How many reps of the 90/90 adductor lift should a beginner do?

Work up to 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 slow lifts per side, holding each one for a one-count at the top. Since the range is small by design, progress by making the pause longer or adding a light ankle weight rather than chasing more height.

How do I make the 90/90 adductor lift easier or harder?

To make it easier, shrink the range so the shin only lifts an inch or two off the floor, or sit on a low cushion if the hips feel pinched in the position. To make it harder, hold the top position for a slower three-count, or loop a light resistance band around both ankles before you lift.

What does the 90/90 adductor lift train, and when is it not a good fit?

It builds active control and strength in the adductors at a hip angle most training ignores, making it useful hip-mobility prep for lifters and a rehab-style option for anyone rebuilding hip rotation. It's a poor fit if sitting in the 90/90 position itself is painful at the hip or knee, since forcing the shape defeats the point of a control drill.

Beginner

90/90 Adductor Lift

Sitting in the 90/90 position and lifting the back shin off the floor loads the adductors of that hip through an active inner-range contraction most people never train. It builds control at end range and pairs mobility with strength, making it a valuable prep drill for lifters chasing better hip rotation. Keep the effort in the inner thigh, not the low back.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Thighs
Type: Functional, Stretching
Browse by muscle: Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus
Browse by movement: Hip Adduction

How to do it

1
Sit on the floor with your front leg bent ninety degrees in front and your back leg bent ninety degrees out to the side.
2
Sit tall with both shins flat on the floor and hands lightly supporting behind you.
3
Keep your torso upright and your pelvis stacked.
4
Lift the back leg's shin a few inches off the floor by squeezing the inner thigh of that hip.
5
Hold the lift briefly without leaning away from the working leg.
6
Lower under control and repeat, then switch sides.

Tips

Keep the lift small and clean; height matters less than feeling the inner thigh work.
Do not twist your torso to cheat the leg up; stay square.
If the position is uncomfortable, sit on a low cushion to ease the hips.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hands push hard into the floor to help hoist the shin up, doing the lifting that the inner thigh is supposed to do.
The lifted shin swings up fast instead of rising under control, turning a strength drill into a flick of the foot.
The breath gets held through the squeeze, adding tension in the neck and shoulders instead of the hip.
The front leg's hip lifts off the floor to make room for the back leg to rise, breaking the stacked base the drill depends on.
Rushing through both sides in a hurry skips the pause at the top where the inner thigh actually gets a training effect.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the 90/90 adductor lift should a beginner do?: Work up to 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 slow lifts per side, holding each one for a one-count at the top. Since the range is small by design, progress by making the pause longer or adding a light ankle weight rather than chasing more height.
How do I make the 90/90 adductor lift easier or harder?: To make it easier, shrink the range so the shin only lifts an inch or two off the floor, or sit on a low cushion if the hips feel pinched in the position. To make it harder, hold the top position for a slower three-count, or loop a light resistance band around both ankles before you lift.
What does the 90/90 adductor lift train, and when is it not a good fit?: It builds active control and strength in the adductors at a hip angle most training ignores, making it useful hip-mobility prep for lifters and a rehab-style option for anyone rebuilding hip rotation. It's a poor fit if sitting in the 90/90 position itself is painful at the hip or knee, since forcing the shape defeats the point of a control drill.

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