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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

Inner thighs · adductor longus Inner thighs · adductor magnus Inner thighs · gracilis Inner thighs · pectineus

Sets & reps by goal

GoalSets × RepsRest
Strength4 × 4–62 min
Muscle3–4 × 9–1260–90 s
Endurance2–3 × 18–2745–60 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

  1. Open the pads only to a comfortable stretch — mild tension, never pinching pain.
  2. Keep your pelvis square on the seat with both sit bones planted evenly.
  3. Squeeze the pads together over 2 seconds, driving from the inner thigh, not the feet.
  4. Hold the closed position for a one-second squeeze before reversing.
  5. 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

Setting the start position too wide. An aggressive stretch under load is the classic recipe for a groin strain. Fix: Begin at a range that feels like a gentle stretch; earn more range over weeks, not reps.
Snapping the knees together. The adductors work for a fraction of a second and the joint takes the impact. Fix: Count two seconds in, one second squeeze, two seconds out on every rep.
Gripping the seat and hiking the shoulders. Tension bleeds upward and your pelvis tilts, changing the muscles doing the work. Fix: Relax your upper body, sit tall, and let the inner thighs do the whole job.

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.

Related exercises

Abductor MachineOuter glutes Butterfly Block StretchInner thighs · Inner thighs Butterfly StretchInner thighs · Inner thighs Hips and Inner Thigh StretchInner thighs · Inner thighs Leg CurlsHamstrings

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