How To Lose Inner Thigh Fat (Plus What Not To Do) - Rachael Attard

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Inner thigh fat is a problem area for many women (myself included) and a very challenging part to slim down. This is why I’ve decided to do a post dedicated entirely on how to get rid of inner thigh fat.

I am a fully qualified personal group trainer with almost 10 years of experience working exclusively with women. And, I have a lot of experience with trying to get rid of inner thigh fat myself! It took me a couple of years and lots of trial and error to find the best formula on how to lose weight in my thighs fast (and keep it off). I’m more than happy to share all my best tips on how to slim your inner thighs!

First, I’ll explain what causes excess inner thigh fat, and why it may be difficult for you to get rid of it. Then, I’ll give you my top 3 tips for losing inner thigh fat fast. Plus, I’ll tell you what NOT to do if you want to lose inner thigh fat fast.

WHAT CAUSES FAT IN THE INNER THIGHS?

There are several different reasons why we store fat in our inner thighs.

HORMONES – ESTROGEN

Women naturally have higher levels of estrogen. This hormone causes us to store fat in our hips, thighs and butt. This type of fat storage is especially common in puberty, pregnancy and in times of hormonal imbalances (such as low progesterone or estrogen dominance).

It is within our natural biology to store fat here. It’s a survival mechanism – storing fat in these areas provides energy reserves for fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Research also shows that omega-3 fatty acids stored in hip and thigh fat are used by the body during late pregnancy and breastfeeding to support baby brain development.

In short, your body is biologically designed to protect this area.

HORMONES – PROGESTERONE CORTISOL & INSULIN

The following hormonal imbalances can all trigger more fat storage, especially in estrogen-sensitive areas like the thighs and hips.

Low progesterone
High cortisol (stress hormone)
Insulin resistance

GENETICS

Where your body stores fat is heavily genetically predetermined. If your mother or grandmother stored weight in the lower body, chances are you might too. Genetics influence:

Your fat cell distribution
Your hormonal profile
The shape of your thighs and hips
Your body type.

Now, let’s talk a bit more about different body types and how they respond differently to diet and exercise regimes.

DIFFERENT BODY TYPES STORE FAT DIFFERENTLY

Some women naturally have less body fat and find it easier to lose weight. Those women most likely have an Ectomorph body type.

Women who can both gain and lose weight and muscle quickly most likely have a Mesomorph body type.

Women with an Endomorph body type usually gain both muscle and fat very easily and find it challenging to get lean.

This is why girls may find it quite challenging to reach their body goals, especially if they train in a way that’s not suitable for their body type.

And I see that a LOT.

Personal trainers often disregard these differences and train everyone the same way, and that’s not effective.

This is why you end up seeing 2 girls following the same diet and exercise regime where one ends up with much different results than the other one. How can this be? Let me explain. :)

learn your body type and how to get rid of inner thigh fat — Endomorph, Mesomorph, and Ectomorph examples [Khloe Kardashian, Margot Robbie, and Elska Hosk- from left to right]

WHY IS TRAINING ACCORDING TO YOUR BODY TYPE SO IMPORTANT

Let’s say you have a Mesomorph body type and you want to get lean and toned. You’re already quite athletic but you want to lose some extra body fat and get more toned. Your BFF has an Ectomorph body type. She’s already naturally lean but she wants to get more toned, same as you. You two hire a PT and your PT puts you on the same regime – you both start lifting weights 3 times per week.

After a few weeks on this regime, you notice that your friend is getting the results she wanted, she’s getting more toned and she’s really happy about it. Good for her! :)

You’re also getting more toned, even quicker than she is BUT you also notice that you cannot really fit into your jeans. It seems like your legs have gotten bigger and kinda bulky. But that’s not possible, right? Women cannot get bulky, that’s just a myth, right? Right?!

WOMEN CAN GET TOO MUSCULAR FOR THEIR OWN LIKING

Well, I don’t agree with this. I think “bulky” is really subjective. What may seem bulky to you, may not seem bulky to your friend and vice versa. Based on my own experience and on the experience of thousands of women I trained, I believe women CAN get too bulky for their own liking.

I’m not saying you’ll look like a professional bodybuilder if you lift heavy weights. But I think women can definitely gain more muscle than they want.

And just to clarify, if you love having a lot of muscle, that’s totally valid. It’s your body and you can do whatever makes you feel your best. :)

If, however, you are someone who prefers a leaner look and you’re looking into how to quickly lose inner thigh fat without making your thighs bigger and more muscular, you should keep on reading. :)

There are three main body types (Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph), and if you want to reach your fitness goals and get the best possible results, you need to learn yours.

You may be an endomorph like Kim and Khloe Kardashian or a mesomorph like Gigi Hadid and Margot Robbie, or perhaps you’re an ectomorph like Kendall Jenner and Elsa Hosk.

You can take my Free Body Type Quiz here. It will help you determine your body type in just a few minutes.

WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?

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WHY IS INNER THIGH FAT HARD TO GET RID OF?

There are 3 main reasons why is inner thigh fat hard to lose. hormones, subcutaneous fat, wrong workouts

1. WOMEN NATURALLY TEND TO STORE MORE FAT IN THEIR LOWER BODY

As we discussed above, us women usually store more fat in our lower body because of the female sex hormone estrogen. This means a lot of women will naturally have more fat in their hips, glutes, and thighs than in their upper body. And we tend to have a higher body fat percentage than men. Scientists believe this is a biological advantage women of childbearing age have over men.

From an evolutionary point of view, this totally makes sense if you think about it. In case there is a food shortage, people who have more body fat percentage would be able to burn body fat, turn it into energy and survive for longer. This is especially important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding since it ensures the survival of the species.

2. SUBCUTANEOUS FAT = HARDER TO LOSE

Most of the fat stored in the thighs and hips is subcutaneous fat. This is the type that sits just under the skin. This is different from visceral fat (around organs), and it:

Is less metabolically active
Burns fewer calories at rest
Is slower to respond to diet and exercise

That’s why even when you’re eating well and training, the inner thighs may be the last place to slim down.

3. YOU’RE DOING WRONG WORKOUTS WHEN TRYING TO GET RID OF INNER THIGH FAT

A lot of you have told me that workouts that you’ve previously done (hi squats!) only made things worse and caused your thighs to get bigger instead of making them leaner and smaller. The exact same thing happened to me when I was in my 20s!

The truth is, there is a lot of misinformation about the right way to slim inner thighs fast. If you take a look at the most popular articles on Google, you’ll see that most of them claim that squats, lunges, and gym machine leg exercises are “the best thigh workouts to burn fat.”

Unfortunately, those exercises are not the best choice for women who want to lose inner thigh fat without making their quads bigger. I mean don’t get me wrong, these are great workouts for building leg muscle. So if you are someone who likes having a lot of muscles, go for it. Squats, lunges, and leg machines will build muscle which will speed up your metabolism. And if you have a faster metabolism, it will be easier to lose fat.

LOSE INNER THIGH FAT WITHOUT MAKING YOUR QUADS BIGGER

However, if you are someone who like me and a lot of other women, prefers a leaner look, these workouts are NOT the best option for losing inner thigh fat. Squats, lunges, and leg machines will, especially if you are an endomorph or mesomorph body type, make your thighs bigger instead of slimmer.

Once again, I’m not saying this is inherently a bad thing nor am I trying to persuade you not to do these workouts if you enjoy them and you want to build a significant amount of muscle in your lower body.

It took me a couple of years to figure out the best ways to slim down legs and especially how to burn inner thigh fat (without making your legs bigger). But now I know I know the answer. If you want to lose fat from your inner thighs, you need to lose fat all over. And the best and fastest way to do it is to:

- Do the right type of cardio

- Focus on workouts that will tone your inner thighs without making them bigger

- Adjust your diet for fat loss

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HOW CAN I SLIM MY INNER THIGHS FAST? – MY TOP 3 TIPS

1. ADJUST YOUR DIET FOR MAXIMUM FAT LOSS

Research indicates that if you exercise, but if constantly eat poorly, you’re not very likely to get great results.

What does it mean to eat poorly? It can mean you’re not eating the right amount of food – you’re eating too much or too little (both options are bad for you). Or it can mean that the quality of the food you’re eating is not good – you’re not getting enough nutrients, vitamins, and minerals through your diet. Or it can mean both – you’re not eating the right amount of food and you’re not getting what your body needs.

Your body needs a well-balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein, good fats, and fiber.

You should avoid simple carbs, alcohol, heavily processed food, junk food, etc. I’m not saying you should never have these. I don’t want you to think some foods are “bad”. That’s not a healthy mindset.

But if you want to lose inner thigh fat fast and be healthier, you need to change your diet and fuel your body with all the right nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Plus, you need to figure out what is the right amount of food for you based on your sex, age, and activity levels.

If you’re eating too many calories, you won’t be able to lose excess body fat because your body is going to keep on storing more and more fat. And if you’re eating too little, you will slow down your metabolism. And the slower your metabolism is, the more difficult it will be to lose body fat.

RELATED POST: TOP 5 TIPS FAT LOSS TIPS FOR WOMEN FROM A CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

EAT AT A SLIGHT CALORIE DEFICIT

For a healthy weight loss, I recommend eating 250-500 calories less than you’d eat if you wanted to maintain your weight. For example, if you are supposed to eat 2200 calories to maintain your weight, to lose weight, you should eat anywhere between 1700-1950.

If you’re not sure how many calories you should eat for effective weight loss, you can use my free calories and macros calculator.

CALCULATE NOW

RELATED POST: HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM

WHAT’S THE BEST DIET TO LOSE INNER THIGH FAT? SWITCH TO A LOW-CARB DIET

Besides eating at a slight calorie deficit, as a certified nutritionist, I would also advise you to follow a low-carb diet for the quickest results. It’s a well-known fact, confirmed by plenty of research that low-carb diets improve weight loss.

When we need energy, our body starts burning carbs first, followed by fat and the protein. So, if you eat a low-carb diet and there are not enough carbs, your body will start to burn more fat and protein.

This essentially means you’ll burn more fat on a low-carb diet, using it as a primary source of energy.

And if you’re not sure where to start, you can download my 7-Day Meal Plan for free. It’s a low-carb meal plan and it will help you kickstart your weight loss. :)

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2. AVOID INNER THIGH EXERCISES THAT CAN MAKE THEM BIGGER

I see a lot of women trying to burn inner thigh fat doing precisely what they should not in terms of workouts.

Working to substantially increase muscle size on your thighs (and especially if you don’t lose fat) will ultimately make your legs look bigger…which is not your goal.

Again, there is nothing wrong with increasing muscle size on your legs by lifting heavy weights if that’s what you want. But if your goal is to get rid of inner thigh fat without making your thighs bigger, these are the exercises to avoid:

SKIP CERTAIN TYPES OF RESISTANCE TRAINING THAT CAN MAKE YOUR THIGHS BIGGER

I see a lot of women targeting their inner thighs with resistance training workouts like squats, lunges, and gym machines. Unfortunately, this won’t slim down your inner thigh area.

It will focus on working that inner thigh muscle and may make it bigger in size, but it won’t get rid of the fat.

In fact, it could just make this area look bigger. If you add some muscle – but don’t really lose fat – then you’ll end up wondering why your legs are getting bigger from working out.

Exercises like squats and lunges will also heavily work your quads and hamstrings (muscles at the front and the back of your thighs) and make your thighs bigger and not smaller. So if you want to lose inner thigh fat and not make your thighs bigger, I would skip these workouts.

RELATED: HOW TO SLIM DOWN MUSCULAR THIGHS

EXERCISES THAT MIGHT MAKE YOUR (INNER) THIGHS BIGGER:

- Squats and all squat variations

- Lunges

- Weighted leg machines

- CrossFit

- HIIT routines that heavily target your legs and include a lot of jumping

As I mentioned already, these are all awesome thigh workouts to burn fat – but I know that a lot of women actually have issues with muscular thighs. I know a lot most personal trainers don’t like to admit this but it’s true.

AVOID SOME TYPES OF CARDIO THAT CAN BULK UP YOUR THIGHS

Cycling, the elliptical, sprinting, stair master, stair or uphill running, etc. are all great cardio workouts. They increase your cardiovascular fitness and burn lots of calories. But they don’t slim down your legs as some other types of cardio do (more on that below).

A lot of these types of cardio will actually build muscle (especially if you’re an Endomorph) so your legs may get bigger, rather than slimmer.

3. DO THE RIGHT TYPE OF WORKOUTS TO SLIM INNER THIGHS

OK so now that you know which exercises to avoid if you want to slim down your thighs and get rid of inner thigh fat, let’s talk about thigh workouts to burn fat and the best exercise that will help you tone your thighs and hips.

To start, below I’m recommending inner thigh exercises to reduce inner thigh fat that worked on the majority of the girls I trained (including myself).

BEST EXERCISES TO LOSE INNER THIGH FAT FAST

If you want to get rid of inner thigh fat fast, you need to combine effective cardio with the right type of resistance training.

DO MORE LOW-INTENSITY CARDIO

In all my experience, the best exercise for getting rid of inner thigh fat and getting lean legs, in general, is WALKING.

Not running, swimming, cycling, elliptical, dancing, etc.

DOES WALKING REDUCE INNER THIGH FAT?

I know – it sounds too simple, right? But do not underestimate its power.

Walking is the absolute best exercise for getting rid of overall excess fat, including your inner thighs. Walking reduces subcutaneous fat (the fat just under the skin), and walking will reduce subcutaneous fat on your legs.

However, you do need to do a lot of walking. By a lot, I mean 10,000 steps per day (or 10kms, if you can!) at least.

I know this sounds time-consuming, but the 10,000 steps don’t need to be done all at once. You can accumulate these steps during the day. And remember – it’s just walking!

My advice is to start each morning with a 5km walk so a lot of your walking is already done for the day. Then try to do as much walking as you can throughout the day.

Get up from your desk and walk around the office, go outside for lunch, meet with friends for a walk. Walk home from work or walk to the bus/train – do everything you can to get in those extra steps!

Bonus tip: In addition to walking, swimming is actually a great form of cardio that can help with slimming your legs. It won’t target inner thigh fat or walking, but it can be a great alternative.

IS RUNNING GOING TO REDUCE INNER THIGH FAT?

Running is a great thigh workouts to burn fat and will help you slim down all over as it burns LOTS of calories. But it doesn’t really get the same results as walking, especially for some body types.

Some endomorph women can get bigger legs from running because running actually builds leg muscle.

Generally speaking, long-distance running will not bulk up your legs as much as sprinting, for sure. But again, it is very individual, so pay attention to how your body responds to running.

If you know this applies to you and growing thigh muscle is not one of your fitness goals, it might be best to avoid running. Just stick to power walking instead.

workouts that can make your thighs bigger

FOCUS ON THE RIGHT TYPE OF RESISTANCE TRAINING (THAT WON’T MAKE YOUR INNER THIGHS BIGGER)

Resistance training doesn’t exactly get rid of inner thigh fat. Resistance training (also known as strength training) will tone up your body, and it will help you lose weight faster. Muscles are metabolically more active than fat (they burn more calories) so building muscle tone will speed up your metabolism.

This type of training has a tone of health benefits – improves movement control, physical performance and cognitive abilities. It may help with the prevention of diabetes, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce low back pain.

Strength training will also help you reduce the risk of osteoporosis (super important for us women) and arthritis. BTW, low-impact cardio (walking) also helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Any type of resistance training is great. BUT, if you are worried about your legs getting bigger with resistance training, or you are trying to reduce the size of your legs, you just need to adjust your routine and focus more on lower impact pilates style training.

Doing the type of workouts you can find on my blog is a great start as I have designed them all to tone up without making you bulky.

You can also check out the workouts that I post on my Instagram. These are quick and effective and I post new ones every week so you can change it up and not get bored!

EXAMPLE WORKOUT THAT SHOWS HOW TO SLIM INNER THIGHS

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RELATED POST: HOW TO LIFT WEIGHTS WITHOUT GETTING BULKY

THE ULTIMATE PROGRAM THAT HELPS YOU SLIM DOWN YOUR LEGS & LOSE INNER THIGH FAT

I have designed my Lean Legs Programs to help you get rid of the inner thigh fat without building too much muscle.

These exercises are especially focused on slimming your thighs and will help you get rid of inner thigh fat.

They will also help you tone up your entire body without getting bulky – through carefully planned resistance training.

Check out the results :)