Adductor Machine: Muscles Worked, Form Cues & Swaps

How to do the Adductor Machine

Set up. Sit in the adductor machine with the pads against the inside of your knees, set to a comfortable starting width.

Squeeze your knees together against the pads.
Pause when they meet.
Let them open under control.

Form cues

Start with a modest width.
Keep your back against the pad.
Control the opening.

Common mistakes

Setting the starting width wider than you can control.
Letting the pads snap open.

Muscles worked

Main target: Adductors. The adductors line the inner thigh. They draw the leg in toward the body and help hold the hip and knee steady in a squat.

The catalog names no other muscle it works on the way.

Its other side: Abductors, in the inner and outer hip pattern.

What to pair it with

Movements that round out a workout with the Adductor Machine, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.

Hip Abduction Superset partner: it trains the other side of the inner and outer hip pattern, so the two can alternate.
Hack Squat Same legs session: it trains the quads.
Cable Romanian Deadlift Same legs session: it trains the hamstrings.

A complete workout around it

4 movements, the Adductor Machine first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.

Adductor Machine 3 × 12 to 25 reps
Hip Abduction 3 × 12 to 25 reps
Hack Squat 3 × 8 to 15 reps
Cable Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8 to 15 reps

Alternatives and swaps

The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.

Home or dumbbell swap
Cossack Squat
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Cable Hip Adduction
Cable

A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.

Working weight and 1RM calculator

Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.

Training zones

Training zones
Zone	Share of 1RM	Usual reps
Strength	85 to 90 %	3 to 6
Muscle growth	70 to 80 %	6 to 12
Endurance	60 to 65 %	15 to 20

A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.

Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.

Variations and preparation

Its variations: Cable Hip Adduction.

Do before it: 90/90 Hip Switch (hip range).

Track it in StatBlockFit

In the StatBlockFit app the Adductor Machine is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.

Questions

How do you do the Adductor Machine?

Set up: Sit in the adductor machine with the pads against the inside of your knees, set to a comfortable starting width. Steps: 1. Squeeze your knees together against the pads. 2. Pause when they meet. 3. Let them open under control. Form cues: Start with a modest width. Keep your back against the pad. Control the opening. Common mistakes: Setting the starting width wider than you can control. Letting the pads snap open.

What muscles does the Adductor Machine work?

It trains the adductors; the catalog names no other muscle it works on the way.

What can I do instead of the Adductor Machine?

At home: Cossack Squat. In a gym: Cable Hip Adduction. Each trains the same main muscle.

What should I pair the Adductor Machine with?

Good partners in the same workout are Hip Abduction, Hack Squat and Cable Romanian Deadlift.

How heavy should the Adductor Machine be?

Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.

Adductor Machine