Side Lying Hip Adduction
- Primary muscleAdductors
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeIsolation · Hip isolation
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Side-lying
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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No machine, no cuff, just gravity and a short range: lying on your side, you lift the leg against its own weight until the inner thigh fully contracts. Loading is capped at bodyweight, so treat it as a high-rep movement of 15 to 25 per side or a warm-up drill rather than a strength builder.
How to do the Side Lying Hip Adduction
- Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other.
- Place your bottom arm under your head for support.
- Engage your adductors and lift your top leg as high as possible without rotating your hips or leaning backward.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your leg back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
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.
Sets, reps and where it fits
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 10–15 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance / finisher | 2–3 × 15–20 | 45 s |
| Strength | Not ideal — pick a compound lift for the same muscle | — |
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.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without bodyweight
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Side Lying Hip Adduction work?
The Side Lying Hip Adduction primarily works the adductors. It also involves the glutes and hamstrings, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.
Is the Side Lying Hip Adduction good for beginners?
Yes. The Side Lying Hip Adduction is rated beginner: it uses no equipment beyond your bodyweight and the movement is simple to learn. Start light, focus on the full range of motion and add load once every rep looks the same.
What can I do instead of the Side Lying Hip Adduction?
If you cannot do the Side Lying Hip Adduction, try the Machine Hip Adduction, the Cable Hip Adduction or the Side Plank Hip Adduction. Each of them trains the adductors through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.
How many sets and reps should I do?
It depends on your goal. For the Side Lying Hip Adduction, a sensible starting point is muscle growth: 3–4 × 10–15 with 60–90 s rest; endurance / finisher: 2–3 × 15–20 with 45 s rest. Do it after your compound lifts. It is a finishing movement, not the main event.
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