How to Use the ThighMaster: The 5 Exercises That Actually Work

The best ThighMaster exercises are the ones you'll actually do — and I've been doing mine every single morning for more than 30 years. When people ask how to use a ThighMaster, they usually expect a one-liner. What they need is what I'm about to give you: a real breakdown of five targeted moves that work the inner thighs, glutes, arms, and chest — with specific reps, proper form, and the honest truth about what to expect. I designed this tool. I use it daily. Here is exactly how.

Why the ThighMaster Still Works (And Why Most People Use It Wrong)

I created the ThighMaster because I was frustrated. Every piece of gym equipment I tried either bored me, hurt my joints, or required a trainer and a gym bag. I wanted something I could use on my living room floor in five minutes. What I ended up with was a resistance tool that directly loads the adductor muscles — the inner thigh muscles that squats, lunges, and even cycling almost entirely skip.

Here's what most people don't know: the adductors make up roughly 20 percent of your total leg muscle mass, yet they are nearly invisible in standard workout programming. Weakness there contributes to knee instability, hip pain, and that loss of definition along the inner thigh that seems to accelerate after menopause. Estrogen decline after 50 accelerates muscle loss at a rate of approximately 1 to 2 percent per year — which means deliberate, targeted resistance work isn't vanity. It's maintenance.

The mistake I see constantly is speed. Women squeeze the ThighMaster like they're trying to win something. The whole point is slow, controlled resistance on both the squeeze and the release. The release is where half the work happens.

The 5 ThighMaster Exercises That Actually Deliver Results

1. The Classic Inner Thigh Squeeze

Sit on the floor with your legs extended or slightly bent. Place the ThighMaster between your knees, with the pivot point facing outward. Sit tall — no slouching. Squeeze your knees together slowly, hold for one full second at peak contraction, then release just as slowly. Do not let the coil spring all the way open between reps. Keep tension on the muscle the entire set.

This is the foundational inner thigh exercise at home. It isolates the adductors with no impact on your knees or hips. Three sets of 15 to start. Work toward 25 to 30 reps over two to three weeks.

2. Lying Side Squeeze

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place the ThighMaster between your knees. From this position, the squeeze angle changes slightly — you'll feel it more in the upper inner thigh and into the hip adductors. This is one of my favorite variations because it fully removes lower back strain and lets me focus entirely on the muscle.

Same rules: slow squeeze, one-second hold, slow release. Three sets of 20.

3. Seated Chest Press

This one surprises people. Sit in a chair with your back straight. Hold the ThighMaster horizontally with both hands at chest height, one hand on each end. Press inward — as if trying to collapse the coil — hold, and release slowly. You'll feel this in your pectoral muscles and the fronts of your shoulders immediately.

After age 50, upper body muscle loss is dramatic and fast. Women lose chest and shoulder definition quickly, and most of us aren't doing bench presses. This move takes 90 seconds and genuinely works. Three sets of 15 reps.

4. Bicep and Tricep Resistance Work

Hold the ThighMaster vertically — one end in each hand, arms at your sides. Squeeze the coil by pressing your palms toward each other. This loads the biceps. Now flip your grip so the backs of your hands are pressing inward — that loads the triceps and posterior shoulder. It's a subtle adjustment but the muscle activation shifts completely.

I alternate these two variations in the same set: five bicep squeezes, five tricep squeezes, three rounds. Your arms will feel it by round two, I promise.

5. Outer Thigh and Glute Activation

Lie on your side, hips stacked. Place the ThighMaster between your ankles. Lift your top leg slightly to create tension, then press down against the coil — you are now working the abductor (outer thigh) of the bottom leg and the glute of the top leg simultaneously. Hold for a beat, release slowly, repeat.

This is the move I added to my routine after 60, when I noticed my outer hip was losing tone faster than anything else. The glute medius — the upper outer portion of the glute — is critical for posture, hip stability, and that lifted look. You cannot get this from the classic inner thigh position. You need this variation.

Three sets of 20 on each side.

How to Structure a Complete ThighMaster Workout

A full session using all five of these toning exercises takes about 20 minutes. Here is how I sequence them:

1. Classic Inner Thigh Squeeze — 3 sets of 20
2. Lying Side Squeeze — 3 sets of 20
3. Outer Thigh and Glute Activation — 3 sets of 20 each side
4. Seated Chest Press — 3 sets of 15
5. Bicep/Tricep Alternating — 3 rounds of 5/5

Rest 30 seconds between sets. That's it. No warm-up equipment needed — the ThighMaster resistance is gentle enough that your first set serves as the warm-up. Four to five sessions per week is ideal. Consistent use at that frequency shows visible definition changes within six to eight weeks.

What to Expect and When

I want to be honest with you because I think vague fitness promises are insulting to intelligent women. Here is what is actually happening in your body when you do these exercises consistently:

• Weeks 1–2: You will feel muscle soreness in the inner thigh and hip area, especially after the first session. This is the adductors waking up — for many women, they have been dormant for years.
• Weeks 3–4: The soreness fades. You'll notice the movements feel easier and you can hold the contraction longer. This is early neuromuscular adaptation — your nervous system is learning to recruit the muscle more efficiently.
• Weeks 6–8: Visible toning begins. The inner thigh gap that many women notice widening in their 50s and 60s starts to fill in with lean muscle. The outer hip looks more defined. Arms are firmer.

This is not magic. It is consistent resistance applied to neglected muscles. The ThighMaster works because the muscles it targets are almost never trained any other way.

My Personal Recommendation

I use the ThighMaster Gold + ButtMaster combination — the ButtMaster adds a second resistance angle specifically for glute and hip work that completes the lower body circuit beautifully. If you have one sitting in a closet somewhere, go get it right now. You have everything you need.

The best investment you can make at this stage of life is in your muscle. Lean tissue determines your metabolism, your mobility, and how you feel in your body every single day. ThighMaster exercises are not complicated. They are just consistent. And consistency, I have learned over 30 years of doing these, is the whole secret.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many reps should I do with the ThighMaster?

Start with 3 sets of 15 reps. Build to 25 to 30 reps over 2 to 3 weeks. The goal is controlled, slow repetitions — not speed. I cannot say this enough: rushing through the motion is the single biggest reason women don't see results from this tool.

Does the ThighMaster work for inner thighs?

Yes. It directly targets the adductor muscles that most cardio and squats miss entirely. These are the muscles responsible for inner thigh tone and hip stability, and they rarely get loaded in conventional exercise. Consistent use 4 to 5 times a week shows visible results within 6 to 8 weeks — I've seen it in my own body and heard it from women using this tool for decades.

Can I use the ThighMaster every day?

Take at least one rest day per week. Muscles need recovery time to strengthen — that's not optional, that's biology. The actual growth and toning happen during the rest period, not the workout. Four to five sessions per week is the sweet spot. I do mine five days a week and rest on weekends.

What muscles does the ThighMaster work?

The inner thighs (adductors), outer thighs (abductors), glutes, arms, and chest — depending on the variation. The classic squeeze targets the inner thigh. The lying side variation loads the outer hip and glute medius. The chest press works the pectorals. The arm variations isolate biceps and triceps. One tool, full body coverage when you use all five movements.