At a glance
- Main muscle
- Adductors
- Also works
- Core
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Rep range in Mitta
- 6 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Intermediate
- How tiring
- Low
- One side at a time
- Yes
How to do it
- Lie on your side on your forearm, top leg on a bench.
- Lift your hips and bottom leg until your feet meet, lower slowly.
- Too hard? Put your knee on the bench instead of your ankle.
Pick a weight you can lift for 6 to 15 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank. Do the same number of reps on both sides, starting with your weaker side.
Why rating A
The best-studied adductor programme: in a randomised trial in 35 football teams, this single exercise cut the odds of groin problems by 41%. Doable at home and harder with a longer lever. No growth study and hard to load in small steps, so not an S.1
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Copenhagen Plank · Bodyweight · rating B
- Hip Adduction Machine · Machine · rating A
- Cable Hip Adduction · Cable · rating B
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the Copenhagen adduction.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the Copenhagen adduction with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
Copenhagen adduction
What muscles does the Copenhagen adduction work?
The Copenhagen adduction mainly trains your adductors. Your core help.
How many reps of the Copenhagen adduction should I do?
Mitta plans the Copenhagen adduction at 6 to 15 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the Copenhagen adduction?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the Copenhagen plank, hip adduction machine and cable hip adduction.
Is the Copenhagen adduction good for beginners?
It takes some practice. Learn it with a light weight first, or start with an easier alternative.
Why does the Copenhagen adduction have rating A?
The best-studied adductor programme: in a randomised trial in 35 football teams, this single exercise cut the odds of groin problems by 41%. Doable at home and harder with a longer lever. No growth study and hard to load in small steps, so not an S.
Sources
- Harøy et al. 2019, BJSM (clustergerandomiseerd, 35 voetbalteams: Copenhagen adductie gaf 41% minder kans op liesklachten) doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098937