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Copenhagen Adduction

Draftstrength95%advanced⬤ strong evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Why Include This

The Copenhagen adduction exercise produces high adductor activation and reliably increases eccentric hip adduction strength, a modifiable risk factor for groin injury. A large cluster-randomized trial in male footballers found that adding a progressive Copenhagen adduction program to warm-ups reduced the prevalence and risk of groin problems by roughly 40 percent, and multiple training studies show meaningful eccentric adduction strength gains within 8 weeks. It is included here as the primary loaded exercise targeting adductor brevis: as a short adductor acting across the hip, adductor brevis contributes to the adduction moment throughout the movement, although most EMG and strength research measures the adductor group or adductor longus specifically rather than adductor brevis in isolation.

Evidence basis: strong

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
Side-lying, propped on the down-side forearm with elbow under the shoulder; top leg extended with the ankle and lower leg resting on a bench, bottom leg extended underneath the bench with the pelvis resting on or near the floor.
End
Body held in a straight rigid line from head to top ankle in a side-plank supported only by the forearm and the top leg on the bench, with the bottom leg lifted to touch or approach the underside of the bench.
Range of Motion
Pelvis travels roughly 20 to 40 cm vertically between the lowered and lifted positions; the bottom hip moves through approximately 0 to 30 degrees of adduction while the top hip works largely isometrically near neutral adduction.

How to Perform

A side-plank-based hip adduction exercise in which the top leg is supported on a bench (or held by a partner) while the athlete lifts the pelvis and bottom leg upward, loading the adductors of the top leg through a supporting isometric/eccentric-concentric action and the bottom leg through active adduction. Performed side-lying on the forearm with the body held in a straight line; the pelvis lowers toward the floor and is lifted back up in a controlled rhythm.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Copenhagen Adduction”

Equipment:bench (or box/partner support)exercise mat (optional, forearm padding)
Starting position: sidelying

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Keep your body in one straight line from head to top ankle throughout the set.

    (internal-alignment)
  2. 2

    Squeeze the top leg down into the bench as if trying to pinch the bench and your bottom leg together.

    (external-focus)
  3. 3

    Lift the pelvis and bottom leg up toward the bench, then lower slowly with control over 2 to 3 seconds.

    (tempo)
  4. 4

    Do not let the hips sag toward the floor or roll forward or backward.

    (error-correction)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

Begin with 2 sets of 3 to 5 controlled reps per side, 2 to 3 sessions per week, progressing over 6 to 8 weeks toward 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps (or 15 to 30 second holds for isometric variants) per the published progressive protocols. Allow at least 48 hours between sessions early on, as delayed-onset adductor soreness is common in the first 2 weeks.

EMG Activation Data

Surface EMG studies of adduction exercises report very high adductor longus activation for the Copenhagen exercise (frequently exceeding 100 percent of maximal voluntary isometric contraction in the supporting leg), higher than sliding or ball-squeeze alternatives. Adductor brevis lies deep to adductor longus and pectineus and is not directly measurable with surface EMG; its contribution is inferred from its shared adduction moment arm and fine-wire data on synergist behavior, so brevis-specific activation claims should be made cautiously.

Muscles Involved (10)

Primary Movers

Adductor Group (Longus/Brevis/Magnus)— Adductor longus 108% MVIC — highest among all adduction exercises [Serner 2014]
Adductor Longus— Prime mover: highest measured activation among adductors in Copenhagen EMG studies; drives the adduction moment holding the pelvis/top leg up.

Secondary Movers

Adductor Magnus— Large adductor assisting the adduction moment and controlling pelvic drop, especially in the lowered eccentric portion.
Gracilis— Two-joint adductor contributing across the range; shows substantial activity in adduction-loading exercises.
Adductor Brevis— Downgraded from primary. Deep short adductor loaded near neutral hip; a genuine contributor but never a measured prime mover, so it sits with the assisting adductors rather than co-primary.
Pectineus— Assists adduction with the hip near neutral flexion-extension.

Stabilizers

External Oblique— Works with internal oblique to prevent trunk rotation and sag.
Quadratus Lumborum— Down-side QL resists lateral trunk sag in the side-plank posture.
Internal Oblique— Maintains the rigid side-plank trunk position and resists rotation.
Gluteus Medius— Controls frontal-plane pelvic position on the supporting side.

Easier Variations ↓

1

Short-lever Copenhagen (knee on bench)

Support the top leg on the bench at the knee instead of the ankle, shortening the lever arm and substantially reducing adductor load while keeping the same movement pattern.

2

Isometric Copenhagen hold

Lift into the top side-plank position (short or long lever) and hold 5 to 10 seconds without lowering, removing the eccentric-concentric cycling for better tolerance in irritable or deconditioned adductors.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Slow-eccentric long-lever Copenhagen

Full ankle-supported version with a deliberate 4 to 5 second lowering phase to emphasize eccentric adductor loading.

2

Weighted or dynamic-bottom-leg Copenhagen

Add a cuff weight to the bottom leg or sweep the bottom leg forward and back under the bench during the hold, increasing adduction demand and time under tension.

Target Movements (3)

Hip AdductionHip Joint (Coxofemoral)
Lumbar Lateral FlexionLumbar Intervertebral Joints
Lateral Pelvic TiltLumbopelvic

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

WalkingRunning and Jogging

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Groin Injury Preventionprevention⚠Improve Core Strengthperformance

Research Notes

claude-researched 2026-07 (muscle-coverage), panel-verified muscle roles. Sources not yet linked. AUDIT[medium]: Evidence level is 'strong' and the record makes specific quantitative EMG/efficacy claims (108% MVIC adductor longus; 41% groin-problem reduction, OR 0.59, p=0.008; 1.54 vs 0.93 Nm/kg), but the linked sources array contains only the generic Kisner and ACSM textbooks — none of the cited primary studies (Serner 2014, Harøy 2019, Dæhlin 2025) are attached. → Add the named primary studies (Serner 2014, Harøy 2019, Dæhlin 2025) to the sources array so the strong quantitative claims are actually cited.

Evidence Sources (2)