Strengthen Your Hips: Effective Hip Abduction Exercises

Ask most people why they’re doing machine hip abductions, and they’ll probably tell you they’re trying to work off their “saddlebags.” This is a popular term for the fat on the outside of the upper/outer thighs and hips.  

Saddlebag workouts usually involve doing set after set of high reps with a light weight to melt fat from this common problem area. Feel that burn!

Sadly, you cannot spot-reduce fat from specific areas of your body. Fat is stored and burned globally and not locally. Doing lots of training for your abs, hips, butt, the backs of your arms, etc., won’t make these areas leaner than the rest of your body.

Does that mean that the hip abduction machine is a waste of time? Definitely not! In fact, this machine offers several benefits to female AND male exercisers.

In this article, we explain how to use the hip abduction machine, share some of the benefits and drawbacks, and reveal the best variations and alternatives.

Hip Abduction – Muscles Worked

Hip abduction is the anatomical term used to describe lifting a limb out from the midline of your body. Abduction means to remove or take away, as in “alien abduction.” The muscles responsible for hip abduction are collectively known as the hip abductors.

The muscles that make up the hip abductors include:

Gluteus maximus

Gluteus maximus, or glutes for short, is the largest muscle in the human body. Located on the rear of your hip, the glutes have several different lines of muscle fibers, allowing it to perform several different functions. The primary job of the glutes is hip extension. However, the superior or upper fibers play an important role in hip abduction.

Gluteus medius

The gluteus medius is located near the upper part of the pelvis, above and beneath the gluteus maximus. Its main functions are hip abduction and medial rotation.

Gluteus minimus

The gluteus minimus is a small triangular muscle found toward the rear aspect of the hip. Like the gluteus medius, the glute minimus also works alongside the gluteus maximus, and its functions are hip abduction and medial rotation.

Tensor fascia latae

Although it doesn’t have the word gluteus in its name, the tensor fascia latae, or TFL, is still part of the glute/hip complex. It’s a biaxial muscle that crosses two joints – the hip and the knee. As part of the glute group, TFL is involved in hip abduction and internal rotation.

Piriformis

The piriformis is a strong, deep muscle that lies beneath your glutes. Its principal function is the external rotation of the hip. However, when your hip is flexed, it also plays a part in abduction. The hip abduction machine is performed seated and involves the piriformis muscle.

How to Do Hip Abductions

Get more from the hip abduction machine while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines:

1. Select an appropriate weight.
2. Sit on the machine and place your feet on the footrests with your knees inside the leg pads. Choose the footrests that place your knees roughly level with your hips.
3. Sit up tall and hold the handles for support. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down. Look straight ahead and not down.
4. Without jerking, push your knees as far apart as your mobility and flexibility allow.
5. Bring your legs back in, stopping just before the weights touch down.
6. Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Pro Tips:

• Do not lean forward from your hips. This common technique fault does not make the exercise more effective but will increase your risk of lower back injury.
• Pause with your knees apart for 1-3 seconds to increase time under tension (TUT) and hip abductor muscle engagement.
• This exercise works best when done for medium to high reps and low to moderate weights. It is less effective if you use very heavy weights and have to use momentum to lift them.
• Finish your set with a few short-range pulses or burn reps to fully fatigue the target muscles. However, most of your reps should involve a full range of motion.
• Squeeze rather than jerk your knees apart to reduce momentum and make each rep more effective.

Hip Abduction Exercise Benefits

Not sure if the hip abduction machine deserves a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!

An effective isolation exercise for the hip abductors

Compound exercises are arguably the most functional and time-efficient way to work your legs. However, it can sometimes be helpful to isolate the muscles of the lower body to address weaknesses or increase individual muscle size. The abduction machine is a great way to preferentially target the muscles of your outer hips and thighs.

Increased hip stability

Many people find their knees cave inward during squats, leg presses, lunges, step-ups, walking, and running. This puts a lot of stress on the knees and lower back and is often the result of weak hip abductors. Using a hip abduction machine a couple of times per week could help fix this problem.

A straightforward exercise

Like most machine-based exercises, hip abductions guide your movements, so it’s pretty hard to do them incorrectly. As such, this is an excellent exercise for beginners and anyone looking to tax their muscles but not their brains. The guided movement leaves you free to push your muscles to their limit in safety.

Perfect for drop sets

Most hip abduction machines have selectorized weight stacks, which means you can quickly change the weight, often without leaving your seat. This makes them ideal for intensity-boosting drop sets. Rep out to failure, reduce the weight by 10-15%, and then rep out again. Perform 2-4 drops and then rest. Drop sets will light up your abductors!

A very safe exercise

The injury risk during hip abductions is very low. There is minimal hip joint stress and even less pressure on the lower back. Also, the weight stack is usually to your side or behind you, so it won’t fall on you if you cannot complete a rep. Performed correctly, the hip abduction machine provides a very safe workout.

Drawbacks

While hip abductions are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider:

Not very functional

Functional exercises mirror the demands of everyday or athletic activities. Examples include squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses. The hip abduction machine bears very little resemblance to any naturally occurring movement, which means it may not do much for your fitness and performance outside of the gym.

Hip abductions may be risky during pregnancy

Women produce an abundance of a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy. As its name suggests, this increases joint laxity in preparation for childbirth. Increased joint laxity, especially in the sacroiliac and pubic symphysis joints, can be problematic when performing hip abductions (and adductions), leading to pelvic pain and injuries. As such, hip abductions may be contraindicated during and shortly after pregnancy.

If you are currently or were recently pregnant, you should speak to your doctor before doing hip abductions.

Impractical for most home workouts

Unless you have an incredible garage gym, you probably won’t have access to a hip abduction machine if you work out at home. As such, this exercise may be beyond some exerciser’s means. That said, there are several equally effective and more accessible alternatives described below.

7 Hip Abduction Variations and Alternatives

Hip abductions are an effective glute and outer thigh exercise, but that doesn’t mean you need to do them all the time. There are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting:

1. Side-lying hip abductions

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

This simple bodyweight exercise is a great way to train your abductors at home. Because you don’t need any equipment, you can do this exercise anywhere and anytime. Plus, because it’s a unilateral exercise, it can help you identify and fix any left-to-right strength and endurance imbalances.

Steps:

1. Lie on your side with your bottom leg slightly bent and your top leg straight. Rest your head on your outstretched arm or a cushion to take pressure off your neck. Square your hips and shoulders and brace your core.
2. Without leaning backward, lift your straight leg up until it’s abducted to about 45 degrees.
3. Lower your leg back down and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on both sides.

Benefits:

• A very safe, straightforward exercise.
• No equipment required.
• Ideal for beginners.

Tips:

• Pause with your leg raised to make this exercise more challenging.
• Wear ankle weights or use a resistance band to increase exercise intensity.
• Point your toes down at the floor to increase muscle engagement.

2. Cable hip abductions

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

No hip abduction machine? No problem! You can train your abductor muscles using a simple ankle cuff and low cable station. This is a standing exercise, which means it is considerably more functional than conventional hip abductions. It’s also good for developing your balance and stability.

Steps:

1. Put on your ankle cuff and attach it to a low pulley machine. With your working leg outermost, move away from the machine to load the cable. Hold onto a bench or similar for balance. Brace your core.
2. Keeping your knee straight and hips squared, lift your leg out and away from the midline of your body.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on both sides.

Benefits:

• A useful way to identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
• More functional than machine hip abductions.
• Good for improving balance and stability.

Tips:

• Keep your supporting knee slightly bent for better balance.
• Do the same number of reps on both legs to avoid muscle imbalances.
• You can also do this exercise with a resistance band:

3. Single-leg isometric wall lean

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

Isometric exercises involve a lot of muscle tension but no actual joint movement. This makes them very safe and easy to adapt to any fitness level. The harder you push or pull against an immovable object, the more challenging the exercise becomes. This exercise is a very effective isometric hip abductor exercise that’s great for enhancing joint stability.

Steps:

1. Stand side-on to a smooth, strong wall. Lean your hips and shoulders against it with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your innermost leg.
2. Pushing out with your grounded foot, press your body against the wall as hard as possible for 15-30 seconds.
3. Relax, change sides, and repeat.

Benefits:

• No equipment required.
• Good for identifying and fixing left-to-right strength imbalances.
• An excellent exercise for runners and other athletes.

Tips:

• Keep your hips and shoulders square throughout.
• Bend your supporting leg slightly for increased stability.
• Do not hold your breath, as doing so could increase your blood pressure.

4. Lateral band walk

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

Lateral band walks are a popular exercise that is often used as part of warm-ups before strength training. However, despite this, they’re also an excellent hip abductor strengthener. Requiring nothing but a short resistance band, this exercise is ideal for home workouts.

Steps:

1. Put your resistance band around your legs, slightly above or below your knees.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
3. Step to the left and continue for the desired number of steps, e.g., 8-10. Keep the band tensed by not allowing your legs to come too close together.
4. Step in the opposite direction and return to your starting place.
5. Rest a moment and repeat.

Benefits:

• A very functional hip abduction exercise.
• Ideal for home exercisers.
• An excellent exercise for athletes, especially runners.

Tips:

• The lower you place the band, the more demanding this exercise becomes.
• Alternate left and right steps if you are short on space.
• Adopt a deeper squat to make your quads and glutes work harder.

5. Banded clamshell

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

This simple-looking exercise is surprisingly challenging. It combines abduction with external rotation to provide your hips with a very comprehensive workout. Requiring just a resistance band, this exercise is ideal for home workouts.

Steps:

1. Place your band around your knees and lie on your side on the floor. Bend your knees and rest your head on your outstretched arm.
2. Keeping your feet together, lift your knee up and back while keeping your hips and shoulders stationary.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. Roll over and do the same number of reps on the other leg.

Benefits:

• A low-tech but high-effect exercise that’s ideal for home workouts.
• Good for improving hip stability.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

Tips:

• Do this exercise against a wall if your hips tend to roll backward.
• Pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.
• Do this exercise without a band if you need an easier workout.

6. Booty band goblet squats

Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis.

Most people think of squats as a quads exercise, which is a fair assessment. However, done with a booty band around your knees, they morph into an excellent hip abduction exercise. As the band pushes your legs in, you’ll need to use your abductors to press them back out. This provides a very time-efficient and functional workout for your entire lower body.

Steps:

1. Put your booty band around your legs, just above or below your knees. Step out into a shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward.
2. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your chest. Brace your abs, and pull your shoulders down and back.
3. Bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Keep pressing your knees outward.
4. Stand back up and repeat.

Benefits:

• A highly functional, time-efficient leg exercise.
• A good way to reinforce correct squatting technique.
• An effective alternative to barbell back and front squats.

Tips:

• Take care not to round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
• Place your heels in blocks to squat deeper and more comfortably.
• Keep pressing your knees outward throughout.

7. Side plank hip abduction

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, minimus, medius, tensor fascia latae, piriformis, core.

A lot of people think they need to use heavy weights to build stronger hips. This is not always the case! The side plank hip abduction requires no weights and yet is a very challenging hip and core exercise. Try it for yourself and see!

Steps:

1. Lie on your side and rest on your lowermost forearm/elbow. Brace your abs.
2. Lift your hips up so your shoulders, hips, and feet form a straight line.
3. Keeping your body straight, raise your top leg up so your foot is roughly level with your shoulder.
4. Lower your leg (but not your hips) and repeat.
5. Rest a moment, roll over, and do the same number of reps on the other side.

Benefits:

• A challenging exercise, even for more experienced exercisers.
• No equipment required, so ideal for home workouts.
• An excellent hip and core exercise, making it very time-efficient.

Tips:

• Rest your supporting arm on a folded exercise mat or foam pad for comfort.
• Bend your legs and rest on the side of your knees to shorten the levers and make this exercise easier.
• You can also do this exercise with your supporting arm straight:

Hip Abduction FAQs

Do you have a question about machine hip abductions or glute training in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!

1. What weight should I use for hip abductions?

This question is impossible to answer because we don’t know how strong you are. Also, the weight stacks on hip abduction machines vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and are not standardized. 50 pounds on one machine could weigh something entirely different on another, depending on things like lever length and cam shape.

So, you’ll have to determine your training weight for yourself. Try a few different settings until you find the load that fatigues your muscles in your preferred rep range, e.g., 12-20.

Then, as the weeks pass and you get stronger, either do more reps with the same weight or gradually increase the load. This final step is critical because if you keep using the same weight for the same number of reps, your progress will eventually stall.

2. How often should I train my hip abductor muscles?

Most people will get excellent results by training their abductors 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday and Thursday, or Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This provides a good balance between work and recovery.

Don’t be tempted to hit your abductors more often than this, such as daily, as insufficient rest and recovery can lead to stalled progress and overtraining. When it comes to exercise, more is not always better.

3. Will doing abductions fix my hip dips?

Hip dips, also known as violin hips, are inward curves that, according to some fitness influencers, must be fixed if you want a picture-perfect figure. However, before some Lycra-clad fame grabber first mentioned hip dips, no one even knew such a thing existed. It’s a “problem” that was invented simply to give influencers something new to talk about.

It turns out that hip dips are actually the result of your underlying bone structure, and there are no exercises you can do to correct them. Your hip dips, or lack of them, are part of what makes you who you are.

So, don’t worry about your hip dips, and don’t waste time trying to fix them. Some people have hip dips, while others do not. This has nothing to do with either diet or exercise and is the result of individual genetics and bone structure.

4. Aren’t hip abductions a female exercise?

Exercises are neither male nor female; they’re gender-neutral. If a man needs to strengthen his hips, the abduction machine is one of the ways they can do it. While you might see more women than men doing hip abductions, this certainly doesn’t mean that men can’t benefit from this exercise. More women than men do hip abductions because this is a priority area for them. For the same reason, men do more curls and bench presses.

5. Will doing hip abductions tone my butt?

Hip abductions are a very effective upper/outer hip and butt exercise. However, to fully develop your glutes, you also need to include hip extension exercises in your workouts, as this is another function of this powerful muscle. Effective hip extension exercises include:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Romanian deadlifts
• 45-degree back extensions
• Kettlebell swings
• Cable pull-throughs
• Hip thrusts

You can read more about these exercises here.  

Hip Abduction Exercise – Wrapping Up

Hip abductions are often labeled as a bad or pointless exercise. People who don’t like them say that they’re not functional or only suitable for women. None of these comments are true!

In reality, all exercises have value, and your training success hinges on your ability to choose the right movements for your needs and goals. So, if you want to squat more weight, you need to do more heavy squats. If you want bigger biceps, you need to do curls. But if you want to develop your abductor muscles, the abduction machine is a viable option.

It’s all about choosing the right tool for the job.

So, don’t be put off using the abductor machine if you enjoy it and it matches your goals. Male or female, young or old, beginner or experienced, whatever your goal, this exercise provides a safe and effective way to work your hips.

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