Introduction
The abduction in the hip joint is the counter-movement of the adduction and causes the leg to spread outwards. This movement is not performed by the thigh muscles, but by the small and middle gluteal muscles, which is why this exercise is particularly popular with women. In gyms this exercise is usually performed sitting, in which the knee joints are pressed outwards against resistance. When exercising with the expander, the exercise can be performed standing, sitting or lying down.
Muscles used in abduction
- Middle gluteus medius muscle (M. gluteus medius)
- Small gluteal muscle (M. gluteus minimus)
- Femoral bandage tensioner
- Outer thigh muscle
- Biceps
- Long head of the biceps thigh muscle
As in adduction, the expander is tied into a loop and attached to the ankles of the foot. In order not to lose balance, the athlete should find a firm hold. During the contraction phase, the stretched leg should be spread away from the body and slowly returned to the starting position.
The expander maintains a tension during the entire movement. A further possibility to train the abductors with the expander is to do it while sitting, which is gentle on the knee joint. Similar to training with the adductor machine, the athlete sits on a chair and fastens the expander around the thighs. The thighs and lower legs form a right angle in the knee joint. In the contraction phase, the knee joints are removed from each other and brought together again.
Fields of application
Health sports In health sports, the seated execution of movements is recommended. The athlete does between 15 and 20 repetitions with a maximum of one minute break between each set. A maximum of 3 sets are completed per exercise.
In order to achieve the health-promoting goals, mainly abdominal and back muscles should be trained. Fitness In fitness sports, between 12 and 15 repetitions with medium to high intensity are chosen. The breaks are between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Apart from maintaining health, fitness training is about targeted muscle building and improving general fitness.
