towards your body. As well as helping to build a defined looking leg overall, training this area is key for athletic performance and reducing the likelihood of injury. This is because they help to stabilise the pelvis and provide mobility at the hip joint, to extend and rotate the hips, externally and internally. Lack mobility here and you'll be unlikely to squat deep, move explosively or efficiently in everyday life, which means a higher likelihood of injury. Therefore, to reduce this, and keep our body moving healthily, we need to strengthen them.
This workout can either be performed at home or at the gym, so don't worry if you don't own any home gym equipment, your bodyweight is just fine! If, however, you do have access to a pair of dumbbells, or a kettlebell, and want to increase the intensity of your workout feel free to incorporate them. Perform three rounds of the exercises below, resting for 30 seconds to a minute between each one, then rest for 90 seconds to two minutes between rounds. Here's the workout:
- Copenhagen plank – 20 seconds each side
- Lateral lunges – 6 reps each side
- Sumo squat – 12 reps
- Inner thigh circles – 6 reps each side
- Pop squats – 12 reps
As well as targeting the inner thighs, these exercises are also excellent for hitting your other lower body muscles, including your glutes and quads, so it's a good all round lower body workout. Why not focus on your upper body next with this upper body calisthenics workout which, again, you don't need equipment for. Alternatively, it's always good to carve some time aside for some dedicated core work, so here's a three-move workout, Pilates-style, that'll leave your midsection on fire!
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