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Exercise library · Quads

Machine hip adduction

Hip adduction for the quads on a machine.

How to do it

1 of 3

Inner thighs against the pads

  1. Starting position

    Sit with your back against the pad, place your inner thighs on the pads and grip the handles.

  2. The movement

    Press your legs together until the pads meet near the middle, then return slowly to the open position.

Most common mistake

Don't let your legs spring apart, control the weight and keep your back against the pad.

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Muscle group
Quads
Equipment
Machine
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The machine hip adduction trains your inner thighs, the adductors, which bring your legs together. It sits among the thigh exercises, but the muscles on the inside of the thigh do the work, not the front. The largest adductor also helps extend the hip, for example on the way up from a deep squat. The machine trains them in isolation. The wider the starting position, the longer the movement and the greater the stretch at the start of each rep.

Common mistakes

  • Starting too wide too early. Legs as far apart as the machine allows means a strong stretch under load. Begin in a comfortable position and widen it a little at a time, over several sessions.
  • Slamming the pads together. With momentum, the pads meet with a thud and your muscles rest in the middle. Squeeze them together at an even pace and hold briefly when they meet.
  • Lifting your hips off the seat. When the weight gets heavy, many people push their hips up for extra force. Stay seated well back, and lower the weight if you cannot.

Variations and alternatives

  • The machine hip abduction does the opposite movement and trains the outside of the hip, often on the same machine.
  • The sumo squat gives your inner thighs extra work in a whole-leg exercise, with a dumbbell.
  • The lateral lunge trains the inner thighs without a machine, using bodyweight and a stretch through the straight leg.

Sets and reps

This is an isolation exercise that works best with slightly higher reps. Two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps is a good starting point, ideally late in your leg session, and there is rarely a reason to go heavy. The guide to sets and reps helps you find the right range.

Progress in two steps, which is progressive overload adapted to the machine: first the range, by widening the start position slightly, then the weight once every set reaches the top of your range. If the machine has numbered settings, note the number, as the same weight tends to feel heavier in a wider position. If your groin hurts, rather than your thighs just working hard, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Also called

  • hip adduction

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