The 5 Best Adductor Exercises for Your Workout
A good adductor workout trains the inner thigh muscles — adductor longus, brevis, and magnus, gracilis, and pectineus. These muscles bring the leg toward the body's midline (adduction) and stabilize the hip laterally, and also play an important role in preventing groin injuries in sports with quick changes of direction.
On this page you'll find 5 adductor exercises curated by Befit, with execution videos, posture tips, and variations for the gym, home gym, and bodyweight training. Every exercise has been reviewed by a fitness professional specialized in strength training.
If you already know what you want, use the level and equipment filters to jump straight to the right exercise. If you'd rather start somewhere, check the top exercises below — the movements with the strongest consensus for adductor activation.
And if you want an adductor workout built from scratch, personalized to your goal, your time, and your equipment, that's exactly what the Befit app does automatically.
How to build your Adductors workout
Volume per session: 1 to 2 exercises, 4 to 8 total sets — adductors are a small muscle group, usually trained as a complement rather than a main focus.
Movement split: 1 exercise with progressive resistance (adduction machine or cable) and, if you also want lateral stability work, 1 side plank with hip adduction.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, with moderate load.
Frequency: twice a week is enough for this group.
Top Adductors exercises
| # | Exercise | Level | Equipment | Muscle focus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Adduction Machine
|
Beginner | Adduction Machine | Adductors | See execution |
| 2 |
Cable Hip Adduction
|
Beginner | Cable pulley machine | Adductors | See execution |
| 3 |
Side Plank Hip Adduction
|
Advanced | Straight Bench | Adductors | See execution |
| 4 |
Band Hip Adduction
|
Beginner | Resistance band | Adductors | See execution |
| 5 |
Side Plank Hip Adduction (Bent Knee)
|
Intermediate | Straight Bench | Adductors | See execution |
Adduction Machine
Cable Hip Adduction
Side Plank Hip Adduction
Band Hip Adduction
Side Plank Hip Adduction (Bent Knee)
All 5 Adductors exercises
Adductors workout at home vs. at the gym
Training adductors at home works well with a resistance band anchored between your ankles or above your knees, for standing hip adduction.
Side plank hip adduction (lying on your side, lifting the bottom leg toward the top leg) is a good bodyweight option that also works stability.
At the gym, you've got the adduction machine, which offers guided, progressive resistance for the adduction movement — the most direct exercise for this group — and a low pulley for standing hip adduction with adjustable load.
Use the Bodyweight or Home Gym filter above to see only exercises that fit your setup.
How Befit builds your Adductors workout with AI
Picking an exercise is only half the problem. The other half is: how many sets, how many reps, what load, in what order, when to switch things up. And that changes every week as you progress.
Befit solves this with an AI that builds a personalized training plan for your goal (hypertrophy, strength, definition), your level, your time per session, and your equipment. Every week, the algorithm adjusts volume and load based on what you've logged.
You don't need to know how to program periodization. Just train and log it.
Safety tips for Adductors training
- Increase load gradually — adductors are a muscle group prone to groin strains, especially if overloaded too quickly.
- On the adduction machine, avoid closing your legs with a sudden, jerky motion at the end of the range — control the speed throughout the movement.
- If you play sports with quick changes of direction (soccer, tennis), regularly strengthening your adductors helps prevent groin strains.
- Warm up the area before any higher-load session — adductors respond well to a brief specific warm-up (light adduction without load) before the main exercise.
- Rest at least 48 hours between direct adductor sessions.
Frequently asked questions about Adductors training
-
How many exercises should I do for an adductor workout?
An effective adductor workout has 1 to 2 exercises per session, usually the adduction machine as the main one. Total volume between 4 and 8 sets per week is enough, since it's a small, usually complementary muscle group.
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How many sets and reps for adductors?
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps with moderate load work well — this isn't a group that usually benefits from very heavy loads.
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Is it worth training adductors?
It's worth it, especially if you play sports with changes of direction (soccer, tennis, basketball) — strong adductors help prevent groin strains, a common injury in those sports.
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Can you train adductors at home?
Yes. A resistance band between your ankles already allows standing hip adduction, and side plank hip adduction works the group with bodyweight. Use the Bodyweight filter in the exercise list above.
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What other muscle group pairs well with adductors?
Adductors pair well with quads or any leg day, usually as a complement at the end of the session.
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How many times a week should I train adductors?
Twice a week is enough for most people — it's a small group that doesn't need as much frequency as larger muscle groups.
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What's the best exercise for adductors?
The adduction machine is the most direct exercise with the most controlled resistance for this group. Cable hip adduction is a good alternative when there's no adduction machine available.
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How do I know I'm training adductors the right way?
You should feel the inner thigh working. If you feel sharp pain in the groin (not normal muscle fatigue), stop the exercise and reduce the load next session. Film a set and compare it to the execution video on Befit.
