Cable Hip Abduction
What Is Cable Hip Abduction?
Cable hip abduction is an isolation exercise for the outer hip, glute, and thighs that uses the cable stack machine for resistance. Abduction exercises strengthen the muscles responsible for moving your legs out to the side, including the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. Cable hip abduction is an effective way to target the movement and isolate these muscles.
Abduction exercises like cable abduction are an important part of leg training. Compound exercises like squats, lunges, and leg press focus on the large muscles in the back and front of the legs, but the muscles at the sides of the hips play a crucial role in stabilising the pelvis, protecting the lower back, and performing lateral (side) movements.
Using the cable machine for isolated hip abductions allows the right set up for your height and leg length, reducing the risk of poor technique and injury. The cable stack gives you easy access to weights, so you can add or reduce the resistance in small increments, while the cable itself provides constant tension to challenge the abductor muscles.
Cable hip abduction exercises are suitable for beginners who want to build a good foundation for heavier leg exercises, and for experienced athletes looking for a way to target the small abductor muscles. Adding cable hip abduction into your lower body sessions will help balance your lower body muscle development and increase important lower back stability.
Try using cable hip abduction as a warm-up or accessory exercise on leg day. Or pair it with other abduction exercises like seated machine abduction or clamshells. This will balance out your lower body training, strengthen your hips, and help reduce the risk of lower back pain. Learn good cable hip abduction technique with our guide below.
Check out some other abductor exercises: Seated Hip Abduction, Side Lying Hip Abduction,
Standing Hip Abduction, Banded Clamshells, Side Plank Clamshell
Commonly Asked Questions About Cable Hip Abduction
Cable hip abduction works the muscles responsible for moving the legs outward (called abduction). These muscles include the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, and the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) which is on the outside of the hip. By isolating these important muscles, cable hip abduction helps improve hip and pelvis stability. This can help with reducing injuries and preventing the lower back overworking in heavy leg exercises.
The primary muscles worked during hip abduction exercises are the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, and the tensor fasciae latae. Hip abduction exercises isolate these small but important muscles in the side of the glutes, hips, and upper thighs. These muscles are responsible for lower body sideways movements and also help to stabilise the pelvis and lower back.
Yes, hip abduction exercises like cable hip abduction hit some of the glute muscles, specifically the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. These muscles are part of the larger gluteal group and contributing to overall glute shape, strength, and stability.
Cable Hip Abduction Tips
Make sure the cable passes in front of the standing foot, not behind.
Lean slightly towards the cable stack as you perform the movement.
Place your outside hand on your outer hip to feel the target muscles working.
Don’t raise the leg too high, focus on feeling the work in the outer hip.
How To Do Cable Hip Abduction
Slide the anchor point of the cable machine to the lowest setting.
Attach an ankle strap to the cable and put the strap around one ankle.
Stand side-on to the cable stack, with the foot with the ankle strap furthest from the machine.
The cable should pass in front of the other leg.
Brace your core and glutes as you lift the outside leg away from the centre line.
Keep the leg straight and lift the foot to knee height.
Pause slightly then lower back with control.
Complete your reps and repeat on the other side.