Band Hip Adductions
A beginner isolation movement that trains the adductors with bands.
Force Type
Pull
direction of effort
Difficulty
Beginner
training level
Variations
0
equipment swaps
Muscles
1
primary + secondary
The verdict
Band Hip Adductions has 6-step instructions, among the most thoroughly documented of the 13 adductors exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 13 adductors exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#62 of 868
Most thoroughly documented
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#674 of 868
Lighter documentation than most
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
Band Hip Adductions vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
431 674th of 873 higher than 199 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
Band Hip Adductions is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the Band Hip Adductions Data Reveals · DOC · PULL/ISOLATION
Band Hip Adductions stands out on mechanic class: joint involvement separates this page from isolation peers.
Longer step lists usually mean finer setup cues, not a harder movement by themselves.
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
Band Hip Adductions catalog footprint
Among 13 exercises whose primary muscle is adductors, Band Hip Adductions ranks #1 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for adductors for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. Band Hip Adductions does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- Anchor a band around a solid post or other object.
- Stand with your left side to the post, and put your right foot through the band, getting it around the ankle.
- Stand up straight and hold onto the post if needed. This will be your starting position.
- Keeping the knee straight, raise your right legs out to the side as far as you can.
- Return to the starting position and repeat for the desired rep count.
- Switch sides.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps before the pattern is grooved - at this stage, a slow, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) on Band Hip Adductions teaches the nervous system the movement far faster than speed does.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the adductors through its full safe range on Band Hip Adductions is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Using momentum instead of muscle, isolation movements like Band Hip Adductions reward strict form. If you're swinging the weight, it's too heavy.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears on pull movements, keep shoulder blades down and back to load the correct muscles.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on Band Hip Adductions - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with bands where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People new to resistance training who want to build a foundation in the movement pattern
- People who want to train the Adductors
- People who have access to bands
Who this is NOT for
- People hunting equipment swaps, this record has none to offer; browse the peer adductors exercises for alternate patterns instead.
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once Band Hip Adductions feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to intermediate-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · BANDS · PULL/ISOLATION · FLOOR
- On PULL/ISOLATION adductors work, warm up 5–10 minutes before loading Band Hip Adductions; keep first sets light until the path feels automatic.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Beginners on BANDS gear: cut volume before cutting form, drop a set rather than rush reps.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Curated workout appearances
Band Hip Adductions appears in 6 of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Band Hip Adductions, drawn across all muscles (not the adductors-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Related exercises
Other exercises that target the Adductors.
See all Adductors exercises.
Using the band hip adductions
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the adductors 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other adductors movements for balanced development. All adductors exercises
- Match the load and rep range to your goal, strength, size, or endurance each call for a different scheme. Strength vs hypertrophy
- As an isolation movement, use it to target the adductors directly after your compound lifts. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.