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Exercises

Inner thigh exercises at home, no machine needed

Published October 19, 2026

The best inner thigh exercises at home are the Copenhagen plank and band hip adduction, which squeeze the legs together directly, plus wide-stance and side moves that stretch the adductors under load: the Cossack squat, lateral lunge and sumo squat. Deep split squats and single-leg deadlifts work the large adductor at the back of the inner thigh. Pick 3 or 4, do 2 to 4 sets each two or three times a week, and stop each set 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Training builds the muscle; a slimmer look comes from losing fat overall, not from these exercises alone.

  1. Copenhagen Plank Adductors, Abs
  2. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  3. Sumo Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  4. Band Hip Adduction Adductors
  5. Dumbbell Lateral Lunge Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  6. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  7. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes

Exercises that squeeze the legs together

The inner thigh muscles, the adductors, pull your legs toward each other. These two exercises do exactly that against resistance, which is what the adduction machine does at a gym. A couch or a sturdy chair and a band are enough.

Direct adductor work, bodyweight

Copenhagen Plank

Adductors, Abs

In a side plank with your top leg resting on a bench or couch, the inner thigh of that top leg holds your body up. It is the most direct inner thigh exercise you can do at home, and you can make it easier by resting the knee instead of the foot.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side next to a couch or bench and rest your top foot or inner knee on it.
  2. Prop yourself on the forearm under your shoulder.
  3. Press the top leg down into the couch to lift your hips until your body is straight.
  4. Hold for the target time, lower your hips, and switch sides.

Cues

  • Press the top leg down
  • Straight line
  • Hips high

Common mistakes

  • Sagging hips: lower down and rest before the shape breaks.
  • Starting with the foot on the bench: begin with the knee there, which is far easier.

Swap for: Band Hip Adduction, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Copenhagen Plank

Direct adductor work, band

Band Hip Adduction

Adductors

A band anchored to the side of your ankle lets you pull the leg inward and across your body, the same motion as the inner thigh machine. It is light, so use it for high reps.

How to do it

  1. Anchor a loop band low on a table leg or door and put it around the ankle nearest to the anchor.
  2. Step away until the band pulls that leg out to the side, holding something for balance.
  3. Sweep the banded leg in front of and past your standing foot.
  4. Let it move back out slowly against the band.

Cues

  • Stand tall
  • Sweep across
  • Slow on the way out

Common mistakes

  • Leaning the torso: keep upright and move only the leg.
  • A band so light you can do 40 reps: step further from the anchor.

Swap for: Copenhagen Plank, Sumo Squat

Build a session with Band Hip Adduction

Side lunges and Cossack squats

Moving sideways stretches the inner thigh of the straight leg while the bent leg does the lifting, and the adductors of the bent leg help you push back up. These are the best home moves for inner thigh strength through a long range.

Deep side squat, bodyweight

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

You sink low over one leg while the other stays straight out to the side, so the straight leg's inner thigh stretches while the bent leg works. Done slowly, bodyweight is enough to make it hard.

How to do it

  1. Take a very wide stance with your toes turned slightly out.
  2. Shift your weight toward one foot and sit down over it, the other leg staying straight.
  3. Lower as far as you can with the working heel flat and the straight leg's toes up.
  4. Push back up and move across to the other side.

Cues

  • Sit into one hip
  • Heel flat
  • Long straight leg

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing out of the bottom: pause there for a second.
  • Forcing depth: stop where your heel starts to lift and go lower over the weeks.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Side lunge, two dumbbells

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

Stepping out to the side with dumbbells at your sides loads the side lunge more than bodyweight, so the inner thigh of the straight leg stretches under real tension. Alternate sides each rep.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, dumbbells hanging by your hips.
  2. Take a big step to one side and sit your hips back over that foot, keeping the other leg straight.
  3. Lower until the bent thigh is near parallel, dumbbells on either side of the front foot.
  4. Push off that foot to return to the middle and switch sides.

Cues

  • Big step
  • Hips back
  • Straight trailing leg

Common mistakes

  • Short steps: a wider step stretches the inner thigh more.
  • Letting the knee drift past the toes: sit the hips back first.

Swap for: Kettlebell Lateral Lunge, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Side lunge, one kettlebell

Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Holding one kettlebell at your chest keeps you upright in the side lunge, so you can sit deeper than with weights at your sides. It is the side lunge to use when you only own one weight.

How to do it

  1. Hold a kettlebell by the horns at your chest and stand with feet together.
  2. Step wide to one side and bend that knee while the other leg stays straight.
  3. Sit down until the bent thigh is close to level with the floor.
  4. Push back to the start and repeat on the same side or alternate.

Cues

  • Bell at the chest
  • Sit down and back
  • Trailing knee locked

Common mistakes

  • Rounding forward with the bell: keep your chest up.
  • Turning the straight foot out: point it forward to stretch the inner thigh.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Wide-stance squats

Taking your feet wider and turning the toes out lets you sit lower between your legs, which puts the adductors on a stretch at the bottom of every rep. A single dumbbell or kettlebell is all you need.

Wide squat, one weight

Sumo Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

A wide stance with turned-out toes lets you sit low between your feet, so the adductors stretch and then help you stand up. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet well outside your shoulders and your toes turned out.
  2. Hug one kettlebell or dumbbell to your chest.
  3. Sit straight down between your feet, pushing your knees out over your toes.
  4. Stand up by driving through your heels and squeezing your legs toward each other.

Cues

  • Knees over toes
  • Sit straight down
  • Squeeze on the way up

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving inward: push them out the whole way.
  • Leaning forward: a vertical torso lets you sit deeper.

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Sumo Squat

Squat, one weight

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

With the dumbbell at your chest you can squat deep with a straight back, and the adductors work hard at the bottom of a deep squat. Take your feet a little wider than usual to load the inner thigh more.

How to do it

  1. Cup one end of a dumbbell in both palms and rest it on your chest.
  2. Stand with feet a little wider than shoulders, toes slightly out.
  3. Squat as deep as you can with your elbows inside your knees.
  4. Drive back up, keeping the dumbbell tight to your chest.

Cues

  • Elbows inside knees
  • Deep
  • Chest up

Common mistakes

  • Stopping high: depth is where the inner thigh works.
  • Letting the dumbbell drift forward: keep it on your chest.

Swap for: Sumo Squat, Bulgarian Split Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat

Split squats and single-leg deadlifts

The biggest adductor sits at the back of the inner thigh and helps extend the hip. Deep split squats, lunges and single-leg deadlifts load it hard, along with the glutes, which is why they belong on an inner thigh page.

Split squat, rear foot raised

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With the back foot on a couch or bench, the front leg drops into a very deep hip bend. That deep position loads the large adductor at the back of the inner thigh, along with the glutes and quads.

How to do it

  1. Stand a stride ahead of a bench or couch and lay one foot's laces on it behind you.
  2. Hold dumbbells at your sides, or go without.
  3. Lower straight down until the back knee is near the floor and the front thigh is low.
  4. Push through the front foot to stand, then finish the set before switching.

Cues

  • Straight down
  • Front foot flat
  • Deep bottom

Common mistakes

  • Front foot too close to the bench: step out until the front knee stays over the foot.
  • Pushing off the back foot: it is only there for balance.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Goblet Squat

Build a session with Bulgarian Split Squat

Lunge, stepping back

Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

A long step back with the chest leaning forward stretches the front hip deeply, so the glutes and adductors share the work. It is the easier version of the split squat and needs no bench. Hold a kettlebell in each hand to add load.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your feet under your hips, holding a weight or nothing.
  2. Step one foot well back and drop that knee toward the floor.
  3. Keep your weight on the front heel and your chest slightly forward.
  4. Push through the front foot to bring the back leg forward to standing.

Cues

  • Long step
  • Weight on the front heel
  • Soft landing

Common mistakes

  • Stepping straight back on a tightrope: keep your feet hip width apart.
  • Driving up off the back toes: the front leg lifts you.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Build a session with Reverse Lunge

Hinge on one leg

Single-Leg RDL

Hamstrings, Glutes

Hinging forward on one leg trains the back of the inner thigh and the glute together, and the balance demand makes the inner thigh work to keep your hip level. One dumbbell is enough.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one leg with a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
  2. Hinge forward from the hip as the free leg reaches straight back.
  3. Lower the dumbbell toward the floor until you feel a strong pull behind the standing thigh.
  4. Drive the hip forward to stand tall again.

Cues

  • Hips level
  • Long back leg
  • Soft standing knee

Common mistakes

  • Opening the hip toward the ceiling: point the back toes at the floor.
  • Rounding the back to reach lower: stop at the stretch.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Bulgarian Split Squat

Build a session with Single-Leg RDL

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

No weights, a couch or sturdy chair, 25 minutes

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets33 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You have nothing but furniture and floor space, and want to strengthen and firm up your inner thighs.

Without weights, the hard inner thigh work comes from leverage: the Copenhagen plank holds your body up with one adductor, the Cossack squat drops your whole weight into a deep side squat, and the Bulgarian split squat and reverse lunge load the back of the inner thigh. Sets stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure, with the plank held in seconds. Each session has 11 sets.

Inner Thighs A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Cossack SquatPer side. Pause low. 3 × 6–12 1 75 s
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. Foot on the couch. 3 × 8–15 1 75 s
Reverse LungePer leg. 2 × 10–15 2 1 min
Copenhagen PlankSeconds per side. Knee or foot on the couch. 3 × 15–40 1 1 min
How to run it
Do Inner Thighs A two or three days a week, leaving a day between sessions.
How to progress
Move the Copenhagen plank from knee on the couch to foot on the couch once you can hold 30 seconds. Add reps to the rest until they reach the top of the range, then slow them to four seconds down.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

One kettlebell or one dumbbell, 35 minutes

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets35 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Kettlebells

You have a single weight at home and want inner thigh work that uses it, not more floor exercises.

One weight held at the chest suits every wide-stance and side move: sumo squats and goblet squats for the stretch at the bottom, kettlebell lateral lunges for the side, and single-leg deadlifts for the back of the inner thigh. The Copenhagen plank stays in for direct adductor work. Squats run at 1 to 2 RIR; the lunges and plank at 1. Day A has 12 sets, Day B 11.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Sumo SquatWide stance, deep. 4 × 8–15 2 90 s
Kettlebell Lateral LungePer side. 3 × 8–12 1 75 s
Copenhagen PlankSeconds per side. 3 × 15–40 1 1 min
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. 2 × 8–12 2 1 min

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet SquatFeet a little wider. 4 × 8–15 1 90 s
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. Hips level. 3 × 8–12 1 75 s
Kettlebell Lateral LungePer side, alternating. 2 × 10–15 1 75 s
Copenhagen PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–45 1 1 min

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate Day A and Day B, two to four sessions a week.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of the range, then slow the lowering. When even that tops out, a heavier bell is the next step.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

A pair of dumbbells and a loop band, added to your leg day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Resistance Bands

You already train legs at home and want the inner thighs to get more direct work without a separate session.

This block goes after your usual leg work. The dumbbell lateral lunge and Bulgarian split squat load the adductors through a deep range, and band adductions finish them with the squeezing motion lunges cannot give. Two pairs keep it short. Sets go to 0 to 1 RIR because the block is small and comes once or twice a week. It has 10 sets.

Inner Thigh Block
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Dumbbell Lateral LungePer side. 3 × 8–12 1 0 s
A2 Band Hip AdductionPer leg. 3 × 15–25 0 75 s
B1 Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. Dumbbells. 2 × 8–12 1 0 s
B2 Band Hip AdductionPer leg. 2 × 15–25 0 75 s
How to run it
Add Inner Thigh Block to the end of one or two leg sessions each week. Do the two exercises in a pair back to back.
How to progress
Add reps first, then heavier dumbbells for the lunges; for the band, step further from the anchor.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How can I tone my inner thighs at home?

Train the inner thigh muscles directly two or three times a week with exercises like the Copenhagen plank, Cossack squat and sumo squat, taking each set close to failure. A toned look comes from that muscle plus lower body fat, so steady eating habits matter as much as the exercises.

Can you get rid of inner thigh fat with exercises?

Not from that spot alone. Training a muscle does not burn the fat sitting over it. Inner thigh exercises build the muscle underneath; fat comes off across your whole body when you eat a little less than you burn over time.

Can you tone saggy inner thighs?

Strengthening the adductors adds firmness underneath, and losing fat reduces what sits on top. Loose skin after large weight loss does not change much with exercise, but muscle and fat do.

How long does it take to tighten inner thighs?

You will feel stronger in the moves within two to four weeks. Visible change in the muscle takes about two to three months of regular hard sets, and longer if fat loss is part of the goal.

Does walking strengthen your inner thighs?

Only a little. Walking uses the adductors to keep your legs under you, but the load is too low to make them much stronger. Side lunges, wide squats and the Copenhagen plank challenge them far more.

What is the best inner thigh exercise at home?

The Copenhagen plank, because it loads the adductors directly with your body weight and needs only a couch. If you have one weight, the sumo squat and lateral lunge are the next two to add.

How often should I do inner thigh exercises?

Two or three times a week, with a day between sessions. The adductors recover like any other leg muscle, and daily sets usually end up too easy to make progress.