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. What muscles does the Copenhagen Plank work? Normally when we think side plank, we prioritize bracing our entire core. The Copenhagen plank lift is a dynamic variation of the Copenhagen plank for adductor strength and hip stability. ). Combine Copenhagen Planks and Minibands for Multiplanar Ab Strength If the answer is no, then youre not ready for this exercise and should go back to regular side planks first until youre stronger. 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. 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. 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.. Generally, upper-body strengthening and muscle-building resistance exercises can be categorized into two: pushing and pulling exercises. The exercise is isometric, which means you hold your body in one position while contracting your muscles. Press into side plank position. Thorborg K, et al. Start with the top leg bent, and slowly move the bottom leg and body up and down. And remember - having your hip in contact with the bench is important. On exhales, our body moves towards flexion and internal rotation. And since it is so challenging, its best to make this your first move of your core workout. 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. Copenhagen Plank. Copenhagen Plank - Exercise demonstration video and information for Olympic weightlifting - The Copenhagen plank is a simple exercise for adductor strength and hip stability. Once you can hold a given position for about 30 seconds, you can increase the difficulty by moving the point of contact on your leg further down, which lengthens the lever and increases the demands on the adductors. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. The Copenhagen is a little bit different, according to Samuel. Strengthening the obliques helps to better stabilize the torso and spine, helping to promote better posture, as well as rotational strength. As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. Make sure to keep your shoulders and chest aligned throughout the exercise. 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. Similar to a standard side plank, your obliques are required to help create stability as you hold the position. In a side plank position, place the top leg on a bench with the bottom leg under the bench. As the muscles worked in the Copenhagen plank are mainly those in the inner thigh area. The body and leg then lower, so the foot just gently touches the floor, and then is repeated for desired repetitions. You'll need a bench or a stable object to perform the Copenhagen plank. Try a 10-second hold, repeated three times with rest in between as needed. 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. 6) Lift your bottom leg up so its parallel to the ground. 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. Looking to improve the strength, range of motion, and control of your hips to enhance your function and performance? The knee-assisted plank simply requires you to use your knee as support to provide extra stability. Just 10 seconds at a time, over three sets, is a great place to start. Copenhagen Plank Variations. One major advantage of the Copenhagen plank is that theres little chance that you'll get bored. Smith Machine Bench Press: Is It Right for You? Crow JF, et al. 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. 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. 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. The first is that it strengthens your frontal plane. Some of the most common exercises to target the inner thighs include. The Copenhagen Hold, as shown below, is a unique plank variation that specifically targets the musculature of the inner groin. As well as hip adduction, Copenhagen planks will also help develop overall core strength by engaging the abdominals and obliques. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. In our opinion, the best way to progress this movement is to use a suspension trainer (like a TRX system) to rest your upper foot. This exercise requires extra balance and stability, as youll need to maintain your balance while waiting on the unstable surface of the Swiss ball. In addition to helping run RFS, he's also the head editor for No need to be a hero and set the bench in contact with the thigh. Lift your lower leg off the floor so it hangs under the bench, unsupported. Elevate your feet onto a box or bench while doing the Copenhagen plank to increase the intensity. This requires additional balance and stability to maintain the position. Gaze forward and maintain a straight line from head to heels. 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. To start, youll need a bench, or ideally a raised platform that doesnt have a back on it, like an ottoman. This particular exercise you can do 1-2 times per week for 2-3 sets, and that will have you well on your toward stronger adductors, better posture, fewer injuries, and some compliments on your inner thighs. Lifting your hips off the ground until your back is straight, you simply hold this side plank position for the duration specified. However, it can also be used as a full body conditioning exercise, as it also requires the engagement of the core and, to some extent, the shoulders and back. Aside from the main variation, there are several options to progress and regress the Copenhagen plank. In another study by Haroy and colleagues (2018), a group of male soccer players completed a 36-week long adductor strengthening program using the Copenhagen Adduction exercise. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. Ishoi et al in 2016 had 24 male soccer players perform the Copenhagen adduction exercise two times a week, while progressively increasing the number of sets and repetitions over the course of 8 weeks (starting with 2 sets of 6 each and ending with 3 sets of 15 each). Advanced Plank Exercises for Insane Core Strength, Exercises That Will Help You Improve Your Grip Strength, Neck Pain: Simple Exercises to Improve Mobility and Combat Stiffness, Strengthen Your Feet With These Easy Toe Point Stretches, How to Keep Heels Down and Squat Like a Pro: Tips for Maximum Workout Benefits, Bodyweight Dips for Beginners: Progressions to Master the Exercise, From Tuck Planche to Advanced Tuck Planche: Your Step-By-Step Guide, 15 Advanced Dip Variations to Level Up Your Calisthenics Routine, The Best Bodyweight Pull Workout: Get Strong and Sculpted. our rundown of the best bodyweight exercises that actually build strength, made male soccer players adductors stronger, Dipping the hips toward the ground and back up, repeatedly (This can be done in either position. The bottom leg hangs underneath the bench. 2019;53:145-152. These should be performed slowly and with control. The adductors make up one of the biggest muscle groups in your lower body. The Copenhagen plank, also commonly referred simply as an adductor side plank, is a fantastic exercise to include into your fitness routine. Obviously, this trains the adductor muscles. Clam shells, for example, along with lots of glute exercises, will help strengthen these outer hip muscles which is undoubtedly important. This exercise is so effective that when an adductor strengthening programme, adding just ONE exercise, was implemented, groin injury rates fell by 41%. 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. 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. There's no need to if you're doing it correctly, those are gonna be the longest 25 seconds of your life., As you hold your Copenhagen plank, make sure to avoid rotating your shoulders forward, says Ros. Copenhagen Denmark: Rosenborg Castle A small village existed on the site of the present city by the early 10th century. This will challenge the stabilizer muscles in the core and strengthen your shoulder muscles, making it an excellent alternative for Copenhagen Plank. By Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. Copenhagen Plank Watch on What is a Copenhagen Plank? The suspension trainer isnt stable like a bench, so it will wobble and move. There is one exercise that you can do with zero equipment at home to strengthen your adductors and help prevent injury. What is the proper form for Copenhagen Plank? The Copenhagen Hold: The Toughest Plank Variation You Aren't Doing The Copenhagen plank is a great way to test the strength of your leg adductors and work on building up those muscles! Still, your obliques, the muscles responsible for rotating your trunk, get a large chunk of the action. Copenhagen Plank Lift Exercise Demo Video and Info Just like the abdominal muscles, they often work in everyday life as stabilizers, not necessarily movers. How (and Why) to Do Copenhagen Planks - lifehacker.com.au 3 Killer Side Plank Variations to Build Your Obliques 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 best way to do a Copenhagen Plank: Method, Advantages, and Variations - Global. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All Content Copyright Roman Fitness Systems 2019. Is the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise Smart for Groin Injuries?