Butterfly stretch
5 holds of 45 s, 15 s rest between holds.
- Slot
- Mobility
- Focus
- Mobility
- Time
- 5 min
- Intensity
- Low
- Injury risk
- Low
- Intervals
- 5 × 45s on, 15s off
- Equipment
- Floor space
How to do it
Sit up tall with the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop out to the sides. Hold your feet and gently draw them toward you until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Hold 45 seconds, relax for 15, and repeat 5 times. Lean forward with a straight back for more stretch - never bounce or push your knees down.
Who it’s for
Inner thighs, which climbers rarely stretch and constantly use for drop knees, wide stems and high feet. It’s five minutes and needs nothing but floor.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing. Never. Hold still and let the muscle give.
- Pushing the knees down with your hands. Let them drop under their own weight, or press gently with your elbows. Forcing a joint open is how you strain an adductor.
- Rounding the back to get lower. Sit tall, then hinge from the hips. A rounded back stretches your lower back, not your groin.
- Sitting flat on a tight lower back. Sit on the edge of a cushion so your hips are above your knees, and the position gets much easier.
How to progress
Draw your heels a little closer to you rather than pushing your knees further down. When forty-five seconds is comfortable with a straight back, add a slow forward fold at the end of each hold.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
- Endurance Climb longer before you pump out, by moving efficiently.
- Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.
Related blocks
Start with a ready-made block
A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.