Muscle guide · Thighs
Also called inner thigh muscles, groin muscles, hip adductors
The adductors are the muscles of the inner thigh. Five of them run from the pubic bone and the bottom of the pelvis down to the thigh bone: adductor longus, brevis and magnus, gracilis and pectineus. The gracilis continues past the knee.
They pull the leg in toward the midline, steady the pelvis when your foot is planted, and the big adductor magnus also helps straighten the hip as you rise from a squat.
| Part | Starts at | Attaches to | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adductor longus | Front of the pubic bone | Middle of the ridge down the back of the thigh bone (linea aspera) | Pulls the thigh in; also helps bend the hip |
| Adductor brevis | Front of the pubic bone, under the longus | Upper part of the back of the thigh bone | Pulls the thigh in |
| Adductor magnus | Bottom of the pubic bone and the sit bone | Down the back of the thigh bone, and a tubercle just above the inner knee | Pulls the thigh in; its front part helps bend the hip and its hamstring part straightens it |
| Gracilis | Lower edge of the pubic bone | Inside of the shin just below the knee | Pulls the thigh in, helps bend the hip and knee, turns the leg inward |
| Pectineus | Top front of the pubic bone | Back of the upper thigh bone, below the hip | Pulls the thigh in and bends the hip |
The Copenhagen adduction and standing band adduction were the high-intensity exercises in an EMG study of eight. The original football programme started with side-lying adduction; teams often swapped in squeezes.
3D demoCopenhagen plankAdvanced · A bench or box
3D demoStanding band hip adductionBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoCable hip adductionBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoLying adductor ball squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions
3D demoHip adduction machineBeginner · Strength machine
3D demoCossack squatIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoBarbell side split squatIntermediate · A barbellOne of the most common groin injuries in sport, especially football and ice hockey, usually from a sudden change of direction with the leg pulled outward while the muscles contract. The adductor longus is the site in 62% to 90% of cases, and a previous hip or groin injury is the biggest risk factor.
In European professional football, adductor injuries made up 23% of muscle injuries, second only to hamstrings.
Rugby players whose adduction strength was under 80% of their abduction strength were reported to be 17 times more likely to strain an adductor.
Source 4
Where the gracilis tendon joins the sartorius and semitendinosus below the knee (the pes anserinus), overuse can inflame the bursa or tendons and cause pain on the inside of the knee.
Source 3
Each grade rates the evidence for the correction.
A gym lower body workout for legs and glutes: trap bar deadlifts, hip thrusts, reverse lunges, leg curls, hip abduction, calf raises and core.
50 minIntermediate13 movesOther / check instructions, A barbellA gym leg day: back squats, leg press, leg curls, Bulgarian split squats, leg extensions and calf raises.
55 minIntermediate9 movesA wall, A barbellThey pull the thigh in toward the midline, steady the pelvis when your foot is planted, and the adductor magnus also helps straighten the hip.
The Copenhagen adduction (side plank with the top leg on a bench) and standing band adduction were the high-intensity exercises in an EMG study. Start with side-lying adduction or a ball squeeze if those are too hard.
Five are usually grouped together: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis and pectineus.
The adductor longus, in 62% to 90% of adductor strains.
Anatomy and movement education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have pain that follows an injury, is severe or getting worse, or comes with numbness, weakness or swelling, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.
