Cable Hip Adduction

Also known as: standing cable hip adduction, cable adduction, cable adductor, cable leg adduction, cable inner thigh adduction

Secondary muscles
Glutes, Quads
Body part
Upper Legs
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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An ankle cuff on a low pulley loads one inner thigh at a time as you sweep the leg across your body, while the stance leg quietly does balance work throughout. Range past the midline is what the seated machine cannot offer; a light stack, higher reps, and a hand on the frame keep it clean.

How to do the Cable Hip Adduction

  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.

Tip: Squeeze the knees together as if crushing something between them and hold for a count.

Muscles worked

Primary

Adductors · Legs

The inner thigh muscles pull the leg toward the midline, and you should feel a deep squeeze on the inside of the thigh at the end of each rep.

Secondary

Common mistakes

  • Slamming the pads together — control the return and squeeze at the middle rather than letting the stack bounce.
  • Setting the start too wide — start the range where you feel a stretch but no strain, and widen it over weeks as it improves.
  • Leaning back on the machine — keep the back against the pad and the hips still, since rocking makes the movement easier and shifts the load.
  • Fast side lying reps — on side lying adductions lift slowly and pause at the top to keep the inner thigh working.

Where it fits in a workout

Adduction work goes at the end of a lower body session or in the warm-up before wide stance squats. Superset it with hip abduction on the neighboring machine.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without cable

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.