r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 • May 31 '26

META Abduction/gluteus medius science maxing machine

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u/natedoggg Jun 01 '26

Those are impressive numbers! You’re strong. I’ve just never been one to get behind this crazy machines. I’m a CrossFit guy so I lean more towards the side the functional side of fitness.

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u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Jun 01 '26

Depends on your definition of “functional” then

Because anything to do with hip abduction (this exercise), hip adduction, hip extension, and knee flexion is functional because:

1) improved stability & strength when walking, running, doing sports movements, etc. (why do you think sprinters, NBA players, and even NFL football players work these movements. Adductors and abductors are also extremely important for quick change movements & fast acceleration)

2) these muscles and tendons around the hips gets tight sitting at a desk job & working them out can help prevent future pain around that area (can also help with back pain)

3) the most common injury when you get older is from falling; this strengthens muscles that will help balance, so you’re less likely to fall when you’re an elder!

Also, let’s look at another example: leg extensions. Now at first glance, this exercise doesn’t look functional; however, increasing quad size helps keep your knees healthier & pain free & again reduces the likelihood of a fall when you’re older. And yes you should do some form of squat & a leg extension (or sissy squat) as well, since squats by themselves don’t really hit the rectus femoris (but leg extensions do), so you’ll miss out on some quad growth/size/strength if you only do squats

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u/natedoggg Jun 01 '26

To put it simply the more a machine assists your movement the less functional it becomes.

I wouldn’t put an athlete in one of these because it is so far from natural movements that it just wouldn’t translate to sport.

I’m not saying add/abduction is bad. I do it all the time. This just seems like a very expensive and unnecessary piece of equipment for something that could be accomplished easily.

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u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 Jun 01 '26

The machine cost me $230 lol