Doing Copenhagen Plank is a great way to strengthen your core, improve stability and reduce injury chances. From the static side plank position, you would then lift and drop your body using your abs to perform pulses. Want to learn more? Again the same rules apply, start off at the knee and lower towards the foot as you get stronger, and don't sacrifice your form! Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer who has written for Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, and Men's Health. Once appropriately warmed up, follow the steps outlined below to execute a Copenhagen plank hold correctly. This variation can be used as a progression for a beginner, or as a regression from the original exercises to focus on improving your form. Think of these inner thigh muscles like the hamstrings of the frontal plane. So building up the strength of those stabilizer muscles [in your legs and core] is important., Ready to give the exercise a shot? Including the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in the FIFA 11+ provides missing eccentric hip adduction strength effect in male soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. BJSM. Published: Oct 13, 2020 Yes, you can hold a plank for hours upon hours. Large eccentric strength increase using the Copenhagen adduction exercise in football: a randomized controlled trial. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. Here Im using a DB because Im using a home gym. So there you go, a simple and effective to build strength in your adductors which will help you reduce injury and become a better athlete! This is a surprisingly big jump from regular Copenhagen planks and a great target for those looking to really leverage the benefits of the exercise. This exercise got its name (and its mild popularity) from research out of Denmark that showed it helps to prevent groin pulls in athletes. On exhales, our body moves towards flexion and internal rotation. Engage core, grounding through left elbow and side of left foot, and lift hips and knees off the floor. Due to these groin related injuries, there are a significant number of athletes being taken out of games, missing seasons, or even having to retire early. Try a 10-second hold, repeated three times with rest in between as needed. Then when they're moving laterally and going full speed [such as in sports], they pull their groin muscle, or they have super tight hip flexors. What's more,the hip abductors and adductors both play a key role in stabilizing your pelvis, and if one of those muscle groups isn't strong enough to offer that essential support, you could develop lower back pain, Leigha VandenToorn, C.S.C.S., P.P.S.C., an NASM-certified personal trainer, previously told Shape. For runners, this position reinforces the posture you want when you run. Important consideration: Some groin problems may have a secondary related abdominal issue. The exercise is isometric, which means you hold your body in one position while contracting your muscles. Simply put, no other exercises have been shown to be as beneficial for targeting the groin region as the Copenhagen adduction exercises. There is one exercise that you can do with zero equipment at home to strengthen your adductors and help prevent injury. This will increase shoulder and core strength and improve coordination and balance. So your next question might be why you should train them in the first place. All these variations are excellent alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank that you can use to challenge your core and build stability in different ways. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. Crow JF, et al. Preseason hip/groin strength and HAGOS scores are associated with subsequent injury in professional male soccer players. I like to say [hold the plank for] five breaths because that way people actually breathe., While the Copenhagen plank can be an ideal exercise for optimizing lower-body strength and core stability, you should consult your health-care provider if you're experiencing any knee pain during the move, which may occur if youve had an injury or surgery on the arae in the past, says Ros. These muscles are responsible for moving your legs to the center of your body. While it may seem daunting at first, with some practice and focus on the techniques, youll be nailing this exercise in no time. Hary et al (2018). (And yes, those two words are very similar. Some of these muscles also have secondary actions, including hip flexion (adductor brevis and gracilis), internal rotation (adductor longus, adductor brevis, and pectineus), and extension (anterior head of adductor magnus). As your adductors get stronger, slowly move more of your calf off the bench until just your foot is resting on it (the classic Copenhagen plank), she suggests. To attack the obliques and get some added value by tapping into the adductors and abductors, a smart modality to implement would be the Copenhagen plank. A. Make sure to maintain proper form with a neutral spine throughout the exercise and stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "We're working on the (inside) to counteract all the strong . tl;dr: https://youtu.be/XeCF_sWfBTk Sauce: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/14/1089.short https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546510375544 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967114521778 https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/09/bjsports-2020-102606.abstract, Why the Copenhagen Plank is a Massively Underrated Calisthenics Leg Exercise, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/14/1089.short, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0363546510375544, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967114521778, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/09/bjsports-2020-102606.abstract. Here are some progressions to take your Copenhagen Plank to the next level: Do the regular Copenhagen plank on a Swiss ball for an added challenge. 2010;13(2):202-204. Eccentric and isometric hip adduction strength in male soccer players with and without adductor-related groin pain: an assessor-blinded comparison. As such, a better name might be the adductor plank, or adductor side plank, but the Copenhagen name has stuck. This will ensure that you are engaging and strengthening your adductors correctly. As well as hip adduction, Copenhagen planks will also help develop overall core strength by engaging the abdominals and obliques. This variation is similar to the regular plank but requires more coordination as you alternate tapping each hand forward into a pushup position. The adductor group contains a bunch of muscles, the specific names are not important because we want to focus on them as a group. 5.1K views 3 years ago Here I have one of my awesome clients Mitch performing a modified regression of the Copenhagen plank as he's performing it with his knee, shin, foot, and ankle on the. Essentially, athletes who participate in sports with kicking or running are at a higher risk of groin pain, usually in the form of muscle strains or sports hernias. And trust us, youll first need to make adjustments. If you do it right, you should be giving everything you have for seconds. Even your abductors, the muscles on the outsides of your hips, seem to get a little bit of a boost from training this exercise. Again, youll hold a Copenhagen plank nowhere near the same amount of time you would a standard plank. Doing the copenhagen plank for 1 min, I really feel it in my inner thigh. Thats why it can be particularly useful for finding correcting muscle imbalances, says Ros. To start, youll need a bench, or ideally a raised platform that doesnt have a back on it, like an ottoman. The Copenhagen plank or Copenhagen adduction exercise is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin, the adductors. The Copenhagen Plank is very simple, all you need is a chair or bench. Don't let your chest collapse, so keep the top hand on your hip, or extended towards the ceiling. How to: Copenhagen Plank Primary Muscles Used:Upper Legs, Hip Adductors Exercise Families:Hip Adduction Equipment:Chair Trainer:Kayla Itsines Lying l Sign Up Sweat Programs Articles Community Support This modified Copenhagen plank variation is aimed at beginners who need to strengthen their hip muscles but still dont have the strength required to perform the full version. When it comes to the Copenhagen plank, the more surface area of your leg that rests on the bench, the easier the exercise will be, says Ros. Haroy J et al. This will add extra tension and difficulty to the exercise, targeting your adductors more effectively. The adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, pectineus, and gracilis are the muscles that are involved for adducting the hip, or bringing the leg closer to the midline. Place your top leg onto a bench or raised surface. Copenhagen plank, commonly referred to as adductor side plank, is a fantastic exercise to strengthen your hips, glutes, and core. Copenhagen Plank - Sweat See how to perform a Copenhagen plank perfectly with instructions by Sweat co-founder and personal trainer, Kayla Itsines. Focus on contracting your core and hold for 30 seconds or longer. It worked: Programs including this Copenhagen adductor exercise made male soccer players adductors stronger, and while its not a silver bullet for preventing groin strains, it seems to help. This will engage and strengthen more muscles in your arms, shoulders, and core. ). The benefits of healthier hips can address musculoskeletal problems in other areas of the body too, such as knee pain and back ache. Countless studies have shown that the Copenhagen adductor plank is second-to-none when it comes to developing adductor strength. How to Perform and Progress the Copenhagen Plank The basic idea is to support your upper body on your forearm or hand, while your leg is supported on a bench or another object. This is a super challenging move, but thats the idea.. Scand J Med Sci Sports. Disclaimer - the information on this website is for entertainment purposes only. A 30 second hold would be really good and a 60 second hold would demonstrate very good adduction strength. Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. Youll notice the closer you get your knee to the bench, the easier it becomes as youre working with less lever. I wouldn't recommend more than 25 seconds or 10 slow breaths per side per set, she adds. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. The knee-assisted plank simply requires you to use your knee as support to provide extra stability. If you cant do any of the versions above, even the one with your knee on the bench, one way to modify is to keep your free leg on the ground. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. But if youre ache-free, continue mixing the Copenhagen plank into your routine particularly if youre a runner, she adds. To do this exercise, lie on your side with your feet and legs stacked, then prop yourself up on one arm while keeping the other arm extended. The Copenhagen plank also works on core stabilization. That said, make sure to schedule it for the beginning of your mat workout (the way you want to do dips or pull-ups before getting into the heavy stuff . Subscribe to receive exclusive updates, deals, 10% off any program, and access to our private monthly research review. Strengthening the obliques helps to better stabilize the torso and spine, helping to promote better posture, as well as rotational strength. Required fields are marked *. If done correctly and youre really focusing on what it's targeting [read: the core and thighs], the Copenhagen plank is really hard to hold for even 10 good seconds, says Analisse Ros, C.S.C.S., a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning specialist in Connecticut. This variation is a Copenhagen plank progression, as it requires more strength and stability since there is the addition of weights. As the Copenhagen plank aims to strengthen the hips, it would be ideal to start by performing some hip mobility exercises to warm the muscles up and improve the range of motion. Sure, it's a simple movement that doesn't stir much excitement when you see someone holding the position in a corner of the gymbut if you level up to one of the toughest variations of the exercise around, the Copenhagen plank, you won't be so quick to snub your nose. This can make Copenhagen Planks a critical exercise in your strength training plan to help reduce groin injuries. Copenhagen Plank Variations. Move it out more, and the lever becomes longer and more challenging. All else equal I prefer this over the bent-knee variation because in real life the adductors contact with the ankle/foot as the contact point, so I think this transfers over to sports and real life better. ^ So interpreted in Carl Valle (2020-04-17), "Is the Copenhagen Adduction . Copenhagen Plank is an exercise to make your inner thigh muscles strong that can help reduce groin pain and injuries during sports activities. The adductor strengthening programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. In team practices, a partner can stand up and hold your leg while youre doing the exercise. So you need to keep your workout progress with more advanced dip progressions. Once you have mastered the regular two-leg Copenhagen plank, try doing it on a single leg for an extra challenge. While nutrition plays an important role, adding exercise into your routine improves the process of achieving your goal. By strengthening one muscle group, we help shift into the posture that allows the other to contract as well, creating a positive feedback loop. J Sci Med Sport. Additionally, the variations mentioned can help you challenge your core and give those muscles extra work. Buyers Guide to Cold Plunge Pools and Baths, Oblique Crunches How to Perform & Benefits. The Copenhagen plank, also commonly referred simply as an adductor side plank, is a fantastic exercise to include into your fitness routine. You can further challenge your shoulder stability and cores anti-rotation capacity by holding a kettlebell with your free hand (with the bottom of the bell pointed toward the ceiling), extending your arm straight up, and holding it there. You'll need a bench or a stable object to perform the Copenhagen plank. The Copenhagen plank, also known as the Copenhagen adductor plank due to its target muscles, or the Copenhagen plank hold, is a more challenging side plank variation. That's what makes this a great plank, Samuel says. Similar to the Nordic hamstring exercise, the Copenhagen adduction exercise (CAE) is a bodyweight movement popularized by Danish researchers and sports therapists. Shoulder Calisthenics Workout Bodyweight Training Arena, Full Body Calisthenics For Women Beginners | Female Calisthenics. The bottom leg hangs underneath the bench. It targets the leg adductors, which are muscles often neglected in training, but they play an essential role in our everyday lives and workouts. This variation will target the core muscles more intensely than the regular side plank. Every time you take a stride, you're essentially on the one leg, she explains. The science has shown that when you have an imbalance between adduction or internal rotation strength of the hip and abduction or external rotation strength of the hip then you are likely to experience groin pain - basically the adductor group isn't as strong as it needs to be to counteract the strength of muscles like glute medius which want to turn your knees outwards. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Improve your grip strength with these effective exercises that will give you a vice-like grip, allowing you to lift heavier weights and reduce the risk of injury during everyday tasks. The Copenhagen Plank, or the Copenhagen Side Plank, is a side plank variation that, in addition to training the abdominals, targets the adductor (groin) muscles. Before moving forward, it should be noted that a majority of the research looks at the use of the Copenhagen adduction exercise, an eccentric variation involving a partner and no equipment. The Copenhagen plank, or Copenhagen adduction exercise, is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin- the adductors. This exercise requires extra balance and stability, as youll need to maintain your balance while waiting on the unstable surface of the Swiss ball. Lift one arm off the ground and extend it forward while doing the Copenhagen plank for an added challenge. Furthermore, you must keep your body straight while holding the plank position. You should also strive to keep the legs together, as this will work your leg adductors more efficiently. This can be achieved by positioning yourself further away from the bench, or closer if you want to decrease the intensity. Serner A, et al. For athletes, this is a huge competitive advantage and means better kicking power. Rotating your shoulders forward will cause you to lose balance, so keep your shoulders in line with your chest throughout the movement. What are the Alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank? In team. The Copenhagen Hold, as shown below, is a unique plank variation that specifically targets the musculature of the inner groin. As the muscles worked in the Copenhagen plank are mainly those in the inner thigh area. Start with 10 seconds, then, as the move becomes easier, slowly add a few more seconds at a time, says Ros. It is suggested that you perform hip mobility exercises to warm up the muscles before doing a Copenhagen side plank. This will mean as you place your leg on the raised surface, and lift your hips, your back should naturally be nice and straight. Based on the look of it, you can probably guess that the Copenhagen plank is a seriously challenging move. Obviously, this trains the adductor muscles. No, you place one leg (your top leg) on a bench. What are the techniques to master the Copenhagen Plank?. As soon as you go up onto your palm instead of your forearm, you take away some of that stability, so theres a little bit more work that your body has to do to stabilize and not rotate to one side, she explains. Many people find it challenging to hold this position for 30 seconds or more, but it is a great way to see how strong your leg adductors are! According to experts, squatting is one of the most effective exercises for improving athletic performance. You can do Copenhagen Plank up to three times a week, making sure to give your body enough time to recover between sets. Not enough exercises really focus on developing groin strength. Whether youre an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or simply looking to enhance your hand strength, these exercises will help you achieve your goals. Sign up for our newsletter and get automatically notified when we post new face-meltingly rad articles. A great alternative is the Copenhagen plank: a version you can do at home, does not require a partner, and has multiple levels of progressions for various skill levels. Place yourself in a perpendicular position to a bench, in a forearm side plank position, Place your upper leg on top of the bench and keep the bottom one off the floor, Place a mat under your arm to provide more comfort to your elbow, Keep the core engaged to maintain the correct posture, Use a lower bench to further decrease the intensity and support your back, Bend your upper leg on the bench and use that knee as support to reduce the intensity and add stability, Place yourself in a perpendicular position to a bench, in an extended side plank position, Bend the bottom leg on the floor and use the knee as support, Use a mat to put under your leg to provide extra comfort to your knee. , Your email address will not be published. In a side plank position, place the top leg on a bench with the bottom leg under the bench. Furthermore, it was also shown to elicit the highest activation of the external oblique and rectus abdominis. Press into side plank position. Coachs Tip Ensure you use a bench or raised surface that is roughly the same height as your head when you hold the side plank. And remember - having your hip in contact with the bench is important. Generally, upper-body strengthening and muscle-building resistance exercises can be categorized into two: pushing and pulling exercises. This information highlights the importance of hip adduction strength for reducing the risk of groin related injuries and maximizing the function of the hip and groin. However, having very strong abductors, but weak adductors, wont create the overall stability around the hips that you need. An interesting study that Physio-Network highlights in this article showed that groin injuries increased by 17 times when adductor strength was less than 80% of abductor strength. The first is that it strengthens your frontal plane. It doesn't just target your obliques like a side plank, but it also fires up your adductors and your abductors your inner and outer thigh muscles. Sound complicated? So give them a try and find out what works best for you! Do you suffer from toe pain? As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. Then return to the starting position and repeat. Clam shells, for example, along with lots of glute exercises, will help strengthen these outer hip muscles which is undoubtedly important. Does it affect your daily workout routine? These muscles consist of the gluteus medius and adductors.These muscles are often weak in people, which can lead to knee valgus (knock knees) and other issues. Promise, a little bit goes a long way with this bodyweight exercise. 2016;26(11):1334-1342. The suspension trainer isnt stable like a bench, so it will wobble and move. B. Begin by lying on your right side with your shoulder, elbow, and forearm stacked in a. These adductor muscles include the: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracillis. While the Copenhagen adduction exercise doesn't appear to be functional, Haroy et al i Show more Shop the E3 Rehab store Copenhagen Planks for Strength and Reducing Risk of Groin Injury. Gently tap your butt to a chair and stand back up. To make the Copenhagen adductor plank even harder, you could also switch the support system to a suspended one. Squeeze your legs together and maintain this position for a few seconds before releasing them back to the starting position. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line with the lower leg off the floor and hold. Lie on left side of body with left elbow resting on the floor directly beneath left shoulder, both legs extended out to right side, and right arm extended toward ceiling. But once you master it, according to Mens Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., and fitness editor Brett Williams, N.A.S.M., the Copenhagen plank will provide plenty of core-crushing benefits, especially if you're a runner. Being able to master the Copenhagen plank will help you in other aspects of your workout, as strong adductors are essential for stabilization and balance, as well as helping to prevent injury. These muscles are called upon during lateral movements in your daily life (think: stepping to the side to avoid stomping on your pet, balancing on a subway car while it zooms forward). 5) Take a deep exhale and engage your abs and glutes. You set up a Copenhagen plank like a side plank, except you place your top foot on a bench while hovering your bottom foot in the air. Training them effectively, like training all other muscles, will improve their form as well as their function. Our website content, services, and products are not intended to serve as medical advice and are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Try and hold the Copenhagen plank for as long as possible, repeated a few times a week. Unlike most plank holds, which encourage 60 seconds or more of isometric agony, the Copenhagen plank is a brief affair. To even out that disparity and keep injuries at bay, you can temporarily prioritize Copenhagen planks on your left side, along with other strengthening exercises that target those weaker muscle groups. There are many studies out there demonstrating the link between weak groin muscles and the prevalence of groin injuries in athletes. You can make the Copenhagen Plank harder by elevating your feet on a box or bench, lifting one arm off the ground, and using a resistance band around the legs. This movement is an advanced exercise that also works your entire body. Hold this position for a minimum of 15 seconds, 3-4 times on each side, Keep your core, glutes, and back engaged throughout to maintain the correct posture, If the knee of your top leg is feeling uncomfortable during the plank hold, bend it on the bench to decrease the strain in that area, If performing this exercise on a hard floor, place a mat under your body to provide more comfort to your hand. [1], [2]. By working mainly on the groin muscles in our legs, the Copenhagen plank benefits the hips and adductors by making them stronger and decreasing the risk of strains and injuries. and our And dont let the difficulty level discourage you or make you feel inadequate even pros like Ros think the Copenhagen plank is an exhausting but worthwhile move. Or, try driving your bottom knee up so it's in line with your hips, keeping it bent at a 90-degree angle, suggests Ros. Mix the Copenhagen plank into your usual resistance training regimen and try holding it for 10 to 20 seconds at a time, doing three to four sets on each side, suggests Ros. This help increases the strength of your adductors and improves your overall hip stability and balance. A few important technique points: make sure your body is in a straight line, so contract your glute max bring your hips forward and keep your abs engaged so you don't arch your lower back. The adductors make up one of the biggest muscle groups in your lower body. A Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that involves resting your top leg on a bench or raised surface. How are we going to fix it? It's mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. Start by lying on your side, like you would for a regular side plank. Its mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. 2. Many of the muscles in this group are thin and can be prone to tears or strains (pulls), so the researchers used this exercise to strengthen the adductors.