You DO need to do inner thigh work!!

[Gladiola]

On my aerobics instructor bulletin board - someone posted about those inner/outter thigh machines. I wrote what I've often read here - inner & outter thigh get work as stabilizers during your lunges & squats so don't bother - you don't need to.

My Master-degreed exercise physiologist & physical therapist friend came back with the following:
There are just too many damn things to do!

The hip abductors and adductors are NOT just stabilizers, nor is their primary function that of a stabilizer! And, they need exercise targeted specifically at their actions, rather than just being worked incidentally in exercises where they are being called upon only to be an assistor or stabilizer.

The primary hip abductor, the gluteus medius, is very important in single leg stance, activities and sports involving lateral motion, and gait. The reason you see all knee patients (and most hip and low back patients as well) doing hip abduction and adduction is due to the vital role these muscles play as prime movers in everyday activity. Gluteus medius weakness causes all sorts of knee, hip and low back problems. Weakness of the adductor group can result in groin strains, adaptive shortening of the abductors due to inadequate opposition, and gait difficulty.

The squat is a great exercise for most every lower body muscle group, but a lower body program that includes plain ol' free weight back squats only isn't enough. Either specific isolation exercises for the hip abductors and adductors need to be
included and/or other compound exercises such as single leg squats (aka lunges) where the pelvis is kept level throughout the exercise, lateral (aka sidestep lunges), or crossover (aka Bugs Bunny) lunges have to be included to target the gluteus medius and minimus.

A sure fire way to practically guarantee muscle imbalances, pain and problems is to neglect to train all major muscle groups
through their full range of motion.

 

[Gladiola]

This is why, at the asylum, we train squats with tension bands wrapped around our knees until those muscles are strong.

But that still seems to me like you are working them isometrically rather than strength training them through concentric & eccentric against resistance. I posted back to my friend asking what she recommends I add to leg day & what she does herself.

Not sure if you've ever seen someone max out a dead

Um, no. The retirees at the tennis club don't do that. Actually I've almost never seen anyone dl AT ALL let alone max.

 

[makedah]

But Gladiola, it sounds like the physical therapist is agreeing with you that lunges are good for inner/outer thigh. In terms of isolation exercises, is the therapist talking about leg lifts?

 

[Gladiola]

She also mentioned crossover lunges where you lunge back & at an angle - like a curtsey. I don't know if she means doing this with a barbell on your upper back or not.

I can't see how stationary lunges or even walking lunges do much more for adductors than squats! THere is still no *shortening* of those muscle fibers - so it's still isometric work only.

The aerobics board is moderated - so posts don't pop up immediately. I'm sure I'll hear back from her soon though.

 

[Hannibal]

But that still seems to me like you are working them isometrically rather than strength training them through concentric & eccentric against resistance. I posted back to my friend asking what she recommends I add to leg day & what she does herself.

Uh...the bands don't work as Isometrics unless you want to. If you just do static holds..then yes it is a form of isometrics...for the record isometrics will make you strong (but only in the position you hold at.

When doing reps with the bands, as you spread your knees apart the Resistance increases on the concentric and decreases on the eccentric. Which in this area I am not sure how well it matches the strength curve or leverage....but it is the best thing. The reason that traditional abductor/adductor machines are not that effective is because the hips are on, or above the knees. In order for you to target the muscles better the hip crease should be several inches below the knees.

 

[Gladiola]

Spatts -
I'm not saying I think a muscle can't be strengthened with isometrics - MY FRIEND was saying that the isometric work the adductors do as stabilizers in a squat is not sufficient for total adductor training.

When doing reps with the bands, as you spread your knees apart the Resistance increases

huh? Who is talking about spreading their knees. Do you spread your knees when you squat?

 

[Hannibal]

huh? Who is talking about spreading their knees. Do you spread your knees when you squat?

Well I do...but thats cuz I like to lift heavy.

 

[Gladiola]

Oh my goodness, the more I read, the more I'm convinced I'm clueless & doomed to remain eternally cluless.

Doomed to remain eternally clueless until I keep lifting heavy & end up with debilatating injuries from my cluless heavy lifting. Good grief.

I'm doing chest tonight & still have no freaking idea how to use my lats. I grasp the concept but I don't really know how to flex my lats, so I can't very well utilize them in my bench. I also have no idea how legs are supposed to come into play.

Fuck it all, I'm gonna go be a cardio bunny again.

<<sigh>> Ok, done my temper tantrum.

Spatts, when you say press out - do you mean isometrically, or do your knees really get farther apart?
What is wrong with using your quads to rise, I thought it was a total lower body exercise? (I know, I know, it's supposed to be lots of glute).

 

[CrystalChick]

Spatts Do you think maybe you could post a pic of this pretty pleassssse

Gladiola, if the opportunity ever presents itself, have a seat on a box lower than your hipcrease..say 10 inches high. Double wrap a pink (medium) band above your knees. Then spread you feet as far apart as you can. Now, with your feet in place, bring your knees all the way in then spread them all the way out.

Thanks CC

 

[CrystalChick]

Wowweeeee cool a videooooo that will be cool to see