Bourne M, et al. Coachs Tip Ensure you use a bench or raised surface that is roughly the same height as your head when you hold the side plank. Previously, Kristen was the Chief Content Officer at aSweatLife.com, where she led content and editorial strategy. 2019;53:145-152. Plus, they'll be challenged to prevent you from rotating forward, says Ros. It can be regressed or progressed, which makes it perfect for any skill level. To master it, take note of the following techniques: Keeping the core and glute tight will help you maintain proper form throughout the duration of the exercise, as well as help to increase the intensity of the exercise. There is one exercise that you can do with zero equipment at home to strengthen your adductors and help prevent injury. This will increase the resistance on your deep core muscles, making it more challenging to hold the position for longer. 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. 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. How to do a Copenhagen plank 1. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. As the Senior Fitness Editor at Shape, Kristen oversees the Fitness category and covers workout trends, exercise tips, recovery, and more. Lift one arm off the ground and extend it forward while doing the Copenhagen plank for an added challenge. Find the right variation that provides zero pain. For this progression, you will hold the same side plank position but move your chest toward the ground in a slow, controlled movement. 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. Do that. Compared to a side plank where I definitely do after about a minute of holding. 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. Once the traditional Copenhagen plank feels like childs play, up the ante by performing the exercise on your palm instead of your forearm. This means your core and adductors have to work extra hard to maintain stability. Remember to maintain proper form throughout the exercise and stop immediately if you feel pain or discomfort. 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. When it comes to the Copenhagen plank, the more surface area of your leg that rests on the bench, the easier the exercise will be, says Ros. These muscles are responsible for moving your legs to the center of your body. Still, your obliques, the muscles responsible for rotating your trunk, get a large chunk of the action. Haroy J, et al. Once you have mastered the regular two-leg Copenhagen plank, try doing it on a single leg for an extra challenge. 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. Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that targets our adductors or inner thigh muscles. If you do it right, you should be giving everything you have for seconds. 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. The main technique for mastering the Copenhagen Plank exercise is to keep your core and glutes tight. Copenhagen Plank. Your adductors and abductors and both your inner and outer thighs are going to wind the firing in this move as well.. 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. This means you need to use the inner thigh muscle on that top leg to hold yourself up. 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. Think of these inner thigh muscles like the hamstrings of the frontal plane. She has experience in copywriting and digital marketing, and she's an award-winning freelancer who works with B2C clients in health and wellness. Lift your lower leg off the floor so it hangs under the bench, unsupported. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. Gaze forward and maintain a straight line from head to heels. 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. And yet, [the inner and outer thighs are] often neglected parts of the body, so some people have weak adductors without really knowing it, she explains. 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. Always pick a difficulty level that you can maintain perfect form throughout. 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. Scand J Med Sci Sports. Start with as much of your leg on the support as possible. 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. In team. You should always seek medical advice from a health/fitness professional before starting any new fitness program. The Copenhagen plank is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets just one side of the body at a time. Popular with Strength Coaches and Physical Therapists alike, the movement can help improve lumbopelvic stability, core strength, and healthy hip function. Disclaimer - the information on this website is for entertainment purposes only. Sign up for our newsletter and get automatically notified when we post new face-meltingly rad articles. The best way to do a Copenhagen Plank: Method, Advantages, and Variations - Global. 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. One major advantage of the Copenhagen plank is that theres little chance that you'll get bored. Doing Copenhagen Plank is a great way to strengthen your core, improve stability and reduce injury chances. You wouldn't feel side plank in your chest. For another fantastic ab exercise, check out the landmine rollout. JOSPT. The Copenhagen plank also works on core stabilization. Haroy J et al. 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. It is an intense exercise that requires a lot of balance and strength to execute correctly. This will ensure that you are engaging and strengthening your adductors correctly. But what good does it actually do for you and your body? With the top arm, grab a light dumbbell or kettlebell and hold it up in the air as you do so. 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. You'll need a bench or a stable object to perform the Copenhagen plank. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. The body and leg then lower, so the foot just gently touches the floor, and then is repeated for desired repetitions. 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. Here Im using a DB because Im using a home gym. Serious imbalances can lead to compensated movement patterns and, in turn, an increased risk of injury, according to the American Council on Exercise. Its mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. Thats why it can be particularly useful for finding correcting muscle imbalances, says Ros. 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. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The knee-assisted plank simply requires you to use your knee as support to provide extra stability. So give them a try and find out what works best for you! Enter the Copenhagen Plank. Place right foot on top of a bench and rest left toes gently on the floor. If you're performing the exercise with your right arm on the floor, for example, you'll. 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. The exercise is isometric and involves a squeezing movement to keep your legs together. If your form is otherwise great, but you still have knee pain, thats a sign something might be off, and I would refer you to a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or other pain specialist. Bracing your core and keeping your obliques and abdominals tight, lift your hips off the floor so your back is straight. This exercise got its name (and its mild popularity) from research out of Denmark that showed it helps to prevent groin pulls in athletes. Lifting your hips off the ground until your back is straight, you simply hold this side plank position for the duration specified. Ensuring you are actively training for adduction strength as well as abduction strength will provide more overall benefits. What is the proper form for Copenhagen Plank? In the meantime, you can strengthen your adductors with other isometric exercises. Make sure to keep your shoulders and chest aligned throughout the exercise. To increase the challenge of the Copenhagen Plank, you can wrap a resistance band around your legs while doing the exercise. 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. Return the hips to the floor under control. But if youre ache-free, continue mixing the Copenhagen plank into your routine particularly if youre a runner, she adds. The Ultimate Test of Strength: The Copenhagen Plank. 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. From there don't just think about haphazardly lifting the bottom leg towards the top. Copenhagen plank is a side plank variation that targets our adductors or inner thigh muscles. A kettlebell or dumbbell work fine, but for just like TGUs I find the kettlebell to work a little bit better. This is great if youre starting out and also if this bugs your knee (which well get to) this option takes the knee out of the equation since itll be resting on the bench. Whether youre an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or simply looking to enhance your hand strength, these exercises will help you achieve your goals. The Copenhagen is a little bit different, according to Samuel. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anterior_Hip_Muscles_2.PNG, You Dont Need To Fix Your Flat or Pronated Feet. And in any plank exercise, your core is engaged, otherwise your form would be collapsing. 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). This helps strengthen the deep core muscles, essential for everyday activities like lifting or carrying heavy loads. People hold often their breath because [this move] is so hard, she adds. Similar to the Nordic hamstring exercise, the Copenhagen adduction exercise (CAE) is a bodyweight movement popularized by Danish researchers and sports therapists. 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. Drive your right knee forward. A few important technique points: make sure your body is in a straight line, so contract your glute max bring your hips forward and keep your abs engaged so you don't arch your lower back. However, this could take away the focus from the adductors and shift it more onto the core and shoulders. One of the primary benefits of the Copenhagen plank: It strengthens your hip abductors and adductors, muscles that are responsible for moving your leg away from or toward, respectively, the midline of your body, says Ros. , Your email address will not be published. What are the Alternatives to the Copenhagen Plank? "We're working on the (inside) to counteract all the strong . The Copenhagen Plank is very simple, all you need is a chair or bench. 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 or Copenhagen adduction exercise is a side plank variation that targets the muscles of the inner thigh and groin, the adductors. The Copenhagen plank is a great way to test the strength of your leg adductors and work on building up those muscles! Engage core, grounding through left elbow and side of left foot, and lift hips and knees off the floor. 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. It is suggested that you perform hip mobility exercises to warm up the muscles before doing a Copenhagen side plank. This pain can range from mild discomfort to outright agony and can be exacerbated by physical activity. Orthop J Sports Med. This will engage and strengthen more muscles in your arms, shoulders, and core. 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. Copenhagen plank, commonly referred to as adductor side plank, is a fantastic exercise to strengthen your hips, glutes, and core. What muscles does the Copenhagen Plank work? Squeeze your thighs to hold this position. As well as developing hip strength, the Copenhagen plank is also a great way to activate the core muscles, especially the obliques. 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. As your adductors get stronger, slowly move more of your calf off the bench until just your foot is resting on it (the classic Copenhagen plank), she suggests. To start, youll need a bench, or ideally a raised platform that doesnt have a back on it, like an ottoman. Does it affect your daily workout routine? Even your abductors, the muscles on the outsides of your hips, seem to get a little bit of a boost from training this exercise. It's mainly used to strengthen the groin and hip muscles. From here we are going to raise our hips up by contracting our adductors until are hips are in a straight line. The individual then raises his or her body and the bottom leg up, until the feet touch and the body is in a straight line. If youre coming off of a knee injury, or have a history of knee pain, try the regression variations first. The Copenhagen plank looks a bit like a side plank: Youre leaning on your hand or elbow, other arm away from the ground, trying to hold your body in a rigid position.
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