Hip adductors (inner thigh): exercises and how to train

The adductors, made up of the adductor magnus, longus and brevis, the pectineus and the gracilis, fill the inner thigh from the pubic and sitting bones to the thigh bone. They pull the legs together, and the adductor magnus is also a powerful hip extensor alongside the glutes. That is why they work hard in deep squats and sumo deadlifts.

Group

Legs

Main muscle in

2 exercises

Helps in

5 exercises

On the map

front

How to train it

Direct work comes from Machine hip adduction and Sumo deadlift, while Back squat and Goblet squat to full depth with a wider stance add plenty more. On the machine, start with a moderate weight and control the stretch at the open position. Four to eight direct sets a week on top of squats is usually enough.

Front

Back

this muscle·other legs muscles

Best adductor exercises for your inner thighs

Your adductors get loaded two ways: by squeezing your thighs together and by extending your hip in a wide stance, alongside your glutes. So this list mixes one heavy pull, one machine and three squats. The first two count as full adductor sets, the squats as half.

Sumo deadlift

Barbell

The heaviest inner thigh lift. A wide stance with toes out makes your adductors help extend your hip and keep your knees over your feet. The adductor magnus works especially hard, since its rear portion acts a lot like a hamstring. A good fit if conventional deadlifts bother your back.

Take a stance wide enough that your shins are nearly vertical at the bar, with a stretch in your inner thighs.
Break the bar off the floor by spreading your knees toward your toes, and keep them there.
Lock out by driving your hips forward, then lower along the same path without letting your knees cave.

Machine hip adduction

Machine

The only exercise here where the adductors are the sole main movers, so every set counts in full with no help from your quads or glutes. It loads easily in small steps, and most machines let you adjust the starting width, so you can build your stretch gradually.

Set the starting width so you feel a light stretch when open, never a pinch in your groin.
Squeeze your thighs together over about a second and hold for a beat.
Open back up over two to three seconds, and widen the range only next session if this felt easy.

Goblet squat

Dumbbells

Your adductors assist here and get half a set, but holding the dumbbell at your chest makes it easy to sit deep with an upright torso. The deeper you squat, the more your adductors stretch and help drive you up. A great warm-up before heavy leg work, or a home option.

Set your feet a bit wider than usual and turn your toes out as far as your hips comfortably allow.
Sit down between your knees as low as you can, nudging them out with your elbows.
Pause one second at the bottom, then stand by pushing your knees out.

Back squat

Barbell

Back squats give your adductors plenty of work even without direct training, counted as half a set. To make that half count, squat deep: in research, full squats grew the adductors noticeably more than half squats. A slightly wider stance may add some inner thigh work too, but depth has the clearer evidence.

Stand a little wider than usual with toes turned out about 20–30 degrees, giving your knees room to travel out.
Squat below parallel as long as your back stays flat, and feel the stretch in your inner thighs.
Drive up by pushing your knees out over your toes, never letting them cave.

Leg press

Machine

The leg press counts as half an adductor set and helps when holding your torso limits your squat. Your back is supported, so you can add leg volume without taxing it. A slightly wider, higher foot position with toes out bends your hips more and adds some adductor work.

Place your feet a bit wider than shoulder width and slightly above the middle of the platform, toes out.
Lower the sled with your knees tracking over your toes, stopping while your hips stay flat on the pad.
Press back up by driving your knees outward, stopping just short of lockout.

Adductor workout: sample inner thigh leg day

Run this once a week on leg day, with the Sumo deadlift in place of your usual conventional pull. Warm up with two or three sets of rising weight and a few light reps on the adduction machine. Choose working weights that leave one or two reps in reserve, knees still tracking out on the last rep.

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Sumo deadlift main mover: every set counts in full	3 × 6–10	150 s
Goblet squat helper: each set counts as half	3 × 8–12	105 s
Machine hip adduction main mover: every set counts in full	3 × 10–15	75 s

Counted for this muscle: 7.5 sets per session — the same way the GymAssist log counts it.

Use double progression: once every set hits the top of its range, 10 reps on the Sumo deadlift, 12 on the Goblet squat and 15 on the machine, add weight and start back at the bottom. This session gives your adductors 7.5 counted sets, 6 of them direct, inside the 4–8 weekly range. Squats on other days come on top.

Common mistakes

Snapping open on the machine. Your adductors are most vulnerable when stretched under load, and a sudden jerk there is a classic way to strain your groin. Open slowly and widen the range week by week. If it hurts, cut the weight and width; see a doctor if pain lingers.
Letting your knees cave in. Caving knees mean your hips are collapsing into adduction under load. Your stance loses stability and your knees take stress at an awkward angle. Keep your knees over your toes, and if you can't, lighten the load or bring your stance in a little.
Cutting depth to lift more weight. Your adductors work hardest near the bottom of a squat, where your hips are deeply bent and the muscles are stretched. Heavy half squats mostly load your quads and leave your inner thighs far less work. Drop the weight and squat to parallel or below.
Relying only on the adductor machine. The machine trains your adductors as thigh squeezers, but the adductor magnus is also a big hip extensor, and sumo pulls and deep squats train that job. Treat the machine as an add-on after a heavy compound lift, not your only inner thigh exercise.

Exercises where it is the main mover

Machine hip adduction Machine Sumo deadlift Barbell

Exercises where it assists

Back squat Barbell Leg press Machine Goblet squat Dumbbells Bodyweight squat Bodyweight Hack squat Machine

Weekly sets in ready-made programs

A set where the muscle is primary counts in full, a set where it assists counts as half — the same way the log’s stats count it.

Frequently asked questions

Does the hip adductor machine slim your inner thighs?

No, the hip adductor machine can't burn inner thigh fat specifically. Spot reduction doesn't work: you lose fat across your whole body when you're in an overall calorie deficit, and where it comes off first is largely individual. The machine still builds your adductors, which shapes your inner thighs as body fat drops.

Do squats work your adductors?

Yes, especially deep ones. Your adductors, mainly the adductor magnus, help extend your hip as you stand up from the bottom. GymAssist counts a squat as half an adductor set, since your quads and glutes are the main movers. For inner thigh growth, a few direct sets still help.

How often should you train your adductors?

Once or twice a week is enough for most lifters. Four to eight direct sets a week on top of your squats covers it, either on one leg day or split across two. Your adductors also work in every squat and lunge, so piling direct work onto back-to-back days rarely helps.

Is the hip adduction machine worth using?

Yes, as an accessory. It is one of the few ways to load your adductors directly without your quads and glutes doing most of the work, and it progresses in small steps. But it only trains the squeezing action, so pair it with Sumo deadlift or deep squats.

Other legs muscles

See how much work each of your muscles gets

GymAssist paints a 40-muscle map from your sets, shows lagging muscles and forecasts recovery.

Start for free Open in Telegram

Free forever for the first 500