The first exercise that comes to mind when you think of leg exercises is the squat. Want to tone your legs? Do squats! Looking for ways to tone thigh muscles? Do squats. First of all, you don’t exercise to lose fat, you exercise to build muscle. So if you’re tired of resorting to squats, it’s time to switch to exercises that give you the same results but are different.
HealthShots asked fitness expert Aminder Singh to share some ideas on exercises to lose thigh fat, except squats.
Does Exercise Help You Lose Thigh Fat?
According to the fitness expert, you exercise to build muscle and not lose fat. What helps you burn fat is cardio. So it has to be a balance. “Any exercise that we are going to do is added to an oxidation process, which leads to an overall decrease in nutrition according to the body. Then fat loss occurs. So there is no particular exercise to lose fat in the thighs.


Understanding Lower Body Muscles
When talking about exercises other than squats to lose fat in the thighs, we must first attack all the muscles of the lower body. The fitness expert explains that there are different muscles in your body that you need to work on and understand to know which exercise is best for you.
He explains, “The front part of the thigh known as the quadriceps has four muscles. Next, we have the hamstring which is just opposite the quadriceps, which contains three muscles. Then there is the very powerful and big muscle – the gluteus muscle, so the hip is also a very powerful muscle.
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Next, two muscles under the knee and calf muscle (back of the leg) and in front (inner tibial muscle), which help move the toe up and down.
Different exercises help tone different muscles. For example, squats help work the glute muscles, so we can target different muscles with different exercises. Another thing that matters is that there is a progression from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
Best exercises to lose thigh fat
If you’re tired of doing squats, here are the exercises you can do, according to the fitness expert:
1. Leg extension
An excellent exercise with a lever machine, it targets the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh. This is a great exercise for building lower body strength, which can help you tone muscles.
2. Deadlift
It is an exercise of two joints together which is the knee and the hip. In this exercise, the body bends forward. Due to this flexion of the body in the forward position, the load shifts towards the hip. Thus, it becomes more of a hip exercise rather than a quadriceps exercise. You will feel the load on the hip and hamstrings.
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3. Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift is slightly different from your traditional deadlift. It is a good exercise to strengthen the posterior muscles, the gluteus maximus, the hamstrings and the adductors. Not only does it work on your lower body, but also helps strengthen your core.
4. Hip thrust
This is one of the best exercises for targeting the biggest muscle in your body, which is the gluteus maximus. It also engages the adductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings. By focusing on strengthening this muscle, you can increase the size, strength, and power of your entire lower body.
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5. Standing hip abduction
The standing hip abduction exercise works best for your hip abductors, which involves your hip flexors and extensors. This is a good exercise to improve hip mobility and improve core stability.
While these exercises may help, be sure to speak with a fitness instructor before incorporating any new exercises into your fitness routine.