Why Inner Thigh Fat Feels So Stubborn
If you are wondering why your thighs feel big or if you’ve ever felt self-conscious about your thighs, you’re not alone. When I was younger, I remember being teased and called “Thunder Thighs.” In the 80s tight bike shorts were in fashion and I felt so embarrassed wearing them – I wondered why I had such fat thighs compared to my friends. Looking back on my teenage years, I now know I struggled for no reason. I didn’t actually have fat thighs but rather very muscular thighs – which is why they seemed so much bigger than all my friends.
Similarly a lot of your frustration and struggle may be pointless – you may naturally have bigger thighs. In this article I’ll help you understand your thighs feel bigger, thick or fat and what – if anything – you can do about it.
The advice you’ll find here is based on my personal struggle with my “thunder” thighs, but also experience working with women for over a decade now. One thing that’s very clear from my work is that you may struggle with your inner thighs for different reasons based on your body type – you may be very muscular, you may naturally store fat on your thighs or you may just be experiencing signs of aging. Understanding why you struggle is key to addressing inner thigh fat – so let’s dive in!
Inner Thigh Fat Explained: Body Types and Fat Distribution
If you are reading this blog post, you either feel your thighs are too big or you may be noticing some changes in texture – such as more cellulite or sagging skin. The possible solutions to these problems differ so you need to first assess your body to better understand what’s actually going on. Ladies who feel like their inner thighs are too big or fat usually have one of two body types – they are more muscular (ie. mesomorphs) or they are more curvy (ie. hourglasses). To better understand stubborn inner thigh fat, you need to know how different body types and fat distribution patterns play a role.
Muscular Thighs vs. Fat Accumulation: Why Mesomorphs Feel So “Thick”
For mesomorphs like myself, it may seem like no matter what you do, you won’t see any definition in your legs. Mesomorphs often notice that while they can build strength quickly, their thighs may still appear bulky due to underlying muscle. Now there are some ladies who are genetically gifted with really shapely, muscular legs but most of us just feel thick.
You may be able to get some definition but you would need to get extremely lean and it would likely be impossible to maintain (and not healthy either). I once got myself down to bodybuilder lean to see how it looked and even then my inner thighs weren’t much smaller. I had a bit more visible muscle in my quads – but nothing to get excited about. Obviously I don’t have the genetics to have shapely legs and you might not either.
Hormones and Hourglass Figures: Fat Storage and Evolutionary Purpose
Then there are the hourglass ladies who store fat on their hips and thighs due to hormones and genetics. This pattern of fat distribution serves evolutionary and reproductive functions but is a huge frustration for these women. They often struggle with cellulite from a young age, and unfortunately this area of the body will be really resistant to weight loss for them.
Hormonal shifts, such as during pregnancy or menopause, can make this fat distribution even more noticeable.
I wish I had better news for you and that I could give you an easy solution. While the size of your inner thighs can be hugely frustrating, it’s important to focus on the unique beauty of your body type. The positives are that mesomorphs tend to not get as much cellulite and hourglass ladies look darn good in a dress or jeans as long as they maintain a healthy weight. You really do have to focus on the positives but I know you are still wondering if there’s something you can do so let’s get into what causes inner thigh fat in more detail.
What Causes Inner Thigh Fat To Be So Stubborn?
Understanding why inner thigh fat is so stubborn is essential before deciding what – if anything – you can do about it.
Inner thigh fat is subcutaneous fat, which sits just beneath the skin. This type of fat impacts appearance in specific ways, especially as we age:
- Softness and Dimples: Subcutaneous fat often has a soft or dimpled texture, contributing to the appearance of cellulite. Changes in skin elasticity and connective tissue as you age can make this more noticeable.
- Masked Muscle Definition: Since subcutaneous fat lies above the muscle, it can obscure definition. Training your thighs without reducing fat might make the muscles larger but won’t change how they look, potentially making your thighs appear even bigger (because now you’ve built muscle under fat). That’s why you can’t just spot reduce inner thigh fat.
- Hormonal Shifts: Lower estrogen levels during menopause can lead to fat being redistributed to areas like the thighs and abdomen, which means you may feel like your thighs are fatter even if you haven’t overall gained that much weight, if any. Given estrogen’s role in metabolism, shifts in hormones can make inner thigh fat even more stubborn.
- Loss of Skin Elasticity: Aging naturally reduces collagen and elastin, causing the skin to lose firmness. This can create a sagging or looser appearance, particularly around the thighs.
This last point is very important: sometimes, what you perceive as “fat” is actually sagging or aging skin. This is especially true for women over 40. I see this all the time with the ladies I work with. Whenever someone asks about inner thigh fat, I will get them to have a good look at the area and consider whether it is actually fat or a loss of firmness and the start of sagging skin.
Take a moment to assess your inner thighs. Ask yourself:
- Do I see dimples or cellulite?
- Is the skin less firm or sagging?
- Are similar changes showing up in other areas, like around my knees or quads? On my abdomen?
If you answered yes to one or more of these, aging – not fat – may be the primary factor. And while age-related skin changes are largely unavoidable, knowing this can help you focus on what you can control.
TIP: This will more likely be the case if you are quite lean – because obviously you if you aren’t carrying extra weight then “fat” is less likely to be the real issue.
Strength Training for Inner Thighs: What Works and What Doesn’t
Unfortunately, no matter what your age, targeting the inner thighs with strength training will not necessarily lead to the outcomes you want. If you want to see more muscle definition in your legs, visible results will require reaching a much lower body fat percentage. This level of leanness isn’t just difficult to achieve – it’s not sustainable. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s not worth sacrificing how you feel just for aesthetics. Most women also are not willing to put in the work to get that lean (think traditional fitness competition style dieting, which again is not sustainable).
You might be thinking – well there are plenty of women on social media with killer legs and that would be true. But in my 10+ years of experience working with women and having seen thousands of women in person and in their photos on my online programs – those legs are rare and a genetic gift. It would be amazing to be genetically gifted – especially myself when I rely on social media for my business – but the majority of us are not so lucky.
It’s a common misconception that training a specific area will lead to “spot reduction.” Unfortunately, you can’t selectively burn fat from the inner thighs. You can, however, add muscle to certain areas. In my experience, most women don’t want to add muscle to their inner thighs because it only makes them feel thicker. However, I do occasionally have ladies who are on the slimmer side, less of a mesoporph frame – and they sometimes want to train the area and see if adding muscle helps with the appearance. In that case I tell them that they can do things such as:
- Focus on engaging the inner thighs on exercises like leg press and squats (take a wider stance such as a sumo squat).
- Try using the adductor machine (inner thigh machine) or do inner thigh kicks on cables.
- Buy an old school thigh master and add that to your lower body workouts.
However, those who build muscle easily (like mesomorphs), should be very wary about targeting inner thighs more when training. As I mentioned in the earlier, when I was a teenager I felt super self conscious about my thighs because they were so big compared to my friends. I didn’t know it at the time but looking back on it, they were muscular not fat (likely from figure skating and roller blading which I did pretty much daily plus that’s just my body type). So I added things like inner thigh exercises and used a thigh master all the time. Little did I know I was making them much bigger! Looking back I wish I had understood my body type better as that may have saved a lot of heartache and struggle!
Can Losing Weight Help Reduce Inner Thigh Fat?
The truth is, the only thing that may reduce the size of your legs is weight loss. However, in my experience, many women want smaller inner thighs but aren’t interested in the significant effort and the cost it takes to get leaner – and that’s okay.
In fact, many of my clients who worry about their thighs don’t have much weight to lose in the first place. This is when it’s worth asking yourself:
- Do I truly want to commit to the effort of losing weight?
- Will the results make a meaningful difference for me?
- If I lose the weight, can I maintain the restricted lifestyle and keep it off?
Especially if you are a mesomorph, a few pounds may help you feel a bit better but the overall shape of your legs won’t change. You still won’t see visible definition unless you get really lean – because that’s just not your genetics! Also, for hourglass ladies, the weight may not actually come off the inner thighs so again you are left wondering whether it’s actually worth it.
On the other hand, maintaining your current weight is a practical, achievable goal that can prevent thighs from getting larger or cellulite from becoming more pronounced – especially during menopause, when weight tends to accumulate more easily.
Building Strength and Confidence, Not Just Smaller Thighs
While inner thigh fat can be stubborn, the real focus should be on building strength as you age. If you have more muscular legs, remember strong thighs improve stability, protect your joints, and make everyday activities easier and safer. Having big leg muscles is also helpful for your metabolism (more muscles means more calories burnt). Strong legs will help protect you from falls as you age – the leading cause of injuries, sometimes fatal, in older adults.
Focus on the beauty that your natural body type offers and remember that building a strong, healthy body is an investment in your future – not just in appearance.
If you are struggling with stubborn body areas and want some help with your training, be sure to check out my programs. You’ll learn to build shape where you want it, avoid getting bulky and – most importantly – become your strongest self!
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