What is Knee Shield ?

Knee Shield is a 5 phase [P]rehab program designed to build strong, resilient and robust knees to protect them against injury.

How Should I use the Program ?

The program is divided into 5 phases:

Phase 1 – Isometrics –  “Static Strength”

Phase 2 – Isotonics – “Control Through Range”

Phase 3 – Eccentrics – “Strengthen & Lengthen”

Phase 4 – Shock Absorption – “Building the Brakes”

Phase 5 – Power Production – “Rate of Force Development” 

Each phase has 2 weeks (10-weeks total) that progress in a systematic sequential fashion i.e. the early phases are preparing you for the later ones. For best results please follow the program in order, progressing through each phase sequentially. I do not recommend skipping sections.

Each week consists of 5 workouts (some mobility focused / some strength focused) and I would strongly recommend performing these between Monday – Friday and taking a break from them on the weekend.

DAY 1 – MON – STRENGTH

DAY 2 – TUE – MOBILITY

DAY 3 – WED – STRENGTH

DAY 4 – THUR – MOBILITY

DAY 5 – FRI – STRENGTH

How do I know when to progress to the next phase ?

While each phase is typically intended for 2-weeks there’s absolutely no rush to progress to the next. If you are relatively new to strength and conditioning and/or you’ve recently recovered from an injury, you may want to spend longer in phase 1 building your foundation. As a general rule of thumb if can perform all of the exercises and their progressions in a phase with good form and adhere to the tempo, you can move to the next phase. Prehab is a marathon not a sprint, so take your time.

How do I use the Prevention Plan ?

The Prevention Plan is an optional continuation routine designed to help you keep up the great work once you’ve completed the program. You can use the self-release techniques as a warm up and the strength exercises as accessory work at the end of your training session.

When do I watch the Knee Injury Education Videos ?

Whenever you wish, you don’t have to watch these in any particular order. It’s educational content for those that are interested in learning about common knee injuries, anatomy and improving their understanding of knee pain. Equally you may just be interested in the exercises and that’s totally fine in which case just skip the educational content and get stuck in with the training!

Exercise Selection 

I’m a big believer in the sniper rifle vs the shotgun approach i.e. targeted exercises based on determined deficits vs randomly throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks. With that being said I would strongly recommend that you go through the FREE mobility assessment prior to getting started with this course. It will allow you to have a better understanding of where your specific restrictions lie and as a result select the most appropriate mobility exercises for you.

Equipment List

Q. Do I need any equipment?

A. If you have access to a gym the vast majority of equipment you need will already be accessible. There will only be a few additional items required to get the full benefit from the program. I will share links to the products I use myself on the course below, however please feel free to shop around. Full disclosure these links below are affiliate links i.e. I will receive a small commission should you choose to purchase using them. It comes at no extra cost to you but helps support my business.

Essential

Glide Discs:

• You can purchase these on Amazon very easily and can either use the link below for the ones I personally use or choose your own.

• HERE

Mini Bands:

• These come in packs with multiple resistances. This is useful so can select an appropriate resistance for you on each exercise respectively.
• HERE ARE THE ONES I USE

Foam Roller:

• Please do NOT purchase ones with bits sticking out of them. I recommend The GRID by Trigger Point Therapy however be aware it is at the higher end price wise.
• HERE IS THE ONE I USE

Desirable

Massage Ball:

• You can use a tennis ball or lacrosse balls
• I use therapy balls by Yoga Tune up you can find HERE

Long Resistance Band: 

• These will be used for: mobility exercises (such as the ankle dorsiflexion joint mobilisation); assistance for some of the tougher strength exercises (e.g. reverse nordics) and added resistance for versions some of the accessory exercises (e.g. quad downward dogs)
• We will generally only be using the red band you can buy individually HERE however should you require more assistance during the strength exercises in may be advisable to go with a larger band that provides you with more support to begin with