Right Knee Rehab & Strength Plan

Leg straight on a bed or bench, rolled towel under the ankle so the knee hangs free, then let the knee settle toward full straightening. Add gentle hand pressure just above the kneecap, or simply relax and breathe — low load, long duration.

• The goal is matching the right knee's end-range to the left. Compare sides weekly.
• Morning + evening + one daytime bout is the easiest pattern to keep.

Five options (pictured) — choose the favourite and commit to it:

• Couch/wall stretch — kneeling, rear foot up on a chair or wall (most intense, best value if tolerated).
• Standing heel-to-butt with a chair for balance.
• Half-kneeling lunge with rear foot elevated.
• Side-lying heel-to-butt pull.
• Prone with band/towel around the ankle.

Keep the pelvis tucked (don't arch the lower back). Feeling: front-of-thigh stretch 4–6/10, knee pain ≤3.

Half-kneeling, left foot flat in front. Drive the knee forward over the 2nd–3rd toe as far as it goes without the heel lifting, pause 2–3 s at end range, back off, repeat. Oscillate for a full 5 minutes. For a stronger stretch, rest the forefoot on the foam yoga block (heel stays on the floor).

• Track progress with the knee-to-wall test weekly: toes X cm from the wall, knee still touches it. Left should close the gap on right over the weeks.
• Feeling: a stretch or block at the front of the ankle or calf — not pinching pain.
• A stiff left ankle shifts load to the other leg, so this also protects the right knee.

Feet a little wider than shoulders, sit back and down "as if onto a chair" — not too far forward, not too far back. Knees stay in line with the feet against the band's pull the whole way.

• At the bottom: slowly let one knee drift in with control, then drive it back out fast against the band. 5 in-slow/out-quick reps per side.

Band around the ankles, feet just outside shoulders, knees straight first. Pull the feet apart as if splitting the floor sideways and hold. Stand tall — crown of the head pressed to the ceiling.

• Progress with a wider stance or a stronger band; then repeat with a soft knee bend.

All the work happens in the stance leg. Stand on one leg, weight fully loaded onto it, and reach the free leg against the band: forward, to the side, straight back — slow out, controlled return.

• Stance knee in line with the foot; pelvis level; head tall.
• Right leg as stance leg gets the extra round — this is the imbalance work.
• For the back-reach: as if tapping the heel to a wall behind you.

Slight hip hinge, band taut, then very small steps — sideways both ways, forward, backward — keeping constant tension and the knees pushed out. The burn on the outside of the hips is the point: endurance, not damage.

From standing, step into a long split stance against the band, keeping all focus and weight on the front (stable) leg, then drive back to standing. Finisher of the circuit.

Front foot planted, back foot on a towel (smooth floor) sliding straight back into a lunge, then drag it back in while standing up — 90–95% of the weight stays on the front leg the whole time.

• Adductor bias: turn the sliding foot slightly outward — gentle tension along the inner thigh.
• The kettlebell at the chest is a counterbalance: it makes the movement easier to control, not harder.

Slide or step one leg sideways, hinge back and down over the stable leg — the straight leg's inner thigh lengthens under load — then pull back up through the stable leg.

• Depth is earned: start shallow, add range as pain and control allow (pain ≤3, never sharp).

Side plank with the top leg on a bench: elbow directly under the shoulder, hips pressed forward ("push the belt buckle forward"), body in one line.

• Level 1 (Phase 1): top-leg knee on the bench, bottom leg assisting on the floor.
• Level 2 (Phase 2): knee on bench, bottom leg lifted.
• Level 3 (Phase 2–3): foot/ankle on the bench — long lever. Optionally add small hip lifts, lever forward and back.
• Master one level before touching the next; note how left and right compare.

The classic hamstring rehab ladder. Lying on the back, heels on the ball:

• Step 1: bridge — lift the hips and hold, body in a line.
• Step 2: hips stay extended while the heels pull the ball in and out (the curl).
• Step 3: arms across the chest for a core challenge.
• Step 4 (Phase 2+): single leg — one heel on the ball, other leg in the air.

No ball within reach? Towel-slider curls work too — heels on a towel on smooth floor, bridge up, slide out, drag back in. Shorten the range rather than dropping the hips.

Feet hip width, soft bend in the knees, push the hips straight back until the hamstrings load, torso stable, then stand by driving the hips forward. The knee angle barely changes — a hinge, not a squat.

• Skip it on days the gym program already includes RDLs or leg curls — don't stack.

Stand on one leg (soft knee), hinge forward while the free leg reaches straight back "toward a wall behind you," hips staying square, until the torso is near parallel — then drive back up through the stance leg.

• The stance leg's lateral hip stabilizers do half the work — wobble is normal at first; find stability before adding depth or load.
• The band version (band under the stance foot, held in the hands) is the learning tool before the kettlebell.
• Tight hamstrings limiting range is normal — work within the available range.

Squat down to lightly touch a bench or stacked pads, bell reaching forward on the descent, torso stable, then stand. Control the touch — no plopping down.

• Progress: lower the target height → slow the descent (3 s down) → hold a heavier bell close to the chest.
• The right knee should track over the foot and share load evenly with the left. Film one set from the front once a week.

Long split stance, front shin roughly vertical, only 5–10% of the weight on the back leg. Lower the back knee to just above the floor, drive up through the whole front foot.

• Stance too long = balance exercise; too short = knee-dominant and cranky. Adjust until the front leg works and pain stays ≤3.
• All focus on the front leg — that's where the work belongs.
• Right-leg-front gets one extra set until it matches the left for reps at the same load.

Same rules as the split squat but with the back foot resting on a bench — nearly all load on the front leg. Main single-leg strength builder from Phase 2, and the Phase-3 gate exercise.

• Start only when S2 is clean and ≤3 pain at 12 kg.
• Sets go to comfortable fatigue — last 2 reps hard, never grinding.