Oct
8
Actually, maybe I should add “If you’re a guy” to the end of this post’s title. That’s because the two exercises I’m talking about are Lying Leg Adductions and Thigh Abduction. For some reason, whenever you mention thigh exercises to men they automatically think those are not for them. It’s as if only women should have strong thighs while guys should focus on strong biceps. Well, I happen to think that’s ridiculous. Strong thighs are part of a strong core which is going to keep you fit and in shape, and that’s good for both men and women. So without further ado, here are two exercises you may want to incorporate into your routine.
Benefits
Abductions and Adductions both reach a muscle that many of us neglect. Unless you’re a competition horse rider then you might not have very strong thighs. That could lead to injuries and less than peak performance in any activity that involves your legs. That’s because your thighs are the support for your legs. They keep you stable and prevent you from collapsing to either side.
Body Weight Only
First of all, both of these are usually body weight exercises. There are variations with added resistance in the form of exercise bands but that’s a nice to have, not a must have. So assuming you’re doing these as a body weight exercise, that means you don’t need any weights or machines to do them. If you’re trying to decrease or increase difficulty, you’re going to need to do that through slowing or speeding up and changing the number of reps. That said, these exercises are also a great way to stretch and I frequently do a set or two before I run.
Thigh Abduction
This one is pretty easy. just lie down on your side, hold your legs straight and lift up your outside leg. That means that if you’re lying on your right hand side you should be lifting your left leg. Keep lifting until you reach a 45 degree angle but don’t push that too much if you feel any pain in your inner thigh. Now lower your leg and you’re done. You’ve just done a single rep of Thigh Abductions for one of your legs.
If you want to see a video showing this, this link will take you to Cooper’s Guns:
Lying Leg Adduction
If thigh abductions workout your outer thigh, then adductions workout your inner thigh. The idea is the same. Lie on your side and lift your leg. However, instead of lifting your outer leg, you’re going to lift your inner leg. So if you’re lying on your right side, you’re going to lift your right leg. This is a little trickier than abductions because you’re lifting the leg you’re lying on, but with a little practice, it will get easy. Again, don’t push up too high, you don’t want to strain your ligaments. A little 30 degree rise is enough with these if it’s done in a slow and controlled fashion.
Again, if you want to see a video, click on the following link:
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Too many men focus just on their upper body just like too many women focus solely on their legs and butts. Remember, being fit means keeping your whole body in shape, not just a single muscle group.
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One Response to “Two Exercise You Should Be Doing But Probably Aren’t”
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Great suggestions! Thanks!!!