Copenhagen Plank

Muscles worked by the Copenhagen Plank

Primary

AdductorsHip AdductorsObliquesOblique Abdominals

Secondary

Glute MediusGluteus MediusQuadratus LumborumDeep CoreTransversus Abdominis

Also called: hip adductors, inner thigh, adductor muscles, groin, oblique, obliques.

Equipment

Flat Bench

Also called: bench, flat weight bench, utility bench, adjustable bench (flat).

How to do the Copenhagen Plank

1. Lie on your side next to a flat bench and place your top leg on it, with the inside of the foot or the lower part of the leg resting on the bench.
2. Prop yourself up on the elbow of your lower arm, directly under your shoulder.
3. Lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your top foot, and let the lower leg hang or lift it toward the bench.
4. Keep your hips high and your trunk steady, and breathe evenly.
5. Hold for the planned time, then lower your hips back to the floor.
6. Rest, then switch sides.

Form tips

• Start with the top knee on the bench and a short lever; move the foot of the top leg onto the bench only when the hold feels easy.
• Press your forearm into the floor and keep your shoulder away from your ear.
• Stop if you feel a sharp pull in the groin; the adductors need a gentle build-up.

At a glance

Copenhagen Plank in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Balance Dome Plank
• Bear Plank Hold
• Bench Decline Plank Hold
• Bent-Knee Copenhagen Raises
• Copenhagen Plank Raises
• Crab Dips
• High Plank
• Incline Plank Hold

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "copenhagen-plank",
  "name_en": "Copenhagen Plank",
  "name_de": "Copenhagen Plank",
  "name_es": "Plancha Copenhague",
  "description_en": "A demanding side plank in which the top leg rests on a flat bench and the lower leg is held off the floor. The inner thigh muscles of the top leg and the obliques hold the body in a straight line, which makes it a classic exercise for the adductors and the trunk.",
  "description_de": "Ein anspruchsvoller Side Plank, bei dem das obere Bein auf einer flachen Bank liegt und das untere Bein vom Boden abgehoben bleibt. Die Muskeln der Oberschenkelinnenseite des oberen Beins und die schrägen Bauchmuskeln halten den Körper in einer geraden Linie, was die Übung zu einem Klassiker für die Adduktoren und den Rumpf macht.",
  "description_es": "Una plancha lateral exigente en la que la pierna de arriba descansa sobre un banco plano y la pierna de abajo se mantiene en el aire. Los músculos de la cara interna del muslo de la pierna de arriba y los oblicuos mantienen el cuerpo en línea recta, lo que la convierte en un ejercicio clásico para los aductores y el tronco.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "advanced",
  "equipment": "flat_bench",
  "body_part": "core",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "adductors",
    "obliques"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_medius",
    "quadratus_lumborum",
    "transverse_abdominis"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "core",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "core",
    "core_focus",
    "calisthenics",
    "lower_back_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "requires_bench"
  ],
  "variation_group": "plank",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Lie on your side next to a flat bench and place your top leg on it, with the inside of the foot or the lower part of the leg resting on the bench.",
    "Prop yourself up on the elbow of your lower arm, directly under your shoulder.",
    "Lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your top foot, and let the lower leg hang or lift it toward the bench.",
    "Keep your hips high and your trunk steady, and breathe evenly.",
    "Hold for the planned time, then lower your hips back to the floor.",
    "Rest, then switch sides."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Lege dich seitlich neben eine flache Bank und lege das obere Bein darauf, wobei die Innenseite des Fußes oder der untere Teil des Beins auf der Bank ruht.",
    "Stütze dich auf den Ellbogen des unteren Arms, direkt unter der Schulter.",
    "Hebe die Hüfte, sodass dein Körper von Kopf bis zum oberen Fuß eine gerade Linie bildet, und lass das untere Bein hängen oder hebe es zur Bank.",
    "Halte die Hüfte hoch und den Rumpf stabil und atme gleichmäßig.",
    "Halte die Position für die geplante Zeit und senke dann die Hüfte wieder zum Boden ab.",
    "Ruhe dich aus und wechsle dann die Seite."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Túmbate de lado junto a un banco plano y coloca la pierna de arriba sobre él, con el borde interno del pie o la parte inferior de la pierna apoyado en el banco.",
    "Apóyate sobre el codo del brazo de abajo, justo debajo del hombro.",
    "Sube las caderas para que el cuerpo forme una línea recta desde la cabeza hasta el pie de arriba, y deja la pierna de abajo colgando o elévala hacia el banco.",
    "Mantén las caderas altas y el tronco firme, y respira con regularidad.",
    "Mantén la posición durante el tiempo previsto y luego baja las caderas de nuevo al suelo.",
    "Descansa y cambia de lado."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Start with the top knee on the bench and a short lever; move the foot of the top leg onto the bench only when the hold feels easy.",
    "Press your forearm into the floor and keep your shoulder away from your ear.",
    "Stop if you feel a sharp pull in the groin; the adductors need a gentle build-up."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Beginne mit dem oberen Knie auf der Bank und einem kurzen Hebel; setze den Fuß des oberen Beins erst auf die Bank, wenn sich der Halt leicht anfühlt.",
    "Drücke den Unterarm in den Boden und halte die Schulter weg vom Ohr.",
    "Höre auf, wenn du einen stechenden Zug in der Leiste spürst; die Adduktoren brauchen einen behutsamen Aufbau."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Empieza con la rodilla de arriba sobre el banco y una palanca corta; apoya el pie de la pierna de arriba en el banco solo cuando la posición te resulte fácil.",
    "Presiona el antebrazo contra el suelo y mantén el hombro alejado de la oreja.",
    "Para si notas un tirón agudo en la ingle; los aductores necesitan una progresión gradual."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/copenhagen-plank-main.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "copenhagen-plank");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.