How to Make Legs Bigger (for Women)

Co-authored by Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT

Last Updated: November 1, 2022 References Approved

Are your legs so skinny you get comments every time you wear shorts? Getting bigger, more shapely legs can take a while, since legs that are naturally skinny tend to stay that way and can become even smaller with age. The good news is you can add some inches by doing a series of leg exercises and eating plenty of calories to fuel muscle growth. If all else fails, you can also create the illusion of having bigger legs using a few style tricks. Read on to learn more about how to make skinny legs bigger.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Rethinking Your Routine

1
Focus less on cardio. When your aim is to get bigger legs, running, power walking, and swimming aren’t going to do you many favors. These exercises use your energy stores to keep you moving for a long period of time. That means that you’ll have less left over to focus on high-intensity muscle building.^{[1]
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Research source} Try substituting cardio exercises that can help build leg muscle like uphill cycling or hiking up hills.
2
Eat more food. If you're on a diet, you're going to have trouble building leg muscle. In fact, you won't build muscle unless you take in plenty of calories to feed muscle growth in your legs. This doesn't mean you should go wild and eat everything you want, but when your aim is to get bigger legs, getting more calories is essential. Eating 3 regular meals plus snacks filled with high quality foods will also help you gain some healthy weight, adding shape and definition to your legs.^{[2]
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Research source} Fill up on the following healthy foods:
- Eat a lot of protein. Protein is essential to building healthy muscles, so you need to be taking it in at every meal. You can eat lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood and lamb, or if you’re a vegetarian, tofu, beans, and eggs.^{[3]
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- Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts are also essential. These should be the mainstay of your diet.^{[4]
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- Avoid empty calories like processed sugars and flours, fast food, cakes, cookies, chips, and other snack foods that will make you feel run down instead of energized.^{[5]
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- Try supplements. Some people find that they can accelerate the process of muscle growth by taking supplements like creatine, a powder that supplements the body with a naturally-occurring acid that builds muscle. Creatine is considered to be safe in doses of 5 grams per day.^{[6]
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3
Do weight training. Weight training exercises focus your body's energy on the particular muscle you're working out, breaking down the fibers so they can build back up bigger and stronger. Doing weight training exercises focused on the legs will lead to the shapely legs you desire.^{[7]
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- The ideal weight for the various exercises you are doing is 75% to 85% of your maximum 1 rep weight. Find the heaviest weight you can successfully complete 1 rep with, and then scale it back to 75%.^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT
  Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer
  Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.}
4
Do intense workouts. Your leg muscles are used to carrying your body (and whatever else you’re holding) up and down stairs and everywhere else you go throughout the day. To make these muscles grow, you need to focus on doing workouts more intense than those you might design for parts of your body that don’t get as much exercise. That means every workout you do should get your heart rate up and cause the muscles in your legs to “burn,” so to speak. You need to break down the fibers and have them build back up stronger and bigger.
- For each exercise, lift as much weight as you can lift using the correct form for 10 reps. If you can lift the weight easily for 15 reps, it’s too light. If you can’t lift it more than a few times without needing to stop, it’s too heavy.
- Add more weight after a few weeks to keep up the intensity.
- Use explosive bursts of energy, rather than slowly going through the motions. Exercising explosively builds the muscle fibers of the legs. Be slow on the eccentric motion, then explosive on the contraction.
5
Rotate muscle groups. Don’t work out the same group of muscles day in and day out. If you’re focusing on your calves one day, do an intense workout on your quads the next. This way your muscles get a chance to rest and get stronger in between workouts. It also keeps you from plateauing by keeping your muscles in a state of "shock,” putting them through the process of breaking down and building back up every stronger.^{[9]
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- If you do a hard workout that includes squats, box jumps, and leg curls one week, switch to stiff-legged deadlifts, lying leg curls and lunges the next week.
- Adding weight is another way to keep from plateauing. Add more every two weeks or so.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making Your Legs Appear Bigger

1
Wear flared pants. These hug the thighs but flare out at the knee, making the lower leg look larger and adding flattering shape to the leg line. You don’t have to go for bell bottoms, unless you like that look. Even a slight flair will change your silhouette and make your legs look a little bigger.^{[10]
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2
Avoid skinny pants. These are designed to make your legs look like matchsticks, so you’ll want to stay away from them if your goal is to have bigger legs. If you absolutely must buy skinny pants or jeans, look for some with whiskering around the thigh and knee areas. Whiskering breaks the leg line and creates the illusion that your legs are bigger.
3
Look for patterned tights and pants. Go for floral, striped, polka-dotted, or tye-dyed tights and pants - the more colors, the better. When you wear patterned fabrics on your legs, they leave more of a visual impression. Wearing dark, solid colors, on the other hand, can make your legs look thin and small.
4
Wear knee-high boots. Boots that come up to the knee can completely change the way your lower legs look. Choose slouchy, thick boots instead of skin-tight boots. Wear them over jeans or tights to give your legs a fuller appearance.
- Wearing boots over pants adds a little bulk to your legs. Try wearing knee-highs over a pair of jeans for a fashionable look.
5
Wear skirts and dresses that hug your body. If you wear skirts and dresses that are loose and billowy, your legs will look smaller by contrast. Wearing skirts and dresses that are cut a bit closer won't make it look like your legs are being swallowed by fabric.
6
Wear dresses and skirts that fall just above the knees. Wearing hemlines that fall an inch or two above the knees will make your legs look less small. Wearing very short skirts and dresses draws attention to your legs, while wearing hemlines that fall below the knees can emphasize the contrast between your skinny legs and the fabric you're wearing.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Doing Exercises for Shapely Legs

1
Do squats. This is the single best exercise you can do to help fill out your thighs, since it engages the most muscle fibers in the area.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT
Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.} If you're a beginner you can do squats without weights. For more advanced athletes, hold a barbell bearing weight you can lift for 10-12 reps. If you’d prefer not to use a barbell, you can use two dumbbells instead. Here's how to correctly do a squat:^{[12]
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- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and squat, lowering your bottom until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees aligned right above your toes.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds.
- Push back up to starting position.
- Repeat 10-12 times for 3 sets.
2
Do walking lunges.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT
Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.} Do sets of 10-15 reps for each leg. Start with one set and build up to 3 or 4 sets. Try holding dumbbells at your sides to add resistance and help build more muscle. These work your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings, and over time they can help you build muscle to make your legs fill out.^{[14]
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- Take a big step forward with one foot.
- As you step, drop your back knee toward the floor.
- Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor.
- Rise into starting position and lunge with your other foot.
3
Do box jumps. This is another great exercise you can do with minimal equipment, and it’s great for getting bigger calves. Stand in front of an exercise box or step that you can easily jump upon. The taller the box, the more difficult it will be. Start with toes pointed toward the box. Jump explosively and land on the box with the balls of your feet. Jump back down to the floor. Repeat.^{[15]
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- Be sure the box you use is heavy enough that it won’t slide when you land on it.
- It’s not a good idea to use dumbbells when you do box jumps; you might need your hands to catch yourself if you trip.
4
Do leg extensions. For this exercise you will need a leg extension machine, which is standard in any gym with a weight room. Start with weights that provide light resistance and go for the burn.^{[16]
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- Sit on the leg extension machine with your knees bent and your feet under the lower bar.
- Extend your leg, keeping a slight bend at your knee even at the peak of the motion, then lower it.
- Repeat 10 - 12 times for 3 sets.
5
Do standing leg curls. This is another exercise that requires a machine to complete. You'll need to use a leg curl machine that allows you to lift weights by attaching a cable to your ankle. Load the machine with as much weight as you can lift for 10 reps, between 20 and 50 pounds (or more).^{[17]
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- Attach the cable to your ankle with the harness and grab the support bar with your hands.
- Bend your knee toward your behind as you lift, then straighten your knee again.
- Repeat 10-12 times for 3 sets, then switch to the other leg.4
6
Do stiff-legged deadlifts.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT
Registered Dietician & Personal Trainer
Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.} This exercise focuses on your hamstrings, essential for building more sculpted legs. You’ll need a barbell loaded with weight you can lift for 10 reps without needing to stop.^{[19]
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- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and hinge forward at the hips. Bend the knees as much as you need to to pick up the weight, then straighten the legs until you have a slight bend at the knee. From there, tighten your abs and with a completely straight back, lift your torso back upright while contracting the muscles of your buttocks and the backs of your thighs. Grasp the barbell with your hands.
- Keeping your legs straight, lift the barbell to your thighs, then lower it back to the floor.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Sample Exercises

Exercises to Get Big Legs for Women (with Weights)

Exercises to Get Big Legs for Women (without Weights)

Expert Q&A

Question

Good day, how many weeks or days should have changes? Thank you

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

It is fine to stick to the same routine of exercises for a month to 8 weeks. As soon as you notice the exercises becoming easy, switch to something different.
Question

What foods make the bum and thighs bigger?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

There isn't a specific food you should eat. Excess calories can pile up anywhere, including your bum and thighs.
Question

What foods make thighs bigger?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Any excess calories you don't burn off can end up as fat, anywhere on your body. There is no specific food that makes thighs bigger.