Basic

Adductor squeeze

An exercise that can be tailored to all levels but a great place to start. Build up the tension gradually up to a pain free level. Can be performed with different objects to alter the amount of hip abduction.

Equipment: Swiss Ball, medicine ball

• Lay on your back

• Place medicine ball/swiss ball between feet. Gradually squeeze feet into ball building up intensity of groin squeeze to maximum pain free pressure.

• Slowly ease off and repeat

• Start by performing 1-2 times per week for 10-30sec holds.

Intermediate

Short-lever Copenhagen

A great progression from a standard groin squeeze, but regression from the traditional Copenhagen plank exercise. If this is easy to perform. Increase the duration of holds or progress onto the long lever full copenhagen plank. To regress, leave your lower leg on the ground for support.

Equipment: Chair or bench

• Start by laying on your side with the bench or chair near your feet.

• Place the top leg at the knee on to the bench.

• Keeping the hips and core aligned, balance on your elbow of the lower arm.

• Slowly lift yourself off the floor by putting the weight through your upper knee that’s on the bench.

• Keeping your core strong, bring your lower leg up to the bottom of the bench. Squeezing the bottom leg close to the bench.

• From here you can either keep your lower leg where it is or slowly move it up and down.

• Start by performing 1-2 times per week for 10-30sec holds.

Advanced

Copenhagen Plank

The OG Copenhagen plank. A difficult exercise to perform if adductors haven’t been an area of focus in the past. Progress by

Equipment: Chair or bench

• Start by laying on your side with the bench or chair near your feet.

• Place the top leg at the ankle on to the bench.

• Keeping the hips and core aligned, balance on your elbow of the lower arm.

• Slowly lift yourself off the floor by putting the weight through your upper leg that’s on the bench.

• Keeping your core strong, bring your lower leg up to the bottom of the bench. Squeezing the bottom leg close to the bench.

• From here you can either keep your lower leg where it is or slowly move it up and down.

• Start by performing 1-2 times per week for 10-30sec holds.

Pro

Suspended Copenhagen

To make the Copenhagen adductor plank even harder, you could also switch the support system to a suspended one. 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.

Equipment: TRX

• Place yourself in an extended side plank position, perpendicular to a TRX

• Place your top foot in the TRX handle section

• Slowly lift yourself off the floor by putting the weight through your upper leg that’s on the TRX.

• Hold the position keeping your core strong.

• Start by performing 1-2 times per week for 10-30sec holds.

Important Considerations

• Start by performing 1-2 times per week for 10-30sec holds. Progress by adding weights/bands as required.

• These exercises are isometric contractions (static exercises where muscles don’t lengthen/shorten under contraction). So it’s important to strengthen the adductors concentrically and eccentrically to further reduce the chance of injury and improve athletic performance. Other variations that do just that include:

  • Sumo squats

  • Adductor machine exercises,

  • Standing inward cable kicks,

  • Side lunges,

  • Cossack squats.

  • etc.

• Keep your core, glutes, and back engaged throughout to maintain the correct posture.

• If you don’t have a bench or other suitable support, you could also use a training partner to help you by holding your upper leg to perform the exercise.

• 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.

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