Abductor x adductor: understand the difference and improve your workouts –

It is common to confuse the two. Both use muscles that help with other, more complex movements – and by knowing how to work both, you can improve your strength and posture.

The words adduction and abduction refer to the movement of body parts toward or away from the midline of the body (or trunk). For example, stretching the leg is an abduction (pulling away) muscle movement, while pulling the same leg back toward the body would be an adduction movement.

What is abduction?

Imagine that a line runs from the center of the top of your head to the floor between your feet. This is what fitness professionals call the midline, which is basically the center of the body.

Any movement in which you pull one or both legs or arms away from this midline and to the sides is considered abduction. When you’re raising your arms and you jump right into the first part of a jumping jack, for example, abduction.

So the muscles that help your body perform abduction movements are called abductors.

For the legs, for example, the abductors are key to stabilizing the hip. In addition to strengthening movements in which you move your legs away from the midline, these muscles (which are located on the outside of your hips and include the gluteus minors) also keep your hips and knees in the proper position throughout the exercise. Including walking.

One abduction exercise you probably already do in your strength training: lateral shoulder raises.

What is adduction then?

Adduction is the opposite of abduction: any movement brings the arms or legs toward the center of the body.

While the hip abductor muscles, for example, are located on the outside of the hip, the adductors are on the inside of the thigh.

And it’s not just that gym machine that works your inner thighs. The sumo squat, for example, also targets the hip adductor muscles, as it encourages you to maintain your body’s firmness and stability while squatting with a wider stance than normal.

3 BEST ABDUCTION EXERCISES

Lateral shoulder raise

– (Cau Saad/Disclosure)

How to make

Standing with feet hip-width apart, hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides and palms facing inward.

Roll your shoulders back, tighten your core and look straight ahead as you raise your arms to your sides.

Raise the dumbbells straight up with your arms almost completely straight to shoulder height. Pause and hold for a second at the top of the movement.

Exhale as you slowly lower your arms. The ideal is to go down slowly, about twice as long as it took to get them up. This is a repeat. Do three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

dumbbell press

– (Aline Machado/Personal collection)

How to make:

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with an overhand grip. The thumbs are on the inside and the knuckles are facing upwards.

Exhale and bring your hands above your head in a controlled motion.

Inhale and lower the dumbbells to shoulder level. This is a repeat. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

standing abduction

Standing abduction with elastic band (Photo by Daniel Ursache/Pexels)

How to make:

Standing, feet hip-width apart.

Use an elastic band to create more difficulty.

Keep your left foot firmly on the floor. Raise your right leg laterally. Return to the starting position, slowly.

Repeat on the other side. Do 20 repetitions on each side.

3 BEST ADUCTION EXERCISES

Crucifix

– (good shape/GOOD FORM)

How to make:

Lying on the floor (or on a Pilates ball, for more difficulty), sholding a dumbbell in each hand at your side.

Elbows flexed at shoulder height. Stretch your arms bringing them in the middle of your chest, with your hands parallel.

Return your arms to your sides at shoulder height.

This is a repeat. Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

fixed bar

– (Reproduction/GOOD FORM)

How to make:

Start with your hands gripping the pull-up bar shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward. With your arms extended above your head, stretch your chest and bend your back slightly. This is your starting position.

Pull yourself up towards the bar using your back until the bar is chest level as you exhale.

On inspiration, slowly lower yourself to the starting position. This is a repeat. Do three sets as much as you can, with a 1-minute rest in between.

Side Squat

– (Pexels/Pexels)

How to make:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands at your sides.

Take a big step to the right, then push your hips back, bending your right knee until your knee is at a 90-degree angle. Keep your left leg straight.

Push your right heel into the floor and return to the starting position. This is a repeat.

Repeat on the other side. Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.

Better range of motion

Doing both equally is what helps with mobility. The key is to work the abduction and adduction movements together. Do one exercise after another The more varied stimuli you train, the more mobile you will be. This is especially important when talking about hip mobility, which is the epicenter of our body.

variety of training

When you do abduction and adduction exercises, you naturally add contrast to your routine. In order to have a strong and healthy body, it is important to train all movement patterns.

More functional strength

They enhance body awareness and increase balance as you adjust to the movements. All this adds up to noticeable gains, especially lifting heavier weights.

healthy joints

Training in adduction and abduction exercises for the hip compound is essential for healthy hip flexion and can even contribute to healthy lower back, knee, and ankle movement.