Abductor x adductor: understand the difference and improve your workouts

The words are similar, but the movements are totally different.

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 parts of the body towards or away from the midline of the body (or trunk). For example, stretching the leg out is an abduction (pull away) muscle movement, while pulling the same leg back towards the body would be an adduction movement.

What is Kidnapping?

Imagine a line running 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 where you move one or both legs or arms away from this midline and out to the sides is considered abduction. When you raise your arms and 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 in stabilizing the hip. In addition to strengthening movements where you pull your legs away from your midline, these muscles (which are located on the outside of your hips and include your glutes minimus) also keep your hips and knees in the correct 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 towards the center of the body.

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

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

3 BEST ABDUCTION EXERCISES

Lateral shoulder raise

How to do

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

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

Raise the dumbbells straight up with your arms almost completely straight at shoulder height. Pause and hold for one 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 takes to get them up. This is a repeat. Do three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

dumbbell press

How to do:

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with an overhand grip. The thumbs are tucked in and the knuckles point up.

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

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

standing rapture

How to do:

Stand, feet hip-width apart.

Use a rubber band to create more difficulty.

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

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

3 BEST ADUCTION EXERCISES

Crucified

How to do:

Lie on the floor (or on a Pilates ball, for more difficulty), holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.

Elbows bent at shoulder height. He stretches his arms bringing them to the center of his chest, with his hands parallel.

Bring your arms back to your sides at shoulder height.

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

fixed bar

How to do:

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

Pull yourself into the bar using your back until the bar is at chest level as you exhale.

As you inhale, slowly lower yourself to the starting position. This is a repeat. Do three sets as much as possible, with a 1-minute break in between.

Side squats

How to do:

Stand with your 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 forms a 90-degree angle. Keep your left leg straight.

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

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

Better freedom of movement

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 it comes to hip mobility, which is the epicenter of our body.

variety of training

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

More functional strength

They improve body awareness and increase balance as you adjust to the movements. This all adds up to noticeable gains, especially when lifting heavier weights.

healthy joints

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

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Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.