Build Strength by Using Bodyweights: Thighs

Purpose: Bodyweight exercises may improve strength, joint mobility, and cardiovascular health.

Background

Please review the WavyFields topic “Build Strength by Using Bodyweights” for a detailed Background section about bodyweights.

Practice: These bodyweight exercises may help someone to build strength of the thigh muscles.

These bodyweight exercises work many more muscles than the muscle groups listed. The muscle group names that are listed next to each exercise are the main muscles that are emphasized by the exercise.

Good Mornings

Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back.
Difficulty: 1.
Perform: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Place hands behind the head. Keep the chest and butt out, shoulders back, and legs straight and bend at the waist. Bend over as far as possible. Tension should be felt in the back of the legs. Slowly return to the starting position.
Pointers: N/A.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Donkey Kicks

Muscles: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back.
Difficulty: 1.
Perform: Place hands and knees on the floor, about shoulder-width apart. Keep the back straight and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Kick one leg straight back and up as high as possible, while keeping the hips in place. Hold the peak position for five seconds and then bring that leg back down to the starting position and switch legs.
Pointers: N/A.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Hip Extensions

Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back.
Difficulty: 2-3.
Perform: Lie down with the back on the floor and arms along the sides. Place heels on an elevated surface, such as a chair, and bend the knees at a 90 degree angle. Now, use only the legs to push the hips up towards the ceiling as high as possible. Hold the peak position for two seconds and squeeze the hamstrings and glutes. Then, slowly lower the hips back to the starting position.
Pointers: N/A.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Squats

Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 1-4.
Perform: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Keep the head up and eyes forward while bending at the knees. While bending towards the ground with the knees, keep the upper body slightly leaning forward until the shoulders are over the knees. Lower the body until the butt is a couple of inches from the floor. Use the heels and legs to help rise back to the starting position.
Pointers: Keep the toes pointing forward or slightly pointing out. Do not allow the knees to extend past the toes.
Decrease difficulty: Decrease difficulty by holding onto an object such as a chair that will help to support the weight of the body.
Increase difficulty: Increase difficulty by holding a heavy household item.
Variation: Placing the feet closer together will emphasize the muscles of the inner thighs. Placing the feet further than shoulder-width apart will emphasize the outer thighs.
Video Demonstration:

Wall Sits

Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes.
Difficulty: 1
Perform: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart about one step in front of a wall. Place the back and hips against the wall and allow the wall to support most of the body weight. Now, use the knees to bend towards the ground until they are directly above the feet at a 90 degree angle. Hold this position for as long as possible. Use the heels and legs to help rise back to the starting position.
Pointers: Keep the toes pointing forward or slightly pointing out. Do not allow the knees to extend past the toes.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: Increase difficulty by holding a heavy household item.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Lunges

Muscles: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 1-4
Perform: Stand with feet together and toes pointed straight ahead. Keep the head and back straight and take a large step forward with one foot. Bend the knees until the front knee is directly over the front foot and the back knee is touching the ground. Both knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle at this point. Use the front leg to help rise and then take a step back to return to the starting position. Then, switch legs.
Pointers: Keep the toes pointing forward or slightly pointing out. Do not allow the knees to extend past the toes.
Decrease difficulty: Decrease difficulty by holding onto an object such as a chair that will help to support the weight of the body.
Increase difficulty: Increase difficulty by holding a heavy household item.
Variation: Instead of taking a step backwards to return to the starting position, repeat the movement with the back leg and move forwards. This exercise can also be done by moving backwards.
Video Demonstration:

Side Lunges

Muscles: Quads, glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings.
Difficulty: 2-4
Perform: Stand with feet slightly apart and toes pointed straight ahead. Keep the head and back straight and take a large step to one side. Shift the weight of the body onto the leg that has taken a step while keeping the other leg planted on the ground. Keep the abs contracted throughout the movement. Push off the ground with the heel to return to the starting position. Then, switch legs.
Pointers: Do not allow the knees to extend past the toes.
Decrease difficulty: Decrease difficulty by holding onto an object such as a chair that will help to support the weight of the body.
Increase difficulty: N/A
Variation: N/A
Video Demonstration:

Side Jumps

Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, calves.
Difficulty: 2-4
Perform: Stand with feet slightly closer than shoulder-width apart and toes pointed straight ahead or slightly outward. Jump to one side as if jumping over an object and then try to land in the starting position. Then, jump back to the other side.
Pointers: N/A.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A
Variation: N/A
Video Demonstration:

Box Jumps

Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, lower back, calves.
Difficulty: 1-4.
Perform: For this exercise, a sturdy object, such as a box, will be needed to support the weight of the body. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and bend the knees until in a half squat position. Then, jump onto the box. Upon landing on the box, rise to a standing position and pause for a second before jumping back down.
Pointers: Do not let the knees collapse in or the back round over during the jump or the landing.
Decrease difficulty: Decrease difficulty by using a lower object to jump onto.
Increase difficulty: Increase difficulty by using a higher object to jump onto.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Bulgarian Split Squats

Muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes.
Difficulty: 2-4.
Perform: For this exercise, a sturdy object, such as a box, will be needed to support the weight of the body. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and then move one leg backwards until the toes of that foot are resting on the box. Use the front foot as the working leg and bend both of the knees to lower the body to the ground, as in a lunge. Lower the body until the rear knee lightly touches the ground. Then, switch legs.
Pointers: Do not allow the knees to extend past the toes.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: Increase difficulty by holding a heavy household item.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Beach Scissors

Muscles: Hip flexors, obliques.
Difficulty: 1-3.
Perform: Lie on the right side of the body and use the right elbow to prop the body up. Raise the left leg as high as possible while keeping the body in line from the head down to the foot. Hold the leg at the peak height for three seconds and then return to the starting position. Then, switch sides.
Pointers: N/A.
Decrease difficulty: Decrease difficulty by keeping the side of the body on the ground instead of using the elbow to prop the body up.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Leg Raises

Muscles: Lower abs, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 1-2.
Perform: Lie on the back with the legs together and straight. Place hands along the sides and keep the head relaxed on the ground. Now, raise both legs six inches off of the ground. Then, raise both legs until they are at a 45-degree angle. Hold this position for two seconds and then slowly lower both legs to the ground.
Pointers: Keep the knees slightly bent throughout the exercise.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: Raise the legs to a 90-degree angle.
Video Demonstration:

Flutter Kicks

Muscles: Lower abs, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 2.
Perform: Lie on the back with both legs together and straight. Place hands along the sides and keep the head relaxed on the ground. Now, raise both legs six inches off of the ground. Next, raise one leg about three feet and then lower it back down slowly until both legs are even. Then, switch legs.
Pointers: Keep the back against the floor.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: Both legs can be moved up and down quickly or laterally over each other.
Video Demonstration:

V Sit Ups

Muscles: Lower abs, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 2.
Perform: Lie on the back with legs together and straight. Rest both arms on the ground straight over the head with palms facing each other. Now, raise both legs and then raise the body by engaging the abs as the arms are brought towards the feet until the elbows are in line with the knees. Keep the abs engaged and slowly lower the body back to the starting position.
Pointers: Go slowly, engage the abs, and do not thrust the body upwards.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Swimmers

Muscles: Glutes, lower back.
Difficulty: 2.
Perform: Lie on the stomach with legs slightly apart and straight. Rest the arms on the ground straight ahead with palms on the ground. Keep the head and neck in a neutral position. Then, raise the right leg and the left arm as high as possible. Hold the peak height for three seconds and then slowly lower the right leg and left arm. Then, raise the left leg and right arm as high as possible and hold the peak height for three seconds.
Pointers: During the movements, only the stomach should be touching the ground.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: N/A.
Video Demonstration:

Supermans

Muscles: Glutes, lower back.
Difficulty: 3.
Perform: Lie on the stomach with legs slightly apart and straight. Rest both arms on the ground straight ahead with palms on the ground. Keep the head and neck in a neutral position. Then, raise both of the legs and both of the arms as high as possible. Hold the peak height for three seconds and then lower slowly.
Pointers: During the movements, only the torso and pelvis should be touching the ground.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: This exercise can be done with arms straight out to both sides.
Video Demonstration:

Planks

Muscles: Abs, lower back, glutes, hip flexors.
Difficulty: 2.
Perform: Lie on the stomach with legs slightly apart and straight. Rest the forearms on the ground in front of the body with elbows directly beneath the shoulders and palms facing each other or flat on the floor. Keep the head and neck in a neutral position. Raise the body and hold for as long as possible.
Pointers: Keep the pelvis down and the body in a straight line from the head to the heels.
Decrease difficulty: N/A.
Increase difficulty: N/A.
Variation: Instead of resting on the forearms, hold the body in the top of a push up position. This variation will put more emphasis on the shoulders, triceps, and pecs.
Video Demonstration:

Resources: Below are additional resources that may help someone to build strength by using bodyweights.

Books

You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises by Mark Lauren and Joshua Clark

Websites

The website of Mark Lauren, containing paid courses and free bodyweight videos

WavyFields Related Topics