How to Tone Legs With Cable Inner Thigh Pulls

If you have access to the equipment at home or at the gym, using a pulley machine to perform cable pulls will help tone your legs and build muscle in your inner thighs. These muscles are known as the hip adductors and are often difficult to target with more traditional leg-strengthening exercises. For this reason, adding cable inner thigh pulls to your workout routine is a great way to help tone your legs while specifically engaging the inner thighs.

Instructions

1. Warm up with about 5 minutes of cardiovascular exercise that uses your inner thighs to prepare the muscles. This might include a slow jog, squats or lunges. It is important to properly prepare your body before doing cable inner thigh pulls to tone your legs, as the muscles in your inner thighs may not be accustomed to being part of an intense workout.

2. Position a flat weight bench next to the pulley machine. You will need to use a pulley machine that has a cable low to the ground. Place the bench to the right of the low cable and perpendicular to the machine itself.

3. Attach an ankle cuff to the cable and place it around one of your calves. If you do not have an ankle cuff you can also use a hand attachment or band as long as it snugly fits around your calf without sliding around too much. Place a small amount of weight on the low cable's weight attachment to begin.

4. Lie down on your back on top of the bench with your feet closest to the machine. Bend the leg that is not attached to the machine and place that foot flat on top of the edge of the bench. The leg that is attached to the machine should rest in whatever position is comfortable while lying down on the bench.

5. Bring the leg that is attached to the machine up on to the bench and bend your knee towards your hip. Open the attached leg outward off the bench while keeping your knee bent in a bowed position. Keep your abdominal muscles tightened and hold on to the side of the bench with your elbows bent.

6. Contract the muscles in your inner thighs as you bring the knee of the leg attached to the cable in towards the other knee. Try to hold your shoulders and hips in place without moving them. Pause for a few seconds, then return the knee with the cable back to its starting position.

7. Repeat this motion ten times for each leg. Try to do three sets of ten repetitions of the cable inner thigh pulls at least twice a week if possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Begin by using a very low amount of weight on the pulley machine. Less resistance will make it easier for you to learn how to specifically contract and tighten the inner thigh muscles without being overburdening the other muscles in your legs.