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Exercises

Adductor exercises at home: direct squeezes, side lunges and deep squats

Published October 19, 2026

The best adductor exercises at home are the Copenhagen plank and band hip adduction for direct inner-thigh work, the Cossack squat and dumbbell lateral lunge for strength in a deep stretch, and the sumo squat and goblet squat for heavy loading. You need nothing more than a couch, a resistance band and one or two dumbbells. Pick one direct exercise and one side lunge or wide squat each session, and train them twice a week.

  1. Copenhagen Plank Adductors, Abs
  2. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  3. Band Hip Adduction Adductors
  4. Dumbbell Lateral Lunge Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  5. Sumo Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  6. Kettlebell Lateral Lunge Quads, Glutes
  7. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes

Direct adductor exercises

These two pull your legs together against resistance, which is the adductors' main job. The Copenhagen plank uses your bodyweight and a couch; the band version needs one band and a door anchor. Do at least one of them every adductor session.

Adductors, side plank with the top leg supported

Copenhagen Plank

Adductors, Abs

Your top leg rests on a couch, chair or bench and has to hold your hips up, so the inner thigh carries most of your bodyweight. It is the strongest home adductor exercise there is, and you can scale it from an easy knee-supported hold to a hard straight-leg version.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side alongside a couch or sturdy chair, propped on your bottom forearm with the elbow under your shoulder.
  2. Rest the inside of your top knee on the seat; tuck the bottom leg under the furniture or let it rest on the floor.
  3. Press the top knee down into the seat and raise your hips until your body runs in one line from head to knee.
  4. Hold for the set's time or lower and raise your hips for reps, then turn over and do the other side.

Cues

  • Push the seat away with your knee
  • Hips stacked, not rolled back
  • Breathe while you hold

Common mistakes

  • Jumping straight to the ankle-on-the-seat version: own 30-second holds with the knee supported first.
  • Hips drifting backward so the plank turns into a pike: keep your hips in line with your shoulders.

Swap for: Band Hip Adduction, Cossack Squat, Balance Board Lateral Squat

Build a session with Copenhagen Plank

Adductors, standing band squeeze

Band Hip Adduction

Adductors

With a band anchored low to one side and looped around your ankle, you sweep the leg across your body against the pull. It is the closest home version of the adduction machine and the easiest adductor exercise to load gradually, by stepping farther from the anchor.

How to do it

  1. Anchor a band low on a door or table leg and loop it around the ankle nearest the anchor.
  2. Step away until the band pulls your leg out to the side, and stand tall with a hand on a wall or chair.
  3. Sweep the banded leg across the front of your standing leg, keeping the knee straight and toes forward.
  4. Let the band draw the leg back out slowly, stopping before the band goes slack, then repeat. Switch sides.

Cues

  • Sweep, do not swing
  • Torso stays upright
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Leaning your whole body away from the band to finish the rep: only the leg moves.
  • Standing so close to the anchor that the band has no tension at the start: step out until it pulls from the first inch.

Swap for: Copenhagen Plank, Sumo Squat, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Band Hip Adduction

Side lunges and lateral squats

Moving sideways stretches the inner thigh of the long leg while the bent leg carries the load. These build strength and range together, which is why they are the base of most adductor programs for athletes.

Adductors and hips, deep side squat

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

Sitting down into one hip while the other leg stays long stretches the straight leg's adductors under load, then makes them help you stand. It builds strength at long muscle lengths, which is where groin strains tend to happen, and costs nothing but floor space.

How to do it

  1. Take a very wide stance, about twice the width of your shoulders, with the toes turned out a little.
  2. Bend your right knee and sit your hips down toward your right heel, letting the left leg straighten with the toes pointing up.
  3. Sink as deep as you can with the right foot flat and your chest lifted.
  4. Press the floor away with the right foot to return to the middle, then sit to the left.

Cues

  • Sit down, not forward
  • Flat foot on the bent side
  • Long leg stays straight

Common mistakes

  • Folding the chest down to the knee to get lower: hold a light weight out in front as a counterbalance instead.
  • Rushing from side to side: stop in the middle for a breath between reps.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge, Balance Board Lateral Squat

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Adductors and glutes, loaded side lunge

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

A side step loads the inner thigh of the trailing leg as it lengthens and the glute and quad of the stepping leg as it bends. Dumbbells let you load it far more than a Cossack squat, so it is the main strength lift for the adductors at home.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell hanging at each side.
  2. Take a wide step to the right and sit your hips back over the right foot, left leg straight.
  3. Lower until the right thigh is near level with the floor, dumbbells on either side of the bent knee.
  4. Push hard off the right foot to step back to the start, then step out to the left.

Cues

  • Step wide, sit back
  • Trailing leg stays long
  • Both feet point forward

Common mistakes

  • Stepping too short, which turns the lunge into a squat with no stretch on the trailing leg.
  • Letting the bent knee drift inward past your big toe: keep it in line with the foot.

Swap for: Kettlebell Lateral Lunge, Cossack Squat, Goblet Squat

Build a session with Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Adductors and glutes, side lunge with the weight in front

Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Holding one kettlebell at your chest instead of two dumbbells at your sides lets you sit deeper, because the weight balances you as your hips go back. Choose it when you own a single bell, or when you want more depth than load.

How to do it

  1. Hold a kettlebell by the horns at chest height and stand with your feet together.
  2. Step wide to one side and push your hips back as that knee bends, keeping the other leg straight.
  3. Go as deep as you can with the bent-side heel down and the bell close to your chest.
  4. Drive back to standing, then repeat on the same side or alternate.

Cues

  • Bell stays at your chest
  • Hips back as you land
  • Heel down

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bell drift away from your body, which tips you forward: keep your elbows tucked.
  • Turning the toes of the straight leg forward: point them slightly up and out so the stretch stays in the inner thigh.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Cossack Squat, Sumo Squat

Build a session with Kettlebell Lateral Lunge

Adductors and hip stability, side-to-side squat on a board

Balance Board Lateral Squat

Quads, Glutes

Standing on a balance board and shifting your weight from one side to the other trains the adductors and outer hips to work together, steadying the board with every rep. It is low load but high control, a good primer before the heavier lifts.

How to do it

  1. Step onto a balance board, feet wide and near the ends of the board.
  2. Bend your knees and hips into a shallow squat and keep your trunk braced.
  3. Shift your weight toward one side, sinking deeper into that hip while the board tips under control.
  4. Push back to the middle, level the board, and sink toward the other side.

Cues

  • Control the tilt
  • Knees over the toes
  • Smooth and slow

Common mistakes

  • Letting the board slap the floor on each side: move only as far as you can stop it.
  • Standing too upright to keep balance: stay in the squat so the hips do the work.

Swap for: Cossack Squat, Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Copenhagen Plank

Build a session with Balance Board Lateral Squat

Wide and deep squats

A wide stance and a deep squat both make the adductors help extend the hip. They let you load the inner thighs heavier than any direct exercise, and they double as your main leg lift for the day.

Adductors and glutes, wide-stance squat

Sumo Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

A wide stance with the toes turned out puts your thighs in a position where the adductors help drive you out of the bottom. Holding one dumbbell or kettlebell between your legs, it lets you load the inner thighs heavier than any other home exercise here.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest and set your feet well outside your shoulders, toes turned out.
  2. Push your knees out in line with your toes and lower your hips straight down.
  3. Go until your thighs are about level with the floor or as deep as your hips allow with a flat back.
  4. Stand back up by pushing your knees out and squeezing your inner thighs together, as if dragging your feet toward each other.

Cues

  • Knees follow the toes
  • Straight down, straight up
  • Pull the floor together

Common mistakes

  • Letting the knees collapse inward at the bottom: lighten the load and push them out.
  • A stance so wide the knees cannot track over the toes: bring the feet in until they can.

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Kettlebell Lateral Lunge, Dumbbell Front Squat

Build a session with Sumo Squat

Adductors, quads and glutes, deep squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Squatting deep with a weight at your chest asks the adductors to help extend your hip in the bottom, where the thighs fold close to the torso. It is a whole-leg exercise that also trains the inner thighs, which makes it a good first lift in a home leg session.

How to do it

  1. Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest, cupping the top end, with your feet a bit wider than your hips.
  2. Brace your trunk and sit down between your heels, keeping your elbows inside your knees.
  3. Go as deep as you can with a flat back and your heels on the floor.
  4. Stand up by driving through your whole foot, keeping the dumbbell tight to your chest.

Cues

  • Sit between your heels
  • Elbows inside the knees
  • Chest tall all the way

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the depth short: the inner thighs work most in the bottom third.
  • Heels lifting as you go down: widen your stance a little or elevate the heels on a thin plate.

Swap for: Sumo Squat, Dumbbell Front Squat, Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat

Adductors and glutes, deep single-leg squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

In a deep rear-foot-elevated split squat, the front leg's adductors help the glute drive you out of the bottom, while the hip stays steady over one foot. It rounds out a home adductor session with a heavy single-leg exercise.

How to do it

  1. Set the top of your back foot on a couch or chair and place your front foot a long stride ahead.
  2. Hold dumbbells at your sides or one at your chest, and keep your front foot flat.
  3. Drop your back knee straight toward the floor until the front thigh is close to level.
  4. Press through the front foot to rise, then finish all reps before switching legs.

Cues

  • Go deep for the inner thigh
  • Front foot flat
  • Rear foot is just a kickstand

Common mistakes

  • Pushing up with the back leg: let it relax and make the front leg do the work.
  • Front knee collapsing inward: keep it pointed the same way as your toes.

Swap for: Dumbbell Split Squat, Step-Up, Reverse Lunge

Build a session with Bulgarian Split Squat

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

No equipment, just a couch and floor

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You have no weights or bands at home and want to train your inner thighs with bodyweight and furniture.

Without load, the two hardest adductor exercises carry the session: the Copenhagen plank for direct adduction and the Cossack squat for strength in a long stretch. The bodyweight sumo squat and split squat use high reps to come close to failure, ending 1 rep short, while the plank and Cossack stay at 2 because form breaks before muscles do. About 11 working sets, done twice a week.

Inner Thighs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Copenhagen PlankReps per side. Knee on the seat. 3 × 6–12 2 1 min
Cossack SquatPer side. Pause at the bottom. 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Sumo SquatBodyweight. 3 s down. 3 × 15–25 1 1 min
Bulgarian Split SquatBodyweight. Per leg. Go deep. 2 × 10–20 1 1 min
How to run it
Do the session twice a week with at least two days between. Hold a water bottle or backpack as a counterweight on the Cossack squat if you tip backward.
How to progress
Add reps each week. When the Copenhagen plank reaches 12 reps per side with the knee on the seat, move the support toward your ankle. On the sumo squat, slow the lowering to four seconds once 25 reps is easy.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Dumbbells or a kettlebell plus a band

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Resistance Bands, Kettlebells

You have adjustable dumbbells or a kettlebell, a resistance band and a door anchor, and you want the inner thighs to grow, not just get stronger.

Loading lets you put heavy, lower-rep work first: the lateral lunge and sumo squat at 8 to 12 reps with 1 to 2 in reserve, the main drivers of size. The band adduction adds higher-rep direct work at 0 to 1 in reserve, and the goblet squat and Copenhagen plank round out the second day. Each session is about 12 sets.

Adductors A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Lateral Lunge1 warm-up set firstPer side. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Sumo SquatHeaviest weight. Knees out. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Band Hip AdductionPer leg. 2 s back out. 3 × 12–20 0 45 s
Copenhagen PlankReps per side. 2 × 8–12 2 1 min

Open Adductors A in the session builder

Adductors B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set firstFull depth. 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Kettlebell Lateral LungePer side. Bell at the chest. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 2 × 8–12 1 90 s
Band Hip AdductionPer leg. 2 × 15–20 0 45 s

Open Adductors B in the session builder

How to run it
Run Adductors A and B once each per week. Put them at the end of a lower-body day or on their own short day.
How to progress
Double progression: once every set reaches the top of the rep range at the target reps in reserve, go up one dumbbell step. On the band, step one foot farther from the anchor or switch to a stronger band.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Soccer, hockey or tennis season add-on

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands

You play a sport with lots of cutting, kicking or skating, and you want a short adductor routine you can keep doing in season without being sore for games.

In-season work keeps the strength you have without leaving you sore, so the volume is low and every set stops 2 to 3 reps short of failure. The Copenhagen plank and band adduction train the squeeze; the balance-board squat and Cossack squat train control in a stretch. Eight working sets, about 15 minutes.

Groin Strength
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Copenhagen PlankReps per side. Knee support. 2 × 6–10 3 1 min
Band Hip AdductionPer leg. 2 × 12–15 2 45 s
Balance Board Lateral SquatReps per side. 2 × 8–12 2 1 min
Cossack SquatPer side. Partial depth. 2 × 5–8 3 1 min
How to run it
Do it twice a week, at least two days before a game. Skip the Cossack squat the day before a match.
How to progress
Keep the reps and RIR fixed. Progress only the Copenhagen plank, from knee to ankle support, and the band tension, and only in weeks with one game or fewer.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do you train adductors at home without equipment?

Use the Copenhagen plank on a couch or chair for direct inner-thigh work, then the Cossack squat and bodyweight sumo squat for strength through a deep range. Take each set within 1 to 2 reps of failure.

How do you get big adductors?

The same way you grow any muscle: hard sets, enough of them, and more load or reps over time. Ten to fifteen weekly sets across a direct exercise and a loaded side lunge or wide squat is a good target.

What are the benefits of training the adductors?

Strong adductors help steady your knee and pelvis in squats, lunges and quick changes of direction, add size to the upper inner thigh, and give you more control in deep positions such as a wide squat.

How do you stretch the adductors?

The Cossack squat and lateral lunge stretch the inner thigh of the straight leg under load, which builds range and strength together. Spend a breath in the bottom of each rep and go a little deeper over weeks.

Do sumo squats work the inner thighs?

Yes. A wide stance with the toes out puts the adductors in a good position to help extend your hip, especially in the bottom half. Go deep and push your knees out over your toes.

How often should you train adductors?

Twice a week works well. They recover quickly, so you can pair them with your leg days or add a short block on a separate day.