Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Cable Hip Adduction: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable hip adduction targets the adductor muscles of the inner thigh using a cable machine. It involves moving the leg across the body against resistance, helping to strengthen and tone the adductors.

Primary muscles
Not recorded
Secondary muscles
Quads , Glutes
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the cable hip adduction
Front view: muscles worked by the cable hip adduction. Secondary: quads and glutes.
Back view: muscles worked by the cable hip adduction. Secondary: quads and glutes.
Primary Secondary

How to do the cable hip adduction

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

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable hip adduction by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.