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. prohockeystrength.com., the official website of the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey. Then, you'll hover the other foot a few inches below the bench and hold this position as steadily as possible. Generally, upper-body strengthening and muscle-building resistance exercises can be categorized into two: pushing and pulling exercises. Ultimately, the benefit of stronger adductors is the reduce risk of groin injuries and pain. 2017;45(13):3052-3059. The Copenhagen plank primarily targets the adductor muscles of the hip. According to experts, squatting is one of the most effective exercises for improving athletic performance. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. 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. 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. In addition to helping run RFS, he's also the head editor for
Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line with the lower leg off the floor. From the static side plank position, you would then lift and drop your body using your abs to perform pulses. 1) Set up with your head perpendicular to a bench and facing away. 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. Copenhagen Plank is an exercise to make your inner thigh muscles strong that can help reduce groin pain and injuries during sports activities. So building up the strength of those stabilizer muscles [in your legs and core] is important., Ready to give the exercise a shot? 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. In addition to strengthening the adductors, the Copenhagen plank also contains the elements of a normal side plank, meaning it has a side effect of strengthening a variety of core muscles . The Copenhagen plank works your arms, shoulders, core, and adductors. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. Thats why it can be particularly useful for finding correcting muscle imbalances, says Ros. Related article: Advanced Plank Exercises for Insane Core Strength. Additionally, be careful not to overexert yourself start with more accessible variations and work your way up as you get stronger. 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. And since it is so challenging, its best to make this your first move of your core workout. From there don't just think about haphazardly lifting the bottom leg towards the top. As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. Extend out the bottom leg while keeping it off the floor. 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. No, you place one leg (your top leg) on a bench. 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. Then return to the starting position and repeat. 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. But what makes the Copenhagen special is that you do not rest your feet or knees on the ground. Remember the Copenhagen keys: maintain stability and squeeze your glutes and shoulder blades while fighting off rotation in both directions. Still, your obliques, the muscles responsible for rotating your trunk, get a large chunk of the action. From here we are going to raise our hips up by contracting our adductors until are hips are in a straight line. 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. The best way to do a Copenhagen Plank: Method, Advantages, and Variations - Global. How can I make the Copenhagen Plank harder? 2010;13(2):202-204. Copenhagen Plank Variations. 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. 2013;48(14):1108-1114. Find the right variation that provides zero pain. Ensuring you are actively training for adduction strength as well as abduction strength will provide more overall benefits. Normally when we think side plank, we prioritize bracing our entire core. If the answer is no, then youre not ready for this exercise and should go back to regular side planks first until youre stronger. However, instead of your feet on the ground, place the top foot onto a chair, bench or another stable surface, while holding the bottom leg off the ground. Do you suffer from toe pain? Far and away the most common complaint of this exercise is knee discomfort on the front leg. 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. Crow JF, et al. Welltech. This progression requires a high level of inner thigh strength and core stability, therefore it is only suggested for those who have already mastered the traditional Copenhagen side plank. 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. You want to be able to plant your feet and quickly turn to move in the opposite direction of your opponent. 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. Start by lying on your side, like you would for a regular side plank. The FIFA 11+ program is popular for reducing a wide range of injuries, however it has not been shown to be successful with groin injuries. [1], [2]. The knee-assisted plank simply requires you to use your knee as support to provide extra stability. To progress, straighten the top leg and perform the same movement. The proper form for Copenhagen plank involves squeezing your legs together, keeping your core engaged and stable, breathing normally throughout the exercise, and keeping your shoulders in line with your chest. However, there are many ways the exercise difficulty level can be scaled up or down depending on your abilities. Place right foot on top of a bench and rest left toes gently on the floor. 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. If you notice your form is breaking down, consider scaling back to a modification. The purpose of this blog is to discuss why Copenhagen Planks are an important consideration for rehab and injury reduction programs for the groin. Our website content, services, and products are not intended to serve as medical advice and are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Another variation of the knee-assisted Copenhagen plank is the bent-knee Copenhagen plank. Shoulder Calisthenics Workout Bodyweight Training Arena, Full Body Calisthenics For Women Beginners | Female Calisthenics. The human body doesnt cope with imbalances very well in fact, imbalances are a recipe for disaster when it comes to injuries. This requires additional balance and stability to maintain the position. 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. Place your left foot on a bench, box or Ottoman, right elbow on the bench. To begin with start with your knee on the chair. To make the Copenhagen adductor plank even harder, you could also switch the support system to a suspended one. 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. 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. Buyers Guide to Cold Plunge Pools and Baths, Oblique Crunches How to Perform & Benefits. 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. 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. This helps strengthen the deep core muscles, essential for everyday activities like lifting or carrying heavy loads. There are many studies out there demonstrating the link between weak groin muscles and the prevalence of groin injuries in athletes. These muscles are primarily responsible for the adduction of the hip which moves the leg towards the midline. This variation requires you to move your hands and feet in a walking motion while keeping your hips steady. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Subscribe to receive exclusive updates, deals, 10% off any program, and access to our private monthly research review. Its essential to be aware of common mistakes when doing the Copenhagen Plank exercise: Make sure to squeeze your legs together correctly when doing the Copenhagen Plank. One major advantage of the Copenhagen plank is that theres little chance that you'll get bored. J Sci Med Sport. By avoiding common mistakes and progressing from basic form to more advanced variations, you can maximize the benefits of the exercise and get the most out of it. If you can nail those, youve just dominated the once-indomitable exercise. 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. 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. Simply, when our abdominals contract, our adductors are primed to contract also. Does it affect your daily workout routine? Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. Important consideration: Some groin problems may have a secondary related abdominal issue. For athletes, this is a huge competitive advantage and means better kicking power. Cookie Notice The adductor group contains a bunch of muscles, the specific names are not important because we want to focus on them as a group. The reality is many people will naturally do movements and exercises that strengthen the hip abductors (the outside of the hips). 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). EMG evaluations of hip adduction exercises for soccer players: implications for exercise selection in prevention and treatment of groin injuries. ). Once youre ready to tackle the Copenhagen plank, try one of the modifications below and progress through other variations as you build up strength and stability. This will create additional stability challenges, including challenging your shoulder stability like in a Turkish Get-Up. 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. I dont need to say much else here because every bodybuilder in history has trained the inner thighs, so obviously theres something to it. It stands to reason that strengthening your groin muscles will reduce the risk of injuring your groin, and that's exactly what the science says: And in particular, having strong eccentric adductor strength, or strength when your adductors are being lengthened which happens in a lot physical activities "seem important to consider, especially in prevention, as this resembles the situation where the muscle-tendinous structures are at the highest risk of injury" Serner et al (2014). However, this could take away the focus from the adductors and shift it more onto the core and shoulders. Strengthening the obliques helps to better stabilize the torso and spine, helping to promote better posture, as well as rotational strength. You can do Copenhagen Plank up to three times a week, making sure to give your body enough time to recover between sets. The closer your body is to the bench, the easier the movement becomes. Youre almost there, but Samuel says theres one final piece to the Copenhagen puzzle. 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. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line with the lower leg off the floor and hold. What muscles does the Copenhagen Plank work? This variation is a Copenhagen plank progression, as it requires more strength and stability since there is the addition of weights. Scand J Med Sci Sports. Training them effectively, like training all other muscles, will improve their form as well as their function. 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. This will increase the resistance on your deep core muscles, making it more challenging to hold the position for longer. Do that. Every time you take a stride, you're essentially on the one leg, she explains. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All Content Copyright Roman Fitness Systems 2019. 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. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Thanks for reading. If youre performing the exercise with your right arm on the floor, for example, youll fire up your right sides obliques and left legs adductors and abductors, she adds. All rights reserved. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. This will improve abdominal and adductor activation. The Copenhagen plank is an excellent exercise to test your core strength, stability, coordination, and balance. 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). The Copenhagen plank is the most challenging exercise known to humans. 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! You should also strive to keep the legs together, as this will work your leg adductors more efficiently. 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. 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. As such, a better name might be the adductor plank, or adductor side plank, but the Copenhagen name has stuck. How often have you dismissed the plank? Idk I don't feel it in my core at all though. Additionally, the variations mentioned can help you challenge your core and give those muscles extra work. Stronger adduction means you can move your leg with more power and precision. Furthermore, it was also shown to elicit the highest activation of the external oblique and rectus abdominis. If youre coming off of a knee injury, or have a history of knee pain, try the regression variations first. 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. Thorborg K, et al. 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. The Copenhagen plank is a great exercise for a few reasons. 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. I wouldn't recommend more than 25 seconds or 10 slow breaths per side per set, she adds. Check out some of our other similar blogs: Adductor Strain,Groin Pain Rehab, Nordic Hamstring Curl. In this article, we will discuss the progressions for mastering the bodyweight dip from complete beginners. 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.). Any sort of lateral movement will involve careful coordination between adductors and abductors to move meaningfully in a sideways direction. Another way to increase intensity is to perform a Copenhagen plank raise. With the top arm, grab a light dumbbell or kettlebell and hold it up in the air as you do so. Hip adductor muscle strength is reduced preceding and during the onset of groin pain in elite junior Australian football players. Here are 3 progressions that I like: Option #1: Squat Progression Level 1 - Bodyweight Squat. 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. As is the case with any plank variation, think: Abs on, glutes on. As Ive learned from the postural restoration institute, a lot of the movements in our body couple together. 2019:1-34. Think about squeezing both shoulder blades and glutes. This variation is similar to the regular plank but requires more coordination as you alternate tapping each hand forward into a pushup position. Even your abductors, the muscles on the outsides of your hips, seem to get a little bit of a boost from training this exercise. These days, the fitness world is all about increasing efficiency. Squeeze your legs together and maintain this position for a few seconds before releasing them back to the starting position. That's what makes this a great plank, Samuel says. Alternatives to Copenhagen Plank are an excellent way to challenge your core and increase stability. It is a fairly technical exercise; for this reason, we will describe in detail how to perform it successfully and apply regressions or progressions when needed. Remember to maintain proper form throughout the exercise and stop immediately if you feel pain or discomfort. This pain can range from mild discomfort to outright agony and can be exacerbated by physical activity. If you dont have a bench or other suitable support, you could also use a training buddy to help you perform this exercise. This help increases the strength of your adductors and improves your overall hip stability and balance. Weve also included ways to progress and regress the movement to help adapt it to your current fitness level. C. Then, lift left foot off the ground so it's hovering a few inches below right foot. It is also important to keep your legs wide when performing Copenhagen plank, as this will target the adductor muscles more effectively and add an extra challenge to the exercise. "We're working on the (inside) to counteract all the strong . Think of these inner thigh muscles like the hamstrings of the frontal plane. Place your top shin on the bench. Position your elbow directly under your shoulder as if you were doing a side plank. The knees caving in is often the cause of many injuries. Don't let your chest collapse, so keep the top hand on your hip, or extended towards the ceiling. But the movement does need to be executed properly to ensure you gain the benefits and dont cause injury to your back. Doing the copenhagen plank for 1 min, I really feel it in my inner thigh. The adductor strengthening programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. What are the Alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank? Maintaining a straight body while doing Copenhagen plank is essential to ensure that your core and glutes are engaged and maximize the exercises effectiveness. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. Make sure to progress from the more accessible variations to the more challenging ones as you get stronger. 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! 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:. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. If youve worked up to 4 breaths fo 10 seconds each side and youre not feeling challenged, you can add some weight. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. Performing squats build muscle strength, joint stability, and proper form. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. 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 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. You can also check out his Instagram, he's pretty easy on the eyes. When that gets easy, try a harder variation. A Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that involves resting your top leg on a bench or raised surface. It is also great for improving core strength and stability, especially in the obliques. 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. 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). As such, a better name might be the adductor plank, or adductor side plank, but the Copenhagen name has stuck. Do you want to be doing more core strengthening exercises like Copenhagen Plank? Lifting your hips off the ground until your back is straight, you simply hold this side plank position for the duration specified. You can make the exercise easier by doing a regular side plank and make it more challenging by bringing your legs closer together. 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. This will allow you to scale your planks difficulty level. It's mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. Drive your right knee forward. 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. Your email address will not be published. What are the techniques to master the Copenhagen Plank?. Promise, a little bit goes a long way with this bodyweight exercise. In a 2013 study focused on hip adduction exercises for soccer players . Doing Copenhagen Plank is a great way to strengthen your core, improve stability and reduce injury chances. If you want to build more strength, muscle, & body control, the regular bodyweight dips might no longer be enough. If you can nail those, you've just dominated the. It can be regressed or progressed, which makes it perfect for any skill level. It targets the leg adductors, which are muscles often neglected in training, but they play an essential role in our everyday lives and workouts. 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. Generally speaking, I think core exercise can be sprinkled in every training session during rest periods from major strength movements. 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. Place your top leg onto a bench or raised surface. 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. Focus on contracting your core and hold for 30 seconds or longer. Looking to improve the strength, range of motion, and control of your hips to enhance your function and performance? The Copenhagen plank trains them in this fashion, and therefore has more transfer towards actual real life than exercises like the adductor machine. 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. Hary et al (2018). Activate your core muscles and raise your hips, so your torso is perpendicular to the floor. As the Senior Fitness Editor at Shape, Kristen oversees the Fitness category and covers workout trends, exercise tips, recovery, and more. And trust us, youll first need to make adjustments. Copenhagen Plank - Sweat See how to perform a Copenhagen plank perfectly with instructions by Sweat co-founder and personal trainer, Kayla Itsines. The suspension trainer isnt stable like a bench, so it will wobble and move. Copenhagen Planks for Strength and Reducing Risk of Groin Injury (Science-Based) E3 Rehab 26K views 2 years ago Adductor Mobility Flow [P]rehab 22K views 4 years ago 3 Core Exercises You Should. Strong adductors means stronger abs and vice versa, and both help us shift out of the extended posture that most of us live in. It is a difficult move that requires you to hold yourself up in an isometric contraction while focusing on firing the adductor muscles. Hold this position. 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. The benefits of healthier hips can address musculoskeletal problems in other areas of the body too, such as knee pain and back ache. 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.
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