Adductor and abductor machines for people who do squats
The idea of doing countless reps on the abductor and adductor machines, believing they will “burn off” the little bits of fat on your inner thighs and hips (saddlebags), is completely misguided! “Ahhh, but I feel the burn…”
The signs of muscle hypertrophy go far beyond a feeling of “squeezing” or burning. What’s more, the range of motion—which is extremely important for causing muscle damage, recruiting more fibers, and increasing time under tension—is quite small in these two exercises.
The main movement of the muscles in the gluteal region is hip extension, so expecting to build muscle in this area by doing these movements is practically like waiting for a miracle.
You may be thinking, “But are the adductor and abductor machines really that useless?” It depends… If you’re healthy, have no joint problems, and truly train hard with so-called closed-chain exercises such as deep squats, stiff-legged deadlifts, lunges, leg presses, deadlifts, and others, then these machines are unnecessary.
How to reduce hip fat
Want to reduce fat around your hips and inner thighs? Simple… Diet and intense exercise! Rethink your workout and see if these machines are really necessary.
Best exercises to do on the abductor machine
Stick to the usual basics… barbell squats, lunges, leg presses, stiff-legged deadlifts… Nothing complicated!
Remember: it’s important to understand that all multi-joint movements, such as squats, unilateral lunges, and leg presses, work both the back and front of the thigh (quadriceps), as well as the glutes!
Put simply: whenever you do a compound exercise to train your “legs,” you’re training your butt… and vice versa.
