Abductor vs adductor machine

The two machines often sit side by side, and on many combos they are the same machine with the pads flipped. They train opposite movements with completely different muscle groups, and both are worth your time.

The difference in one picture

How to tell which machine you are on

Look at the pads. If they press on the outside of your knees, you are pushing out: abduction. If they sit on the inside, you are squeezing in: adduction. Most machines also show the movement on a placard near the weight stack. On a combo, the pads swivel or a direction lever switches the resistance, so check before you load up.

Should you train both?

For most people, yes. The abductors and adductors work as a pair to control the pelvis and thigh, and many athletes train both on purpose. The inner-thigh side has some of the best injury-prevention evidence in sports medicine: in a cluster-randomized trial of semi-professional football teams, a program built around one adductor exercise (the Copenhagen adduction) was associated with 41 percent lower odds of reporting groin problems over a season. That study did not use the machine, but it shows why adductor strength gets attention.

A simple approach: train both directions in the same session for two to three sets each, or alternate them as a superset since they rest each other. The workouts guide has ready-made pairings.

Which should come first?

Do your priority first, while you are fresh. If you are training for glute shape and hip stability, start with abduction. If you play a kicking or cutting sport, or you have had groin trouble before, start with adduction and keep the start position moderate. If neither applies, alternate the order between sessions.

One combo or two machines?

At home, a combo saves floor space and covers both directions in one machine. In a busy facility, two dedicated machines let two people train at once and remove the changeover between directions. Our combo vs dedicated comparison covers footprint, throughput and price in detail.

Three myths about these machines

"The inner thigh machine burns inner thigh fat"

Training a muscle does not preferentially remove the fat over it. Controlled trials on localized training, including a study where people trained only one leg for 12 weeks, found fat loss happened across the body rather than over the trained muscle. Both machines build muscle; fat loss comes from overall energy balance.

"They are only for women"

Hip abductor and adductor strength matter for anyone who walks, runs, squats or plays sport. Many strength coaches program both machines for male athletes, particularly in football, hockey and soccer.

"They are a waste of time"

They are not a replacement for squats, deadlifts or single-leg work, but they let you load the side hips and inner thighs directly with very little fatigue elsewhere. As a finisher or accessory, that is a good use of five minutes.

Frequently asked questions