What You Are NOT Doing for Adductor Size

Nothing compliments some massive quads like a filled-out thigh gap. The adductor gives width to the upper thigh and makes your quads look even bigger. Not to mention we all want to drop mouths when we turn around for a rear double bicep and have some thick adductor meat smashed between your hammies. Keep in mind the adductor makes up 25% of your thigh mass. It might be shocking to hear I didn’t get big adductors from the adduction machine.

What is the key to training for massive adductors?
The adductor, like the name implies is a strong hip adductor. We all know the adduction machine and squeezing those thighs together trains them. But, surprisingly, you need to know one of the other main functions of the adductor is…HIP EXTENSION. Particularly hip extension when the hip is also flexed. So, we are talking deep squats and frog stance leg press are when the adductors come to life. Deep in the hole of these lifts the hamstrings have very little activation and the glute has some but is still limited, so the adductors really kick in to help get you moving out of the hole. Check out this nerd stuff:

Study:

Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes
Design: Two groups untrained lifters trained the back squat for full ROM (140-degree knee flexion) this is ass to grass squats or 90-degree knee flexion for 10 weeks, training 2 days per week. Muscle volume for quads, hamstrings, glutes and adductors were measure before and after with MRI.

Results:

Well of course the full range of motion group gained more total muscle, but I want to point out the differences in growth. The full squat group increased adductor volume by 6.2%, quad volume by 5%, and glute volume by 6.7%. The Half squat group increased quad volume by 4.6%, adductor volume by 2.7%, and Glute volume by 2.2%. Both groups had insignificant changes in hamstring volume.

Discussion:

In the deep squat the glutes are not large contributors to hip extension until reaching 90 degrees, but the adductors really shine deep in the hole. There is some other research showing large EMG glute decreases going below parallel in the squat. Deep in the hold the Adductor has the best mechanical position to really crank hard on the femur and perform hip extension, while the moment arm of the glute is shorter and disadvantaged.

Take away:

Train your adductors through all of their muscle actions, but your bread and butter lift should be some form of deep hip flexion with a slight frog stance (i.e. balls deep squat and leg press) Add in some extra work with the adduction machine if you need more volume. Adduction machine work might go best at the end of leg day as to not limit loading and knee stability in your compound movements.

Train Hard!
John Jewett MS RD IFBB Pro

Reference: Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(9):1933-1942. doi:10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y