- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Repsheld for time
- Joint loadNone flagged
- One side at a time
Lie on your side beside a bench. Rest your forearm on the floor under your shoulder and place the inside of your top foot or lower leg on the bench.
First cueKeep the hips high and straight.
How to do the Copenhagen Plank
Set up. Lie on your side beside a bench. Rest your forearm on the floor under your shoulder and place the inside of your top foot or lower leg on the bench.
- Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line.
- Lift the bottom leg up toward the bench if you can.
- Hold for the target time.
- Lower and switch sides.
Form cues
- Keep the hips high and straight.
- Place the knee on the bench to make it easier.
- Breathe steadily.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag or rotate.
- Starting with the full long-lever version.
Muscles worked
Main target: Adductors. The adductors line the inner thigh. They draw the leg in toward the body and help hold the hip and knee steady in a squat.
Its other side: Abductors, in the inner and outer hip pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Copenhagen Plank, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Monster Walk Superset partner: it trains the other side of the inner and outer hip pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Reverse Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the quads.
- Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the hamstrings.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Copenhagen Plank first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Copenhagen Plank 3 × 30 to 60 s
- Monster Walk 3 × 10 to 25 reps
- Reverse Nordic Curl 3 × 5 to 12 reps
- Nordic Curl 3 × 3 to 10 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Lateral Lunge
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Cable Hip Adduction
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Side Plank.
Other variations of the Side Plank: Kneeling Side Plank.
Its variations: Short-Lever Copenhagen Plank.
Do before it: Short-Lever Copenhagen Plank (same movement, lighter), Side Plank (same movement, lighter), Kneeling Side Plank (same movement, lighter) and Dead Bug (bracing).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Copenhagen Plank is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Copenhagen Plank?
Set up: Lie on your side beside a bench. Rest your forearm on the floor under your shoulder and place the inside of your top foot or lower leg on the bench. Steps: 1. Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line. 2. Lift the bottom leg up toward the bench if you can. 3. Hold for the target time. 4. Lower and switch sides. Form cues: Keep the hips high and straight. Place the knee on the bench to make it easier. Breathe steadily. Common mistakes: Letting the hips sag or rotate. Starting with the full long-lever version.
What muscles does the Copenhagen Plank work?
It trains the adductors as its main target and works the obliques and abs on the way.
What can I do instead of the Copenhagen Plank?
At home: Lateral Lunge. In a gym: Cable Hip Adduction. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Copenhagen Plank with?
Good partners in the same workout are Monster Walk, Reverse Nordic Curl and Nordic Curl.