Strenghthening your hamstrings will result in strong, lean thighs.
Whether you intend to lose inches around your thighs or desire to protect your body against injury, strengthening your hamstrings gives you both results. "Muscle can really burn a lot of calories," says Michael J. Joyner, MD, a Web Md contributor. "When you have more muscle mass, your resting muscles burn more calories." When you strengthen and build the large muscles in your thighs, you force your body to burn many more calories each day.
The Squat
The Squat remains the tried-and-true exercise for working your leg muscles. Be careful to perform this move correctly to avoid knee injury. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold your barbell behind your neck or hold a weight in each hand and rest them gently on your shoulders. Lower your body by bending your knees, as if you were about to sit on an imaginary chair. Do not lower all the way to the ground. Slowly lift yourself to the starting position and keep your knees soft. If you are a beginner, start by performing squats against a wall and without weights. Repeat this exercise for eight to 12 repetitions. Increase your weight as these repetitions become easier.
The Deadlift
Deadlifts maximize your time by not only working your entire leg, but also forcing your core muscles to stabilize your body throughout the move. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your barbell or handweights should be resting in front of your feet. Bend your knees and reach down to grasp the barbell or handweights. Your arms should be on the outsides of your knees. Keep your arms and back straight as you lift to a standing position. Avoid bouncing at the top of the move.Once you have come to a standing position, lower your barbell or handweights to the ground again by bending your knees. Throughout this move, focus on using your legs and glutes for the lifting and lowering. Perform this exercise eight to 10 times and increase the weight when this grows easy.
The Lunge
When performed correctly, the lunge burns thigh fat and engages your glutes and abs as well. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your side. Step your right foot forward and bend so that your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee hovers one inch above the ground. Push with your right heel and lift your body back to the starting position. Take extra precaution to keep your back straight and not allow your knee to move forward of your ankle when you bend. Avoid using your momentum to complete this exercise; focus on your leg muscles slowly lifting and lowering the weight of your body. Repeat with your left leg for a full repetition. Perform eight to 10 repetitions. For an additional challenge, hold 5 to 8-pound handweights as you perform the lunges.
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