Hip Abductor Machine Is It Worth Using?

Hip Abductor Machine Is It Worth Using?

In gyms, there are usually a lot of machines ready to choose the weight and push without stopping and without thinking, which gives you a lot of free time to look at your mobile or talk with your partner. Indeed that scene sounds familiar to you in the hip abductor machine.

The hip abductor machine allows working the separating / approximating muscles of the hip. It may be that the same machine allows altering the position to perform these two movements, or there may be a machine for abductors (as in the video above) and another to work the hip abductors.

As a quick answer to the question in the title, we could say that it is worth it if you use it with specific objectives and perform the exercise with good technique, with the appropriate weight for the training objectives.

This type of machine (correct me if I’m wrong) is usually used by women (in my particular case, I have seen men use them very few times). In addition, lifting very little weight, performing the exercise a very high number of times, but without really exerting any effort, which encourages chatting with the person next to you, for example.

Hip Abductor Machine: functional if used properly

The abductor machine This trains the muscles for turning the thigh outwards, including the Sartorius, gluteus medius, and tensor fascia latae. Abductor & Adductor Machines Ideally, when you exercise, the movements performed should be geared towards movements you will carry out in everyday life.

With this, I do not want to criticize either the machines or those who use them, but those who use them badly, or those who as trainers or monitors indicate them to their students because they have them safely entertained for a little while.

It works the muscles of the legs; stimulation and adequate load are needed. The hip abductor machines may indicate if we want to carry out very analytical work or use it with the appropriate parameters.

But from Vitónica, we recommend other types of more powerful and exciting exercises for the legs, as they are more functional and much more effective, obtaining benefits at the leg muscles level and improving other body regions that are also involved in the exercise.

Best functional exercises for legs

So to work and improve the lower limbs, functional exercises that involve the whole body are more recommended. For example, the acclaimed squats, of whose benefits we have already spoken many times, and that can be done with more or less load, without load, or varying to one leg, on unstable surfaces. It would help if you did squats, and you know it, so get to it.

It is another excellent exercise for lower limbs. With very little (or no) equipment, you can train multiple muscles in the stride, which allows many variations to add more weight, work coordination, and balance or affect different muscle groups.

There are many more exercises for hip abductor machines and adductors, whether without weight, with load, with pulleys, with elastic bands, with balls, or also with the machines above. The important thing about the exercises is to work with the appropriate intensity, so it is not necessary to discard the machines but to use them correctly within a training plan that incorporates the right exercises for the rest of the muscles of the legs.

Whether or not the hip abductor and adductor machine are suitable for you will depend on your physical and sporting goals. For example, if you want to eliminate accumulated fat from the inner thighs, these machines may not help you eliminate it as you imagine.

But there are some cases in which these machines so demanded in gyms can help you improve your performance and achieve your goals. So, if you are a fan of abductor and adductor machines, read on and find out everything.

What muscles do they work?

Hip Adductor machine

It involves the muscles inside the thighs, known as the adductor muscles, such as the Longus Magnus and the Brevis.

Hip Abductor machine

It involves the muscles that rotate the thigh outward, such as the sartorius, the gluteus medius, and the tensor fascia lata.

Hip Abductor and adductor machine

When we exercise, the ideal is to “imitate” everyday movements as much as possible. So when training for a specific sport, your training focuses on exercises that mimic the actions of that sport, helping to improve strength and performance.

Even if you are not a professional athlete or do not train for a specific sport, you can improve your quality of life. For example, if you have to move heavy objects in your day-to-day life or take a car purchase home, a strong back reduces the risk of back injury.

There are very few movements in real life that involve opening and closing the legs with added resistance. So although you can use these machines in your workouts, they may not bring you almost any benefit to your day-to-day in the same way that other exercises do, such as deadlifts or squats.

Some sports exercises simulate the same movements as the abductor and adductor machine but stand up, making a significant difference.

The hip abductor and adductor machines work for tiny muscle groups designed to move small weights. Unfortunately, people who often use these machines are not aware of these small details and usually carry a lot of weight, which can cause damage to the spine.

Even the slightest unnecessary pressure on the back can be detrimental in the long term (this applies to any exercise), so it is essential to fully understand how to use any gym machine, as you can avoid future injuries.

Leg exercises to replicate the hip abductor and adductor machines

Many excellent leg exercises can do to strengthen the lower body. If the problem is body fat, you can only reduce it with a diet to lose weight and a training plan focused on that goal.

• Squats
• Deadweight
• Strides
• Hip thrust

If you want to train your adductors and abductors specifically, especially after an injury, you should try band exercises. These exercises work the muscles effectively and safely without putting unnecessary strain on the back, and the movements are much more applicable to real life.

Abductor exercises

Lateral leg raises

• Lie on your right side with your legs extended and straight.
• Rest your head on your right hand or a cushion.
• Raise your left leg in a controlled manner as high as you can.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Clamshell

• Lie on your right side with your knees bent.
• Open your left leg in a controlled way as far as you can.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Standing Side Leg Raises

• Start standing by supporting your weight on your right foot and with your left foot slightly raised.
• Rest your hands on the wall or the back of a chair to improve stability.
• Keep your hips at a right angle and contract your lower thighs to lift your left leg as high as possible.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Open squat

• Begin by standing with your feet wider than your hips apart.
• Lower your hips in a controlled manner as low as you can.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Low stride

• Starting on your knees, lift your right knee off the ground and place your foot on the floor, keeping your ankle just below the knee.
• Extend your left leg slightly back and rest your hands on the sides of your body.
• Hold this position for up to 1 minute.

Fire hydrant

• Begin in a quadruped position, with a straight back and a contracted abdomen.
• Keeping your knee bent, lift your left leg in a controlled manner to the left side of your body.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Adductor exercises

Cossack squat

• Begin standing with your feet far more comprehensive than your hips apart.
• Shift your weight to the left side and lower your body into a deep squat position, keeping the left knee bent and the right leg extended and straight to the right side.
• Keep your torso straight and your back straight throughout the exercise.
• Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.

Stride

• Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a comprehensive step forward with your left leg, forming a triangle with the ground and your legs about 45 degrees off the ground.
• Lower your body toward the ground until your left knee is above your left foot at a 90º angle.
• The knee of the right leg must not touch the ground and must remain at a 90º angle.
• Hold that position for a few seconds and feel the stretch in the quadriceps of your back leg.
• Push up with the heel of your left foot to return to the starting position and feel the involvement of your glutes and quadriceps.

Sliding side lunge

• Stand with your feet together. You may need something under your foot to move to help it glide. You can do the exercise with socks or put a towel on your moving foot.
• Contract your abdomen and slide your left foot to the left side of your body in a slow and controlled manner.
• When you can’t lower yourself, hold that position for a few seconds and slide your foot back to the starting position in a controlled way.

Side plank with adduction

• Lie on your side with your forearm supporting the weight of the floor and keep one leg on top of the other.
• Now, place your foot off the ground on a bench and lift your hips off the ground until your body is straight.
• Lift your leg off the ground and bring it up and down in a fluid and controlled manner without touching the ground.
• You can keep the movement static to make it easier.

Exercise profile

• MAIN MUSCLE GROUP: Abductors
• TYPE OF EXERCISE: Force
• REQUIRED EQUIPMENT: Machine
• MECHANICS: Isolation
• TYPE OF FORCE: Push (Bilateral)
• LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE: beginner
• SECONDARY MUSCLE (S): abs, glutes, hamstrings

Description of the hip abduction machine

The hip abduction machine exercise is an exercise used to strengthen the abductors.

The abductors play a critical role in core stability, and having solid abductors can result in better personal records in the squat and deadlift.

From an aesthetic perspective, performing hip abduction isolation exercises helps develop a complete pair of glutes and hips.

Hip Abduction Machine Instructions

1. Install in an upright position with your back resting against the pad and neutral spine.
2. Exhale and spread your legs as you open the pads.
3. Slowly return to the starting position once your hips are fully externally rotated.
4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Hip abduction machine limbs

1. Experiment with the position of the foot and pelvis. Depending on the shape of your hips, you may need a slightly more internal or external starting position to maximize the contraction.

• Similarly, be aware of your pelvic position: do not allow your back to arch, as this will cause the hips to lean forward and place the adductors in an excessive stretch before contraction, which can affect the force output.
• If you can’t figure out how to change the position of your pelvis while sitting, experiment with changing the part of your torso (i.e., lean forward or push your back against the pad).

Conclusion

Since abductor and adductor machines target tiny muscle groups, it may be better to focus on compound exercises to improve lower body fitness unless the use of these machines is necessary for a specific sport.

Our articles write for educational and informational purposes, and they should never take as a medical consultation. If necessary, visit your doctor or a professional instead before using supplements or making changes to your diet.

And you, do you use hip abductor machines? To train or to chat while you are there?

Recent Posts

• Hip Abductor Machine Is It Worth Using?
• 5 Best Foot Massagers of 2022
• 9 Best Models of Shoes to Work Standing Long Hours
• HOW TO CHOOSE THE Best FOOTWEAR FOR STANDING WORK
• Top 10 Best Restaurants in Salt Lake City

Hip Abductor Machine Is It Worth Using?

Last update on 2022-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API