Personally, I think few things can more dramatically transform the appearance of a body – especially a woman’s body – than toned thighs. Your clothes look fantastic, a bikini is a blessing not a bane, and your body confidence rockets.
And there are few greater joys than seeing your thighs evolve from two columns in front of a ruined temple into a pair so lithe and shapely they would make a gymnast applaud. All it takes is a little application, dedication and – as ever – correct technique.
Two of my favourite aerobic floor exercises are no longer very fashionable: the good old side leg raises for the inner and outer thigh. This is a pity because they are excellent for toning up that wobbly “foot of fun” between the hip and knee.
However, there are a couple of weights machines in the gym that produce exactly the same effects and don’t involve lying on the floor while trying to balance on your hip. These are the seated adductor and seated abductor machines.
Helpfully, these are often next to each other. Why will become clear later. Also, due to their design, they are quite difficult to “cheat” on. However, there is still a tendency to “bend” the rules and fail to derive the full benefits of them.
The key is slow, controlled movements, keeping the same pace throughout.
Simply put, these machines work the inner thigh muscles (the adductors) and outer thigh muscles (the abductors) with some buttock and hip flexor action thrown in. Let’s look at the seated adductor, the inner thigh booster, first.
Select the required weight then sit on the machine with the heels on the foot bars. Pull the lever to position the legs apart within a comfortable working range then release it to set the starting position.
Remember, the wider the stance, the harder the muscles have to work as this increases the range of movement. Grasp the hand grips on the side bars and press back into the seat so only the lower body does the work.
Try this for thighs: an even tempo, full range of movement and total control can lead to super toned leg tops
Using a slow, smooth and continuous movement, draw the thighs together so the pads almost touch and then return to the starting position without the weight touching the stack.
The pace should be the same throughout, without the need to yank the weights and then swiftly release them. This implies the weight is too heavy so, unless you are trying to build up your inner thigh muscles, reduce the resistance so the exercise can be done all at the same controlled speed.
Repeat the action for 12-15 repetitions, if the general goal is to improve strength, endurance and tone. Then rest for a minute and repeat for two more sets.
The seated abductor works in a similar way, except the knees are positioned against the pads as, this time, the outer thigh is doing the work. After selecting the required weight and sitting on the machine, pull the lever to position the legs together. Grasp the hand grips on the side bars and press back into the seat.
As before, using a slow and continuous action, push the legs apart. Remember, the wider the range of movement while maintaining the same speed throughout, the harder the exercise. Return to the starting position without the weight touching the stack and repeat as before.
So the key to effective exercise is:
Even tempo + full range + total control = safer, better and faster results
I mentioned that the two machines are often next to each other in gyms. Aside from both being “thigh” machines, this means they can also be used in that handiest of time saving programmes: the superset.
A superset is two separate exercises, for opposing muscles, done back-to-back. In other words, instead of waiting to rest one group of muscles, you can work another group while you wait.
In this case, one set of reps on the adductor machine can immediately be followed by a set on the abductors and then back again, repeating the whole sequence three times, with no break in between. The rest comes after the whole superset has finished. No time wasted, the sets can be as flexible as your goals, and you certainly feel like you have worked when you finish.
So there we go. A tip for better technique and a technique tip for better results. Two articles in one – a superset!
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