Experiment for now on what you can handle. You do not want to hurt yourself, and having a duffel bag wrapped around your leg (especially with cement blocks in it) may be very awkward! Which is exactly why I recommend using the other abductor exercises before this one. But, this is what you have to work with! You can see how much weight I lift with my abductors. Of course, I worked up to this, but you will eventually "work up" to a greater weight, too. So you need to be prepared to accommodate that kind of weight. But of course, you are dealing with free weights and I use a machine, which makes it easier for me to lift the weight. Free weights are always more difficult because they require more of the entire body to be involved in keeping the body stabilized and whatnot. (sorry for the lack of intelligent or accurate terminology... I'm starting to get tired!)
I was just thinking, you might be able to do the standing version with an ankle strap and a resistance band or cord or rope, and have that attached to some heavy weights of your choice (lol be creative), and have it draped over a pivot point so that gravity will pull it back to its starting point. Not sure of the technical terms, but an example would be to have a cord attached to your ankle and then go under a door, then up over the door, and then have weight hanging over the side on which you are standing. It sounds ridiculous, and it very well may be so, but if you play with it you might get it just right so that it is not awkward and you can add or take away weights if need be. Just another option. I imagine that with heavier weights, this will be less awkward in comparison to the lying down version. You could attach more weight to the end of a rope slung over a very sturdy object than attaching heavy weight directly to your ankle hanging in between your legs!
Here is an illustration that might help make the visual clearer:
Imagine the machine to the left being the door, and imagine the "rope" going up the side of the door and draped over the top, with the weight dangling on the side of the door nearest you. I hope this helps
I was just thinking, you might be able to do the standing version with an ankle strap and a resistance band or cord or rope, and have that attached to some heavy weights of your choice (lol be creative), and have it draped over a pivot point so that gravity will pull it back to its starting point. Not sure of the technical terms, but an example would be to have a cord attached to your ankle and then go under a door, then up over the door, and then have weight hanging over the side on which you are standing. It sounds ridiculous, and it very well may be so, but if you play with it you might get it just right so that it is not awkward and you can add or take away weights if need be. Just another option. I imagine that with heavier weights, this will be less awkward in comparison to the lying down version. You could attach more weight to the end of a rope slung over a very sturdy object than attaching heavy weight directly to your ankle hanging in between your legs!
Here is an illustration that might help make the visual clearer:
Imagine the machine to the left being the door, and imagine the "rope" going up the side of the door and draped over the top, with the weight dangling on the side of the door nearest you. I hope this helps