Abductors

About the Abductors

Your abductors move your legs away from the middle of your body. They work opposite to your adductors. When you do side leg raises or walk sideways, your abductors are working.

Gluteus Medius: The main abductor muscle. It lifts your leg to the side and helps keep your pelvis level when walking.
Gluteus Minimus: Works with gluteus medius. It's important for hip stability and rotating your thigh.
Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL): Helps lift your leg forward and to the side. It also helps stabilize your knee through the IT band.

Best Abductors exercises

Abductors (especially glute medius) keep your pelvis level when you walk, squat, and single-leg train. Weak abductors show up as knee cave and hip shift.

Hip Circles (prone) (body only)
Standing Hip Circles Stretch (body only)
Hip Abduction Machine (machine)
Lying Crossover Stretch (body only)
Monster Walk (bands)
Iliotibial Tract-SMR Stretch (foam roll)
IT Band and Glute Stretch (other)
Windmills Stretch

Common mistakes

Letting the hips roll back so the TFL takes over.
Using momentum on side-lying raises.
Never training single-leg stance work.

Log Abductors work in Easy Reps

Open the lift in the app library, log weight and reps, and PRs update when you earn them. No account and no subscription. Download Easy Reps or browse the full exercise library.