Squeeze the block
3 holds of 20 s per leg, pressing a block between knee and elbow, alternating legs.
- Slot
- Mobility
- Focus
- Mobility
- Time
- 4 min
- Intensity
- Low
- Injury risk
- Low
- Intervals
- 6 × 20s on, 20s off
- Equipment
- Floor space
How to do it
Stand on one leg next to a wall. Lift the other knee high and turn it out to the side, like a high step on the wall. Put a yoga block or folded towel between the outside of that knee and the elbow on the same side, and press them together while lifting the knee even higher. Hold 20 seconds, then switch legs. Do 3 holds per leg.
Who it’s for
Anyone whose high steps fall apart at the top of the move. Getting the foot on is one thing, keeping the knee turned out while you stand up is another, and this trains the second.
Common mistakes
- Letting the knee drift forward. It turns out to the side, like the high step on the wall. Forward means you’ve stopped training the muscle you came for.
- Leaning away to lift the knee higher. Stand tall. Height that comes from tipping your body doesn’t transfer.
- Squeezing with the shoulder. The press is knee into elbow, held by the hip. If your shoulder is doing the work, lower the knee.
- Holding your breath for twenty seconds. Keep breathing and the hold gets easier.
How to progress
Take the wall away once you can hold it steady, so balance becomes part of the drill. After that, do it standing on something slightly unstable, or hold each rep for thirty seconds.
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.