Cable Hip Adduction
Trains the Adductors.
- Equipment
- A cable station
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Set a low pulley with an ankle strap and attach it to the ankle nearest the machine.
- Stand side-on a step away, holding the frame for balance.
- Let the cable pull that leg out to the side until you feel the inner thigh lengthen.
- Draw the working leg back across the body, past the standing leg if the balance allows.
- Squeeze briefly where the legs cross.
- Let the cable draw the leg back out under control, then finish the side before swapping.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the leg across. The adductors are small and the lever is long, so a swing moves the weight where the muscle could not.
- Leaning away from the machine to get more range. The trunk stays upright; leaning adds distance the hip did not travel.
- Rotating the hip so the toe points up. The kneecap stays pointing forward — turning it out makes the movement easier and moves the work.
- Expecting the quadriceps to be involved. The movement is hip adduction, which is the muscles on the inside of the thigh; the quadriceps are not what it trains.