Copenhagen Plank
A side plank with the top leg supported on a bench — the standard for building groin (adductor) strength and injury resilience.
Also called: copenhagen adductor, copenhagen hold, adductor plank
Setup
Side-plank position with the top leg’s inner foot or knee resting on a bench, bottom leg underneath it, forearm under the shoulder.
How to do the Copenhagen Plank
- Lift the hips so the body forms a straight line, supported by the top (inner-thigh) leg.
- Squeeze the top leg down into the bench — that squeeze IS the exercise.
- Keep the hips stacked; do not let them sag or roll.
- Breathe and hold for the prescribed time.
Copenhagen Plank muscles worked
The Copenhagen Plank works the adductors and obliques.
Common Copenhagen Plank mistakes
- Sagging hips.
- Starting with the long-lever version too early — knee-on-bench first.
- Holding the breath.
Scale it
Easier: Bend the top knee and rest the knee (not the foot) on the bench.
Harder: Straight top leg with only the foot on the bench; add leg lifts of the bottom leg.
Pairs well with
Bicycle Crunch
Alternating elbow-to-opposite-knee crunches with a cycling leg action — abs and obliques with a coordination element.
Lateral Lunge
A sideways lunge that strengthens the legs and hips in the frontal plane — movement running never trains but injury-resilience depends on.
Machine Hip Adduction
Squeezing the legs together on a hip adduction machine — isolates the inner thighs.
Pallof Press
Pressing a band or cable straight out while it tries to twist you — anti-rotation core strength, the trunk control running quietly depends on.
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)