What do the adductors do?

They pull the leg toward the midline of the body. The largest of them, adductor magnus, is also a powerful hip extensor — it helps drive you up out of the bottom of a deep squat — and several of the smaller adductors assist with hip flexion.

How do I strengthen my inner thighs?

Seated hip adduction machines, Copenhagen planks, Cossack squats and lateral lunges all train the group directly. Deep squats and sumo deadlifts train the adductor magnus heavily as a hip extensor even though they do not look like adduction exercises.

Why do I get groin strains?

Adductor strains typically happen during rapid direction changes, kicking or sprinting, when the muscle is lengthened and loaded at speed. Low adductor strength relative to the abductors is an established risk factor, which is why targeted strengthening is a common prevention approach in field sports.

Do squats train the adductors?

Yes, substantially — particularly deep squats and wide-stance or sumo variations, where the adductor magnus acts as a major hip extensor. It is one of the reasons the inner thigh gets sore after a heavy squat session.

Lower body

Adductors

Adductor magnus, longus, brevis, pectineus and gracilis

Also called: inner thigh, groin muscles, adductor group

The adductors are five muscles on the inner thigh that pull the leg toward the midline. The largest, adductor magnus, is also one of the body's most powerful hip extensors — it contributes meaningfully to squats and deadlifts, which is why the inner thigh is far more than a stability muscle.

front

back

The adductors highlighted on the front and back of the body.

Adductors anatomy

The adductor group runs from the pubic bone and the sitting bone down the inner thigh to the femur. Adductor magnus is the largest and has two functional portions: an adductor part and a hamstring-like posterior part that runs to the adductor tubercle just above the knee.

That posterior portion of adductor magnus is a serious hip extensor. In deep squats it contributes substantially to driving out of the bottom, which is why the inner thigh gets sore after a heavy squat session even though nothing looked like an adduction movement.

Adductor longus, brevis and pectineus are smaller and sit higher and more anteriorly. Gracilis is the exception in the group — it is long and thin, crosses the knee as well as the hip, and assists knee flexion.

Adductor strains, often called groin strains, are among the most common injuries in sports involving sudden direction changes.

Part	What it does
Adductor magnus	Largest. Adduction plus powerful hip extension via its posterior portion.
Adductor longus and brevis	Adduction and some hip flexion. Sit higher and toward the front.
Pectineus	Small, high on the inner thigh. Adduction and hip flexion.
Gracilis	Long and thin, crosses the knee. Adduction plus assistance with knee flexion.

Origin: Predominantly the inferior pubic ramus and the ischial ramus; adductor magnus also from the ischial tuberosity.
Insertion: The linea aspera along the back of the femur, with adductor magnus also inserting on the adductor tubercle of the medial femoral condyle. Gracilis inserts on the medial tibia.

What the adductors does

Hip adduction — pulling the leg toward the midline.
Hip extension, via the posterior fibres of adductor magnus. A substantial contributor in deep squats.
Hip flexion, via adductor longus, brevis and pectineus, when the hip is extended.
Stabilising the pelvis and controlling the leg during direction changes.
Assisting knee flexion (gracilis).

Best adductors exercises

Exercise	Equipment	Role	Level	Why
Deep back squat	Barbell	primary	Intermediate	Adductor magnus contributes heavily out of the bottom of a deep squat.
Copenhagen plank	Bench	primary	Advanced	The best-evidenced adductor exercise for reducing groin injury risk in athletes.
Seated hip adduction	Machine	primary	Beginner	Direct, easily loaded adduction. Unfashionable and genuinely effective.
Sumo deadlift	Barbell	primary	Intermediate	The wide stance places the adductors under heavy load as hip extensors.
Cossack squat	Bodyweight or kettlebell	primary	Intermediate	Trains the adductors through a long range while building lateral hip mobility.
Lateral lunge	Dumbbells	primary	Beginner	Loads the adductors in the frontal plane, which most training programmes never touch.
Cable hip adduction	Cable machine	secondary	Beginner	Standing single-leg version. Adds a stability demand on the supporting side.

How to train the adductors

Sets per week

6–12 hard sets

Rep range

10–20, or 20–40 second holds for Copenhagen planks

Frequency

2 sessions per week

Deep squats and sumo deadlifts already load the adductors substantially. Count that before adding much direct work.
For field-sport athletes, Copenhagen planks have reasonable evidence behind them for reducing groin injury rates. Start with the short-lever (bent-knee) version.
Adductor work in the frontal plane — lateral lunges, Cossack squats — is largely absent from standard programmes and is worth adding for anyone who changes direction in their sport.

Stretches and mobility

Butterfly stretch

Sit with the soles of the feet together and let the knees drop. 30–60 seconds.

Frog stretch

On all fours, knees wide, sink the hips backward. Go slowly — this one is easy to overdo.

Standing side lunge stretch

Wide stance, shift the weight to one bent leg and keep the other straight. 30 seconds each side.

Common mistakes

Treating adductors as purely a stretching problem

Persistent groin tightness is often an issue of strength and load tolerance rather than muscle length. Strengthening through range usually helps more than stretching alone.

Skipping the group entirely

The adductor magnus is one of the biggest hip extensors you have. Ignoring the group means leaving squat and deadlift strength on the table, not just risking a groin strain.

Jumping straight into full Copenhagen planks

The long-lever version is genuinely hard and a common source of a fresh groin strain. Start with the knee bent and the support under the knee rather than the ankle.

Adductors FAQ

What do the adductors do?: They pull the leg toward the midline of the body. The largest of them, adductor magnus, is also a powerful hip extensor — it helps drive you up out of the bottom of a deep squat — and several of the smaller adductors assist with hip flexion.
How do I strengthen my inner thighs?: Seated hip adduction machines, Copenhagen planks, Cossack squats and lateral lunges all train the group directly. Deep squats and sumo deadlifts train the adductor magnus heavily as a hip extensor even though they do not look like adduction exercises.
Why do I get groin strains?: Adductor strains typically happen during rapid direction changes, kicking or sprinting, when the muscle is lengthened and loaded at speed. Low adductor strength relative to the abductors is an established risk factor, which is why targeted strengthening is a common prevention approach in field sports.
Do squats train the adductors?: Yes, substantially — particularly deep squats and wide-stance or sumo variations, where the adductor magnus acts as a major hip extensor. It is one of the reasons the inner thigh gets sore after a heavy squat session.

References

This page is general educational information about exercise and anatomy. It is not medical advice and not a substitute for assessment by a qualified clinician. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, speak to a professional before changing how you train.