Thighs thick with muscle mass give you more curvy and attractive appearance if you have a skinny or petite figure as a result of a high metabolism. To get there, you'll need to commit to regular strength training and eating food that fuels your muscles for growth. As you gain muscle mass, your metabolism will increase even more. Watching your diet closely will make sure you get enough energy -- and the right kind -- for thick, attractive thighs.
Pump Iron
Do strength-training exercises at least twice a week that target your hamstrings and quads -- the muscles that make up the bulk of your thighs. Also, target your glutes and hip flexors, which lead into your thighs and support them. Start each strength-training session with exercises that target multiple muscles at once. Lunges, squats and leg presses work the hamstrings, quads and glutes simultaneously. Move on to exercises that isolate individual muscles, like leg curls and leg extensions. To keep your muscles challenged, switch up exercises you do from session to session. It's a good idea to strength train all the muscles in your body for balance.
Sets and Reps
Your muscles are made up of thousands of tiny muscle fibers. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are used when you do many reps against less resistance. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are used to lift heavy weights for a few reps. To gain muscle more effectively, you must stimulate more muscle fibers by varying your lifts. For each leg exercise that requires weight resistance, do three sets of four to eight reps, using weight you can't lift for more than eight reps at a time. Then, do one set of 20 reps of the same exercise lifting a much lighter weight.
Run Sprints and Hills
It's important not to neglect cardio as part of a balanced exercise program, but make sure you're doing cardio exercises that help to build muscle. Also, since cardio burns more calories than strength training, you'll need to replenish them after your workout. Do high-intensity interval training with sprints and hill runs as your intensity intervals. Cardio exercise at high intensities -- 75 to 100 percent of your maximum capability -- works your muscles anaerobically. Running uphill and sprinting requires your glutes, hamstrings and quads to propel you forward. They are strengthened as a result.
Eat After Every Workout
Have a recovery shake, snack or meal within 45 minutes after every workout to aid the muscle growth process. For the best results, have a gram of protein for every 4 grams of carbs. Carbs are essential for replenishing blood glucose levels after a workout so you have energy to metabolize. If you don't have readily available carbohydrates to fuel the muscle recovery process, they won't be able to start growing and can even lose mass.
Eat Throughout the Day
Focus on taking in more calories. If you don't consume more calories each day than what your muscles require for growth, they won't be able to grow. If you already have a high metabolism, you may need to find ways to consume extra calories. However, make sure you eat nutrient-rich food from natural sources and that the majority of fat you're consuming is unsaturated instead of saturated.
References
Writer Bio
Ben Prien is a fitness writer, personal trainer and workout enthusiast. He's been writing fitness articles since 2012 and has worked at "Men’s Fitness" and "Muscle & Fitness" magazines. He specializes in sports conditioning, muscle training, weight loss and sports nutrition.