When most people think about leg day, they focus on the big muscles: quads, hamstrings, and glutes. But there’s another important muscle group that often gets overlooked—your hip adductors.
These muscles are located on the inside of your thighs and are the most important muscles for hip stability, balance, and injury prevention.
In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about hip adductors, from understanding their role in your body to specific exercises that can help you strengthen them.
Whether you’re an athlete, a gym-goer, or just someone looking to improve your fitness routine, you’ll find plenty of actionable tips here.
What Are the Hip Adductors?
The hip adductors are a group of five muscles located along the inner thigh.
They’re responsible for pulling your legs toward the midline of your body, a movement called hip adduction. These muscles include:
- Adductor longus
- Adductor magnus
- Adductor brevis
- Gracilis
- Pectineus
Together, this muscle group supports a wide range of movements, from stabilizing your hips during a wide stance squat to helping you balance during a single-leg squat.
They also play a very important role in protecting your lower body from injuries like strains and sprains.
Why Are Hip Adductors So Important?
Weak adductors can really negatively impact your entire lower body.
They’re crucial for:
- Hip Strength and Stability: Your inner thigh muscles help keep your hips and knees in alignment, reducing the risk of injuries.
- Injury Prevention: Strong adductors protect against common issues like adductor muscle strain, which often affects athletes during sudden lateral movements.
- Better Performance: Whether you’re running, jumping, or lifting, strong adductors improve muscle activation and give you more power.
The Best Hip Adductor Exercises
Now let’s go over the top hip adduction exercises that’ll strengthen your inner thighs, increase flexibility, and enhance performance.
You can mix these exercises into your existing workout program or create a new routine centered around adductor strength.
1. Seated Hip Adduction Machine
This is a classic for targeting your inner thigh muscles. I’m sure you have seen this machine at the gym!
- Starting Position: Sit on the machine with your back straight, knees bent, and feet flat against the pads.
- Exercise: Squeeze your thighs together slowly, hold for a second, and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Focus: Keep the motion controlled to fully engage the adductor muscle group.
2. Wide Stance Squat
Also called a sumo squat, this exercise is great for activating your adductor longus and adductor magnus.
- Starting Position: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width (whatever is comfortable) and with your toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Exercise: Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your foot flat and push through your heels to stand back up.
- Focus: Keep your knees aligned with your toes to avoid strain.
3. Standing Banded Adduction
This exercise builds strength and improves balance, and it can be done in your own home if you have a resistance band to use.
- Starting Position: Anchor the band at ankle height. Loop it around one ankle and stand sideways to the anchor point.
- Exercise: Slowly pull your leg inward across your body, hold for a second, and slowly return to the starting position.
- Focus: Keep the motion steady and controlled to avoid using momentum.
4. Copenhagen Hip Adduction
This exercise is a bit challenging, but is a good one for athletes aiming to strengthen their adductors.
- Starting Position: Lie sideways on the ground with your top leg resting on a bench or elevated surface.
- Exercise: Use your inner thigh to lift your body off the ground while keeping your bottom leg straight. Slowly lower back down.
- Focus: Engage your core and avoid arching your back.
5. Side-Lying Adduction
Perfect for isolating each leg at a time, this move is simple but effective.
- Starting Position: Lie on your side with your bottom leg extended and your top leg bent over it.
- Exercise: Lift your bottom leg toward the ceiling, hold for a second, and lower it back down.
- Focus: Keep your movements slow and controlled to engage the adductor brevis.
6. Lateral Lunge
Another very simple, fundamental stretch that can make a big difference. This dynamic move strengthens your adductors while also improving hip mobility.
- Starting Position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Exercise: Step to the side, bend your knee, and lower yourself into a lunge. Keep your other leg straight. Push back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
- Focus: Keep your chest up and your weight on your heels.
7. Cossack Squat
This deep squat variation is ideal for stretching and strengthening your inner thighs. It can be someone hard as it requires balance, so work your way there and watch instruction videos if needed.
- Starting Position: Stand with a wide stance and toes slightly pointed out.
- Exercise: Shift your weight onto one leg and squat deeply while keeping the other leg straight. Alternate sides.
- Focus: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders.
8. Crook Lying Leg Squeeze (Magic Circle)
This is a very beginner-friendly exercise that targets the adductor muscle group using a small prop like a ball or a magic circle.
- Starting Position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Put a small ball (or circle) between your knees.
- Exercise: Squeeze the ball or circle, hold for a second, and release.
- Focus: Engage your core for added stability.
Tips for Effective Hip Adductor Exercise Training
To get the most out of your hip adductor exercise, follow these tips:
- Warm Up: Get your blood flowing with dynamic stretches like leg swings or lunges before starting.
- Slowly Increase Resistance: Start with lighter weights or resistance bands and gradually build up.
- Focus on Form: Controlled movements lead to better muscle activation and reduce the risk of injury.
- Balance Your Routine: Include both bodyweight and equipment-based exercises like the adductor machine.
How to Modify Your Hip Adductors Exercise, for Beginners or Injured Athletes
Not everyone can jump straight into advanced hip adduction exercises like the Copenhagen hip adduction or a heavy adductor machine workout.
Here are some ways to scale down these exercises for beginners or those recovering from injuries.
1. Reduce the Range of Motion
Instead of going for a full wide stance squat, start with a narrower stance and focus on moving only as deep as you’re comfortable.
Gradually increase your range of motion as your strength improves.
2. Use Body Weight First
If you’re new to training your inner thigh muscles, skip the weights and focus on body weight exercises like side-lying adduction.
This allows you to build a foundation of strength and stability without overloading the muscle group.
3. Incorporate Isometric Holds
Isometric exercises, where you hold a position without moving, can help strengthen your adductor longus, adductor brevis, and other muscles while minimizing the risk of strain.
For example, try squeezing a small ball or magic circle between your knees while lying down.
4. Progress Gradually
For injured athletes, slowly increase the intensity of your workouts. Start with low-resistance moves like standing banded adduction and work your way up to more challenging exercises.
Always listen to your body and consult a professional if needed.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Your Adductors
Strong adductors are about more than looks—they’re necessary for overall hip strength, balance, and injury prevention.
Adding hip adduction exercises to your training routine will help you move better, lift heavier, and feel stronger.
Take the time to incorporate these specific exercises into your routine, and your thigh muscles, hips, and entire lower body will thank you.