Strength training the leg muscles is the surest way to keep them safe.

Unsplash user Alora Griffiths shot this photo.

When I was a resident, everyone kept telling me to strengthen my lower back and hips so I wouldn't hurt them again. I was getting to the bottom of why people get problems in their lower bodies in the first place by strengthening my glutes and back. As well as stabilizing the pelvis, those muscles govern the leg's posture.

That, at least, was the premise.

As a clinical practitioner for a decade, I studied and implemented a great deal of research. It turns out that avoiding injuries to the trunk and lower body isn't as simple as concentrating on the gluteals and lower back. Addressing such areas is crucial, but it won't be enough to strengthen them on their own.

Actually, the muscles you want to improve are the ones you should focus on strengthening first.

Preventing muscle tears

A recent research study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine studied the links between hip strength and groin discomfort. They compared hip abductor strength with hip adductor strength.

The hip adductor muscles are a collection of inner thigh muscles involved in moving the leg toward and across the center of the body, an action known as adduction. This group comprises five primary muscles: the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis, and pectineus. Together, these muscles perform a critical function in supporting the pelvis and regulating leg movement during activities such as walking, jogging, and balancing.

The hip abductors are a set of muscles positioned on the outer side of the hip that are responsible for moving the leg away from the midline of the body, a movement called abduction. The principal hip abductors include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. They also are crucial for pelvic stability, balance, and effective leg movement, particularly during weight-bearing exercises.

The researchers evaluated data from 13 separate trials and discovered athletes who stayed healthy had stronger adductors than the individuals who had a groin injury. Hip abductor strength and abductor-to-adductor ratio were not linked.

If you have a groin strain, it is the hip adductors that rupture. These muscles are commonly disregarded in training routines. In physical treatment, they are often purposely disregarded.

Conventional knowledge believes hip adduction and internal rotation should be avoided, as they are part of the “pivot and twist” action that promotes ACL and meniscus rupture. This is weak logic.

Adduction and internal rotation are not harmful motions. The issue comes when the movement is carried beyond the tension a tissue can endure. If you entirely eliminate adduction and internal rotation, you will be sluggish and struggle to shift direction to running and cutting.

You require both the abductors and the adductors for effective and efficient movement.

Whenever I started a new season of flag football or softball (I’m reaching out for that triple and never grounding out), I was usually sore after the first game. This is a normal occurrence for everyone who takes a lengthy hiatus from intense exercise and then attempts running.

Injuries are complicated and involve a number of contributing elements, such as tiredness, surroundings, sleep, diet, attention, equipment, and other biological, psychological, and social components. And while you can never ensure injury avoidance, you may lower your odds with several basic techniques.

One of the best techniques to avoid muscular injuries is to make the muscles stronger. This is not exclusive to the groin. Studies demonstrate eccentric strengthening—the muscular lengthening component of an exercise—is helpful at boosting strength and minimizing injury risk. The hamstring is one of the most common muscles tested in studies, partially due to how common hamstring strains are.

So, let’s look at a few workouts you may implement into your routine to lessen the possibilities of straining your adductors or hamstrings, two of the most prevalent lower body ailments in athletics.

How to strengthen your hip adductors and hamstrings

To gain strength, the workout has to be difficult. Each set should be brought near to failure, even if it is an isometric hold.

I try to aim for 4–20 repetitions each set with isometric holds ranging from 10–30 seconds. You can go longer or shorter, but make sure you are close to failure. If you can perform 30 repetitions, stopping at 15 won’t help you increase strength or muscle mass. Same for quitting at 30 seconds when you can hold for a minute.

To enhance the eccentric effort, purposely slow down the lengthening part of the exercise. To boost power, speed up on the concentric (shortening) phase. To take the squat as an example, gently squat down, then stand up as rapidly as you can.

Here are some of the workouts you may implement into your regimen to boost your adductor strength. Some are isolation workouts that specifically target the adductors, while others are complex exercises that engage the adductors together with numerous other muscle groups.

Conventional Deadlifts

Starting with the basics and one of the most important exercises you can perform for improving hamstring, gluteal, and back strength. Brace the lower back and shoulders prior to lifting. It is acceptable if you back rounds a bit, but try to maintain it stationary during the lift. Push your feet into the ground and clench your glutes as you stand up. You can use a barbell or free weights (see Sumo deadlift).

Sumo deadlift

Yes, these still qualify as deadlifts. The sumo deadlift is favorable to powerlifters who have long legs and short torsos, as it shortens the barbell path. With respect to growing strength and minimizing injuries, the sumo deadlift biases the hip adductors more than a standard deadlift.

Wide stance squat

Traditional squats typically target the quadriceps (front of your thigh) and your gluteals. A broad grip stance will bring the adductors into action. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes pointing out. Bend your knees to drop into a squat, then push back up. You can hold dumbbells in front of you or position a barbell on your back. Both front and back squats will strengthen the adductors.

Nordic Hamstring Curls (3 versions)

These mostly target the hamstrings. Research showed they can both increase hamstring eccentric strength and prevent injury risk. Here are three variants.

Full possible range of motion…well, as full as I can achieve without assistance from a band around my chest. I have an aim of tapping my nose to the ground without help.

Hand aid version:

Hip hinge version:

Standing Hip Adduction with Cable or Band

Attach a cable or band around your ankle, secured low to the side. Stand on your inside leg and pull your other leg across your torso, then gently return. These target the adductors, but you may face the cable column (or band anchor point) and pull back to target the hamstrings.

Copenhagen side plank

Like the standing cable column pull, they target the adductors, but you may execute them facing up and target the hamstrings. Place one foot on a bench as you support yourself with your arm on the ground. Lift your body, keeping your legs straight, then descend back down.

Side Lunge

Step to the side with one leg, bend that knee, and maintain the other leg straight. Push back up to restore to standing.

Other techniques for avoiding muscular injuries

You may develop adductor and hamstring strength with single-leg workouts such as pistol squats and single-leg RDLs. These won’t strengthen the adductors as much as the other exercises , but they are fantastic workouts for adding diversity to your regimen

A last technique to develop adductor and hamstring strength, power, and resilience is through sprint and plyometrics training. Injuries arise because the muscle is pushed beyond its capability. If you want to better handle explosive movements, then you need to train them.

You don’t need to practice wind sprints frequently, but you might benefit from some speed work on occasion. Plyometrics such as skater jumps—side-to-side single-leg leaps—can develop power and resilience in the adductors as well.

Incorporating these workouts into your program won’t ensure your groins remain healthy, but they will considerably enhance your prospects. Your other training and recuperation routines will effect your overall vulnerability to injury.

If you aren’t sleeping well or allowing your body adequate time to recuperate after exercising, your injury risk will skyrocket. Strengthening will only go so far. If your muscles are sore after exercising and it takes a couple of days to recuperate, back up and gradually build up your exercise volume and intensity.

Remember, these tactics are not specific to the adductors and hamstrings. They may be administered to any muscle group. I highly advocate adopting the same tactics for all muscles that you challenge in your activity, especially the major muscle groups. The Best Way to Protect Leg Muscles Is To Make Them Stronger Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash All during my residency training, I was taught to focus on the lower back and hips to heal and avoid future lower body ailments. By developing gluteal and lumbar strength, I was addressing the fundamental cause of all trunk and lower body ailments. Those muscles govern the placement of the legs and support the pelvis. At least, that was the theory. Over 10 years of clinical practice, I read and implemented a lot of research. It turns out that focusing on the lower back and the gluteals isn’t the greatest strategy to avoid all trunk and lower body ailments. They are vital to address, yet improving those areas alone is insufficient. In actuality, you need to physically strengthen the muscles you intend to preserve. Preventing muscle tears A recent research study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine studied the links between hip strength and groin discomfort. They compared hip abductor strength with hip adductor strength. The hip adductor muscles are a collection of inner thigh muscles involved in moving the leg toward and across the center of the body, an action known as adduction. This group comprises five primary muscles: the adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis, and pectineus. Together, these muscles perform a critical function in supporting the pelvis and regulating leg movement during activities such as walking, jogging, and balancing. The hip abductors are a set of muscles positioned on the outer side of the hip that are responsible for moving the leg away from the midline of the body, a movement called abduction. The principal hip abductors include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. They also are crucial for pelvic stability, balance, and effective leg movement, particularly during weight-bearing exercises. The researchers evaluated data from 13 separate trials and discovered athletes who stayed healthy had stronger adductors than the individuals who had a groin injury. Hip abductor strength and abductor-to-adductor ratio were not linked. If you have a groin strain, it is the hip adductors that rupture. These muscles are commonly disregarded in training routines. In physical treatment, they are often purposely disregarded. Conventional knowledge believes hip adduction and internal rotation should be avoided, as they are part of the “pivot and twist” action that promotes ACL and meniscus rupture. This is weak logic. Adduction and internal rotation are not harmful motions. The issue comes when the movement is carried beyond the tension a tissue can endure. If you entirely eliminate adduction and internal rotation, you will be sluggish and struggle to shift direction to running and cutting. You require both the abductors and the adductors for effective and efficient movement. Whenever I started a new season of flag football or softball (I’m reaching out for that triple and never grounding out), I was usually sore after the first game. This is a normal occurrence for everyone who takes a lengthy hiatus from intense exercise and then attempts running. Injuries are complicated and involve a number of contributing elements, such as tiredness, surroundings, sleep, diet, attention, equipment, and other biological, psychological, and social components. And while you can never ensure injury avoidance, you may lower your odds with several basic techniques. One of the best techniques to avoid muscular injuries is to make the muscles stronger. This is not exclusive to the groin. Studies demonstrate eccentric strengthening—the muscular lengthening component of an exercise—is helpful at boosting strength and minimizing injury risk. The hamstring is one of the most common muscles tested in studies, partially due to how common hamstring strains are. So, let’s look at a few workouts you may implement into your routine to lessen the possibilities of straining your adductors or hamstrings, two of the most prevalent lower body ailments in athletics. How to strengthen your hip adductors and hamstrings To gain strength, the workout has to be difficult. Each set should be brought near to failure, even if it is an isometric hold. I try to aim for 4–20 repetitions each set with isometric holds ranging from 10–30 seconds. You can go longer or shorter, but make sure you are close to failure. If you can perform 30 repetitions, stopping at 15 won’t help you increase strength or muscle mass. Same for quitting at 30 seconds when you can hold for a minute. To enhance the eccentric effort, purposely slow down the lengthening part of the exercise. To boost power, speed up on the concentric (shortening) phase. To take the squat as an example, gently squat down, then stand up as rapidly as you can. Here are some of the workouts you may implement into your regimen to boost your adductor strength. Some are isolation workouts that specifically target the adductors, while others are complex exercises that engage the adductors together with numerous other muscle groups. Conventional Deadlifts Starting with the basics and one of the most crucial exercises you can perform for improving hamstring, gluteal, and back strength. Brace the lower back and shoulders prior to lifting. It is acceptable if you back rounds a bit, but try to maintain it stationary during the lift. Push your feet into the ground and clench your glutes as you stand up. You can use a barbell or free weights (see sumo deadlift). Sumo deadlift Yes, these still qualify as deadlifts. The sumo deadlift is favorable to powerlifters who have long legs and short torsos, as it shortens the barbell path. With respect to growing strength and minimizing injuries, the sumo deadlift biases the hip adductors more than a standard deadlift. Wide stance squat Traditional squats typically target the quadriceps (front of your thigh) and your gluteals. A broad grip stance will bring the adductors into action. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes pointing out. Bend your knees to drop into a squat, then push back up. You can hold dumbbells in front of you or position a barbell on your back. Both front and back squats will strengthen the adductors. Nordic Hamstring Curls (3 versions) These mostly target the hamstrings. Research showed they can both increase hamstring eccentric strength and prevent injury risk. Here are three variants. Full possible range of motion…well, as full as I can achieve without help from a band around my chest. I have an aim of tapping my nose to the ground without help. Hand aid version: Hip hinge version: Standing Hip Adduction with Cable or Band Attach a cable or band around your ankle, secured low to the side. Stand on your inside leg and pull your other leg across your torso, then gently return. These target the adductors, but you may face the cable column (or band anchor point) and pull back to target the hamstrings. Copenhagen side plank Like the standing cable column pull, they target the adductors, but you may execute them facing up and target the hamstrings. Place one foot on a bench as you support yourself with your arm on the ground. Lift your body, keeping your legs straight, then descend back down. Side Lunge Step to the side with one leg, bend that knee, and maintain the other leg straight. Push back up to restore to standing. Other techniques for avoiding muscular injuries You may develop adductor and hamstring strength with single-leg workouts such as pistol squats and single-leg RDLs. These won’t strengthen the adductors as much as the other exercises, but they are fantastic workouts for adding diversity to your regimen. A last technique to develop adductor and hamstring strength, power, and resilience is through sprint and plyometrics training. Injuries arise because the muscle is pushed beyond its capability. If you want to better handle explosive movements, then you need to train them. You don’t need to practice wind sprints frequently, but you might benefit from some speed work on occasion. Plyometrics such as skater jumps—side-to-side single-leg leaps—can develop power and resilience in the adductors as well. Incorporating these workouts into your program won’t ensure your groins remain healthy, but they will considerably enhance your prospects. Your other training and recuperation routines will affect your overall vulnerability to injury. If you aren’t sleeping well or allowing your body adequate time to recuperate after exercising, your injury risk will skyrocket. Strengthening will only go so far. If your muscles are sore after exercising and it takes a couple of days to recuperate, back up and gradually build up your exercise volume and intensity. Remember, these tactics are not specific to the adductors and hamstrings. They may be administered to any muscle group. I highly advocate adopting the same tactics for all muscles that you challenge in your activity, especially the major muscle groups