Copenhagen Adductor Exercise: Groin Strength for Athletes | Starke Industries

Groin problems are common in sports that involve kicking, cutting, and skating: soccer, hockey, and many others. One exercise has become popular for building groin strength: the Copenhagen adductor exercise.

What it is

The Copenhagen adduction is a side plank with the top leg supported, either on a bench or held by a partner. The bottom leg hangs free or lifts toward the bench. The inner-thigh muscles of the top leg (the adductors) do much of the work to hold the body up.

It can be scaled:

• Short lever: Knee on the bench. Easier.

• Long lever: Ankle or foot on the bench. Harder.

• Static hold or dynamic reps: Holding a position, or raising and lowering the body.

What the research reports about strength

Ishøi and colleagues ran a randomized study with two U-19 sub-elite soccer teams (24 players). One group did an 8-week progressive Copenhagen program during the season, in addition to normal training. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed a large, significant increase in eccentric hip adduction strength [1]. They also reported significant changes in eccentric hip abduction strength and in the adduction-to-abduction strength ratio [1]. Median soreness was low (0 to 2) and compliance was high [1].

It was a small study, but it showed the exercise can build adductor strength in-season without large amounts of soreness.

What the research reports about groin problems

Harøy and colleagues ran a cluster-randomized trial with 35 semi-professional Norwegian soccer teams (652 players) [2]. The intervention teams did an Adductor Strengthening Programme built on the Copenhagen exercise, with three progression levels. It was done three times a week during the 6–8 week preseason and once a week during the 28-week season. Control teams trained as normal.

Across the season, the average prevalence of groin problems was 13.5% in the intervention group and 21.3% in the control group. The risk of reporting groin problems was 41% lower in the intervention group [2].

Reading the evidence carefully

• These were soccer players. Hockey, lacrosse, and other sports have similar demands in some ways, but they weren't the populations studied.

• Harøy measured prevalence of groin problems, using a weekly questionnaire, rather than only time-loss injuries [2].

• Group results aren't individual guarantees. A lower rate across teams doesn't mean any one athlete is protected.

• Strength tests describe current strength. Measuring adductor strength can track progress over time. It doesn't diagnose or predict an individual groin injury.

When objective strength testing is available—such as handheld dynamometry with VALD Dynamo—repeat the same positions over time as monitoring indicators.

How to progress it

Start where the athlete can hold good position with no pain:

1. Weeks 1–2: Short-lever holds, a few seconds per side, a couple of sets. 2. Weeks 3–4: Longer short-lever holds, or a few dynamic reps. 3. Weeks 5+: Move to long-lever holds or reps as strength allows. 4. In-season: Keep it going at lower volume, roughly once a week, mirroring the Harøy program structure [2].

Keep the hips stacked and the body in a straight line. If the hips drop or rotate, regress the lever.

Fitting it into training

The exercise takes little time and needs only a bench. It fits well at the end of a warm-up or in a lower-body accessory block. It pairs well with other hip work, such as lateral lunges and side planks. Because it needs so little equipment, athletes can keep doing it on road trips and during busy weeks of the season, when full lifting sessions are harder to fit in. A few minutes, done consistently, is more realistic than an elaborate routine that gets skipped.

Questions athletes ask

Should I feel it in my groin? You should feel the inner thigh working hard. Sharp pain is different. Stop and get it checked.

Can I do it if I already have groin pain? That's a question for a physical therapist or physician. These programs were tested mainly as prevention, not treatment.

How long until I'm stronger? In the Ishøi study, the strength increase was measured after eight weeks [1]. Individual results vary.

Common mistakes

• Starting with the long lever. Most athletes need the short version first.

• Letting the hips sag. That shifts load away from the adductors.

• Holding the breath. Breathe steadily during holds.

• Doing it only in preseason. The Harøy program continued once a week all season [2].

Pairing it with testing

If you measure hip strength, test before starting a Copenhagen program and again after several weeks. Comparing the two shows whether strength changed for that athlete. Keep the test setup identical each time.

The bottom line

The Copenhagen adductor exercise is simple, scalable, and supported by published trials in soccer. Build it gradually, keep it in during the season, and treat it as part of a complete program rather than a cure-all.

Related reading

• Summer Off-Season Training for High School Athletes: How to Plan the Break
• Training in the Heat: Heat Illness Basics for Summer Workouts
• Squat Jump vs. Countermovement Jump: What the Difference Tells You
• Single-Leg vs. Double-Leg Jumps: Why Test Both
• Sprint Testing 101: 10 m, 20 m, and the 40-Yard Dash
• Back to School: Getting Ready for Fall Sports Tryouts
• The Nordic Hamstring Exercise: What the Research Says
• hip work

References

• Ishøi L, et al. Large eccentric strength increase using the Copenhagen Adduction exercise in football: a randomized controlled trial. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2016;26(11):1334–1342. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12585 (online Nov 21, 2015)
• Harøy J, et al. The Adductor Strengthening Programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. 2019;53(3):150–157. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098937 (online Jun 10, 2018)

Fill out our quick contact form at starkeit.com/contact, or call or text (847) 750-3025. Starke Industries is in Palatine, IL.