A Human Web
Join

Strength at home

Inner thigh workout: sumo squats, Cossack squats, squeezes and Copenhagen planks

Strong inner thighs steady your hips and knees in wide stances, side-to-side sport and getting up from the floor. This session trains them several ways: deep sumo squats, side-to-side squats, a squeeze and the Copenhagen plank, the moves that worked them hardest or grew them in studies. It strengthens your inner thighs; it won't slim them, because exercise doesn't burn the fat over the muscle you work. The session is our starting point and hasn't been tested as a whole.

25 minIntermediate10 movesA dumbbell · A kettlebell · Other / check instructions · A bench or box · A bandHip flexors · Quads · Glutes · Adductors · Hip abductors · Back
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Standing march60 s
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoBriskEasier: Seated marchHarder: Standing band hip flexion
  2. 90/90 switch8 slow switches
    Intermediate · 3D demoOnly as far as your hips allowEasier: Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off
  3. Plié dumbbell squat (sumo squat)8 slow pliés, no weight
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoKnees over your middle toesEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands

Main

2 rounds · Rest 60 to 90 s between moves

  1. Plié dumbbell squat (sumo squat)8 to 12 with a dumbbell or kettlebell, stopping 2 or 3 short
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoFeet wide and turned out only as far as your hips allow; go as deep as your heels stay downEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Back squat with bands
  2. Cossack squat6 slow shifts per side, hold the last one
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoOnly as deep as is comfortable; hold a doorway if you need toEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Pistol squat
  3. Lying adductor ball squeeze6 holds of 5 to 10 s
    Beginner · Adductors, Abs · 3D demoA cushion or football between your kneesHarder: Copenhagen plank
  4. Copenhagen plank3 to 15 reps each side
    Advanced · Adductors, Abs, Shoulders · 3D demoShort lever first: your top knee on a bench. Expect sore inner thighs in the first weeksEasier: Hip adduction machine
  5. Glute bridge12 to 15
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs · 3D demoSqueeze a ball or cushion between your knees at the topEasier: Pelvic tilt into bridgeHarder: Single-leg glute bridge

Side hips

  1. Lateral band walk10 steps each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Quads · 3D demoBand above the knees, knees out over your toesEasier: Hip abduction machineHarder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

Cool-down

  1. Frog rock10 slow rocks
    Intermediate · 3D demoGentle; stop short of a pinchEasier: Adductor rock-backHarder: Active pancake lift-off
  2. Child's Pose (Balasana)1 min
    Beginner · Back, Shoulders, Glutes · 3D demoKnees wideHarder: Extended puppy pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Tips

  • Pick a dumbbell or kettlebell you could sumo squat 10 to 12 times; in your first two weeks, stop with 3 or 4 reps to spare.
  • Move from the short-lever Copenhagen plank (knee on the bench) to the long lever (ankle on the bench) only when 12 to 15 slow reps a side are steady, as our Copenhagen plank guide sets out.
  • Twice a week, with 2 days between: the Copenhagen plank leaves sore inner thighs at first.
  • A pinch at the front of the hip or groin pain in a wide stance means narrowing it. Groin pain up to about 5 out of 10 that settles within an hour is acceptable; sharp pain mid-rep, or pain the next morning, is not, as our groin strain guide says.
  • Pregnant with pelvic girdle pain? Leave out the wide squats, Cossack squats and Copenhagen planks, which move your legs apart; the squeeze and bridges can stay.
  • Want slimmer thighs? This builds the muscle; fat comes off your whole body with your overall activity and eating, as our thigh fat guide explains.
  • Stop and get medical help for chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More strength at home

Beginner bodyweight workout

A 20-minute full-body workout with no equipment: squats, knee push-ups, bridges, lunges and planks.

20 minBeginner10 movesNo equipment

Full-body bodyweight workout

An intermediate no-equipment workout: push-ups, split squats, single-leg bridges, pike push-ups and core work.

30 minIntermediate11 movesNo equipment

Full-body dumbbell workout

A 35-minute full-body strength workout with dumbbells: goblet squats, presses, rows, Romanian deadlifts and carries.

35 minIntermediate9 movesA band, A dumbbell

Questions people ask

How long does the inner thigh workout: sumo squats, cossack squats, squeezes and copenhagen planks take?

About 25 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A dumbbell, A kettlebell, Other / check instructions, A bench or box, A band. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 8 of its 10 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.