My wife and I run a personal training gym. Due to our limited space we must be very selective when choosing equipment. Big, bulky single use machines that take up a lot of space are not an option for us. This precludes us from buying items such as an adduction machine. I won’t go into the pros and cons of such machines but will say that they offer variety when working the legs.
So, what do you do when you would like to work the adductors in a similar manner to an adduction machine but your gym doesn’t have one? This is where a little creativity comes in. My wife and I have devised several ways to work this muscle group that do not require a single purpose machine. One of our favorites that we have devised for working the adductors involves a band set up in the squat rack (see pictures below).
The band is doubled up around the base of the squat rack and the leg goes through the loop. This doubled up band is placed just below the knee. Leaning back slightly we lift the feet off the ground and squeeze the legs together. Resistance can be adjusted by sliding forward or backward on the bench. The further forward you go the more resistance and the harder the exercise. Varying degrees of bands can also be used to find the resistance that best suits you.
We often do reps in the 10-15 range and at the end of the set do a hold for 20 seconds. Slow eccentric and concentric portions of the lift can also be done to increase the intensity. The variations are endless.
If you have a squat rack give this exercise a try. I guarantee your adductors will be thoroughly worked.
