The 10 Best Adductor Exercises for Muscle & Strength

The hip adductors are a group of muscles located in the inner thigh that bring your legs together, stabilizing your hips, enhancing your balance, and powering up your leg movements and lower body exercises.

Adductor training is a must whether you’re aiming to crush your squat PR, enhance your athletic performance, or simply crush a watermelon between your legs. 🍉

This article will walk you through the best adductor exercises for muscle and strength. So, get ready to give your inner thighs the workout they deserve. Your hips don’t lie, and neither will your gains.

Click here to jump directly to the adductor exercises!

Adductor Muscle Anatomy and Function

Your adductor muscles are a group of five muscles located on the inside of your thigh. Imagine them as a supportive team working together to bring your legs closer together.

Here’s a rundown of the key players of the adductor muscle group:

1. Adductor Longus: This is the most prominent and longest of the adductor muscles. It sits near the front of your inner thigh and helps bring your legs together. In addition, it aids in rotation and flexion of the thigh and keeps your pelvis stable.
2. Adductor Brevis: This shorter muscle sits just behind the adductor longus and assists in pulling your legs together. It also helps with external rotation and flexion of the hip.
3. Adductor Magnus: The big guy of the group, covering a lot of territory from your pelvis to your knee. It stabilizes the pelvis and thigh and is the main muscle responsible for moving the thigh towards the body. One part of the adductor magnus helps bend and turn the thigh inward. Another part helps straighten and turn the thigh outward. Both parts work together to bring the thigh closer to the midline of your body.
4. Gracilis: This slender muscle runs along the inside of your thigh. It’s a real multitasker, helping with hip adduction, hip flexion, hip internal rotation, knee flexion, and internal knee rotation.
5. Pectineus: This small but mighty muscle is located high up near the pelvis and aids in both hip flexion and adduction.

Function of the Adductor Muscles

Now, what do these muscles actually do in terms of daily activities?

In simple terms, they bring your legs together, a movement known as “adduction.” Here’s why this matters:

• Every time you take a step, your adductor muscles help stabilize your legs.
• Whether standing on one leg, shifting weight, or standing still, your adductor muscles help keep you balanced and upright.
• In activities like soccer, running, or dancing, your adductor muscles help with side to-side movements, quick changes in direction, and maintaining a solid posture.

Why You Should Care

Strong adductor muscles are essential for athletes, but they are just as important for anyone who wants to move efficiently and avoid injury.

Weak adductors can mean problems like knee pain, hip issues, and a higher risk of falls. Adductor training can improve your overall leg strength and stability, which becomes increasingly important as you age.

Importance of Adductor Muscles for Strength and Power Athletes and Bodybuilders

Stability and Balance

• The adductor muscles provide hip and lower body stability for strength athletes and bodybuilders. They are essential for performing heavy lifts like squats and deadlifts with proper technique.
• Strong adductors contribute to balanced muscle development. Imbalances can lead to compensatory movements, increasing the risk of injury and reducing your performance in the weight room.

Power Generation

• Your adductors help generate power for many leg exercises and movements. In explosive activities like sprinting, jumping, and certain lifts, the adductors help pull your legs together rapidly, adding to the force needed to complete the movement in style.
• They assist in transmitting force from the lower body to the upper body during compound lifts. That means improved performance in movements like cleans, squats, and lunges.

Injury Prevention

• Strong adductors help prevent common injuries like groin strains. A groin strain can sideline you for weeks or even months. Strengthening your adductor muscles can reduce the likelihood of such injuries.
• The adductors also contribute to the stability of your hip joint, protecting it from excessive stress and wear, which is particularly important if you’re regularly hoisting heavy loads in the gym.

Performance Enhancement

• In exercises like squats, the adductors play a significant role in hip extension and stabilization. Strong adductors help maintain proper knee alignment and depth during squats, leading to better performance and muscle activation and, in turn, better gains.
• They also help bring your legs back to the center in exercises like lunges, contributing to a more powerful and efficient movement.

Athletic Movements

• For athletes in sports that require quick lateral movements, like football, soccer, or basketball, strong adductors help immensely. They allow quick direction changes and help you maintain balance during lateral shuffles and cuts.
• In sports that involve kicking, like soccer and martial arts, the adductors are critical to the power and accuracy of the kick. They help control the leg’s movement and ensure you’re able to direct the force properly.

The 10 Best Adductor Exercises

Whether you’re looking to improve your stability, enhance your athletic performance, set a new squat 1RM, or get your wobbly inner thighs summer-ready, these are the 10 best adductor exercises to help you reach your fitness goals.

1. Squat

The barbell squat is a cornerstone exercise for anyone who wants to build lower body strength and muscle mass and improve athletic performance. It’s also a great exercise for the adductor muscles, especially after a few tweaks.

To place extra emphasis on the adductors while squatting, consider the following pointers:

• Use a wider-than-shoulder-width stance, with your feet angled outwards at about 30–35 degrees. This positioning increases the involvement of the adductors by making them work as hip extensors, assisting as you rise from the squat position.
• Think “knees out” during the movement (while keeping your knees in line with your toes). Doing so ensures that your adductors are actively engaged during the entire squat.
• Squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground. Going even deeper increases adductor activation. Aim to squat as deep as possible as your mobility allows while maintaining proper form.

You can also incorporate the sumo squat into your routine. The wide stance and external rotation of the hips in sumo squats put extra stress on the adductors.

How to Squat

1. Place the bar on your upper back with your shoulders blades squeezed together. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
2. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
3. Squat as deep as possible with proper form.
4. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
5. Exhale on the way up or exchange air in the top position.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

2. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is a lower-body exercise where you hold a weight, usually a dumbbell or kettlebell, close to your chest in a goblet position. It’s named after how you hold the weight, resembling a goblet (a fancy cup, if you will). It’s also one of the best adductor exercises you can do with nothing but a dumbbell.

The goblet squat is generally easier to learn and perform with good form than traditional barbell squats, especially for beginners. The position of the weight promotes good posture and form, helping prevent the classic ‘butt wink.’

Just like with the regular squat, you can give your adductors some extra attention by making a few tweaks.

• As you squat down, take a slightly wider stance than usual to engage your adductors more.
• Pointing your toes slightly outward helps target the inner thigh muscles. Aim for a 30–35-degree angle.
• Focus on pushing your knees out as you descend to activate the adductors and ensure proper knee alignment.
• Squat as low as your mobility allows, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower. It’s usually very easy to squat down deep in the goblet squat, so you should have no issues.

How to Do Goblet Squats

1. Stand with your feet hip-width, holding a single dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands at chest level, close to your body, and with your toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Inhale, brace your core muscles and keep your chest up with your shoulders back and down.
3. From the starting position, squat down as deep as you can comfortably go. At the bottom of the squat position, your elbows should be inside your knees.
4. Straighten your legs and return to the standing position, exhaling and pushing your hips forward as you rise.
5. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

3. Sumo Deadlift

The sumo deadlift is a variant of the classic deadlift, perhaps the best strengthening exercise for your entire body crammed together in one movement. The wider stance forces your legs to spread out, engaging the adductors more than a conventional deadlift.

The movement pattern of the sumo deadlift requires significant adductor activation to maintain proper form and lift efficiently while offering the added benefit of being a compound movement. You’re not only getting an excellent adductor exercise but also working your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and lower back, making it a highly efficient (and time-efficient) exercise for large parts of your body.

Focus on driving your knees out and extending your hips and knees simultaneously. Starting with your hips too high or rising with your hips before the bar moves increases lower back stress and decreases quad and adductor involvement.

How to Do Sumo Deadlifts

1. Step up close to the bar with wide foot placement. A good starting point is to have the bar over the middle of your foot and stand so wide that your shins are vertical, as seen from the front.
2. Inhale, bend down and grip the bar.
3. Hold your breath, brace your core slightly, and lift the bar.
4. Pull the bar close to your body, with a straight back, until you are standing straight.
5. Lower the bar back to the ground with control.
6. Take another breath, and repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

4. Jefferson Squat

The Jefferson squat, also known as the Jefferson lift, is a unique, underutilized exercise and a fantastic addition to your strength training routine.

It’s named after circus strongman Charles Jefferson, who popularized this lift back in the day. Unlike your typical squats, the Jefferson squat requires you to stand over the barbell with a staggered stance, gripping it with one hand in front and one hand behind the body. This somewhat elaborate movement involves a combination of strength, balance, and flexibility.

Like any squat, the Jefferson squat targets the quadriceps, adductors, and glutes, but due to its unique stance and movement pattern, it is particularly effective for targeting the adductors.

The Jefferson squat is an underutilized gem that can spice up your leg workouts and really fry your adductor muscles. Plus, it’s a great way to start a conversation at the gym – not everyone knows about this quirky lift.

How to Do the Jefferson Squat

1. Place a barbell on the ground. Stand over it so it’s between your legs, with one foot in front of the bar and one behind.
2. Bend down and grasp the barbell with one hand in front of your body and one behind. Your grip should be about shoulder-width apart. You can use an overhand or underhand grip, whichever feels more comfortable.
3. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged. Your feet should be flat on the ground, toes slightly pointed out.
4. Extend your hips and knees to lift the barbell off the ground. At the top, stand up straight.
5. From the standing position, lower yourself into a squat by bending at the knees and hips. Keep the barbell close to your body, and maintain a straight back.
6. Perform the desired number of reps, ensuring you switch your grip and stance to work both sides evenly.

5. Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a fantastic exercise for the quadriceps, glutes, and adductors, like a triple threat for your lower body muscles. You can do it with a barbell on your shoulders, a pair of dumbbells in your hands, or using only your body weight.

Bulgarian splits squats are a unilateral exercise, meaning you train one side of the body at a time. We all have one leg that’s a little stronger than the other. Bulgarian split squats help to even out these imbalances, ensuring your legs are equally strong and swole.

While the Bulgarian split squat might not be the first move that pops into mind when you think of hip adductor exercises, the insides of your thighs get their fair share of the action.

• Your body has to balance on one leg and keep your knee in line with your toes as you go up and down. That requires a lot of stabilization from the adductors to keep your knee from wobbling all over the place and keep your leg from drifting inward or outward too much.
• Also, as you lower your body, your front leg’s thigh moves outward slightly, stretching the adductor muscles. When you push back up, they contract to bring your leg back to the starting position.

Focus on a controlled movement to get the most out of each rep. Bulgarian split squats automatically train your muscles through a long range of motion, ideal for hypertrophy (muscle growth).

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Place a bar on your upper back or hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
2. Stand with your back turned against a bench, which should be about knee height. Stand about one long step in front of the bench.
3. Place your right foot on the bench behind you.
4. Inhale, look forward, and squat down with control until right before your right knee touches the floor.
5. Reverse the movement and extend your front leg again, while exhaling. Your back foot should only act as support.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, then switch side and repeat with your right leg forward and your left foot on the bench.

6. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a unilateral (one-sided) exercise that primarily targets the posterior chain muscles—your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back—but also significantly involves your hip adductors. It’s a killer move for improving balance, stability, and muscle building.

While the SLRDL primarily focuses on the posterior chain, it does involve a decent amount of adductor activation. The muscles in your inner thighs play an important role in stabilizing your pelvis and keeping your balance as you perform the exercise.

Even though this exercise is not usually considered one of the primary adductor exercises, it’s super useful to train them not only with isolation movements but also with exercises that involve your hamstrings and glutes synergistically.

The single-leg Romanian deadlift involves the entire hinge movement pattern in addition to your groin muscles, making it ideal for strengthening them in a way that translates perfectly to athletic performance.

Think about pushing your hips back while keeping your spine neutral and your core tight to maintain balance. Keep your rear leg floating off the ground for an extra balance challenge, although you can touch the floor with your toes as you learn the exercise.

How to Do Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts

1. Stand upright and hold the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Brace your core, and lift one leg off the ground.
3. Keep the back straight and start to lean forward by hinging at the hips. Lower until you feel a stretch in the standing leg’s hamstring. Make sure to keep your hips still, you don’t want the side with your lifted leg to start rotating upwards.
4. Return to the starting position. Finish all your reps on one side first, and then repeat on the other leg.

7. Side Lunge

The side lunge (or lateral lunge) is like a VIP pass to the Adductor Club. By stepping out to the side, you place a significant load on your inner thigh muscles, making it one of the best exercises for targeting your adductors.

By moving in a lateral plane, side lunges challenge your balance and enhance your hip stability, boosting performance in both athletic and daily activities. They also help open up the hips, which benefits your mobility and can help prevent injuries.

If you’re a beginner, master the movement with just your body weight to ensure good form. Once you’re comfortable, spice things up by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest or a pair by your sides.

Half-baked lunges won’t get you full results. Go as low as your hip mobility and comfort allow.

How to Do Side Lunges

1. Stand up straight with plenty of space to your side for you to step out.
2. Lightly brace your core, and take a big step to the side.
3. Go as deep as possible without your heel lifting from the ground and while maintaining control.
4. Push yourself back up by pressing the foot from the ground.
5. Finish all your reps on one side first, and then repeat on the other leg.

8. Step Up

The step up is a simple but effective bodyweight exercise. It involves stepping onto a raised platform with one foot, bringing the other foot up to meet it, and then stepping back down.

Step ups are an excellent exercise for your quads, adductors, and especially your glutes. It activates your butt more than squats or hip thrusts.¹ While step-ups might not be the standard go-to exercise for most adductor workouts, they do engage the muscles on the inside of the thigh to keep you stable as you step up and down.

Start with a platform about knee height or lower, especially if you’re new to the exercise. As you progress, you can increase the height or gradually add dumbbells or a barbell for increased resistance as you become more comfortable with the movement. You can also perform the step-up with a knee raise to add a balance challenge.

How to Do the Step Up

1. Stand in front of a bench, an elevated platform, or step. A step that is approximately knee height or slightly lower is appropriate for most people. 
2. Place your right foot on the step, ensuring your entire foot is in contact with the surface.
3. Use the strength of your glutes and leg muscles to drive your body upward and lift your body upward onto the platform. Avoid using momentum or relying on your back foot to assist you. You want your glutes to do as much of the work as possible.
4. Fully extend your right leg, straightening your knee and pushing your hip forward as you rise.
5. Lift your back foot off the ground and bring it up onto the step, fully extending your leg.
6. Lower yourself in a controlled motion. Maintain control throughout the descent and resist the downward movement with your glute and leg strength.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.
8. Step onto the platform with your left foot and repeat the steps above for the opposite leg.

9. Hip Adduction Machine

The hip adduction machine, often found lurking in the corner of the gym, is an effective tool for targeting the muscles of the inner thigh area, specifically the adductor group.

It is one of the best exercises for isolating and strengthening the adductors. It allows you to control the range of motion and the amount of resistance, making it suitable for any fitness level, from beginners to advanced lifters. Plus, the seated position reduces the risk of poor form and compensatory movements, ensuring that your adductors do the majority of the work.

Perform the exercise slowly and with control. Avoid using momentum to bring the pads together. Focus on a slow, controlled contraction of the adductors.

How to Do Hip Adductions

1. Adjust the machine to the appropriate settings, sit down with your legs outside the pads, and grip the handles.
2. Push the pads toward eachother by bringin your legs together.
3. Return with control to the starting position.
4. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

10. Band Hip Adduction

The band hip adduction exercise targets your inner thigh muscles (adductors) using resistance bands. It’s simple, effective, allows for controlled resistance, and can be easily adjusted for different fitness levels. And because it can be done pretty much anywhere, it’s also a great addition to your home workout routine.

Banded hip addictions are one of the best exercises for isolating and strengthening the adductor muscles without any expensive equipment. While gym machines can also target these muscles, bands add a unique challenge by requiring more stabilization and control.

Pair this exercise with the band hip abduction to work the outer thighs and ensure balanced muscle development.

How to Do Band Hip Adductions

1. Attach one end of a resistance band to a stable anchor point at ankle height. Secure the other end around your ankle.
2. Stand perpendicular to the anchor point so the exercise band pulls your leg away from your body.
3. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining a slight bend in your knee joint. Engage your core to keep your balance.
4. Bring the banded leg towards the midline of the body, crossing over the supporting leg.
5. Gradually return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch to the other leg.

Adductor Workout for Muscle and Strength

With the above adductor exercises, you can choose your favorites to boost your hip adductor strength and muscle growth.

Generally, most people don’t need a specific adductor workout as they are heavily involved in most regular leg exercises.

Any of our leg workouts give your adductor muscles a great workout, too.

• Leg Day Workout Routine
• Bodybuilding Leg Workout
• Barbell Leg Workout
• Leg Workout With Dumbbells

They are all available in our workout app StrengthLog.

However, if you want specific adductor training sessions, you’ll find StrengthLog’s Adductor Workout in your StrengthLog app.

StrengthLog’s Adductor Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	5
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	10
Hip Adduction Machine	3	12

This workout hits your adductors with a variety of rep ranges and angles. Track your workouts (if only there were a workout log app for this) by increasing the weight or doing one more rep when you can, and your adductors will have no choice but to grow bigger and stronger.

StrengthLog is 100 % free, but our premium version offers additional benefits.

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Final Words

You’ve just unlocked the secret arsenal of the best adductor exercises. Thank you for reading!

The inner thigh muscles might not be in the limelight like the bicep, abs, or pecs. However, strong adductors can be the secret sauce to better balance and improved athletic performance.

Include your favorite adductor exercises in your leg day workouts, challenge yourself, stay consistent, and you’ll crush your goals as easily as you crush watermelons between your thighs.

Good luck with your adductor training!

Click here to return to our list of strength training programs and workouts.

Click here to return to our full list of strength training exercises.

References

1. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2020) 19, 195 – 203. Gluteus Maximus Activation During Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. Walter Krause Neto, Enrico Gori Soares, Thais Lima Vieira, Rodolfo Aguiar, Thiago Andrade Chola, Vinicius de Lima Sampaio, Eliane Florencio Gama.