SBL Adductor

@egeuysall · Oct 1, 2026

Cable-only answer

Use the seated, backrest-braced, single-leg cable adduction shown in your setup image as the primary option. You already have the essential pieces: low pulley, ankle cuff, full glute contact on the seat, the other foot planted, and a backrest to hold. That is more specific to your goal than the generic standing cable adduction or bodyweight substitutions I recommended before. I was wrong to replace your cable requirement with side-lying bodyweight work.

This is the best practical first test with the one low pulley pictured, not a proven universal hypertrophy winner. The deciding test is whether the bench and pelvis stay still as the load rises. If they do not, reduce the stack or use the supine cable alternative below. Do not call an exercise stable simply because the illustration labels it stable.

Make the pictured setup repeatable

Place the bench so the low cable pulls the cuff outward from the working hip at the start, with the working leg free to move and no cable rubbing the bench. Check that the bench does not slide at a light load. Use the same bench angle, distance and pulley height every time. Do not anchor gym equipment in a way the facility prohibits.

Sit fully on the pad, keep both sit bones down, plant the non-working foot, brace against and grip the backrest. Put a secure cuff above the working ankle. Keep the working leg straight throughout the rep, with the knee extended but not forcibly hyperextended. Do not bend and straighten the knee to move the weight. If a hard knee lock is uncomfortable, allow only a tiny, fixed softness without changing it during the set. Keep the cuff at the same spot just above the ankle each time.

Start in comfortable hip abduction with the cable already taut. Bring the thigh toward the midline from the hip, without leaning, rotating the pelvis or twisting the foot. Return under control to the same start position. Keep the stack from touching down between reps if possible. Test each side separately; rotate the bench/your position so the cable still pulls the working leg outward.

Begin with 1–2 sets per side on each lower day, roughly 8–15 controlled reps and 1–3 reps in reserve. Add reps at fixed ROM and posture, then the smallest stack increment. This is a practical starting dose, not a tested optimum. If your torso, planted leg, bench or hip flexors become the limiter, it fails your SBL stability criterion.

If the bench or pelvis still shifts: try supine cable hip adduction with your trunk/pelvis supported on a sturdy flat bench or mat and the working leg free to travel. Keep the cable clear of the bench and your body. This removes upright balance but still needs a safe cable angle and fixed pelvis. This fallback is a setup inference, not a validated TikTok demonstration; do not force the bench version if it slides. A second low pulley could enable symmetric bilateral adduction, but your photo only establishes one pulley, so it is not the default.

Cable comparison

Cable setup	Stability	Progression	Decision
Seated single-leg cable with backrest (your image)	Seat, opposite foot and backrest offer three points of support; one-sided pull can still shift the pelvis	Clear stack increments, repeatable cuff and bench marks	First choice with the shown equipment, if pelvis and bench stay fixed
Supine, supported single-leg cable	Trunk and pelvis supported; bench/mat and cable clearance still need checking	Same stack progression; setup takes longer	Fallback if seated bracing fails
Seated bilateral cable with two opposing pulleys	Opposing pulls could reduce torso side-load; setup and attachment clearance matter	Two matched stacks	Only if two suitable low pulleys exist
Standing cable adduction	Standing balance and stance leg may limit the set	Stack load is measurable	Reject for your stated constraint

Why not just use squats or a leg press?

Your plan includes pendulum squats, which may already train adductor magnus through hip extension. A 12-week MRI study found 6.2% magnus growth after leg pressing in untrained people, but not meaningful longus or brevis growth in that protocol. This does not compare leg press with your pendulum squat or with cable adduction. Ryan Jewers and Mike Israetel argue that deep compound work often makes separate adductor work unnecessary. If you specifically want direct cable work, that programming opinion is not a reason to substitute a leg press for the requested exercise.

Evidence limit: I found no head-to-head hypertrophy study comparing seated cable, supine cable and the adductor machine. The recommendation rests on your pictured equipment and SBL priorities: stable posture, direct hip adduction, repeatable ROM and a quantifiable stack. Stop for sharp groin pain and get persistent pain assessed.