MoPro
TrainersEye · Knee Health
Knee Rehab A
Trainer's Eye
Phase 1 · Calm and load · Session A

Calm the knee.
Wake the quad.
Start the pump.

Six gentle movements that restore the bend, switch the quadriceps back on and move fluid through the joint. No standing load, no pain.

  • Asession
  • P1Calm & load
  • 12:00on the clock
  • — donecompleted

Wear and tear is the wrong model

Cartilage is living tissue that adapts to load. It thins with too little use as readily as with too much.

Swelling switches the quad off

Even a small effusion inhibits the quadriceps reflexively. Settle the swelling and the strength returns faster.

Blood flow feeds the joint

Joint fluid carries the nutrition. Gentle repeated motion is how cartilage gets fed.

Three couplets · two rounds · twelve minutes · a knee that carries you

A

Regain the bend

Range + quad set
A1

Supine heel slides

60 s · slow reps

Lying down, slide the heel toward the buttock as far as comfort allows, then straight.

Easier towel under the heel  ·  Harder hold two seconds at the end

R1R2—
A2

Quad sets

10 × 5 s · ×2

Knee straight; press the back of the knee down and tighten the thigh for five seconds.

Easier shorter holds  ·  Harder small towel under the knee

R1R2
B

Pump it

Circulation + straight-leg
B1

Ankle pumps

60 s · slow reps

Point and flex the foot fully and briskly — this is the calf pump that clears swelling.

Easier smaller range  ·  Harder add ankle circles

R1R2—
B2

Straight-leg raise

10/side · ×2

Knee locked straight; lift the whole leg to the height of the other thigh, lower slowly.

Easier smaller lift  ·  Harder 3-s lowering

R1R2
C

Finish long

Extension + bridge
C1

Seated knee extension — active

60 s · slow reps

Sitting tall, straighten the knee fully, squeeze the thigh one second, lower slowly.

Easier smaller range  ·  Harder hold at the top

R1R2—
C2

Glute bridge

15 reps · ×2

Heels close to the hips; drive through the heels, squeeze, stop at a straight line.

Easier smaller range  ·  Harder 3-s hold at the top

R1R2

The clock

Round 1settle in — 70%, perfect tracking
0:00A1 → A2
2:00B1 → B2
4:00C1 → C2
Round 2own it — beat Round 1 by quality
6:00A1 → A2
8:00B1 → B2
10:00C1 → C2

Each couplet: 60 s scored → the loading set → 10 s to move on. Done at 12:00.

How to run it

  1. Pain rule: up to 5/10 during, back to your normal by the next morning, no worse week to week.
  2. Swelling is the referee. A knee that swells after a session did too much — drop one level.
  3. Isometric holds first: tension without movement is the calmest way to load a sore knee.
  4. Kneecap pain is a load problem, not a wear problem. We change the load, not the knee.

Tick it off

MovementRound 1Round 2Best
A1Supine heel slidesslow reps in 60 s —
A2Quad sets10 × 5 s
B1Ankle pumpsslow reps in 60 s —
B2Straight-leg raise10/side
C1Seated knee extension — activeslow reps in 60 s —
C2Glute bridge15 reps
Session time
StreakDay —
Client / Patient
Coach / Clinician signature
Date
TE-12-KNEE-A