Thigh Abductor

What it is

This machine exercise targets the muscles on the outside of your thighs, helping to strengthen your hip abductors and glutes. You will sit on a machine and push your legs apart against resistance. This movement isolates and strengthens the muscles responsible for moving your legs away from your body. It is an excellent beginner-friendly option for building lower body stability.

Technique tips

• Keep your upper body stable against the machine backrest.
• Control the movement as you push your legs open.
• Pause briefly at the widest point of the movement.
• Breathe in slowly as you return your legs to the start.
• Avoid letting the weight stack slam on the return.
• Focus on feeling the contraction in your outer thighs.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.