How many sets of the short-lever Copenhagen plank should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 3 sets of 15 to 20 seconds per side, resting about a minute between sides so your form resets each time. Once all three sets feel clean, add five seconds per hold before adding a fourth set, rather than rushing straight to a longer single hold.

How do I make the short-lever Copenhagen plank easier or harder?

To make it easier, let the bottom leg rest lightly on the floor for extra support, or use a lower surface than a bench, like a step or a stacked yoga mat, so the top leg does not have to lift as high. To make it harder, shorten your rest between sides or add a second daily set once you can already hold 40 seconds cleanly.

What is the short-lever Copenhagen plank good for?

It builds inner-thigh (adductor) strength and groin-injury resilience at a lower load than the full Copenhagen plank, making it the right starting point for field and court athletes and anyone rebuilding after a groin strain. It is a poor choice once you can already hold the ankle-rest version cleanly, since it will stop adding much strength at that point.

Intermediate

Short-Lever Copenhagen Plank

The Copenhagen is the gold-standard adductor strengthener, but the full version is brutal. Resting the top leg at the knee rather than the ankle shortens the lever and cuts the load, letting you own the position and build groin strength safely. It is the right entry point before progressing toward the long-lever hold, and it carries over strongly to groin-injury prevention.

Equipment: Bench
Body part: Abs, Thighs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus
Browse by movement: Core Brace, Hip Adduction

How to do it

1
Set up in a side plank on your forearm with a bench beside your top hip.
2
Bend your top knee and rest the inside of that knee and shin on the bench.
3
Let your bottom leg hang below the bench, keeping your body in a straight line.
4
Brace your trunk and lift your hips until your body forms one line from head to feet.
5
Squeeze the top inner thigh into the bench to hold the position.
6
Hold for time, then lower under control and switch sides.

Tips

Keep your hips stacked and square; do not let the top hip roll forward or back.
Drive the knee down into the bench to keep the adductor engaged the whole hold.
When you can hold cleanly for forty seconds, progress toward resting on the ankle instead of the knee.

Variations

Common mistakes

The top knee slides toward the edge of the bench as the set goes on, which shortens the lever even further and quietly makes the hold easier than it should be.
Sagging at the hips before the timer runs out turns the last few seconds into a straight-arm hold instead of an adductor hold.
Some lifters let the bottom leg touch the floor for support, which takes the side-plank challenge out of the shoulder and core and leaves only the top leg working.
Rushing straight to the ankle-rest version before you can hold the knee variation cleanly for the full set skips the strength base the harder version needs.

Frequently asked

How many sets of the short-lever Copenhagen plank should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 3 sets of 15 to 20 seconds per side, resting about a minute between sides so your form resets each time. Once all three sets feel clean, add five seconds per hold before adding a fourth set, rather than rushing straight to a longer single hold.
How do I make the short-lever Copenhagen plank easier or harder?: To make it easier, let the bottom leg rest lightly on the floor for extra support, or use a lower surface than a bench, like a step or a stacked yoga mat, so the top leg does not have to lift as high. To make it harder, shorten your rest between sides or add a second daily set once you can already hold 40 seconds cleanly.
What is the short-lever Copenhagen plank good for?: It builds inner-thigh (adductor) strength and groin-injury resilience at a lower load than the full Copenhagen plank, making it the right starting point for field and court athletes and anyone rebuilding after a groin strain. It is a poor choice once you can already hold the ankle-rest version cleanly, since it will stop adding much strength at that point.

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