Side Lying Hip Adduction (left)
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Hips
- Type
- Strength
Side Lying Hip Adduction (left) is a bodyweight exercise that isolates the hip adductors — adductor magnus, adductor longus, and gracilis — of the left leg. Lying on your left side, you lift the bottom leg upward against gravity to build inner thigh strength, improve hip stability, and reduce injury risk at the groin and hip joint.
How to do the Side Lying Hip Adduction (left)
- 1Lie on your left side on a mat with your body in a straight line from head to feet.
- 2Support your head by resting it on your extended left arm, or prop it up with your left hand.
- 3Bend your right (top) knee and place your right foot flat on the floor in front of your left thigh to stabilize the pelvis, or keep the right leg stacked on top of the left.
- 4Extend your left (bottom) leg straight and flex the foot so the toes point forward or slightly upward.
- 5Brace your core and stack your hips directly on top of each other — avoid rolling backward.
- 6Lift your left leg upward toward the ceiling as high as your hip alignment allows, squeezing the inner thigh at the top of the movement.
- 7Pause briefly at the top, then lower the leg back toward the floor in a slow, controlled motion.
- 8Complete all reps on the left side, then switch to lying on your right side to work the opposite leg.
Form tips
- Keep the working leg fully straight throughout each rep — a bent knee shortens the lever and shifts effort away from the adductors.
- Keep your hips stacked and resist any urge to roll onto your back as the leg rises; use your core to stay square.
- Control the descent just as deliberately as the lift — lowering slowly increases time under tension in the inner thigh.
- Flex the foot to engage the entire leg through the movement, or point the toes if you want to bias a slightly different portion of the adductor group.
- Breathe steadily: exhale as you lift the leg, inhale as you lower it back to the start position.
Common mistakes
- Rolling the hips backward as the leg rises — this recruits the hip flexors and lower back instead of the adductors and removes the targeted stimulus from the inner thigh.
- Bending the knee during the lift, which shortens the adductor lever and shifts the load away from the muscle group the exercise is intended to train.
- Swinging the leg upward with momentum rather than lifting under control — this reduces time under tension and increases the risk of a groin strain.
- Stopping the lift too early and not reaching full range of motion — raise the leg as high as hip alignment allows to maximize adductor recruitment.
- Lifting the top leg instead of the bottom leg — this trains the abductors rather than the adductors and is the most common setup error with this exercise.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Side Lying Hip Adduction work?
The Side Lying Hip Adduction targets the hip adductors of the working leg — primarily the adductor magnus, adductor longus, and gracilis. These muscles run along the inner thigh and are responsible for pulling the leg toward and across the body's midline. Because no external load is used, the exercise provides a low-intensity stimulus suitable for activation, rehabilitation, or high-rep endurance work.
What is hip adduction?
Hip adduction is the movement of the leg toward or past the body's midline. It is the opposite of hip abduction, which moves the leg away from the midline. In the Side Lying Hip Adduction, the bottom leg is lifted upward — which, from a lying position, is the adduction direction — directly working the inner thigh muscles that produce that motion.
Is the Side Lying Hip Adduction good for beginners?
Yes. The exercise uses only bodyweight, requires no equipment, and is performed in a stable lying position, making it accessible to most fitness levels. It is commonly used in physical therapy and rehabilitation settings to build hip adductor strength after groin injuries. Beginners should focus on keeping the hips stacked and the working leg straight before progressing to weighted variations.
How many sets and reps should I do for the Side Lying Hip Adduction?
A practical starting range is 2–3 sets of 12–20 reps per side. Because bodyweight provides relatively light resistance for the adductors, slightly higher rep ranges are appropriate to accumulate enough stimulus. Rest 30–60 seconds between sets. As the exercise becomes easy, you can add an ankle weight or progress to a cable hip adduction machine for greater resistance.
What is the difference between hip adduction and hip abduction?
Hip adduction moves the leg toward the midline of the body and works the inner thigh muscles (adductors). Hip abduction moves the leg away from the midline and works the outer hip muscles (gluteus medius and minimus, tensor fasciae latae). In a side-lying position, the bottom leg performs adduction when lifted, while the top leg performs abduction when lifted — so the version you choose determines which muscle group you train.
