Groin strains are very common in those who weight lift, fitness train, and take part in sporting activities. The adductor muscles can be particular venerable during activities which incorporate explosive hip movements and quick changes in direction, hence tennis players, footballers, rugby players and countless other sports people susceptible to this injury. The strength imbalance of the various hip muscles, due to training techniques, is commonly the prime reason this dynamic joint is susceptible to groin injury and strains.
Most weight trainers will only stimulate the hip muscles with squats, leg presses and lunges. Only recruiting the hip muscles with this one dimensional plane of motion will result in a lack of balance of strength. This lack of balance of the hip joint, with underdeveloped groin muscles, leads to an ever increasing chance of groin injury.
To avoid groin injuries try including an exercise such as the seated hip adduction. The hip adduction will stimulate the main muscles of the groin, including the adductor brevis, adductor magnus and adductor longus. Strengthening these neglected groin muscles will help prevent future injuries, and aid in greater balance of the hip joint during exercise and activities. Another exercise which can be included to promote strengthening of the groin muscles is the side lunge. This is a great exercise to strengthen the groin, and actually mimics the dynamic stride direction many sports involve, such as tennis and rugby.
