Exercises that train the Abductors (outer hip)

18 movements in our catalog load the Abductors (outer hip), ranked by how much of one session's target each one covers on its own. A single exercise at 100% finishes that muscle for the day.

The fastest way to train the Abductors (outer hip) is Hip Abduction (Machine), which covers 100% of a session on its own.

Gluteus medius and minimus sit on the outside of the hip and move the leg away from the midline - but their real job is stopping the pelvis dropping when you stand on one leg, which is every step you take. A barbell programme moves almost entirely front-to-back, so the plane they work in is barely trained at all, and that is why they get a slot of their own. Adding hip work to knee work does beat knee work alone for kneecap pain Nascimento 2018; the evidence that weak abductors CAUSE it is thinner than you will usually be told Barton 2013.

Equipment that can take Abductors (outer hip) all the way to a session target on its own: Bodyweight, Machines.

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.