JOSPT. As is the case with any plank variation, think: Abs on, glutes on. Now you're not only like working the adductors in the leg that's on top of the bench, but you're also using your hip flexors to bring the bottom leg [up to] 90 degrees, she explains. Not enough exercises really focus on developing groin strength. (And yes, those two words are very similar. They continued the program into the 28 week long season, keeping repetitions and intensity high, but reducing the training frequency (reducing to 1 weekly session, 1 set, 12-15 reps per side). ^ So interpreted in Carl Valle (2020-04-17), "Is the Copenhagen Adduction . The benefits of healthier hips can address musculoskeletal problems in other areas of the body too, such as knee pain and back ache. The Copenhagen plank is a great exercise for a few reasons. Do you want to be doing more core strengthening exercises like Copenhagen Plank? This variation is a Copenhagen plank progression, as it requires more strength and stability since there is the addition of weights. The implementation of this program reduced the prevalence and risk of groin problems in male football players 41%! This can be achieved by positioning yourself further away from the bench, or closer if you want to decrease the intensity. Similar to the Nordic hamstring exercise, the Copenhagen adduction exercise (CAE) is a bodyweight movement popularized by Danish researchers and sports therapists. This ability to strengthen the adductors helps to ensure your lateral movements arent solely reliant on your abductors. And in any plank exercise, your core is engaged, otherwise your form would be collapsing. The Copenhagen plank, also known as the Copenhagen adduction exercise, is a side plank variation that focuses on the adductor muscles of the inner thigh and groin. Position yourself in an extended side plank position, perpendicular to a bench, Place the top leg on the bench, using the internal part of your foot to support the hold, Extend out the bottom leg while keeping it off the floor, With your top hand, hold a kettlebell up from the handle, with the weight underside facing up (bottom-up), You can use a dumbbell to decrease the intensity and increase stability, If you need to regress this version, simply position yourself in a forearm side plank, Be sure to perform this on a well-leveled, smooth floor to avoid losing balance, Place yourself in a perpendicular position to a TRX, in an extended side plank position, Place your top foot on the TRX handle section, As an alternative to a TRX, you could use gymnastics rings or a thick elastic band as a support system, Raise up the TRX or rings to increase the intensity, Keep the body in position and avoid swinging by tensing all your muscles, from your adductors and glutes to your core and arm, Add weight to hold up to further increase the intensity. Even your abductors, the muscles on the outsides of your hips, seem to get a little bit of a boost from training this exercise. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. 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. Still, your obliques, the muscles responsible for rotating your trunk, get a large chunk of the action. From the static side plank position, you would then lift and drop your body using your abs to perform pulses. In this article, we will discuss the progressions for mastering the bodyweight dip from complete beginners. 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! One of the primary benefits of the Copenhagen plank: It strengthens your hip abductors and adductors, muscles that are responsible for moving your leg away from or toward, respectively, the midline of your body, says Ros. 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. Extend out the bottom leg while keeping it off the floor. 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. This can make Copenhagen Planks a critical exercise in your strength training plan to help reduce groin injuries. If so, there is good news stretches can help improve your toe point. The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulder to your ankle. 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. This will engage and strengthen more muscles in your arms, shoulders, and core. Instead of planting your ankle on top of the bench, if you plant you knee if will shorten the lever, as they say in physics, making it easier. Just 10 seconds at a time, over three sets, is a great place to start. Imagine your heels, butt, and back of your head are all touching a wall and your body forms a straight line in order to get the most benefit out of the exercise, she suggests. If youre coming off of a knee injury, or have a history of knee pain, try the regression variations first. The Copenhagen plank, or Copenhagen adduction exercise, is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin- the adductors. 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. But what makes the Copenhagen special is that you do not rest your feet or knees on the ground. This means your core and adductors have to work extra hard to maintain stability. 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. You can also check out his Instagram, he's pretty easy on the eyes. Benefits. Ahead, learn details on all the benefits a Copenhagen plank has to offer and find out how to do one with perfect form every single time no matter how you modify or spice up the move. Doing the copenhagen plank for 1 min, I really feel it in my inner thigh. The Copenhagen plank, also commonly referred simply as an "adductor side plank", is a fantastic exercise to include into your fitness routine. If you want to improve your function and reduce your risk of reinjury, strengthening your quads needs to be your top priority. Theyre one of the major muscle groups that help us move side to side. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Dietitian/Nutritionist in NYC, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, WELLTECH APPS LIMITED, Karaiskaki 13, 3032, Limassol, Cyprus, How to Do the Copenhagen Plank: Technique and Popular Progressions, Copenhagen side plank: technique, tips, and progressions, 10 Core Yoga Poses for Abs, Hip, and Lower Back Strength (With Sequence), Rear Delt Fly: Technique, Muscles Worked & Variations to Try. Start in a side-lying position with your elbow placed directly under your shoulder and the feet stacked one on top of the other or with the feet slightly wider apart. It involves a squeezing movement to keep your legs together. The Copenhagen plank is one of the most challenging plank variations out there, a side plank variation that requires extra glute and hip adductor focus and builds all-around ab and core. From here we are going to raise our hips up by contracting our adductors until are hips are in a straight line. Find the right variation that provides zero pain. This variation requires you to move your hands and feet in a walking motion while keeping your hips steady. To get even more bang for your buck when it comes to strength training, turn to the Copenhagen plank, a side plank's leveled-up cousin that tests your core and lower-body strength. How to Add the Copenhagen Plank to Your Routine, How to Train In All 3 Planes of Motion and Why It Matters, Modification: Copenhagen Plank with Short Lever, Progression: Copenhagen Plank with Kettlebell or Knee Drive, 7 Abs Exercises to Tighten Stomach Muscles for a Strong Core, The Best Inner-Thigh Exercises That Reach Those Hard-to-Target Adductors, How to Strengthen Your Hip Flexors Plus, 5 Exercises to Try, The Best Core Stability Exercises to Level Up Your Workouts, How to Do a Curtsy Lunge to Build Your Booty, How to Do the Bear Crawl Exercise to Boost Strength and Coordination, 7 Hip Thrust Variations to Build Lower-Body Strength at Any Fitness Level. Short Lever Copenhagen Plank - YouTube 0:00 / 0:21 Short Lever Copenhagen Plank The Active Life 9.6K subscribers Subscribe 8.6K views 2 years ago Active Life has helped more than 10,000. The adductors make up one of the biggest muscle groups in your lower body. Training them effectively, like training all other muscles, will improve their form as well as their function. 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? Cookie Notice These muscles consist of the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, pectineus and gracilis, all of which are primarily responsible for adducting the hip, or moving the leg toward the midline. Underrated and underused (and maybe initially overwhelming on first attempt), the Copenhagen plank without question is one of the most challenging plank variations out there. The Copenhagen Plank is very simple, all you need is a chair or bench. Copenhagen Denmark: Rosenborg Castle A small village existed on the site of the present city by the early 10th century. For this progression, you will hold the same side plank position but move your chest toward the ground in a slow, controlled movement. Here's why you should be mixing Copenhagen planks into your routine and how to do so with perfect form. Copenhagen Sideplank Exercise Progressions and Regressions to [P]Rehab Your Groin [P]rehab 224K subscribers Subscribe 8.6K views 3 years ago FULL article here:. This pain can range from mild discomfort to outright agony and can be exacerbated by physical activity. Say you notice that its much easier to do a Copenhagen plank on your right side than your left, a potential sign of a muscle imbalance. But what good does it actually do for you and your body? If you want to make the Copenhagen plank more challenging, you can try the following progressions: Take a narrower grip with your hands while doing the Copenhagen plank to increase the intensity. 2014;2(2):2325967114521778. These both reduce the amount of load and effort placed on the top leg, thus making it easier to hold. Prone Cobra Push Up How to, Benefits and Muscles Worked, Featured image and video demonstration credit AchieveFitnessBoston. Before you try any Copenhagen plank, its important to master the traditional side plank, which will help you build up the core strength necessary to tackle the challenging lower-body exercise, says Ros. It's mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. Groin pain has a high prevalence across an array of different sports such as soccer, hockey, lacrosse, football, Rugby, Australian football, and many other activities. What muscles does the Copenhagen Plank work? As the Senior Fitness Editor at Shape, Kristen oversees the Fitness category and covers workout trends, exercise tips, recovery, and more. Do that. In 2013, Serner and colleagues compared 8 adductor exercises and found the Copenhagen adduction exercise to elicit high activation of the adductor longus. 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 looks a bit like a side plank: Youre leaning on your hand or elbow, other arm away from the ground, trying to hold your body in a rigid position. Once the static version becomes to hard, we can simply introduce some movement and perform the copenhagen plank for reps instead of time. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. 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. Position your elbow directly under your shoulder as if you were doing a side plank. Place your left foot on a bench, box or Ottoman, right elbow on the bench. For runners, this position reinforces the posture you want when you run. 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. The closer your body is to the bench, the easier the movement becomes. From there don't just think about haphazardly lifting the bottom leg towards the top. Important consideration: Some groin problems may have a secondary related abdominal issue. Your email address will not be published. And remember - having your hip in contact with the bench is important. Position your elbow directly under your shoulder as if you were doing a side plank. In a 2013 study focused on hip adduction exercises for soccer players . Start with as much of your leg on the support as possible. The adductor muscles also help support better athletic performance, especially in sports or activities that involve running or kicking. The Copenhagen Plank Will Upgrade Your Ab Workout, 8-Minute Ab Workouts Won't Build a Six-Pack, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Here's the breakdown. Similar to a side plank, start on your side with the forearm on the ground, hips and shoulders stacked, and legs straight. Engage core, grounding through left elbow and side of left foot, and lift hips and knees off the floor. And yet, [the inner and outer thighs are] often neglected parts of the body, so some people have weak adductors without really knowing it, she explains. By squeezing your legs together, you will engage your core muscles to keep yourself straight while holding the isometric contraction. Abductors bring your leg away from your body, just like an alien abduction takes a person away from Earth. Forget counting your reps in minutes. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between hip adductor strength and groin related injuries. What to add a challenge to your planks? Try Copenhagen plank, a side plank variation that works best for a strong core and toned inner thighs. Think of these inner thigh muscles like the hamstrings of the frontal plane. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. You should always seek medical advice from a health/fitness professional before starting any new fitness program. 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. 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. Lift your lower leg off the floor so it hangs under the bench, unsupported. We last saw Copenhagen planks in our rundown of the best bodyweight exercises that actually build strength. This banded adductor exercise is a good place to start, and you can also do single-leg movements like step-ups to work the adductors alongside other leg muscles. Everyday activities like sitting at a desk for extended periods, leaning over your phone or tablet, and even sleeping in an awkward position can contribute to neck pain. The Copenhagen plank primarily targets the adductor muscles of the hip. If you can nail those, youve just dominated the once-indomitable exercise. Build abs, obliques, and shoulder strength with the Copenhagen plank delt raise. Plus, the exercise works your shoulder stability, particularly if you perform the exercise on your palm rather than your forearm, which reduces the surface area youre balancing on, she adds. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. Orthop J Sports Med. It targets the leg adductors, which are muscles often neglected in training, but they play an essential role in our everyday lives and workouts. However, this could take away the focus from the adductors and shift it more onto the core and shoulders. Eccentric and isometric hip adduction strength in male soccer players with and without adductor-related groin pain: an assessor-blinded comparison. Just like the side plank, the Copenhagen plank involves lying on one side of your body with your bottom elbow bent, forearm resting flat on the floor, and legs fully extended. Copenhagen Plank Watch on What is a Copenhagen Plank? This will allow you to scale your planks difficulty level. But instead of stacking or staggering your feet on the floor, youll prop one foot on top of a bench (or couch, chair, or another stable surface that's about 18 inches tall). Most importantly, remember to breathe, says Ros. In team. 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! Similarly, the ability to protect your hips with stronger adduction, will help with weightlifting too and this subsequently means you can lift or train more intensity during squats, deadlifts and other exercises, which will lead to increased strength in other muscles such as the quads, glutes and hamstrings. This plank variation challenges even the strongest coreand gives runners an extra form boost, too. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Generally, upper-body strengthening and muscle-building resistance exercises can be categorized into two: pushing and pulling exercises. Ensuring you are actively training for adduction strength as well as abduction strength will provide more overall benefits. From here, think of a side plank.In other words, place your forearm perpendicular to your torso on the groundthat's going to protect your shoulder, then shift into a safer external rotation. You can make the exercise easier by resting the bottom leg on the floor, or positioning yourself closer to the bench. This helps strengthen the deep core muscles, essential for everyday activities like lifting or carrying heavy loads. Try a 10-second hold, repeated three times with rest in between as needed. That's what makes this a great plank, Samuel says. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. 2013;48(14):1108-1114. "We're working on the (inside) to counteract all the strong . This is great if youre starting out and also if this bugs your knee (which well get to) this option takes the knee out of the equation since itll be resting on the bench. We suggest starting about two inches out. Looking to improve the strength, range of motion, and control of your hips to enhance your function and performance? The Copenhagen plank is a great way to test the strength of your leg adductors and work on building up those muscles! First up, let's have a look at the anatomy of the groin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All Content Copyright Roman Fitness Systems 2019. Copenhagen Planks build eccentric strength in the groin as well as core stability. By Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. These days, the fitness world is all about increasing efficiency. Shoulder Calisthenics Workout Bodyweight Training Arena, Full Body Calisthenics For Women Beginners | Female Calisthenics. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. Plus, they'll be challenged to prevent you from rotating forward, says Ros. These muscles are primarily responsible for the adduction of the hip which moves the leg towards the midline. EMG evaluations of hip adduction exercises for soccer players: implications for exercise selection in prevention and treatment of groin injuries. In the meantime, you can strengthen your adductors with other isometric exercises. How are we going to fix it? 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 . 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. Benefits of 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. 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. Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. 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. Another way to increase intensity is to perform a Copenhagen plank raise. To make it harder, use the internal part of your upper foot to hold the position rather than the leg. You would simply position your upper leg on their hands and keep the bottom leg off the floor. Subscribe to receive exclusive updates, deals, 10% off any program, and access to our private monthly research review. The Copenhagen plank comes with a range of variations that can either decrease or increase the intensity and help you progress in your adductor strengthening program. Copenhagen Plank can cause strain on the lower back if done incorrectly. For another fantastic ab exercise, check out the landmine rollout. Some of the most common exercises to target the inner thighs include. Here are some options: Also known as the Vasisthasana in yoga, the side plank is excellent for strengthening the core muscles and activating stabilizer muscles. The suspension trainer isnt stable like a bench, so it will wobble and move. Copenhagen Side Plank w/ Leg Lift There's really nothing fancy here. This help increases the strength of your adductors and improves your overall hip stability and balance. Gently tap your butt to a chair and stand back up. Published: Oct 13, 2020 Yes, you can hold a plank for hours upon hours. This variation will target the core muscles more intensely than the regular side plank. While nutrition plays an important role, adding exercise into your routine improves the process of achieving your goal. Serner A, et al. Does it affect your daily workout routine? The Copenhagen plank is a practical adaptation of the Copenhagen adduction exercise, which involves a training partner holding the top leg (as opposed to resting it on a bench). Including the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in the FIFA 11+ provides missing eccentric hip adduction strength effect in male soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. 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. 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 will challenge the stabilizer muscles in the core and strengthen your shoulder muscles, making it an excellent alternative for Copenhagen Plank. In team. The bottom leg hangs underneath the bench. Simply put, no other exercises have been shown to be as beneficial for targeting the groin region as the Copenhagen adduction exercises. One major advantage of the Copenhagen plank is that theres little chance that you'll get bored. So your next question might be why you should train them in the first place. If you want to build more strength, muscle, & body control, the regular bodyweight dips might no longer be enough. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. Check out our Hip Resilience program! Whether youre an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or simply looking to enhance your hand strength, these exercises will help you achieve your goals. Due to the close proximity of the origin of the adductors and the insertion of the abdominal muscles, this further supports the use of Copenhagen plank variations in rehab or injury risk reduction programs for the groin. But the movement does need to be executed properly to ensure you gain the benefits and dont cause injury to your back. Great view of my childhood trophies here. 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. It can be regressed or progressed, which makes it perfect for any skill level. At the end of the program, these athletes demonstrated a 35.7% increase in eccentric hip adduction strength! But from a functional standpoint, the adductor group are important in stabilising your hips. You will engage and strengthen your adductor muscles by squeezing your legs together. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Having weak groin muscles is huge contributor to groin injuries. Planks arent that easy to add weight to. Better yet, combine the two moves during a single set, as Ros demonstrates below. Bourne M, et al. This variation is similar to the regular plank but requires more coordination as you alternate tapping each hand forward into a pushup position. This regression involves performing the side plank on the forearm rather than extending the arm fully to increase stability. As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. 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. These should be performed slowly and with control. What are the Alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank? In order of easiest to hardest, the progression goes: While planks are often done for increasingly long periods of time, you dont have to take that approach to get the benefits out of the Copenhagen plank. Focus on contracting your core and hold for 30 seconds or longer. Countless studies have shown that the Copenhagen adductor plank is second-to-none when it comes to developing adductor strength. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. Squeeze your legs together and maintain this position for a few seconds before releasing them back to the starting position. In this article, we will discuss how to perform the Copenhagen side plank correctly, different variations of it, and alternative exercises to work on effectively strengthening your adductors. This will increase the resistance on your deep core muscles, making it more challenging to hold the position for longer. Adductors bring your legs in toward your midline; the two letter Ds in the middle may help you remember that they bring the legs together.). Your #1 site for all things sports rehab, sports performance, and orthopedic rehabilitation is: https://www.sportsrehabexpert.com/http://www.annarbor.physio . Youll also notice that youre actually set up in a position that mirrors a runner's stride, so be aware of reinforcing a good, high-knee position, and make sure you can own it in the sagittal plane. Haroy J, et al. Holding your breath can cause you to become dizzy and affect your form, so make sure to keep breathing steadily while doing the Copenhagen Plank. Its such a good exercise and I know I have to do it, but sometimes I'm like, I just wanna do a side plank because I know how hard it is.. 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.