Instead of being (or wanting to be!) “more flexible,” it may be worth it to shift your focus to having more controlled flexibility. Having this controlled strength and stability in a greater range of motion is more valuable and can serve as injury prevention.
Consider this: if you only stretched to improve your range of motion, what happens in this new range of motion you’ve just gained? Typically it would be instability and/or weakness as your body has to learn or adapt to be able to use it. More often than not, people will not expose their body to that necessary stimulus and bodies will just resume the previous tension it had before the stretch after a short period of time. Stretching of course still has its benefits, but improving stability isn’t one of them. As a result, we like to take a different approach – one that is improving controlled flexibility, and eventually strength as a means to improve flexibility and joint function.
In this article, we are sharing a few exercise series that will help to improve your hip adductor mobility, stability, control, and strength.
All the below exercises are listed in the order in which they should be performed.
- Mobilize via an active stretch, ensure pelvic stability is maintained
- Recruit targeted or weak muscle groups
- Controlled stability in the maximum range of motion you feel comfortable with
- Strength endurance
Phase 1) Adductor Mobility
What will this help?
The exercises below in phase one of building adductor mobility are a good starting point for anyone focussing on more controlled flexibility. You can gradually progress beyond these exercises to the more advanced ones mentioned below in phase 2 and 3 of our adductor mobility.
1) Cossacks Stretch
2) Side Lying Hip Abduction
3) Adductor Slides (regressed)
4) Copenhagen Planks (easy)
Note that the video below is showing the most advanced progression of these Copenhagen Planks. For the easiest modification, move closer toward the bench, and have your top knee pressed into the bench.
Phase 2) Adductor Mobility Continued
What will this help?
In phase two, the exercises are a progression beyond the exercises mentioned in the first phase of adductor mobility.
1) Frog Stretch
2) Side Lying Hip Abduction
3) Adductor Slides (harder) aka Towel Thigh Master
4) Copenhagen Planks (harder)
Note that the video below is showing the advanced progression of these Copenhagen Planks. For a slightly easier modification, keep more of your top leg pressed into the bench (the exercise becomes easier the closer you move towards the bench).
Phase 3) Integrated Adductor Strength and Dynamic Stability
What will this help?
Building off even more from our series on adductor mobility, here are three more advanced exercises that target strengthening the hip adductor muscle group in conjunction with your core. They specifically involve strengthening a very important stabilization sling known as the anterior oblique sling. Strengthening specific muscles that work together can greatly help to improve pelvic stability, transfer of forces between the upper and lower extremities, and overall efficiency of dynamic movement.
1) Adductor Side Planks with Hip Flexion
REPS:
- Repeat 3 sets of 5-10 knee drives per side or isometric holds for 10-30 seconds per side
COACHING CUES:
- Assume a side plank, ensuring your top leg is well anchored (if you can’t do this refer to our previous adductor mobility/stability posts)
- Lift your bottom leg without letting: your top leg bend, hips drop, or foot invert
- If you can maintain position, flex the bottom hip and knee, and raise your knee towards your chest. If this is too challenging just lift the bottom leg up off the ground and hold
2) Wide Stance Anti-Rotational Chops
REPS:
- Complete 3 sets of 8-10 reps/side
COACHING CUES:
- Assume a wide stance so that you feel a comfortable stretch in your adductor region
- Keep legs straight and glutes engaged
- Pull cable attachment across your body without letting your hips rotate (shoulders and torso can rotate slightly)
- You should feel an active stretch in your adductors and engagement of your oblique muscles
3) Lateral Lunge with Pallof
REPS:
- Complete 3 sets of 8-10 per side
COACHING CUES:
- Anchor a light resistance band and hold at the midline of your body
- Step out into a lateral lunges with your outer foot
- Once you feel stabilized in the lateral lunge position, reach hands outward. And if you can maintain good positioning, then reach hands upward
- The goal is to have no knee, pelvic, or torso shifting as you complete the pallof press
We hope you found these series of adductor mobility exercises helpful, and if you have any questions or want to know more about anything featured in this post, please feel free to email Andrea at andrea@balancemotion.com.
