Light up the side glutes that lunges miss.
Lean slightly forward to hit more glute, and control the way back in.
The abductor machine trains the muscles on the outside of your hips, pushing your knees out against the pads through a range nothing else in your programme loads directly. Those abductors, with the glutes assisting, are what keep your knees from caving in squats and your hips level every time you stand on one leg. Seated, adjustable and impossible to cheat, it's the direct line to the side glute shape and hip stability that lunges only partly cover.
Yes, it directly loads the side of the hips through a range squats and lunges barely touch. The machine's reputation suffers from people using it half-heartedly, treat it like a real lift and it delivers.
Sitting tall hits the movement as designed, and a slight forward lean shifts more of the work into the glutes, as the cue notes. Try sets both ways and keep the one you feel most.
Moderate weight with full range and a controlled return beats stacking it and bouncing the pads. If your knees only move a few centimetres, drop the pin and earn the full spread.
