Legs · Machine
Machine Hip Abduction
How to do the machine hip abduction, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hip Abduction
- Mechanic
- Isolation
See it in motion
How to do it
Sit on a hip abduction machine or use a cable machine with an ankle strap. Start with your legs together and push your legs outward against resistance, focusing on squeezing the outer hips and glutes. Slowly return to the starting position, controlling the movement throughout.
- 1Feel your outer glute muscles lifting your leg away from your body
- 2Keep your core engaged and torso upright
- 3Focus on a controlled lift and squeeze at the top
Common mistakes
- Avoid tilting your torso or using momentum
- Don't turn your foot outward excessively; keep toes facing forward
- Avoid letting your hip hike up; move only the leg
Muscles worked
The machine hip abduction mainly works the glutes, with the quads, lower abs, and hamstrings assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
Kovo programs the machine hip abduction for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the barbell hip thrust
- How to do the cable kickbacks
- How to do the curtsy lunge
- How to do the barbell deadlift
- How to do the resistance band glute bridges
- How to do the leverage machine hip thrust
Last reviewed April 2026.