So, the next time you are in the gym, skip the leg extension machine. Set up a wide stance. Hinge deep. And give a silent nod to the massive, forgotten giant on the inside of your thigh.
When people talk about leg strength, the conversation almost always starts and ends with the glutes and the quads. Squat depth? “Squeeze your glutes.” Deadlift lockout? “Drive your hips through.” While the glutes certainly deserve their crown as the king of posterior chain power, there is a silent guardian, a watchful protector lurking deep in your inner thigh: The Adductor Magnus. adductor magnus muscle
To train the hamstring portion (hip extension), you need hip extension with a wide stance. To train the adductor portion (leg adduction), you need resistance pulling you outward. So, the next time you are in the
Here are the three best exercises for the Adductor Magnus: The sumo stance is the king of AM training. By taking a wide stance with your toes turned out, the adductor magnus is placed under a massive stretch at the bottom of the lift. Driving the floor apart and extending the hips recruits the AM like no other exercise. And give a silent nod to the massive,
Because the muscle attaches so close to the knee (at the adductor tubercle), strain here can mimic MCL (medial collateral ligament) sprains. If you have pain on the inside of your knee, just above the joint line, don't just assume it’s your knee. It might be a tight, angry Adductor Magnus pulling on its tendon. Forget the seated adductor machine at the gym where you squeeze your knees together. While that works the adductor brevis and longus , it barely touches the massive magnus .
If you have weak adductor magnus muscles, your squat depth will suffer, or you will compensate by leaning too far forward (a "good morning" squat). The Three Critical Functions Beyond the anatomy book, what does this muscle actually do for your movement?
If you have tried everything for your low back (stretching the hamstrings, strengthening the glutes) and nothing works, release your Adductor Magnus. Use a lacrosse ball on the inner thigh, about 3 inches down from your crotch on the inside back of the leg. Roll that for 2 minutes. Many people experience immediate relief in their lumbar spine. The Adductor Magnus is a testament to the complexity of the human body. It defies simple categories. It isn't just a "groin muscle" nor just a "hip extensor." It is the bridge between your frontal plane (side-to-side) and your sagittal plane (front-to-back) movement.