Side Leg Raises
Side leg raises have you lie on one side and lift the bottom leg up off the floor while the top leg stays bent and relaxed in front of you. It's a simple bodyweight move that isolates the adductors, the muscles that run along your inner thigh and pull your leg back toward the midline of your body.
Why it works
Your adductors work every time you bring a leg back toward center, which happens constantly in daily movement: stepping sideways to catch your balance, changing direction while walking, or standing back up from a wide stance. Most lower-body training focuses on the front and back of the leg, squats, lunges, hip hinges, and leaves this inner-thigh line undertrained. Lying on your side and lifting the bottom leg isolates the adductors directly, without your quads or hamstrings stepping in to help, because the top leg is out of the way and the only job left is pulling the bottom leg upward against gravity.
Set up
- Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your body in a straight line.
- Bend your top leg and place that foot flat on the floor in front of your bottom leg's thigh.
- Rest your head on your bottom arm or prop it up on your hand for support.
How to do it
- Keep your bottom leg straight and lift it up off the floor as high as you comfortably can.
- Pause briefly at the top of the lift.
- Lower the leg back down with control until it's just above the floor, not resting.
- Complete the full set on one side, then switch and repeat on the other.
Form cues
- Keep your bottom leg straight throughout the lift, don't let the knee bend.
- Lift from the inner thigh, not by rocking your hips forward or back.
- Keep your toes pointed forward instead of turning them up toward the ceiling.
- Move slowly on both the lift and the lower; don't let gravity do the lowering for you.
Breathing: Exhale as you lift your leg, inhale as you lower it back down.
Common mistakes
Rocking the hips or torso forward to help swing the leg up.
Fix: Keep your hips stacked and still; the lift should come entirely from the inner thigh, not momentum from the trunk.
Letting the leg drop quickly on the way down instead of controlling it.
Fix: Slow the lowering phase down to match the lift; the muscle works just as hard resisting gravity as it does lifting against it.
Bending the bottom knee to make the lift easier.
Fix: Keep the leg straight from hip to ankle. Bending the knee shortens the lever and takes work away from the adductor.
How to program it
- This is a light, single-joint bodyweight move, so it's fine to do most days of the week if you want, or two to three times a week alongside other lower-body work.
- Two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side is a reasonable target once the movement feels stable.
- Pair it with an outer-thigh move like a standing abductor exercise to train both sides of the hip evenly in the same session.
Safety notes
- If your hip bone digs into the floor uncomfortably, do the movement on a mat or folded towel.
- Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the groin or hip; mild muscle fatigue is expected, sharp joint pain is not.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Stretching
Frequently asked questions
How many reps of side leg raises should I do?
Two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side is a solid range for most people. Since the load is just your own leg, higher reps with strict form beat rushing through a low rep count.
Can I do side leg raises without lying on the floor?
Yes, a standing cable or band hip adduction targets the same inner-thigh muscles if lying down isn't practical, though it changes the angle of resistance slightly.
Why don't I feel side leg raises in my inner thigh?
If you feel it more in your outer hip or lower back, check that your hips are stacked directly on top of each other and that you're not rocking your torso to help the leg up. The lift should come from the straight bottom leg alone.
Are side leg raises the same as hip abduction exercises?
No. Side leg raises lift the bottom leg and train the inner-thigh adductors. Lifting the top leg instead trains the outer-hip abductors, a different muscle group working in the opposite direction.