Don't cover up those gams, girl. You can tighten and strengthen your thighs to make them look their best. Getting defined, strong thighs means you need to work on your quad muscles. The inner quad is also known as the vastus medialis and it runs along your inner thigh, right above your knee. There are many types of exercises that strengthen your inner quads, with or without gym equipment. Most of them can be worked into your regular strengthening routine, too.
Squats
Squats are exercises that target the quad muscles and they can be done anywhere, anytime. A squat isn't just a squat, though. There are many different types of squats and some of them are better at targeting the vastus medialis. For example, quarter squats tone the vastus medialis better than standard squats. Split squats are another type of squats that can strengthen your inner quads, especially if you need to improve knee strength. It is important to talk to your doctor before performing squats, though, if you have joint problems or a knee injury.
Step-Ups
If you have stairs or own an exercise step, take advantage! Step-ups may be the key to inner-quad strength. Step-ups are just what they sound like. You step up onto a step and then step back off to complete a rep. You can do step-ups with dumbbells to amp up the intensity. To make it even harder, you can try using steeper stairs or an exercise bench.
Leg Extensions
No need to put up with weak knees. Leg extensions are a recommended exercise if you have a weak vastus medialis or knees. Weak vastus medialis muscles can increase your risk of knee-related injuries, so strengthening this area of your leg is important. Leg extensions are done with a leg extension machine. This type of machine can be found in most gyms. The machine allows you to lift weights using your quad muscles. If you have weak inner-quad muscles, never extend your leg higher than a 20- to 30-degree angle when doing leg extensions.
Leg Press
The leg press is another exercise that is recommended to strengthen weak inner quads. There are many different ways to do leg presses. At most gyms, there are several different machines that are used to do leg presses, including the leg press sled machine and the 45-degree leg press machine. No matter which machine you use, a leg press is an exercise performed by pushing weights using your knees and thighs while lying on your back or in a reclined position.
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Writer Bio
Since 1998 Alina McKee has written for dozens of traditional and online beauty, fashion, health and parenting publications including Pregnancy.org, Mama Health and Real Beauty. As a professional artist, her articles about these subjects have been used in magazines and websites around the globe. McKee has a diploma in fine art from Stratford Art School.