Copenhagen plank
Log this in the trackerA side plank with the top leg on a bench, loading the adductors hard.
What it is
A side plank where the upper leg rests on a bench and holds you up. It is the best-evidenced groin strengthener there is, and it is much harder than it looks.
Muscles worked
Primary: Adductors, Obliques. Secondary: Glutes, Core.
How to perform it
- Lie on your side with the top leg resting on a bench at about knee height.
- Set the bottom elbow under the shoulder and take the bottom leg off the floor if you can.
- Lift the hips until the body is in one straight line, squeezing the top leg into the bench.
- Hold for time, then lower under control and switch sides.
Common form faults
- Hips sagging toward the floor mid-hold. End the set when the line breaks; hold time is not worth a collapsed position.
- Starting with the full long-lever version. Rest the top knee on the bench instead of the ankle, and keep the bottom foot down, until it feels manageable.
Programming
15 to 30 seconds a side. Two or three sets twice a week is the dose that shows up in the groin-injury research.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Why do footballers do Copenhagen planks?
- Adductor strength is strongly linked to groin injury risk in kicking and cutting sports, and this hold builds it with no equipment beyond a bench.
- It is far too hard. Where do I start?
- Put the top knee, not the ankle, on the bench and keep the bottom foot on the floor. Progress the lever as the hold gets easy.