Inner Thigh Exercises For Men

The leg adduction machine is the machine at which you see women, almost exclusively. As a man, you don't particularly want to be seen performing leg adductions, and you don't have to be. You don't see bodybuilders performing leg adductions because big compound exercises that build muscle throughout your body will build muscle in your inner thighs, too. After a punishing leg workout composed of a combination of squats, hack squats, leg press, leg extensions and leg curls, you don't want to perform three more sets of some exercise that isolates your inner thighs. Just perform these variations on big lifts, and you can avoid the leg adduction machine and build real inner-thigh strength.

Sumo Deadlift

In "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," Arnold Schwarzenegger explains that despite the fact that the deadlift is often performed on back day, it uses almost every muscle group in the body. The sumo deadlift is a variation that is also legal in powerlifting. People have set records with both the sumo deadlift and the traditional deadlift. While the type of deadlift you perform is usually dependent on your body type, if you want inner thigh strength, this is the version to do. Stand at a barbell with a wide stance. Bend at the hips and knees to grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip. Press through the heels and stand. Follow the same path to set the barbell down. Perform sets of four to six. This version of the deadlift works the quadriceps more intensely than traditional form, and it works the hip adductors very intensely. In fact, if you have been doing traditional deadlift and can lift some serious weight, lift less than you can when you start sumo deadlift, or you'll have trouble walking the next day.

Power Squats

Power squats are to squats what sumo deadlifts are to deadlift: a wide-stanced variation. It's called a power squat because it is a stance favored by powerlifters. Because powerlifters move such massive weight, it's important for them to keep as much of it as possible in their legs and off their lower back. According to Frederic Delavier in "Strength Training Anatomy," the power squat works the hamstrings and hip adductors more intensely than a traditional squat stance. To perform a power squat, stand with a barbell across your traps. Your stance should be wide, but not so wide that your toes are outside your knees when you squat down. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then stand. Perform sets of eight to 15.

Side Lunges

Typically, the lunge works the quadriceps and glutes most intensely, but the side lunge really hits the hip adductors, as your body works to bring your weight back to center. To perform a side lunge, stand with your feet narrower than shoulder-width apart. Step forward and to the side, and lower yourself until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Press through your forward leg and return to the start position. Get used to this exercise by performing it without any weight. As you get stronger, hold a plate or a medicine ball to your chest.