How To Lose Weight In Thighs And Butt [The Only Guide You Need]
Natasha Caleel
The article is verified by Natasha Caleel
MS in Occupational Therapy, BS in Kinesiology, Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, CrossFit Level 1 Coach
Table of Contents
If you want to know how to lose weight in your thighs and butt, keep reading. Below, we delve into what body recomposition is, what goes into losing fat, and how to build muscle definition and achieve your goals faster.
Sculpting the thighs and buttocks of your dreams isn’t the same for everyone, so there are a few foundational tools and tricks you’ll need to know. We recommend pairing them with the exercise guide to building the inner thighs.
Can You Specifically Target Fat in Thighs and Butt?
Despite online workout plans promising to “sculpt your muscles in five moves” or “shred fat in 30 minutes,” building muscle definition and losing fat — called body recomposition — isn’t just dependant on exercise. The best way to lose weight in the buttocks and thighs is to avoid fads and follow a well-designed program.
Let’s do some myth-busting around weight loss.
Despite the media saying otherwise, you can’t spot-reduce fat.
When we lose weight, we often lose it across the whole body, and some people cling to fat in some areas more than others.
Women tend to store more fat on the thighs, butt, and abdominal area, and no number of squats and lunges can guarantee a sculpted lower body, as genetics play a strong role as well.
For example, you could develop a super strong set of legs using the best leg exercises several times a week, but if you store excess fat around your thighs and butt, you may not see that hard-earned muscle definition. While losing weight in the upper body might be relatively easier for you.
Slimming the thighs and buttocks takes patience. Various factors affect your ability to pack on muscle or strip away fat, like genetics, sleep quality, stress levels, diet, hormones, and workout regimes.
The good news? Reducing your body fat percentage and toning your body could help you see improvements in the thighs and buttocks area over time.
The Basics of Losing Weight In The Buttocks And Thighs
Want to know how to lose weight in your buttocks and thighs? Here’s the basics.
#1. Revise Your Diet
The most basic and important rule of weight loss is achieving a slight calorie deficit–approximately 500 calories a day [1]. The rest of the factors may influence body composition after weight loss. However, without a calorie deficit, weight loss is unachievable.
Calories in versus calories out.
A general rule of thumb for weight loss is burning off more calories than you consume. A balanced diet packed full of protein should be a priority; protein provides the building blocks for muscles to grow and helps you feel satiated, which could prevent overeating [2].
We don’t recommend strict calorie counting and only encourage a small calorie deficit if you choose to follow a diet. Eating in a calorie deficit is relevant for overweight and obese individuals and should be followed up with periods of calorie maintenance (roughly eating the same number of calories as you expend).
If you sit within a normal weight range but still hold fat around the butt and thighs, focus on the quality of foods that you eat over cutting calories.
#2. Boost Your NEAT
To burn more calories throughout the day and improve your chances of fat loss, move and stand more often, which refers to Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) [3].
Taking walks, climbing the stairs, and moving around more should keep your metabolism revved.
Besides, climbing the stairs over taking the escalator strengthens and builds muscle in the legs. One study found that even small amounts of stair-climbing throughout the day pack benefits, and you can find the stair stepper in most gyms [4].
#3. Add Cardio and HIIT
If you want to get rid of thigh and buttock fat, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady-state cardio could help burn calories and tap into your fat-burning zone.
Include compound exercises (moves that recruit more than one muscle group, e.g., like these compound leg and shoulder exercises), as this requires more energy and burns more calories, and alternate with strength exercises like squats and lunges to build muscles in your quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
The research into HIIT shows the exercise style is one of the most effective at reducing body fat [5].
#4. Prioritize Strength Training
A consistent and progressive strength program could shape your buttocks and thighs and help develop leg definition. Lean muscle mass also increases calorie burn while sculpting your legs and plumping the glutes.
Strong bones, muscles, and joints improve functional movement and help keep you robust as you age.
We’ve included 7 lower body exercises for you to try below, and we love this bikini butt workout for a toned bum!
#5. Consider Your Lifestyle
Losing weight in the buttocks and thighs is a process. When improving body composition and toning muscles, lifestyle makes all the difference. Higher stress levels and poor sleep quality can negatively impact energy levels, mood, and metabolism.
In fact, studies back it up, showing a lack of sleep could negatively impact your metabolism and hormones and increase cravings [6].
Develop a consistent sleep-wake routine, aiming for 7-9 hours a night, and turn off technology one hour before bedtime. Include calming practices like meditation or reading, and consider drinking herbal tea or listening to a podcast.
Best Exercises for Toning The Thighs and Glutes
Targeted exercises could slim the thighs and buttocks, improve the look of your quads and glutes, and strengthen your lower body. Stronger glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings, and calves could help you lift heavier in the gym, run faster, and produce more power during workouts.
The 7 lower body exercises below give more bang for your buck by combining cardio and strength training, helping to burn fat and build strength.
Start your workout with this 10-minute lower-body warm-up routine.
1. Jump Rope
How:
- Hold your jump rope in both hands and stand in front of the rope
- Engage your core and stand straight, then swing the rope overhead and perform a small jump
- Land toward the balls of your feet with knees softly bent and repeat
- Lower the weights to the floor and exhale.
2. Skater Hops
How:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and your spine tall
- Lift your right leg and take a big jump over to the right, landing on your right foot and sweeping your left leg behind you
- Lean slightly forward and use your arms to help drive movement
- Pause and balance, then push away with your right foot, jump over to the left side, and sweep the right leg behind. Repeat with speed.
3. Squat Jump
How:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged, and your spine tall
- Lower into a squat, sending your hips back as if sitting in a chair
- When your thighs are parallel to the ground, explosively push through your feet and jump into the air, keeping your chest up
- Land into the squat position and repeat.
4. Side Jump To Squat
How:
- Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, core engaged, and spine tall
- Perform a squat with a flat back, then explosively push through your heels as you stand and take a small side jump to the left
- Lower into a squat, then push away and side jump to the right
- Continue moving from side to side.
5. Forward Lunge
How:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and spine tall
- Step your left foot forward, plant the heel down, then bend your back knee toward the floor, resting on the ball of your back foot
- Keep your chest up, then drive through your front heel and push back to standing. Change sides.
6. Lunge Jump
How:
- Start standing with feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and spine tall
- Step your right foot back into a lunge, tapping your back knee toward the floor
- Push through your front heel and drive your right knee into the air toward your chest
- Add a small jump as you drive your knee up, then reverse back into the lunge. Complete reps on one side, then switch sides.
7. Curtsy Lunge
How:
- Stand with your feet hip-width or shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips
- Engage your core and keep your spine tall
- Sweep your right foot behind you to the left, drawing a semi-circle shape with your foot
- Place the ball of your foot down, then lower your back knee into a lunge toward the floor
- Pause, then drive up through both feet and reverse the movement back to standing. Switch sides.
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Bottom Line
- Losing buttocks and thigh fat works best when combining cardio, HIIT, strength training, and a balanced diet.
- The best way to lose weight in the buttocks and thighs also requires managing lifestyle factors like stress and sleep quality.
- Perform the seven leg exercises several times a week.
- Remember to be consistent, progressive, and patient with your workout routine to see best results.
