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
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
Machine Hip Abduction strength standards
See how your machine hip abduction ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM82.5 lb
Silvere1RM160 lb
Golde1RM267.5 lb
Platinume1RM382.5 lb
Diamonde1RM452.5 lb
Champione1RM512.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the machine hip abduction for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed April 2026.