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The board is one of the most commonly performed core strengthening exercises, and if you increase your heart rate to Barry’s or at home (using a FitSugar Class Videoby any chance??), chances are you’ve worked up a sweat doing traditional planks, side planks, inverted planks, and modified boards. Recently, an unfamiliar – and seriously spicy – variation has been circulating on social media: With the Copenhagen plank or Copenhagen adduction exercise (CAE), you perform a side plank with your top leg resting on a bench; this way your whole body floats above the ground.
When I first discovered Copenhagen planks on TikTok, I thought they were just another advanced variation of side planks; However, when I dug a little deeper, I discovered that most people added it to their workout routine specifically to increase the strength of their adductors, or inner thigh. (And, although the actual origins of this exercise are not known, the Danes are credited with this exercise because of the extensive research they have done on the topic of groin injuries and rehabilitation.) As as fitness trainer Sharelle Grant, who demonstrated this exercise on TikTok, shared: “A lot of people undertrain their adductors and it’s a huge missing link in a lot of people’s leg days.”
People who have integrated the Copenhagen plank into their training program were keen to share the benefits they gained from this exercise. Physiotherapist Stephanie Ridgway (Dr Stephanie on TikTok) said she reduced her hip and knee pain. And bodybuilder Nsima Inyang posted a video saying, “In the past, I’ve pulled my groin muscles through lifting and jiujitsu” – but that hasn’t happened since he started training his adductors with exercises like planks. Copenhagen.
This exercise can benefit everyone, according to strength coach and instructor Alo Moves Roxie Jonesbut it’s East an advanced movement. Even elite athletes may need to prepare for this. For this reason, many physiotherapists and trainers on TikTok created progress videos that their subscribers can use in order to carry out the movement in complete safety.
Keep reading to learn more about this trend, including the benefits of the Copenhagen plank, how to properly access this position, and some variations to try.
Benefits of Copenhagen boards
1. Strengthen and balance leg muscles
Copenhagen planks increase strength in the abductors (outer thigh), hip flexors, and core, but their primary focus is adductor muscles. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Ryan Nosak told POPSUGAR that few common exercises target the adductors, meaning the muscle group doesn’t often get the attention it needs. Weakness in the adductors can then cause strength imbalances in the legs which can lead to injury.
NASM Certified Trainer Cara Altieri says she incorporates CAE into both her personal training plan and her clients’ programs as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of future injuries. “This helps strengthen the adductors and stabilize the hips, which relieves pain from a misaligned pelvic region or weakness in the inner thighs,” she explains.
Those who can benefit the most from Copenhagen boards are people dealing with “sacroiliac issues, pelvic floor dysfunction, hip issues and knee pain,” according to Sara Robertson, assistant physical therapist at Physiotherapy West in California. (Note: If you are experiencing pain or injury, it is best to consult a healthcare professional before attempting to self-medicate with exercises like this.)
2. Help prevent and rehabilitate groin injuries
When people say they have a groin strain, it is most likely an adductor injury. Part of the groin, the adductors are the group of muscles that extend from the pelvic bone to the knee via the inner thigh. Because this area of the leg is so large, people can injure it in different ways, and Total Sports Medicine & Orthopedics reports that Groin injuries account for 2 to 5 percent of all sports-related injuries.
Adductor injuries can occur in sports like football, where players experience sudden impact; football, where players are constantly starting and stopping; and long-distance running, where athletes continually repeat the same movement, which can cause leg imbalance. (And let’s be honest, this can also happen if you’re – er – over a certain age and make sudden movements.)
A 2018 study found that by incorporating Copenhagen boards into athletes’ training programs, the prevalence and risk of groin problems in male soccer players was significantly reduced.
3. Improve sports performance
The Copenhagen plank is an isometric exercise in which you hold a position without moving (for example, plank or wall seated). In general, “isometrics like the Copenhagen plank are great for muscle activation, teaching tension, and preventing injury,” says Jones, because they teach muscles how to engage independently.
Whether you’re a professional athlete or a parent playing at the park with your child, reinforced adductors can improve your stability and agility. By increasing strength, balance, and control in this region, you create a stronger foundation for jumping higher, sprinting faster, and moving through different ranges of motion. From a practical standpoint, you’ll be able to pivot and maneuver seamlessly during a basketball game or sprint to your car in the rain. Additionally, you’ll find that it’s easier to lift heavier loads or go lower during squats and deadlifts. Strengthened adductors can even improve your golf swing because you’ll have more power when rotating your hips.
Even if you don’t identify as an athlete, this type of strength is important: Life is a constant obstacle course, and having the ability to get through the day with ease is the greatest advantage of all. “There are certainly many technical ways to prescribe a Copenhagen plank to relieve an injury or chronic pain, but generally speaking, it’s an incredible exercise that we can all practice and incorporate into our workouts,” says Altieri .
How to make Copenhagen boards
Make sure you have a solid traditional side plank before you start implementing the full version of CAE. When you’re ready, here’s how to properly install and perform a Copenhagen board, according to Robertson.
- Start lying on your side with your forearm on the floor (left forearm if you are on your left side) and your shoulders overlapping your elbow on the floor.
- Place your upper calf on the bench and your lower leg under the bench. Both legs should be straight and parallel to each other in this variation.
- Press your calf that is on the bench and lift your hips to align them with your shoulders. As your hips lift, be sure to keep your shoulders stacked; you may have a tendency to rotate your upper shoulder when you lift.
- Lift your lower leg off the floor to bring it to the bench below. Hold this position.
- Continue to press into your forearm to stabilize your core while you use your adductor to lift your body.
- Slowly lower yourself to the ground below you.
“There are variations to Copenhagen planks, so depending on what we prescribe to the patient, it can vary between 2 and 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions per set,” says Robertson.
Altieri points out that you may have to work to achieve this fiery position. “This is not an exercise for beginners,” she says. “I usually start with my clients attempting 10-second holds and progress about 5 seconds from there.”
If you are new to this exercise, you should start with isometric holds before adding movement.
Below you will find different difficulty levels for this exercise, from least difficult to most difficult.
You don’t need a bench for this variation
- Start lying on your side with your forearm on the floor and your elbow under your shoulders; your lower leg is on the ground in a 90 degree bend (thigh even with your hips) and your upper leg is extended long.
- Lift your hips and drive your bottom knee into your chest. Press the inside of your top leg against the floor and hold it there. This helps build strength in your upper adductor so you can eventually progress to the full variation.
- Start with your forearm on a bench or incline and set up as if you were preparing for a side plank.
- Once you find your side plank, pull your bottom knee up and toward your chest while keeping your shoulders stacked over your elbow.
- You have the option of bringing your top hand to your hip or extending it forward. This exercise is a great place to start if you need to build strength and endurance for the full Copenhagen plank.
- Start on your side with your forearm on the floor. Bend your top leg and place your knee on the bench.
- As you lift your hips, bend your bottom knee and raise it to meet the bench below.
- Continue to engage your core and press into your forearm to stabilize the body. This is a great progression from tilt and floor variations as you work toward full expression.
- You will configure this modification the same way you would the full variation. However, instead of lifting your lower leg up to the bench, you will keep it on the floor.
- You still want this leg to be actively engaged, as you would with a traditional side plank, and your goal is to keep your hips in line with your shoulders as you press your top leg onto the bench. This exercise works the same muscle groups for a full expression of the exercise while reducing the body weight you lift to make it more accessible.
- Start lying on the ground in the same configuration as your traditional Copenhagen plank with a weighted plate nearby.
- Once you have lifted your hips and lower leg off the floor, bend your lower knee toward your chest and bring the plate to the inside of your lower leg.
- Hold here and make sure your shoulders stay stacked and your knee stays at a 90-degree angle. This increases the intensity of the exercise and activates the psoas muscles of the lower leg thanks to the flexion of the hip as well as its adductor because it keeps the weight stable.
