Fysiqal

Carry & Anti-Movement Core · Advanced

Copenhagen Plank

Isolation carry & anti-movement core exercise using bodyweight.
Copenhagen Plank demonstration (no audio).
Difficulty
Advanced
Equipment
Bodyweight
Mechanics
Isolation
Sides
Unilateral
Main plane
Frontal

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How to do the Copenhagen Plank

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Lie on your side, top leg resting on a bench with your shin/ankle supported, bottom leg extended underneath, propped up on your forearm.

  1. Lift your hips and bottom leg off the floor, supporting your weight between your top leg (on the bench) and your forearm -- this is primarily a hip-adductor (inner-thigh) exercise, not a core-rotation movement, despite the plank-like position.

  2. Keep your body in a straight line, hips level, and hold or lower/raise the bottom leg for reps depending on your program.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag or rotate out of a straight line instead of holding a rigid, level position.

  • Resting too much weight on the forearm instead of letting the top-leg adductor do the real work of holding the position.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Hip abductionprimary action · resisted

    Adductor longus (prime mover, high emphasis); Adductor magnus (prime mover, high emphasis); Adductor brevis (prime mover, moderate emphasis); Gracilis (synergist, moderate emphasis); Pectineus (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Spine lateral flexionsecondary action · resisted

    External oblique (stabilizer, high emphasis); Internal oblique (stabilizer, high emphasis); Quadratus lumborum (stabilizer, moderate emphasis); Gluteus medius (stabilizer, moderate emphasis)

Related exercises

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From the Knowledge Library

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.