Though I may be deviating a bit from butts today, I thought I’d investigate at a hot topic: how to get a thigh gap. A sexy-looking thigh gap can go hand-in-hand with a perky, toned butt – so combine to two and you’ll be seriously smokin’!
The so-called ‘thigh gap’ has become increasingly popular of late, with many females desiring this elusive look that can be quite attractive and sexy. But can anyone get one, and if so, how do you do it? In this article you’ll learn what makes a thigh gap, if or how you can get one and, once you’ve got it, how to keep it.
What is a ‘Thigh Gap’?
A thigh gap is as the name implies – a visible gap between your thighs when standing with your knees touching together. This look even has it’s own wikipedia page about it, and is considered to be very attractive by some females as a symbol of femine beauty and hotness.
Is the Thigh Gap Achieveable, or Even Realistic?
I only had to skim the surface of the internet as I was researching into this topic to quickly realize that there is a lot of controversy surrounding thigh gaps.
Did you know there are anti-thighgap websites and communities? I didn’t.
The issue arises because a lot of younger girls including teenagers can and do get caught up in the hype of getting the perfect thigh gap, sometimes believing that if they don’t have a thigh gap then they are ugly, fat, not beautiful, or won’t ever be seen as attractive. I’d like to point out straight away that this is simply not true (but more on that later).
Thigh gaps can be attractive, but some argue that it is not realistic for everyone to achieve one. I think this is a fair statement – not everyone can get a thigh gap, and it is definitely not healthy to starve your way to weight loss in order to try and get a gap between your thighs.
Personally, I think that if you like the look, then by all means try and go for it! But, be aware of what makes a thigh gap and that it may not be possible for you to achieve one. Don’t do anything unhealthy. And, if it so happens that you can’t get a thigh gap, then know that there are other things you can do to still look sexy in the butt and thigh area!
Thigh Gaps in the Media – An Illusion?
Seriously, you see thigh gap pictures pasted all over social media nowadays, and it can make it a bit depressing for those of us who might not have one. Thigh gaps can be an illusion to a certain extent though. Photoshop is one factor, and another one is positioning.
Personally, I don’t have a proper, definable thigh gap, but if I tilt my butt out and lean forward, violà! “Thigh gap” appears. A lot of the pictures that you might see are of women in this exact pose, but the fact is that it’s much rarer for women to have a thigh gap if they are standing straight upright with feet together and knees touching.
The female anatomy is such that we tend to store fat on the hips, thighs and butt (it’s what gives us that curvy figure that guys love so much), so a thigh gap can definitely be an elusive condition – much more so that what browsing thigh gap photos would have you believe.
Anatomy is the Key to Having a Thigh Gap
Your skeletal anatomy is what largely defines whether or not you have or can get a thigh gap. Genetics also plays a large role in if you will naturally have this look.
To get a thigh gap, you’ll generally need to have two main anatomical traits:
- Wide hips due to a wider pelvis (skeletal anatomy)
- Thinner thighs due to less fat storage in the thigh area
Both of these factors are genetically determined. A key factor is understanding what you can and can’t change – this is what makes the thigh gap realistic or not for you. Some women may be ‘bow legged’ which might lend itself more to a thigh gap more than those who have straight legs or are ‘knock kneed’.
Wide Hips
There are some things you can’t change, and your skeletal anatomy is one of them. This is why some people may not be able to achieve a thigh gap no matter how much they diet and exercise, because their pelvis structure is such that the femurs (thigh bones) are positioned closer together, and therefore leaves much less room for a gap between the thighs.
Women naturally have a wider pelvis than men, which is a possible reason why the thigh gap might be linked to feminine beauty, as it clearly showcases this feature.
If you have a narrower pelvis, and it looks unlikely that you’ll be able to get a thigh gap, don’t despair. Read on to find out other things you can do to still keep a sexy feminine look and play up the best features of your body. Know that you can still improve your look in other ways even if you can’t get a full thigh gap.
Thin Thighs
Thin thighs are another factor which may be a necessary ingredient of the thigh gap. Your fat distribution on your body is also largely genetically determined, which means if you are prone to store fat on your inner thighs, you may have a harder time obtaining a thigh gap.
However, unlike your hip width which you can’t do much about, you can influence the amount of fat stored on your thighs through diet and exercise to a certain extent.
This is where it gets controversial, because some females may want a thigh gap so badly that they resort to starving themselves or otherwise other unhealthy behaviors to try and lose fat from the thighs. Not only can this be dangerous, but it is not sustainable. If this is you, please don’t do it! Instead, read on to the end to see what other alternatives are available to you if you can’t get a thigh gap.
How to Work Towards a Thigh Gap
Okay, so you’ve read through the above material, and you think you might have the anatomy that it takes to pull off this look.
As mentioned, the most you can actively do when it comes to getting a thigh gap is to try to reduce the amount of fat on your inner thighs. This will slim down your upper thighs to try and create that visual gap between your thighs.
If you are overweight, then you’ll first of all want to try slimming down and losing any excess weight by following an exercise and diet program until you are in a healthy weight range. Once you get there, take a look at your thighs and re-assess.
If you are of a healthy weight but still don’t have a thigh gap, then you may still see positive results from trying to tone up your thighs and increase muscle tone in your body. This applies to those who might class themselves in the ‘skinny fat’ category.
Remember, even if you have the wider pelvis that is necessary to have a thigh gap, you might still struggle to get one if your genetics aren’t prone to thinner thighs.
Removing that Stubborn Fat
Many sources state that it’s not possible to spot reduce fat, so just be aware of what is and what isn’t possible. Usually fat loss on the body occurs in stages and comes off in the reverse order that you put it on. For example, some individuals might find that they first gain weight in the stomach, then hips and thighs, then arms – which means when they lose weight they are most likely to lose it in the reverse order: arms first, then hips and thighs, then stomach.
This can spell trouble for you if you find that you gain weight first in your thigh area, as it may be the last area where you lose weight as well! The most important thing is not to do anything that is unhealthy or unsustainable! If you are in this category then sure, you might be able to lose weight on your thighs if you absolutely starve yourself and are unhealthily skinny everywhere else on your body. It’s just not worth it in some cases though. You’ll end up looking worse in other areas of your body by being unproporionally thin, and the reward of a thigh gap is just not worth it if the rest of your body doesn’t look healthy or nice to match.
Exercises You Can Do To Help Uncover and Maintain a Thigh Gap
Cardio exercises will help you slim down and lose weight from your body as a whole. Remember that you can’t really control where on the body you lose weight from, however working the muscles in certain areas can help ‘tone up’ those specific areas and if combined with whole-body weight loss, create a leaner look.
Try any of the following:
- High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- Power walking
- Jogging
- Sprinting
- Aerobics
- Dancing
- Gymnastics
Exercises which will build and tone muscle in the inner thigh region are any of the following:
- Inner thigh lift
- Inner thigh circles
- Thighmaster
- Lying Hip Adductors
- Yoga
Again, when incorporating an exercise program into your lifestyle it’s all about sustainability. You want to go with something you can keep up and be consistent with, so it’s no use starting a workout program that has you in the gym for 20 hours a week (do you really think you’ll still be keeping up with a routine like that 6 months down the track?).
What to Do if You Can’t Get a Thigh Gap
Thigh Gap – It’s a Matter of Taste
Know that not everyone finds thigh gaps attractive, and it may even be fair to say that girls find them more attractive than guys do! (To be honest, in my experience guys just find healthy girls sexy in general, thigh gap or not. A lot of guys won’t notice if you have a gap between your thighs or not, or even know what a thigh gap is!)
Not all guys even find thigh gaps attractive! Attractiveness is very much dependent on individual tastes. However, there is one trait that is nearly universally attractive, and that is confidence. Work on that if you can’t get a thigh gap, and you’ll be all the more better for it – I guarantee you!
Play Up Your Other Most Attractive Features
So you don’t have the right kind of genetics for a thigh gap, but you can still work on other areas of your body! A healthy body is a sexy body, so focus on maintaining a healthy weight through balanced diet and regular exercise. Of course my number 1 recommendation is to work the butt- it’s easily achieveable to improve the way your butt looks no matter what your genetics, and you’ll see awesome benefits from this too. An extra bonus is that the butt is yet another feature that most if not all guys love and appreciate on a female!
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that thigh gaps can be sexy, but they may not be for everyone, and by now you should understand that not everyone can get a thigh gap. To the lucky ones who can, you go girl! To the ones who cant, don’t be discouraged. A thigh gap is not the be-all and end-all of attractiveness. To be honest the old adage of “its what’s on the inside that counts” (as cheesy as it is), comes to mind. Focus on being healthy, and content with who you are. Inner beauty shines above all physical traits.
What do you think about the thigh gap look? Is it something you find attractive or want to go for? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Great information, to us men, a woman with a nice “butt” is very attractive, however I don’t know about thigh gaps. I remember that sometime ago a friend of mine, told me that he didn’t like it because it is like the girl is too slim, I didn’t know that some people actually find this attractive, well I guess no one disputes about taste.
Hi Jose, thanks very much for your comment – I’m very glad to hear your thoughts because I can guarantee you that even though I’ve tried to say it many times, there will still be women out there who won’t believe that some guys don’t really care if you have a thigh gap or not!
So there you have it –
not all guys find thigh gaps attractive
and here’s solid evidence provided from a male’s perspective.
I am glad you mentioned that not everybody can have a thigh gap. After reading your informative article I found out why I am in the group of women who can’t have it : My thighs are way thicker than the rest of my legs. I wilel try the combination of exercises you suggest because I am sure they can help me have more beautiful and toned legs. Blessings!
Hilda
There are not many people who can get a thigh gap, because there are a few physical traits that have to all line up in order for you to be able to get one. Hopefully pointing this out results in more awareness about the matter!
You still can get good results from working to tone up your thighs and drop any excess fat overall, so I’m glad you are still working towards this Hilda! Good luck!
I remember this was getting quite a lot of attention here a little while ago. Personally I don’t really care either way, but when it’s something someone tries to get and goes about it in an unhealthy way, I think it’s pretty bad.
The sexiest thing is when someone decides to look after themselves and works with what they got and enjoy what they have been given! Too bad the media twists our views on this.
Vince, thanks for joining the conversation, it’s interesting to hear the opinion of yet another guy who doesn’t really mind much about thigh gaps or not!
I agree fully with your comment – beauty comes from being happy with the skin you are in, and working with that to the best of your ability in a healthy, sustainable way.
I have a thigh gap, but i want to grow my glutes, Is that even possible?
Sure is Sophia! Glutes are totally independent muscles, so there shouldn’t really be much conflict between the two areas! I’d recommend checking out our post on butt anatomy and also our list of butt exercises!
Or for a short taster, you could also try the 30 Day Butt Lift Challenge.. good luck!