Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. 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. 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. 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. 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. Copenhagen Plank Watch on What is a Copenhagen Plank? 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. Bourne M, et al. This plank variation challenges even the strongest coreand gives runners an extra form boost, too. If you dont have a bench or other suitable support, you could also use a training buddy to help you perform this exercise. If you can nail those, youve just dominated the once-indomitable exercise. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. Strengthening the obliques helps to better stabilize the torso and spine, helping to promote better posture, as well as rotational strength. David is a writer and strength coach and co-owner of Roman Fitness Systems. 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! Additional information: Adductor longus and pectineus will also contribute to hip flexion, while adductor magnus (posterior head) also contributes to hip extension. As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. But from a functional standpoint, the adductor group are important in stabilising your hips. For runners, this position reinforces the posture you want when you run. 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. If your aim is to work on your hip and groin muscles, there are plenty of alternatives to the Copenhagen plank that also focus on the same muscles. No, you place one leg (your top leg) on a bench. A Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that involves resting your top leg on a bench or raised surface. Want to master even more moves? If so, there is good news stretches can help improve your toe point. Youll notice the closer you get your knee to the bench, the easier it becomes as youre working with less lever. When that gets easy, try a harder variation. Here's why you should be mixing Copenhagen planks into your routine and how to do so with perfect form. For this progression, you will hold the same side plank position but move your chest toward the ground in a slow, controlled movement. If you do it right, you should be giving everything you have for seconds. In a 2013 study focused on hip adduction exercises for soccer players . Copenhagen Plank - Sweat See how to perform a Copenhagen plank perfectly with instructions by Sweat co-founder and personal trainer, Kayla Itsines. You will engage and strengthen your adductor muscles by squeezing your legs together. 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 . While holding the plank position, the stabilizer muscles in your core will need to work extra hard to keep your body which is being supported only by the foot resting on the bench in place. Idk I don't feel it in my core at all though. 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. We suggest starting about two inches out. She has experience in copywriting and digital marketing, and she's an award-winning freelancer who works with B2C clients in health and wellness. EMG evaluations of hip adduction exercises for soccer players: implications for exercise selection in prevention and treatment of groin injuries. 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. 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). Strong adductors means stronger abs and vice versa, and both help us shift out of the extended posture that most of us live in. and our This movement is an advanced exercise that also works your entire body. Copenhagen Plank. Hary et al (2018). 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. If you're performing the exercise with your right arm on the floor, for example, you'll. Weve also included ways to progress and regress the movement to help adapt it to your current fitness level. 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. 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. Plus, they'll be challenged to prevent you from rotating forward, says Ros. The Copenhagen plank is a very technical, yet very effective, exercise. Copenhagen Plank can cause strain on the lower back if done incorrectly. Find the right variation that provides zero pain. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Your #1 site for all things sports rehab, sports performance, and orthopedic rehabilitation is: https://www.sportsrehabexpert.com/http://www.annarbor.physio . The purpose of this blog is to discuss why Copenhagen Planks are an important consideration for rehab and injury reduction programs for the groin. Do you suffer from toe pain? 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. Along with your abductors, adductors, and hip flexors, the Copenhagen plank challenges practically every part of the core (which plays a key role in keeping your spine stable and safe), says Ros. More broadly, you may think of the adductors as crucial stabilizer and core muscles. So give them a try and find out what works best for you! 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. ^ So interpreted in Carl Valle (2020-04-17), "Is the Copenhagen Adduction . People hold often their breath because [this move] is so hard, she adds. This will increase the resistance on your deep core muscles, making it more challenging to hold the position for longer. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. Copenhagen, Danish Kbenhavn, capital and largest city of Denmark. 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. 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. If you dont have that stability and anti-rotation [capacity] in your core, your body would just continue going the way that it's going and you wouldn't be able to change directions super quickly, says Ros. You want to be able to plant your feet and quickly turn to move in the opposite direction of your opponent. 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. But the movement does need to be executed properly to ensure you gain the benefits and dont cause injury to your back. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. 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.). It targets the leg adductors, which are muscles often neglected in training, but they play an essential role in our everyday lives and workouts. It can be regressed or progressed, which makes it perfect for any skill level. Better yet, combine the two moves during a single set, as Ros demonstrates below. But its an under-appreciated exercise, and deserves a spotlight of its own. 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. If you want to improve your function and reduce your risk of reinjury, strengthening your quads needs to be your top priority. 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. 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. This is a super challenging move, but thats the idea.. Check out some of our other similar blogs: Adductor Strain,Groin Pain Rehab, Nordic Hamstring Curl. Place your top shin on the bench. 2. The main technique for mastering the Copenhagen Plank exercise is to keep your core and glutes tight. Press into side plank position. Losing weight can be a challenge, but its definitely doable. On exhales, our body moves towards flexion and internal rotation. BJSM. What are the risk factors for Copenhagen Plank? The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. An individual starts by lying on his or her side with the forearm supported on the floor and the top leg being held by a partner at either the ankle or the knee. 7) Hold for 2-4 slow breaths, aiming for 7-10 second exhales. 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. Do you want to be doing more core strengthening exercises like Copenhagen Plank? 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. 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. The reality is many people will naturally do movements and exercises that strengthen the hip abductors (the outside of the hips). 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. 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. For athletes, this is a huge competitive advantage and means better kicking power. Return the hips to the floor under control. In the meantime, you can strengthen your adductors with other isometric exercises. The exercise is isometric and involves a squeezing movement to keep your legs together. Remember the Copenhagen keys: maintain stability and squeeze your glutes and shoulder blades while fighting off rotation in both directions. 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). Subscribe to receive exclusive updates, deals, 10% off any program, and access to our private monthly research review. You can keep the bottom leg on the ground. A kettlebell or dumbbell work fine, but for just like TGUs I find the kettlebell to work a little bit better. Once appropriately warmed up, follow the steps outlined below to execute a Copenhagen plank hold correctly. Just 10 seconds at a time, over three sets, is a great place to start. So building up the strength of those stabilizer muscles [in your legs and core] is important., Ready to give the exercise a shot? Make sure to progress from the more accessible variations to the more challenging ones as you get stronger. Aside from the main variation, there are several options to progress and regress the Copenhagen plank. For non-athletes, the exercise can simply help to create better hip stability, which is associated with reduced risk of back, hip and knee injuries as well as better posture. We last saw Copenhagen planks in our rundown of the best bodyweight exercises that actually build strength. This exercise requires extra balance and stability, as youll need to maintain your balance while waiting on the unstable surface of the Swiss ball. We will start with the easiest progression and work our way up to more advanced variations. 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. 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. [1], [2]. If you want to build more strength, muscle, & body control, the regular bodyweight dips might no longer be enough. This will challenge the stabilizer muscles in the core and strengthen your shoulder muscles, making it an excellent alternative for Copenhagen Plank. Required fields are marked *. Start with the top leg bent, and slowly move the bottom leg and body up and down. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line with the lower leg off the floor and hold. 2019;53:145-152. Place right foot on top of a bench and rest left toes gently on the floor. 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.