For athletes, this is a huge competitive advantage and means better kicking power. 2014;2(2):2325967114521778. Your adductors and abductors and both your inner and outer thighs are going to wind the firing in this move as well.. If you dont have a bench or other suitable support, you could also use a training buddy to help you perform this exercise. Your #1 site for all things sports rehab, sports performance, and orthopedic rehabilitation is: https://www.sportsrehabexpert.com/http://www.annarbor.physio . Vegetarian Diet To Build Muscle: Basics & 15 Foods to Eat Every Day, Intermittent Fasting 20/4: What You Should Know Before Starting, Put yourself in a side plank position perpendicular to a bench, With your bottom arm fully extended, place the top leg on the bench, using the internal part of your foot to support the hold. These both reduce the amount of load and effort placed on the top leg, thus making it easier to hold. Furthermore, it was also shown to elicit the highest activation of the external oblique and rectus abdominis. This pain can range from mild discomfort to outright agony and can be exacerbated by physical activity. The implementation of this program reduced the prevalence and risk of groin problems in male football players 41%! Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that targets our adductors or inner thigh muscles. Compared to a side plank where I definitely do after about a minute of holding. As this move is already creating a ton of tension through your glutes and shoulder blades, keeping your free leg raised and in the proper 90 degree position is serious anti-rotation work for your core. In the meantime, you can strengthen your adductors with other isometric exercises. Far and away the most common complaint of this exercise is knee discomfort on the front leg. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. The adductor group contains a bunch of muscles, the specific names are not important because we want to focus on them as a group. As such, a better name might be the adductor plank, or adductor side plank, but the Copenhagen name has stuck. 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. 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. 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. Your bottom leg can be straight if using a chair or bench, or it can be bent if the surface prevents you from straightening the leg, such as when using an ottoman or couch. Orthop J Sports Med. 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. 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. Plus, they'll be challenged to prevent you from rotating forward, says Ros. Anytime youre standing on one leg (like every step you take while walking) the adductors work to prevent your knee from caving in. These muscles are responsible for moving your legs to the center of your body. In essence: All in all, this is a great exercise that can provide excellent results and help prevent injuries in the groin area; therefore, it makes a great addition to any resistance training or conditioning program for anyone aiming to improve their inner thigh strength. Additionally, be careful not to overexert yourself start with more accessible variations and work your way up as you get stronger. For runners, this position reinforces the posture you want when you run. There are many studies out there demonstrating the link between weak groin muscles and the prevalence of groin injuries in athletes. If the variation with the top leg straight is too challenging, you can either rest the bottom leg on the ground or bend the top knee. The Copenhagen plank is the most challenging exercise known to humans. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. It's mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. 1) Set up with your head perpendicular to a bench and facing away. If youve worked up to 4 breaths fo 10 seconds each side and youre not feeling challenged, you can add some weight. 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. Once you have mastered the basic form of the Copenhagen Plank, you can progress to more advanced variations. If you notice your form is breaking down, consider scaling back to a modification. Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. Rotating your shoulders forward will cause you to lose balance, so keep your shoulders in line with your chest throughout the movement. This will add extra tension and difficulty to the exercise, targeting your adductors more effectively. These modifications will add extra difficulty to the Copenhagen Plank and challenge your core and stabilizer muscles. Benefits. Ultimately, the scientific research around Copenhagen planks is very positive and suggests athletes can improve performance and avoid injuries by including the exercise into their fitness routines. But from a functional standpoint, the adductor group are important in stabilising your hips. Regularly practicing Copenhagen planks, however, can strengthen these key lower-body muscles and help keep injuries at bay. So your next question might be why you should train them in the first place. Thorborg K, et al. Here are 3 progressions that I like: Option #1: Squat Progression Level 1 - Bodyweight Squat. 2) Plant your elbow and forearm parallel to the bench, 4) Lift up your hips so youre in a straight line from the ankles to the shoulders. Thats why it can be particularly useful for finding correcting muscle imbalances, says Ros. We may earn a commission through links on our site. 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. The bottom leg hangs underneath the bench. Looking to improve the strength, range of motion, and control of your hips to enhance your function and performance? These adductor muscles include the: adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracillis. We suggest starting about two inches out. Copenhagen Plank - Sweat See how to perform a Copenhagen plank perfectly with instructions by Sweat co-founder and personal trainer, Kayla Itsines. Gently tap your butt to a chair and stand back up. Copenhagen Side Plank w/ Leg Lift There's really nothing fancy here. This variation requires you to alternate between a high plank and low plank position while keeping your core engaged and stable throughout the motion. If the answer is no, then youre not ready for this exercise and should go back to regular side planks first until youre stronger. If you want to build more strength, muscle, & body control, the regular bodyweight dips might no longer be enough. Just 10 seconds at a time, over three sets, is a great place to start. Countless studies have shown that the Copenhagen adductor plank is second-to-none when it comes to developing adductor strength. Its mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. Along with those variations, you can also progress the Copenhagen plank by increasing the duration of the exercise. BJSM. How are we going to fix it? 2. This will create additional stability challenges, including challenging your shoulder stability like in a Turkish Get-Up. But if youre ache-free, continue mixing the Copenhagen plank into your routine particularly if youre a runner, she adds. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. Prone Cobra Push Up How to, Benefits and Muscles Worked, Featured image and video demonstration credit AchieveFitnessBoston. Thats why she usually starts her clients off with their top knee bent at a 90-degree angle and their knee and calf fully resting on the bench (aka a short lever), she says. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Place right foot on top of a bench and rest left toes gently on the floor. A Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that involves resting your top leg on a bench or raised surface. Copenhagen Plank - Exercise demonstration video and information for Olympic weightlifting - The Copenhagen plank is a simple exercise for adductor strength and hip stability. 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! You'll need a bench or a stable object to perform the Copenhagen plank. 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. Below we list all the variations you can apply, from easy to hard, so that you can pick the right one based on your skill level. The Copenhagen plank hold, which is the static version of this exercise, is the main variation used in rehab programs targeting the groin muscles. Start by lying on your side, like you would for a regular side plank. Youll notice the closer you get your knee to the bench, the easier it becomes as youre working with less lever. The origin of the exercise is a bit of a mystery, but it's safe to say it was invented way before the early 2000s. The Copenhagen plank is a great way to test the strength of your leg adductors and work on building up those muscles! And this training can do you some good: Improving your core stability not only helps prevent injuries in your back, but it can also improve your athletic performance, she notes. From here we are going to raise our hips up by contracting our adductors until are hips are in a straight line. That weight is trying to shift you forward and back, and you have to resist that rotation while holding yourself up with one leg, she adds. If youre an athlete, then, theyre a crucial part of most sports. If holding the Copenhagen plank is not sufficiently challenging, one option for progressing the difficulty is by adding hip movement, similar to the Copenhagen adduction exercise shown earlier. 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. Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer who has written for Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, and Men's Health. BJSM. Squeeze your thighs to hold this position. 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. Enter the Copenhagen Plank. Serious imbalances can lead to compensated movement patterns and, in turn, an increased risk of injury, according to the American Council on Exercise. David is a writer and strength coach and co-owner of Roman Fitness Systems. You will engage and strengthen your adductor muscles by squeezing your legs together. To make things harder, you can also include a dynamic hip movement by lowering and raising your hip to the ground or using a suspension trainder instead of a bench. 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. The first is that it strengthens your frontal plane. 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. In a side plank position, place the top leg on a bench with the bottom leg under the bench. Does it affect your daily workout routine? Sign up for our newsletter and get automatically notified when we post new face-meltingly rad articles. This plank variation challenges even the strongest coreand gives runners an extra form boost, too. The human body doesnt cope with imbalances very well in fact, imbalances are a recipe for disaster when it comes to injuries. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. If you're performing the exercise with your right arm on the floor, for example, you'll fire up your right side's obliques and left leg's adductors and abductors, she adds. Here's the breakdown. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do you suffer from toe pain? Start with the top leg bent, and slowly move the bottom leg and body up and down. Groin injuries are particularly common in sports that involve kicking, running or even jumping and weakness in adduction strength has recently been highlighted as a root cause in new research. 2013;48(14):1108-1114. 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. At the end of the program, these athletes demonstrated a 35.7% increase in eccentric hip adduction strength! So what are the techniques to master the Copenhagen plank? Lift one arm off the ground and extend it forward while doing the Copenhagen plank for an added challenge. Copenhagen Plank is an exercise to make your inner thigh muscles strong that can help reduce groin pain and injuries during sports activities. 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. And Bourne et al (2019) showed that players with more greater hip abduction strength were significantly less likely to injure their hip or groin in the future. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. Promise, a little bit goes a long way with this bodyweight exercise. This help increases the strength of your adductors and improves your overall hip stability and balance. This helps to improve exercises like lateral side squats too. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. Whether youre an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or simply looking to enhance your hand strength, these exercises will help you achieve your goals. In this exercise guide, weve got tips on how to do the Copenhagen plank properly, the muscles worked, benefits and things to consider when doing the movement. Idk I don't feel it in my core at all though. 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. 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. Including the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in the FIFA 11+ provides missing eccentric hip adduction strength effect in male soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. Serner A, et al. 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. ). The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. For more exercises to target your adductors, use a fitness app to help you build the perfect inner thigh workout.