10 Best Side Plank Hip Adduction Alternatives for Strength & Rehab

The Side Plank Hip Adduction is done lying face down. Ranked closest by our scoring: Lateral Cone Hops, the Lateral Box Jump and the Side Lying Hip Adduction. Three harder versions, the Side Bridge Hip Abduction, the Lateral Bound and the Outside Leg Kick Push-up, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Side Plank Hip AdductionWatch the Side Plank Hip Adduction

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Side Plank Hip Adduction

The steps for the Side Plank Hip Adduction itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Adductors, with obliques, glutes · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Start by lying on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other.
  2. Prop yourself up on your forearm, keeping your elbow directly below your shoulder.
  3. Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your feet.
  4. While maintaining the side plank position, lift your top leg towards the ceiling, keeping it straight.
  5. Slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

The 10 Best Side Plank Hip Adduction Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Side Plank Hip Adduction on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Lateral Cone Hops

    1. Lateral Cone Hops

    80% match

    Adductors · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the adductors.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Position a number of cones in a row several feet apart.
    2. Stand next to the end of the cones, facing 90 degrees to the direction of travel. This will be your starting position.
    3. Begin the jump by dipping with the knees to initiate a stretch reflex, and immediately reverse direction to push off the ground, jumping up and sideways over the cone.
    4. Use your legs to absorb impact upon landing, and rebound into the next jump, continuing down the row of cones.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: adductors, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
    • Body position: standing, not lying face down
  2. Side Bridge Hip AbductionPlay demonstration

    Progression

    2. Side Bridge Hip Abduction

    85% match

    Abductors · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the abductors rather than the adductors.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on your side with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other.
    2. Prop yourself up on your forearm, keeping your elbow directly below your shoulder.
    3. Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your head to your feet.
    4. While keeping your core engaged, lift your top leg as high as possible without rotating your hips.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then lower your leg back down.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abductors, not adductors
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
  5. Side Lying Hip AdductionPlay demonstration

    5. Side Lying Hip Adduction

    75% match

    Adductors · Beginner · Isolation

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the adductors.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other.
    2. Place your bottom arm under your head for support.
    3. Engage your adductors and lift your top leg as high as possible without rotating your hips or leaning backward.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps on each side, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: adductors, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
  6. Band Hip Adductions

    6. Band Hip Adductions

    70% match

    Adductors · Beginner · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a band to work with, and it still works the adductors.

    • Band
    How to perform it
    1. Anchor a band around a solid post or other object.
    2. Stand with your left side to the post, and put your right foot through the band, getting it around the ankle.
    3. Stand up straight and hold onto the post if needed. This will be your starting position.
    4. Keeping the knee straight, raise your right legs out to the side as far as you can.
    5. Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired rep count.
    6. Switch sides.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: adductors, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
    • Equipment: a band, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: standing, not lying face down
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Side Plank Hip Adduction
  7. Cable Hip AdductionPlay demonstration

    7. Cable Hip Adduction

    70% match

    Adductors · Beginner · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a cable machine to work with, and it still works the adductors.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Attach the ankle cuff to your ankle and stand facing the cable machine.
    2. Position yourself far enough away from the machine so that there is tension on the cable.
    3. Place your hands on the machine for support.
    4. Keeping your leg straight, slowly move your leg across your body towards the midline.
    5. Pause for a moment at the end of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: adductors, the same as the Side Plank Hip Adduction
    • Equipment: a cable, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: standing, not lying face down
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Side Plank Hip Adduction

Why You Might Need a Side Plank Hip Adduction Alternative

You might swap Side Plank Hip Adduction for shoulder, wrist, or low-back issues, limited balance, or rehab phases where isometric side loading is unsafe. Alternatives let you preserve adductor stimulus while changing joint demands and loading patterns. Biomechanically, the side plank creates a frontal-plane adduction moment and demands pelvic stabilization; substitutes that reduce shoulder load (e.g., side-lying adductor raises) maintain inner-thigh tension without compressing the shoulder. Cue: keep the pelvis level and actively pinch the inner thigh to concentrate force through the adductors rather than shifting load to the low back.

How to Choose the Right Side Plank Hip Adduction Substitute

Decide based on pain, equipment, and training goal. For high adductor activation and core carryover choose the Copenhagen progression; cue: stack hips and press the lower heel into the support. For rehab or low-load work pick ball squeezes or side-lying raises, focus on strict range and continuous tension to maximize adductor fiber recruitment. If you need strength and loadability use sumo squats or banded standing adduction to apply progressive resistance. Check biomechanics: prefer exercises that create an adduction moment at the hip and challenge pelvic control without provoking compensation like hip hiking or lumbar extension.

Side Plank Hip Adduction FAQ

What muscles does Side Plank Hip Adduction work?

The exercise targets the hip adductors (magnus, longus, brevis) while demanding oblique and glute medius stabilization. It produces a frontal-plane adduction moment at the hip and forces the core to resist pelvic drop, so the inner thigh and lateral trunk work together.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Side Plank Hip Adduction?

The Copenhagen plank is the best bodyweight alternative for adductor loading and pelvic stability. Cue: support your top leg on a bench, squeeze the inside of the lower leg into the support, keep hips stacked and core braced to replicate the adduction moment.

Can I build muscle without doing Side Plank Hip Adduction?

Yes, you can hypertrophy the adductors using progressive overload via other patterns like sumo squats, Copenhagen progressions, or resisted standing adduction. Focus on full adductor contraction, controlled eccentric lowering, and gradually increase load or reps to drive growth.

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