Hip Abduction Machine
Trains the Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus and Tensor Fasciae Latae.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Sit in the machine and set the pads so they rest against the outside of your thighs, with your legs together at the start.
- Sit back against the pad, hold the handles, and brace your stomach.
- Push your legs apart against the resistance, driving through the outside of the thighs.
- Continue to a comfortable end range, then pause briefly.
- Let the pads come back together under control rather than letting them snap shut.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back or forward to change the angle mid-set. Sitting upright targets the gluteus medius and minimus more; leaning forward brings in more of the upper gluteus maximus. Pick one and hold it rather than drifting.
- Letting the pads slam closed on the return. The controlled return is half the work.
- Loading it so heavily that the torso has to help. This is a small muscle group built for near-continuous low-level work — higher repetitions suit it better than heavy sets.
- Treating it as the only abductor work needed. Single-leg exercises train the same muscles in the job they actually do, which is keeping the pelvis level when standing on one leg.