Copenhagen Plank
copenhagen-plank
Cẩn thận khi
- caution · Acute knee injury — The whole bodyweight lever is carried through the top leg's inner knee and the bottom knee joint, so medial knee structures take real load. Shorten the lever by bending the top knee and resting more of the thigh on the box, or substitute with a Side Plank, which trains the lateral chain without the adductor pull across the knee.
- caution · Shoulder impingement — The whole upper body hangs off one elbow and shoulder in a side plank position, and holding it there lets the shoulder creep forward toward the ear as the obliques tire — which is the position that pinches. Stack the elbow directly under the shoulder, press the floor away rather than collapsing into the joint, and end the hold the moment the shoulder starts to take over from the waist. If it aches in the front of the shoulder, substitute Side Plank from the knees to shorten the lever, or take the adductor work off the floor entirely with Copenhagen Plank's easier relative: shorten the top-leg lever by bending the knee so more of the thigh rests on the box. Pain that runs down the arm or a shoulder that feels loose is a clinician's visit, not a hold-time adjustment.
A side plank variation with the top foot elevated on a bench or box, demanding isometric hip adduction from the bottom leg while the entire body resists rotation and lateral flexion. The adductors of the supporting leg work to pull the top leg down, while the obliques, glute medius and deep core stabilizers prevent the hips from sagging or rotating.
Nếu bạn mới bắt đầu
This is an advanced isometric. Most people cannot hold a full Copenhagen plank for more than 10-15 seconds on the first attempt. Start with the top foot on a lower surface (a step or low box) to reduce the lever arm, or bend the bottom knee slightly to shorten the resistance. If your hips sag or rotate, the set is over — quality over duration.
Vươn xa hơn
For a bodyweight isometric, making this harder means manipulating leverage or time under tension rather than adding load. Once you can hold three sets of thirty seconds per side with your hips perfectly stacked and no rotation, increase the bench height to lengthen the lever arm on the adductors. Alternatively, keep the bench low but extend the hold to forty-five seconds. A two-second pause at the top of each breath cycle, where you actively squeeze the bottom leg into the bench, sharpens the anti-rotation demand without extra equipment. When the full straight-leg position on a high bench feels manageable for thirty seconds, progress to the Copenhagen plank with a hip dip: lower the hips two inches towards the floor and drive them back up, turning the static hold into a controlled adductor strength movement. For variation, try placing only the heel on the bench instead of the whole foot, which reduces contact area and forces the stabilisers to work considerably harder.
Những lỗi thường gặp
Letting the hips sag toward the floor (loads the shoulder instead of the adductors), rotating the torso to face the ceiling (cheats the anti-rotation demand), or holding the breath throughout the set (spikes blood pressure and reduces stability). The bottom leg should be straight but not locked — a micro-bend in the knee protects the joint while maintaining adductor tension.
Lịch trình
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 15-30 seconds per side
- Rest
- 60s
- Tempo
- isometric hold
- RPE
- 7
- Tần suất
- 2-3
increase hold time by 5 seconds per week, or elevate the bench height to increase the lever arm
Cues
Cơ bắp
- Adductors
- Obliques
- Abs
- Glutes
Thiết bị
- Bench
- Plyo box
- 1
Position a bench or sturdy box at knee height and lie on your side next to it, with your top leg resting on the bench and your bottom leg straight on the floor.
- 2
Place your bottom forearm on the ground with your elbow directly under your shoulder, fingers pointing forward.
- 3
Press through your forearm and the inside of your top foot to lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your head to your heels.
- 4
Engage your bottom leg by gently pulling your top leg down into the bench — this is the isometric adductor contraction.
- 5
Keep your torso facing forward, your hips stacked (not rotated), and your core braced as if preparing for a light punch.
- 6
Hold this position for the prescribed duration while breathing steadily — do not let your hips sag or rotate.
- 7
Lower your hips to the ground with control, rest briefly, and repeat on the opposite side.