Adductor Machine
The adductor machine works the inner-thigh muscles that pull your legs toward the midline and steady the pelvis during lunges, sprints, and direction changes. It is a common rehab and prevention pick, since the groin is one of the most strained areas in recreational sport. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 × 4–6 | 2 min |
| Muscle | 3–4 × 9–12 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 18–27 | 45–60 s |
Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.
Level — Beginner
Beginner-friendly, but conservative range selection is the entire skill here.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Open the pads only to a comfortable stretch — mild tension, never pinching pain.
- Keep your pelvis square on the seat with both sit bones planted evenly.
- Squeeze the pads together over 2 seconds, driving from the inner thigh, not the feet.
- Hold the closed position for a one-second squeeze before reversing.
- Open back up slowly, taking 2–3 seconds to return to the start.
Breathing: Exhale as you squeeze the pads together, inhale as you open back out.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
How to program adductor machine
| Goal | Phase | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| strength | weeks 1–4 · build | 4 | 6 | 2-0-2-1 | 2 min | 7 |
| strength | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 4 | 5 | 2-0-2-1 | 2 min | 8 |
| strength | weeks 9–12 · peak | 4 | 4 | 2-0-2-1 | 2 min | 9 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 1–4 · build | 3 | 12 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 7 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 4 | 10 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 8 |
| hypertrophy | weeks 9–12 · peak | 4 | 9 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 8–9 |
| endurance | weeks 1–4 · build | 2 | 18 | 2-0-2-0 | 45–60 s | 6 |
| endurance | weeks 5–8 · intensify | 3 | 22 | 2-0-2-0 | 45–60 s | 7 |
| endurance | weeks 9–12 · peak | 3 | 27 | 2-0-2-0 | 45–60 s | 7–8 |
| beginner | weeks 1–4 · learn | 2 | 8 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 5 |
| beginner | weeks 5–8 · groove | 3 | 10 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 6 |
| beginner | weeks 9–12 · load | 3 | 10 | 3-0-2-1 | 60–90 s | 6–7 |
Tempo = eccentric-pause-concentric-pause, seconds (X = explosive intent).
Common questions
What are adductors and why train them?
The adductors are the inner-thigh group — adductor longus, magnus, brevis, and friends — that pull the leg toward the midline and stabilise the pelvis when you stride or cut sideways. Weak adductors show up as groin niggles and wobbly single-leg work, so training them directly is cheap insurance for anyone who runs or plays sport.
Is it normal for my groin to be sore after the adductor machine?
Mild next-day muscle soreness in the inner thigh is normal, especially in the first weeks — these muscles rarely get direct loading. Sharp pain during the set, pain at one specific point, or soreness lasting more than three days is different; back off the range and load, and get it assessed if it persists.
Should I do the adductor machine before or after squats?
After. Squats and lunges need the adductors fresh for stability, so pre-fatiguing them raises the chance of form breakdown on your heaviest work. Slot the machine in as an accessory near the end of a lower-body session, two or three quality sets.
Will the adductor machine slim my inner thighs?
Not directly — no exercise removes fat from the spot it trains. What the adductor machine does is build and firm the muscle underneath, which changes shape as overall body fat comes down through a calorie deficit. Combine two to three weekly sessions with resistance training for the whole lower body and a sensible nutrition plan, and the inner-thigh area typically looks tighter over time. Treat the machine as a muscle builder and stabiliser, not a fat-spot tool.
How wide should the starting position be on the adductor machine?
Set the pads where you feel a clear but comfortable stretch in the inner thighs — no pinching, no strain in the groin. That point differs between people and even between sessions, so adjust the range selector each time rather than copying the previous user. As your muscles adapt over the weeks, widen the start position gradually to keep training a full range of motion. A slightly smaller range done with control beats a big range you have to jerk out of.
Related exercises
Browse: All hips & inner thighs exercises · All machine exercises · Full exercise library
This is one exercise. Your plan is the other 99%.
Maddy hand-builds training around your exact body — schedule, recovery, injuries, food culture. It starts with a 3-minute scan.
Start My Body Scan → 11 questions · 3 min · free · no card yet