Muscle — Adductor Magnus

Whether you want to squat 500 lbs, run a marathon without knee pain, or simply get off the toilet gracefully when you are 80, you need a healthy Adductor Magnus.

Because the hamstring part of the AM attaches to the adductor tubercle on the femur (near the knee), it maintains a consistent moment arm (leverage) throughout the squat. When your hamstrings "turn off" in the hole of a squat, the Adductor Magnus is working overtime to extend your hip. adductor magnus muscle

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. Whether you want to squat 500 lbs, run

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. If you have tried everything for your low

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.

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.

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?