Ok ladies, it is that time of year again: shorts season. Lets feel good about exposing our legs this season with some great thigh exercises below. I have pulled out my 3 faves, but check out Fitness Magazine’s Top 10 Thigh Exercises, or their article about looking Sexy in Shorts if you are looking for something different or want to target more than just your thighs!
Lunges with Dumbbells
(Click here for video demo from Fitness magazine!)
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, and your feet hip width apart.
- Lunge forward with your right leg (your knee should come about an inch off of the ground without touching it) and then straighten.
- Keep your torso straight, and be sure the weight is evenly distributed between your legs. Keep your front knee over your ankle so that the weight is in your heels instead of your toes.
- Switch sides.
Plie Squat
(Click here for video demo from Fitness magazine!)
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, while keeping the toes pointed forward.
- Bring your arms out straight in front of you while you lower into a squat. (Go down as low as you can without letting your knees go past your toes. Be sure to tuck your tailbone under and squeeze those glutes!)
- Come back up and repeat!
The Single-Leg Circle
(Click here for video demo from Fitness magazine!)
- Lay flat on the mat with your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
- Point with your right foot, as if reaching toward the celiing, and rotate your leg outward.
- Trace a circle on the ceiling 5 times (keeping your hips still – do not let these lift off of the floor!)
- Repeat counter clockwise.
- Switch legs and repeat.
How do you feel about wearing shorts? What are your favorite thigh exercises?
Jennifer is a 27 year old personal trainer living in Connecticut. She is "Coach Jen" at 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: FitChickNYC
May 18, 2010 at 10:49 am
I don’t like wearing shorts unless I’m running. I have like a million thigh exercises that I love, so I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I just started wearing shorts again, but I don’t wear them too often. I will be wearing a skirt everyday to work though so I need these exercises!
I love wearing white shorts when I get a good tan going! Love these exercises!
These are great leg exercises! Thanks for sharing! My favorite leg workout is lunges!
P.S. I never got your email. Do you want to send it again?
I love white shorts! Luckily, legs are the one body part that comes easily for me…I have to work for my abs and arms, but my legs stay nice with just cardio!
I tend to wear more bermuda shorts to cover my insecure areas. I feel comfortable in them but definitely need to keep toning my thighs, Oy.
I like lounge shorts, like vic secret sweat shorts!!
I hate but love lunges!! Hurt but worth it!!!
We would have a BLAST grocery shopping together!!!!!!!!!!!!
Twitter: lauryannraik
May 19, 2010 at 2:28 am
Lunges & Squats….two of the BEST exercises for legs!!! SO much you can do with them too!!
I also like to add a spin by raising one leg up behind me on a Bosu (for lunges)…and wide squat, standing on a resistance band, lifting one leg out to the side after each squat (alternating).
Great post
I love wearing shorts!
Leg exercises are actually the only exercise I don’t do! With so much running, I can barely do a set of lunges without getting sore lol.
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