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Adductor exercises

Are you looking to specifically challenge your inner thigh muscles? Within our overview, you'll discover a variety of effective exercises to strengthen and tone your adductors. From exercises using adductor machines to lateral lunges, we provide various training options to activate your adductors with precision.


Exercises for the adductors

Are you interested in targeting and strengthening your inner thigh muscles? Within this comprehensive overview, we provide a variety of exercises such as the adduction machine, sumo squats, and lateral lunges to challenge your adductors. Through focused training, you can develop a balanced and strong thigh musculature.

Sumo squats on the multi press

The Sumo Squats on the multipress offer an intriguing variation of the traditional Sumo squats. Here, the focus extends beyond the thighs and gluteal muscles, as the adductors are more intensely engaged. The barbell rests on the rear shoulders, with the guide rail playing a supportive role in the execution. However, this adjustment brings a certain limitation in flexibility for athletes using the multipress.

Sumo barbell squats

For those who prefer the barbell over the dumbbell, the traditional Sumo squats with a barbell provide an opportunity for an intense training stimulus, similar to Sumo squats. Athletes place the barbell, supported by a rack, on the rear shoulder muscles and then perform squats with feet spread outward and a wide stance.

Sumo squats with dumbbells

Characteristic of Sumo squats with dumbbells is the wide leg positioning. Holding the dumbbell in front of the body with both hands increases the training stimulus, focusing not only on the typical squat muscles but also on the adductors.

Sumo squats without weight

Sumo Squats without weight present a wide-legged squat variation. Noteworthy is the strong training stimulus on the adductor muscles. Simultaneously, the hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteal muscles are strengthened. These weightless Sumo Squats provide an ideal introduction to wide-legged squat practices.

Barbell side lunges

Advanced athletes can take on the challenge of lateral lunges with a barbell. They gently take a barbell from the rack, placing it on the trapezius muscle. Lateral lunges aim to train the buttocks, thighs, and adductors.

Side lunges with dumbbells

Lateral lunges with dumbbells increase the challenge of bodyweight side lunges. The added weight intensifies the stimulation of the buttocks, quadriceps, and adductors during execution. Additionally, athletes benefit from the natural freedom of movement in lateral lunges, making them suitable for any location.

Side lunges with your own body weight

The lateral squats with one's own body weight present a variation of lunges where the focus is on the sideways movement. This exercise aims to strengthen the thighs and glutes. In contrast to other lunge variations, the adductors also experience a stimulating stimulus.

Side lying leg raises (stretching)

The lying leg lift is also referred to as a side lying leg lift. This stretching exercise closely resembles the side lying leg lift. However, athletes adjust the exercise slightly to achieve an effective stretch of the adductors. Since only the hands and buttocks touch the ground, the execution becomes somewhat more complex, meaning that not every athlete can effectively perform this stretching exercise as a side lying leg lift.

Stretching the adductors by opening your legs (stretching)

In the exercise for side leg opening, you lie on your back on the floor. The legs are positioned vertically in the air and are gently guided outward for a pleasant stretch. Due to the lying starting position, athletes can concentrate on stretching the adductors in a relaxed manner.

Adductor stretch sitting with wide legs (stretch)

In the stretching exercise for adductor stretch in a sitting position with legs spread, you spread your legs outward while sitting and, in this wide-legged position, pull your toes toward your body. This creates an intense stretch on the insides of the thighs. To stretch the adductors even more intensely, you can reach forward with your hands.

Adductor stretch with a wide stance (stretch)

In the stretching exercise for adductor stretch with a wide stance, the legs should be spread as far apart as possible. There can be significant differences depending on the flexibility of the athletes. Now, leaning forward with a straight back intensifies the stretch in the adductors.

Squat adductor stretch (stretching)

The squat adductor stretch is a stretching exercise where you stretch the insides of your thighs in a squatting position. To begin, stand in an upright position, and the feet are angled outward. To further enhance the stretch, you can support the movement during squat adductor stretching with your hands, allowing for various intensities.

Standing adductor stretch (stretch)

The standing adductor stretch, also known as the standing groin stretch, is widely popular. In this exercise, you stand upright and move one leg laterally outward. The body weight is then shifted in the opposite direction. There are various variations that theoretically allow you to kneel on the ground with one leg.

Butterfly stretch

Butterfly stretching is among the favored stretches for the adductors. It is also referred to as sitting hip stretching or seated groin stretching. Sit in a seated position and bring the soles of your feet together. To achieve an intense stretch, lower your knees toward the floor.

Adduction on the device reversed

Reverse machine adduction is a choice made by some athletes for training their adductors. Particularly, female athletes specifically target their adductors by sitting on the machine with their gaze towards the backrest. Although this exercise is seldom recommended by experts, it is increasingly seen in fitness studios.

Adduction on the device while sitting

The most popular method for training the adductor muscles is sitting on the adduction machine. This isolation exercise exclusively targets the adductors. Almost every gym now has such a machine, which is particularly popular among female athletes. After the initial workout, fitness enthusiasts consistently report experiencing significant muscle soreness.

Adduction on the cable pulley

The exercise of adduction on the cable machine utilizes the cable tower in conjunction with a foot loop for leg training. If you want to perform this exercise at home, you can alternatively use a resistance band. Adduction on the cable machine is an isolation exercise that exclusively strengthens the adductor muscles by moving the leg with the loop laterally towards the opposite side of the body.

Leg scissors

Leg scissors are a well-known exercise for strengthening the lower abdominal muscles, adductors, and abductors. Lie on your back with your legs almost completely extended into the air. Then, move your legs in a scissor-like motion from left to right. This creates a muscle stimulus, particularly in the lower part of the rectus abdominis as well as the adductors and abductors.