Our bodies are individually designed for each of us, and we all come in a variety of forms and sizes. The size of one’s thighs, in instance, can vary significantly from person to person. There are a variety of factors that influence how your thighs and body appear in comparison to someone else’s, ranging from genetics to lifestyle. Your thighs are wonderful just the way they are. However, you may be interested in increasing the size of your thighs to improve performance or simply to modify your appearance. Here are going to explain on how to get thicker thighs with wonderful exercises.
If you want to develop stronger, thicker thighs, this article will explain how to do it and offer you with seven exercises to attempt.
What Factors Influence The Size Of One’s Thighs?
Bone structure (genetics), as well as the proportion and distribution of fat and muscle mass, have a major role in determining the size of your thighs.
Your thighs are formed of the following materials:
- Your femur (thigh bone).
- Muscles (e.g., quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors).
- Connective tissue (e.g., fascia, ligaments, tendons).
- Fat that has been stored
- Arteries and veins are two types of vessels.
- Nerves.
According on your genetics and hormone levels, you may retain more or less fat in your thighs and buttocks than you otherwise would. Gynoid (pear shaped) and android (round) are the two most common body shapes (apple shaped).
Gynoid body types tend to retain more fat and muscle in the thighs and buttocks, whereas android body types tend to store more fat in the belly or stomach, according to research. As a result of higher estrogen levels in cisgender females, they tend to have greater gynoid fat accumulation.
It’s crucial to remember that you have no control over where your fat is stored on your body. Instead, the most effective method of increasing the size of your thighs is through muscular development, which you have greater control over.
Is It Possible For Some Foods To Make Your Thighs Appear Larger?
Excessive calorie consumption (consuming more calories than your body burns in a day) will result in weight gain and may contribute to the rise in the size of your thighs.
Having said that, you have no influence over where your body stores its fat. If you have a genetic predisposition to storing fat in your stomach or upper body, it is likely that you will store fat in these locations first.
Unless your goal is to gain weight in general, it is preferable to concentrate on increasing your muscle mass. Strength exercise, with a focus on your quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as eating enough calories and protein, will help you gain more muscle mass in your thighs, allowing you to have larger thighs.
Make sure you obtain enough protein each day if you want to gain muscle. According to the American Society of Nutrition, the recommended daily protein intake for most adults is 0.66–0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.4–2.0 grams of protein per kilogram) plus strength-training exercises.
Finally, no single meal kind will assist you in increasing the size of your thighs. A slight calorie surplus (10–20 percent higher than your daily calorie requirements) consisting largely of whole, minimally processed foods is the best strategy for those seeking to increase fat or muscle mass.
In What Ways Do The Thighs’ Muscles Differ From One Another?
The muscles in your thighs are some of the most powerful in your body. They’re typically separated into two groups: the front thighs and the rear thighs.
Known more commonly as quadriceps muscles, your front thighs are comprised of four long and large muscles that assist with knee extension and flexion (straightening your leg). The vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris are some of the most important muscles in the body.
The hamstring muscles in your back thighs are a group of three muscles that aid in knee flexion and are found in the back thighs (bending your leg). The biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus are examples of such muscles.
Others that are crucial in the thighs are the sartorius (which brings the leg toward the body), pectineus (which pulls the leg away from the body), gracilis (which pulls the leg back), adductor longus and magnus, and iliopsoas (which helps with hip flexion).
The gluteal muscles (the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) are the largest and most significant muscle group in the body, and they are responsible for hip abduction and extension. Despite the fact that they are officially a part of the buttocks, your glutes collaborate with your thigh muscles to aid in movement.
By focusing on exercises that target these muscles, you may increase the amount of muscle mass in your thighs, which will assist to enhance the overall size of your thighs.
Will Increasing Thigh Size As A Result Of Strength Training?
Muscular hypertrophy, also known as muscle mass gain, is a term used to describe the process of increasing the size of your thigh muscles.
Research suggests that strength exercising certain muscle groups (e.g., quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus) 2–3 times per week resulted in the largest amount of muscle growth. While everyone has the ability to acquire muscle, the amount of muscle gained is mostly determined by genetics.
Examples include the fact that some individuals grow muscle more quickly than others, even despite following the identical training regimen and eating plan. People with longer limbs may still grow muscle mass, but it may appear lower in size as a result of the muscle being stretched out across a longer distance.
Instead of concentrating just on the appearance of your thighs, it is preferable to acknowledge their usefulness and strength, which exist in a variety of shapes and sizes.
There Are Seven Exercises To Help You Strengthen Your Thighs.
If you want to increase your muscular mass and strengthen your thighs, you’ll want to do workouts that work the muscles from every angle.
Furthermore, make sure to concentrate on progressive overload, which is the steady process of increasing volume and load by increasing the weight, the number of sets, or the number of reps. Progressive overload guarantees that your muscles are always being challenged, which helps to stimulate muscle growth.
Here are seven workouts that you can try out.
1. Squats.
The following muscles are targeted: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, abdominals, and calves, among others.
In order to build muscle in your quads, hamstrings, and buttocks, the standard go-to exercise is the squat. For beginners, start with a bodyweight squat, which means no equipment is required, and gradually increase the volume and resistance until you reach your desired level.
- Maintain a little gap between your feet that is somewhat wider than your hip width. Your toes should be slightly turned out, and your hands should be either on your hips or in front of you when you stand up straight.
- As you slowly return to a sitting position, bend your knees to help you maintain your balance.
- Continue lowering yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground (your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle). Then, slowly raise yourself back up to your starting position.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
Once you’ve mastered the ability to easily complete all sets and reps with good technique, you can begin to add greater resistance. Wearing a loop band above your knees, carrying a dumbbell with both hands, or completing a barbell squat are all examples of exercises that need this type of flexibility.
2. Lunges.
The following muscles were worked: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals, and calves as primary muscles. Lunges are a fantastic fitness technique for both beginners and advanced exercisers alike. As you get better at this movement, you can add weight to it by carrying a dumbbell in each hand while performing it.
- Place your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Step forward with your left leg, bending your left knee until it forms a 90–degree angle with your right knee. As with the left, your right leg should be bent at a 90-degree angle with your shin parallel to the ground.
- Then, with your left foot, press into the ground to bring yourself back to the beginning position. This is one repetition.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
Contrary to popular opinion, your knee can extend slightly beyond your toes when you lunge as long as you do not experience any pain as a result of the movement. Throughout the workout, make sure that you move slowly and deliberately.
3. Romanian Deadlift With Dumbbells.
The following muscles were targeted: hamstrings, glutes, lower back, abdominals, and upper back. Deadlifts, despite their scary name, are a terrific workout for strengthening your hamstrings.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, with the palms of your hands facing the insides of your thighs. Make sure to keep your core engaged and your spine in a neutral position throughout the workout.
- Keeping your knees slightly bent, flex your hips and steadily descend the dumbbells toward the ground, stopping when they hit the center of your shins, or around that point.
- Once you have reached your starting position, carefully climb back up to it, making sure to use your hamstrings and glutes. This is one repetition.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
If you’re just starting out, use a light weight and concentrate on refining your form to avoid injuring your lower back. Make sure to hinge your hips back, as this will allow you to use the correct muscles rather than focusing on your lower back during the exercise. Increase the weight as you become more comfortable with your form.
For this workout, you can also use a barbell if you choose. Instead of holding two dumbbells, set a weighted barbell on the floor in front of your shins and perform the exercise with that. Grab the barbell with both hands, brace your core, and repeat the exercise twice more quickly.
4. Leg Press.
The quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes were the primary muscles worked. You will require access to a leg press machine in order to complete this exercise.
- Place your back and head on the back of the leg press machine’s seat while you perform your leg press exercises. Place your feet flat on the footplate, about hip-width apart, on the footplate. Your legs should be bent at a 90–degree angle, and your knees and feet should be in line with one another.
- Push the footplate with both feet slowly until your legs are extended straight (avoid locking your knees) and hold for 2–3 seconds while holding the handgrips as a support and working your core.
- Return to the beginning posture by gradually bending your knees. Throughout the action, your feet should remain level on the footplate. This is one repetition.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
Beginners should start with a small weight and gradually raise it over time as their strength and endurance improves. This will ensure that you are completing the exercise in a safe manner, hence reducing the danger of damage.
5. Leg Extension.
The quadriceps are the primary muscles that were worked. You will want a leg extension machine in order to complete this exercise.
- Place your shins below the padded bar of the leg extension machine and your knees bent while you sit on the machine. Take hold of the handrails for support, and make sure your back is flush on the seat of the chair. This is the beginning point for the game.
- Slowly stretch your legs until they’re completely straight, then hold for 1–2 seconds to catch your breath. This should be felt primarily in your quadriceps.
- Finally, carefully bend your knees to bring yourself back to the starting position.. This is one repetition.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
In order to limit the risk of damage, avoid hyperextending your knees and move carefully during the movement. A pain in your knees may be a warning that you’re trying to lift too much weight or that you need to change your stance on the exercise bench.
6. Lateral Lunge.
The quadriceps, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and calves are the primary muscles that are worked.
Apart from helping you to develop and build your thighs, the lateral lunge is a fantastic functional action that will allow you to execute your daily duties with ease.
- Standing with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your toes pointed straight ahead is a good starting point.
- Shift your weight to your left leg, bend your left knee, and push your hips back into a half-sitting position to complete the movement. Your right leg should remain straight and your foot should remain firmly on the ground throughout the exercise.
- Straighten your left knee by pushing off with your left leg. This is one repetition. If you want to make the exercise more difficult, you can push off of your left foot and come up to standing with both feet hip-distance apart, as shown in the video.
- Each leg should be worked in two to three sets of eight to twelve reps.
7. Bulgarian Split Squat.
The quadriceps, adductors, and glutes were the primary muscles engaged. By performing single-leg motions, Bulgarian split squats help you improve your balance while also increasing your strength.
- Stand 2 feet (approximately 60 cm) away from a step or bench, with your back to the step or bench and your arms crossed.
- Place the top of your right foot on the bench or step by bending your right leg to the right. This will be your starting point for the game.
- Bend your left knee and lower your body to the lowest point you are able to manage. Make sure your chest, hips, and shoulders are all pointing forward when you are standing.
- To return to the beginning position, press your left heel down into the ground. This is one repetition.
- Perform 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps on each side.
The Bottom Line
The thighs play an important role in daily movement. They transport you from point A to point B, assist you in lifting big goods, and provide assistance during sports competition.
Keep in mind that the size of your thighs is mostly determined by your genetics as well as your muscle and fat distribution. We recommend that you pay more attention to their function and strength, which are better markers of their overall health, rather than their size. Exercises such as resistance training and eating a high-protein diet will help you gain muscle, increase strength, and improve your overall movement by focusing on these two areas.
It’s time to appreciate the fact that your thighs are distinctly yours.