How many turnout inner-thigh pulses should a beginner do per leg?

Two sets of 15 to 20 small pulses per leg is a solid starting point, since the range of motion is short and the adductors fatigue fast at this angle. Progress by adding a third set before you try lifting the leg any higher.

What can I use instead of a barre for the turnout inner-thigh pulse?

A chair back, a countertop edge, or a wall you can lightly touch for balance all work. The support is only there to steady you, so anything stable at hip height is a fair substitute.

What is the point of the turnout inner-thigh pulse?

It isolates the adductors, a muscle group most lower-body routines skip, and reinforces the turned-out hip position the rest of a barre class builds on. It is a poor choice on a day when the groin or inner knee is already sore, since the turned-out, lifted position keeps steady tension right through that area.

Beginner

Turnout Inner-Thigh Pulse

This barre drill isolates the adductors by lifting a turned-out working leg up and slightly across the body, then pulsing it higher against gravity. The inner thigh does the lifting while the standing leg builds quiet balance endurance. It is a simple, joint-friendly way to strengthen the often-neglected adductors and reinforce the turnout that all barre work depends on.

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

How to do it

1
Stand tall in turnout with one hand on the barre.
2
Shift your weight onto the inside leg nearest the barre.
3
Point the outside foot and lift the turned-out leg slightly across the front of your body.
4
Pulse the lifted leg upward a few inches, leading with the inner thigh, then lower slightly.
5
Keep the hips square and the standing leg tall and steady.
6
Finish the reps, then turn around and work the other leg.

Tips

Squeeze from the inner thigh, not by swinging the whole leg.
Keep the toe pointed and the inner thigh turned up toward the ceiling.
Stay stacked over the standing leg instead of leaning away.

Variations

Common mistakes

The lifted leg swings up higher than the inner thigh can control, and the hip flexor takes over what should be an adductor squeeze.
Letting the knee roll up to face the ceiling as the leg rises undoes the turnout and shifts the work into the front of the hip.
The standing hip hikes upward to help throw the leg across the body, trading inner-thigh work for a shortcut through the pelvis.
Leaning the torso away from the working leg for extra height turns a small adductor lift into a bigger, sloppier swing.

Frequently asked

How many turnout inner-thigh pulses should a beginner do per leg?: Two sets of 15 to 20 small pulses per leg is a solid starting point, since the range of motion is short and the adductors fatigue fast at this angle. Progress by adding a third set before you try lifting the leg any higher.
What can I use instead of a barre for the turnout inner-thigh pulse?: A chair back, a countertop edge, or a wall you can lightly touch for balance all work. The support is only there to steady you, so anything stable at hip height is a fair substitute.
What is the point of the turnout inner-thigh pulse?: It isolates the adductors, a muscle group most lower-body routines skip, and reinforces the turned-out hip position the rest of a barre class builds on. It is a poor choice on a day when the groin or inner knee is already sore, since the turned-out, lifted position keeps steady tension right through that area.

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