They aren’t the sexiest muscles in the body, but your hip adductors serve a critical function. When they contract, they pull your leg back toward the midline of your body. The opposing muscle groups, the hip abductors, have the opposite function, they move your legs away from your body. Both movements are important for keeping you functional.
The hip adductors comprise these muscles: gracilis, adductor minimus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and adductor magnus. These muscles often get neglected with so much focus on the abductor muscle group that includes the glutes. Yet we don’t want to overwork our glutes without giving the opposing adductors a fair shake. In fact, the hip adductors are often the weakest muscles in an athlete’s body and that’s because they don’t get the same focus as other muscles in the lower body. However, they often need strengthening because strong hip adductors also stabilize the medial knee and that can lower your risk of injury.
Why Train Your Hip Adductors?
One reason to focus a portion of your training on your adductors is to prevent muscle imbalances. As you strengthen and hypertrophy your glutes and hip abductors, your adductors need strengthening to maintain balance. Muscle imbalances are a common cause of injury. One of the most common injuries associated with weak hip adductors are groin strains. In fact, a 2015 meta-analysis found that weak hip adductors is the strongest risk factor for a groin injury. Groin strains are common in athletes who change direction quickly and those who speed up and decelerate fast, such as ice hockey players.
Groin injuries are not only painful; they often take longer than six weeks to heal. Groin pulls and other injuries are most common in people who run and jump. Overstretching of the adductor longus muscle is the most common cause of groin strains.
How Do You Know if Your Hip Adductors Are Weak?
One sign that your hip adductors are too weak is to analyze your form when you do a squat. If your knees point to the sides when you squat, it suggests that your hip adductors are weaker than your hip adductors, the muscles that move the leg away from the body and rotate the leg at the hip.
How to Strengthen Your Hip Adductors
Some fitness professionals believe that doing compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges is enough to strengthen the adductors and maintain balance. However, your hips can also benefit from isolation exercises that target these muscles.
Here are some of the best exercises for isolating your hip adductors:
Adductor Squeeze
This is an isometric exercise that will strengthen your hip adductors. All you’ll need is a mat and a small ball to place between your knees. Here’s how to do one:
· Lie flat on a mat with your arms at your sides.
· Raise your knees toward your chest and place a soft, medicine ball between your knees.
· Squeeze the medicine ball between your knees while you count to 12 and then release.
· Breathe normally and don’t hold your breath.
· Do 5 repetitions and then stop and rest. Repeat 3 more times.
Curtsy Lunge
This lunge variation will work your hip adductors but also strengthen your glutes. Here’s how to do one:
· Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
· Move your left leg behind and across your right leg as you bend at the knees. If you’re doing it correctly your thighs will cross.
· Once your thighs cross, do a curtsy movement.
· Bring your left leg back to the starting position.
· Repeat with the right leg.
· Do 6-8 repetitions on each side. Do 3 sets.
Sumo Squat
If you’re looking for a functional movement and a compound exercise that also works your hip adductors, try the sumo squat. Here’s how to do one:
· Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart with your hands at your sides and your toes pointing outward.
· Lower your body into a squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Keep your back straight.
· Pause for a second before raising your body back up to the starting position as you tighten your glutes at the top.
· Do 8-12 repetitions and 3 sets total.
When you first start, do sumo squats using only your own bodyweight. Once you’ve mastered your form, hold a kettlebell or a single dumbbell out in front of you when you do a sumo squat. As you get stronger, switch to a dumbbell in each hand or place a barbell on your shoulders. The sumo squat is an excellent exercise for the entire lower body.
The Bottom Line
There you have it – ways to work your hip adductors. Some exercises you already do will work your hip adductors, but you’ll still get added benefits by doing exercises like adductor squeezes and sumo squats that further isolate the five muscles that make up your hip adductors.
References:
· The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 29(2), 124-128.
· Whittaker, J. L., Small, C., Maffey, L., & Emery, C. A. (2015). Risk factors for groin injury in sport: an updated systematic review. Br J Sports Med, bjsports-2014.
· Stack.com. “4 Reasons Why Athletes Need Strong Adductors”
· Am Fam Phys 2001;64[8]:1405-1414.
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