It's common to experience an increase in thigh size at a certain point in a new workout routine. This phenomenon is not exclusive to your thighs, but it can be more noticeable in that area for some people.
Switching up your exercise routine or diet may help you achieve a more balanced approach. However, understanding your self-image and having some patience around self-image during body changes is essential.
The Science Behind Muscle Enlargement in Exercise
From an aesthetic point of view, exercises can help you lose weight or build muscle, and in many cases, the workout will accomplish both. When you engage in high-intensity workouts, you recruit low-endurance muscle fibers known as fast-twitch, or glycolytic, fibers. These fibers break down, and as they rebuild, they get larger. These fibers are also responsible for the size and definition of the muscles you're working.
But muscle hypertrophy — the enlargement of muscle fibers — is not the only culprit here. When you start your workout routine, you can expect to see significant fat loss results. As you progress, your body will adjust to the intensity of the exercise, and you will experience a plateau in which you will see a noticeable decline in the rate at which you are losing weight. This combination of a decline in fat loss and muscle hypertrophy gives the impression of bigger thighs.
How to Reduce Excessive Thigh Growth During Exercise
You can take several approaches to try and slow thigh muscle hypertrophy while on a workout plan.
Lower your workout intensity
Although hypertrophied thighs might be a little concerning, especially for women, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Increasing lean muscle mass helps your body burn calories more efficiently, even at rest.
However, if you want to slow the growth of your thighs, lower the intensity of your workouts. You can achieve this by reducing the weight resistance and eliminating explosive movements, as well as by allowing for rapid recovery times between sets.
Adjust your diet
If you’re on a weight management plan and have hit a plateau, you may want to make some adjustments to move past it. To ensure you can maintain a safe and steady weight loss rate, you can try modifying your diet by reducing your daily intake by around 600 calories, according to the UK’s National Health Service.
However, Harvard Health advises never going below a certain number of calories per day: for women, the minimum recommended amount is 1,200, and for men, 1,500. Consuming less than this a day risks depriving you of necessary nutrients. It’s also crucial to avoid triggering symptoms if you live with an eating disorder or disordered eating, as calorie counting can contribute to this, according to research. Plus, before you start a weight loss plan, talk to a healthcare professional to determine what a healthy weight would be for your bodily needs.
Regularly switch up your workout
Mix up your workout by adding variations so your body cannot adjust to it. You can adjust the weight, the speed of each rep, the equipment you use, and more. You want to keep your body guessing so it can't adapt. This may enable you to break through a training plateau and maintain consistent training results, regardless of your goals. When adjusting your workout or diet, be sure to consult your physician to ensure you are not placing yourself at risk.
Be kind to yourself
When people are losing weight, gaining muscle, and changing shape, perceived flaws may start to become more noticeable to them. Your body may not look the way you expected.
However, larger thighs may simply be part of your genetic makeup or unique body shape. Research suggests that a close focus on body measurements can encourage critical self-evaluation, which risks a broad spectrum of adverse mental health effects, including low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and social isolation. Be patient and loving with yourself — after all, you’re still making plenty of health gains (muscular and otherwise) from regular exercise.
If your thighs are an area of concern, measure their circumference each week and record the measurement in a notebook. This will provide you with a fixed measurement that exists independent of your perceived flaws. You may find that they’re not growing by that much. While you're reducing your waist size or gaining more definition in your shoulders, your thighs may look big in comparison.
The Takeaway
If you're noticing increased thigh size due to exercise, it's often a temporary effect from muscle growth and may balance out over time.
Lowering workout intensity by reducing resistance and avoiding explosive movements may help manage thigh enlargement while still maintaining overall muscular benefits.
Consider modifying your diet and cardio routine to overcome weight loss plateaus. However, speak to a healthcare professional before making these changes, and always stay above the recommended daily calorie minimum to maintain proper nutrition and health.
Remember, larger thighs may be a natural part of your body shape. Focus on the positive impacts of regular exercise on your overall health and well-being.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers: What They Are and How To Build Them. Cleveland Clinic.
Sartori R et al. Mechanisms of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy: implications in health and disease. Nature Communications. January 12, 2021.
Getting past a weight-loss plateau. Mayo Clinic. April 9, 2024.
Why It Really Is Harder for Women To Lose Weight (and What To Do About It). Cleveland Clinic. March 21, 2024.
Messer M et al. Using an app to count calories: Motives, perceptions, and connections to thinness- and muscularity-oriented disordered eating. Eating Behaviors. December 2021.
10 ways to cut 500 calories a day. MedlinePlus. May 14, 2024.
Merino M et al. Body Perceptions and Psychological Well-Being: A Review of the Impact of Social Media and Physical Measurements on Self-Esteem and Mental Health with a Focus on Body Image Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Cultural and Gender Factors. MDPI Healthcare. May 8 2024.
Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.
Dr. Rick Wallace is a theologian, published author, public speaker and entrepreneur. He has more than 20 years in the health and fitness industry. Dr. Wallace is the dean of the School for the Ministry of Health & Wellness at A Ray of Hope Theological Seminary, Bible College & International School of Divinity.
