The Copenhagen plank is very similar to the well-known core planks, but it activates another very important muscle to a greater extent: the adductors. In this article we describe the benefits of this little-used exercise in commercial gyms, as well as knowing how to do it and the variations that we can execute.
Benefits of the Copenhagen plank
The Copenhagen plank is a type of side plank, but modifies the position of our legs, thus causing the hip adductor muscles to be highly activated. This musculature of our legs is vital for sports performance, and also to give an aesthetic symmetry to our legs.
Strength on all planes
The quadriceps and hamstrings are the muscle groups that are responsible for extending and flexing the knee, respectively. That allows us movements like run back and forthbut muscle groups are missing from the equation.
The abductors (gluteus medius as the main actor) and the adductors stabilize our structure in each stride. The abductors open the legs outwards, while the adductors do the opposite: they bring the leg from the outside in. A soccer ball pass is a clear hit made by the adductors.
The Copenhagen plank targets the adductors by working them isometrically (without movement), but also with movement in some variations of the exercise. Us provides strength and stability in all movements running, jumping and any athletic movement of our legs.
Improved posture and aesthetics
In the human body, everything is connected to each other, so an alteration in our foot can affect our back. The adductors are part of the core, which encompasses more muscle groups than the abdominals. As such, it is responsible for transferring movements between the lower body and the upper body.
An imbalance between adductors and abdominals produces an imbalance that results in pelvic instability and inflammation in the muscle insertions. Pubalgia or osteopathy of the pubis is one of those imbalances that can appear, and that we can solve with strong adductors and core.
For the aesthetics of our legs, the adductors must also be trained, as they are one of the largest muscle groups in the lower body. The Copenhagen iron will serve us for this, with a better transfer to sports performance than other machines such as the seated adductor machine.
How is the Copenhagen plank done?
This type of side plank requires a flat bench that allows us to support the inner part of one of our feet or one of our knees. It’s a highly challenging exercise, so there are different easier variations to start with.
The starting position will depend on our level of strength in the adductors. As with the front or side plank, if we support the knees instead of the feet we will cut the lever armthus making the exercise easier.
The same thing happens in the Copenhagen iron, the position of our legs and arms will make it more or less challenging. We can also continue to increase the intensity by adding extra load to the exercise.
The arm resting on the ground must form an angle of 90º with our trunk. If we have the elbow flexed, it must also form a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint. The free arm can be tucked in close to the body to make it easier, or it can be stretched toward the ceiling to add even more instability and challenge to the exercise.
Level 1: isometric Copenhagen plank resting the knee on the bench and the free leg on the floor
If this is your first time doing this exercise, start at this level. Rest your free leg lightly on the ground. noticing the tension in the inner part of the thigh of the leg that we have resting on the bench. Little by little release that leg that you have resting on the ground until you can stand with both legs in the air, as in the next level.
Level 2: isometric Copenhagen plank supporting the knee on the bench free leg in the air
In this next level of the Copenhagen plank we rest the inside of our knee on the bench, as we see in the video. The leg that is free now has no support with the ground, so we support all the weight of our body with the adductors. If it costs us a lot, we will have to continue one more session with the previous level.
Level 3: isometric Copenhagen plank supporting the ankle on the bench and the free leg on the floor
We changed the knee support on the bench for the ankle support. This modification considerably increases the load to be supported by our adductors. As in level one, the free leg is lightly grounded to help us in this third level of the Copenhagen plank.
Try every time you repeat it the support foot on the ground has less load, transferring that weight to the leg that we have resting on the bench. When you no longer find it challenging, go to the next level of this type of plank where we will have the free leg without support on the ground.
Level 4: isometric Copenhagen plank supporting the ankle on the bench and the free leg in the air
The fourth level of our progression proposal is the original Copenhagen Plank. When it comes to iron Copenhagen refers to this level in particular. In the video we can see how he stretches or flexes his free leg and also stretches his free arm to the ceiling.
All those actions are small variations that this level has that make it increase the intensity slightly. Try all of them before moving on to the next level of these plank variations.
Level 5: Copenhagen plank supporting the ankle on the bench and the free leg with movement
In this video we can see all the progress made so far. at level five the free leg performs movementsthus complicating the exercise. This movement simulates the movement of running with one leg, while the other remains active.
Different modifications within each level
In each of the levels we can add load or movement to modify the stimulus. Making movements with the free leg and arm will make our body have to stabilize and work in a different way than it does if there is no movement.
Stretch out the hand we have on the ground It will also give more intensity by increasing the lever arm that is generated. Try the support arm outstretched at each level before moving on to the next.
we can too add weight to the exercise with a disc or dumbbell located in our hip, since it is the point where it will be more challenging. Progress through each level with different loadouts that give you an ever-increasing boost.
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