The groin is a loosely defined term and what we are actually going to focus on is the adductor group of muscles. Simply, when our abdominals contract, our adductors are primed to contract also. The Copenhagen plank is a great way to test the strength of your leg adductors and work on building up those muscles! Think about squeezing both shoulder blades and glutes. Heres an article on proper breathing: Proper way of breathing while doing Ab exercises. .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}8-Minute Ab Workouts Won't Build a Six-Pack, The Suitcase Carry Is an Underrated Core Exercise, 5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back, This Shoulder Press Move Will Crush Your Core, Too, This Will Give Your Core a Superhero Challenge, 3 Exercises to Train Your Abs Instead of Crunches, This Intense Hanging Ab Move Will Crush Your Core, Sculpt Your Core With Half-Iso Hanging Leg Raises, The 3-Way Knees to Elbow Upgrades Your Leg Raise, 3 Obliques Exercises to Replace the Side Bend. What are the Alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank? This movement is an advanced exercise that also works your entire body. Lifting your hips off the ground until your back is straight, you simply hold this side plank position for the duration specified. 2017;45(13):3052-3059. Furthermore, you must keep your body straight while holding the plank position. You perform compound movements to train multiple major muscle groups at once, do HIIT workouts to get your heart pumping and muscles shaking, and use circuits to structure your workouts so you don't get distracted between sets. Say youre a soccer player. 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. This will add extra tension and difficulty to the exercise, targeting your adductors more effectively. From the static side plank position, you would then lift and drop your body using your abs to perform pulses. The adductor group's action is to well, adduct the leg which means bringing your leg closer to the midline. No need to be a hero and set the bench in contact with the thigh. 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. Copenhagen Plank can cause strain on the lower back if done incorrectly. As Ive learned from the postural restoration institute, a lot of the movements in our body couple together. Subscribe to receive exclusive updates, deals, 10% off any program, and access to our private monthly research review. Few Exercises Are as Difficult as the "Copenhagen Plank" - InsideHook How To Do Copenhagen Plank Properly - Flab Fix To progress, straighten the top leg and perform the same movement. 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. This will create additional stability challenges, including challenging your shoulder stability like in a Turkish Get-Up. Strengthening the obliques helps to better stabilize the torso and spine, helping to promote better posture, as well as rotational strength. Theyre one of the major muscle groups that help us move side to side. As soon as you go up onto your palm instead of your forearm, you take away some of that stability, so theres a little bit more work that your body has to do to stabilize and not rotate to one side, she explains. In team. Here are some of the many benefits of Copenhagen Plank: Copenhagen Plank is a great exercise to target your adductors or inner thigh muscles. Serner A, et al. 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 . For more information, please see our The Copenhagen plank, or Copenhagen adduction exercise, is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin- the adductors. The Copenhagen plank, also commonly referred simply as an "adductor side plank", is a fantastic exercise to include into your fitness routine. Watch Ros demonstrate the move below. The adductors make up one of the biggest muscle groups in your lower body. Idk I don't feel it in my core at all though. 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. Forget counting your reps in minutes. 2013;48(14):1108-1114. To begin with start with your knee on the chair. 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 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. 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. 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. 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). 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). Similar to a side plank, start on your side with the forearm on the ground, hips and shoulders stacked, and legs straight. But ALSO think about driving or pushing the knee of the top leg INTO the bench or table. 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. 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. How can I make the Copenhagen Plank harder? If youre an athlete, then, theyre a crucial part of most sports. 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. In 2013, Serner and colleagues compared 8 adductor exercises and found the Copenhagen adduction exercise to elicit high activation of the adductor longus. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. While it may seem daunting at first, with some practice and focus on the techniques, youll be nailing this exercise in no time. How to Do a Copenhagen Plank for Strong Thighs and Core Bracing your core and keeping your obliques and abdominals tight, lift your hips off the floor so your back is straight. This variation is a Copenhagen plank progression, as it requires more strength and stability since there is the addition of weights. Copenhagen Plank Progressions - YouTube But if youre ache-free, continue mixing the Copenhagen plank into your routine particularly if youre a runner, she adds. 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. 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. By strengthening one muscle group, we help shift into the posture that allows the other to contract as well, creating a positive feedback loop. Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer who has written for Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, and Men's Health. You can make the exercise easier by doing a regular side plank and make it more challenging by bringing your legs closer together. This regression involves performing the side plank on the forearm rather than extending the arm fully to increase stability. Countless studies have shown that the Copenhagen adductor plank is second-to-none when it comes to developing adductor strength. 2019;53:145-152. You can keep the bottom leg on the ground. prohockeystrength.com., the official website of the Strength and Conditioning Association of Professional Hockey. 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. BJSM. 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. If you want to build more strength, muscle, & body control, the regular bodyweight dips might no longer be enough. 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. 2016;26(11):1334-1342. Strong adductors means stronger abs and vice versa, and both help us shift out of the extended posture that most of us live in. As such, a better name might be the adductor plank, or adductor side plank, but the Copenhagen name has stuck. 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. This will mean as you place your leg on the raised surface, and lift your hips, your back should naturally be nice and straight. You'll need a bench or a stable object to perform the Copenhagen plank. Because we're going to work a lot of lateral stability in this plank, you're going to start to get a lot of hip effect, Samuel says. Shoulder Calisthenics Workout Bodyweight Training Arena, Full Body Calisthenics For Women Beginners | Female Calisthenics. 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). How to Do the Copenhagen Plank to Upgrade Your Ab Workout - Men's Health And remember - having your hip in contact with the bench is important. (And yes, those two words are very similar. This will increase shoulder and core strength and improve coordination and balance. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anterior_Hip_Muscles_2.PNG, You Dont Need To Fix Your Flat or Pronated Feet. Serious imbalances can lead to compensated movement patterns and, in turn, an increased risk of injury, according to the American Council on Exercise. But what good does it actually do for you and your body? From here we are going to raise our hips up by contracting our adductors until are hips are in a straight line. 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. The reality is many people will naturally do movements and exercises that strengthen the hip abductors (the outside of the hips). In a 2013 study focused on hip adduction exercises for soccer players . This will ensure that you are engaging and strengthening your adductors correctly. By the end of this article, you will clearly understand the vital aspect of the most challenging exercise and learn the essential techniques needed to master the Copenhagen plank.. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line with the lower leg off the floor. 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. 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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. For more exercises to target your adductors, use a fitness app to help you build the perfect inner thigh workout. Once you have mastered the regular two-leg Copenhagen plank, try doing it on a single leg for an extra challenge. The implementation of this program reduced the prevalence and risk of groin problems in male football players 41%! Strengthening your adductors through Copenhagen Plank will help create balance in the hip area and reduce injury chances. Remember to breathe normally throughout the exercise. Here's the breakdown. Training them effectively, like training all other muscles, will improve their form as well as their function. How to Do a Copenhagen Plank For Stronger Abs | Well+Good 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. It involves a squeezing movement to keep your legs together. 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. Do you want to be doing more core strengthening exercises like Copenhagen Plank? Copenhagen, Danish Kbenhavn, capital and largest city of Denmark. Want to master even more moves? 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. Copenhagen Plank Levels of Progressions - YouTube B. Hary et al (2018). This pain can range from mild discomfort to outright agony and can be exacerbated by physical activity. 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. After holding the tuck planche, you must be excited to move towards the advanced tuck. While nutrition plays an important role, adding exercise into your routine improves the process of achieving your goal. 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. In team. Planks arent that easy to add weight to. 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. 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. How to Do the Copenhagen Plank - DG Athlete First up, let's have a look at the anatomy of the groin. 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. This helps to improve exercises like lateral side squats too. The Copenhagen plank, or Copenhagen adduction exercise, is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin- the adductors. 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. 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. Your #1 site for all things sports rehab, sports performance, and orthopedic rehabilitation is: https://www.sportsrehabexpert.com/http://www.annarbor.physio . To even out that disparity and keep injuries at bay, you can temporarily prioritize Copenhagen planks on your left side, along with other strengthening exercises that target those weaker muscle groups. If you can nail those, youve just dominated the once-indomitable exercise. This variation will target the core muscles more intensely than the regular side plank. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. The Copenhagen plank hold, which is the static version of this exercise, is the main variation used in rehab programs targeting the groin muscles. They are mainly included in rehab programs for athletes who have suffered an injury in the groin area, but they are often also found in strength programs.