MON 🏠 At-Home
TUE 🧗 Climbing + Patellar
WED 🏠 At-Home
THU 🧗 Climbing + Patellar
FRI 🏠 At-Home
SAT 🏠 At-Home or Rest
SUN 🚴 Recovery
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Jaw / Neck
Mobility
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Thoracic stiffness — substitutes for foam roller Cat-cow 10 slow reps Spinal mobility, upper back extension 90/90 hip stretch 45 sec / side Hip tightness from cycling & prolonged sitting Doorway chest opener 30 sec Counteracts climbing's internal shoulder rotation
Strength — 2 circuits
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Wall slides 2 × 15 Scapular & thoracic activation — replaces face pulls Glute bridge 2 × 15 Posterior chain, supports patellar tracking alignment Dead bug 2 × 8 / side Core stability in postural (non-flexion) context Prone Y-T-W 2 × 8 each Mid/lower trap activation, bodyweight version
Patellar Block — after circuits
Exercise Sets × Time Focus
Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon load & pain modulation — progress by 5 sec/week
Progress to 3 circuits when 2 feel consistently manageable. Wall sit done separately after circuits, not inside them.
Mobility — before or after, not during
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Pre-climb upper back warmup, thoracic mobility Doorway chest opener 30 sec Shoulder prep, counteracts internal rotation Wrist circles + forearm stretch 30 sec each Forearm prep/recovery — flexors take a beating climbing
Strength / Antagonist
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Finger extensor opens (rubber band) 3 × 15 Balances chronic flexor load from climbing Scapular pushups 2 × 12 Serratus anterior — shoulder blade control during climbing Band external rotation 2 × 15 / side Counteracts climbing's internal rotation bias Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon — before or after climbing, not during Terminal knee extension (band) 3 × 15 / side VMO activation, patellar tracking alignment
Scapular pushups: arms straight, movement is entirely in the shoulder blades — let chest sink between them, then push floor away and round upper back.
Mobility
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Thoracic stiffness — substitutes for foam roller Cat-cow 10 slow reps Spinal mobility, upper back extension 90/90 hip stretch 45 sec / side Hip tightness from cycling & prolonged sitting Doorway chest opener 30 sec Counteracts climbing's internal shoulder rotation
Strength — 2 circuits
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Wall slides 2 × 15 Scapular & thoracic activation — replaces face pulls Glute bridge 2 × 15 Posterior chain, supports patellar tracking alignment Dead bug 2 × 8 / side Core stability in postural (non-flexion) context Prone Y-T-W 2 × 8 each Mid/lower trap activation, bodyweight version
Patellar Block — after circuits
Exercise Sets × Time Focus
Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon load & pain modulation — progress by 5 sec/week
Mobility — before or after, not during
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Pre-climb upper back warmup, thoracic mobility Doorway chest opener 30 sec Shoulder prep, counteracts internal rotation Wrist circles + forearm stretch 30 sec each Forearm prep/recovery — flexors take a beating climbing
Strength / Antagonist
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Finger extensor opens (rubber band) 3 × 15 Balances chronic flexor load from climbing Scapular pushups 2 × 12 Serratus anterior — shoulder blade control during climbing Band external rotation 2 × 15 / side Counteracts climbing's internal rotation bias Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon — before or after climbing, not during Terminal knee extension (band) 3 × 15 / side VMO activation, patellar tracking alignment
Scapular pushups: arms straight, movement is entirely in the shoulder blades — let chest sink between them, then push floor away and round upper back.
Mobility
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Thoracic stiffness — substitutes for foam roller Cat-cow 10 slow reps Spinal mobility, upper back extension 90/90 hip stretch 45 sec / side Hip tightness from cycling & prolonged sitting Doorway chest opener 30 sec Counteracts climbing's internal shoulder rotation
Strength — 2 circuits
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Wall slides 2 × 15 Scapular & thoracic activation — replaces face pulls Glute bridge 2 × 15 Posterior chain, supports patellar tracking alignment Dead bug 2 × 8 / side Core stability in postural (non-flexion) context Prone Y-T-W 2 × 8 each Mid/lower trap activation, bodyweight version
Patellar Block — after circuits
Exercise Sets × Time Focus
Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon load & pain modulation — progress by 5 sec/week
Mobility
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Thoracic rotation (quadruped) 8 reps / side Thoracic stiffness — substitutes for foam roller Cat-cow 10 slow reps Spinal mobility, upper back extension 90/90 hip stretch 45 sec / side Hip tightness from cycling & prolonged sitting Doorway chest opener 30 sec Counteracts climbing's internal shoulder rotation
Strength — 2 circuits
Exercise Sets × Reps Focus
Wall slides 2 × 15 Scapular & thoracic activation — replaces face pulls Glute bridge 2 × 15 Posterior chain, supports patellar tracking alignment Dead bug 2 × 8 / side Core stability in postural (non-flexion) context Prone Y-T-W 2 × 8 each Mid/lower trap activation, bodyweight version
Patellar Block — after circuits
Exercise Sets × Time Focus
Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon load & pain modulation — progress by 5 sec/week
Recovery
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
90/90 hip flexor stretch 45 sec / side Post-ride hip flexor recovery Wall sit (isometric) 3 × 30 sec Patellar tendon — daily consistency matters most
Minimal effort today. Consistency on the wall sit is what matters.
Reminders
Wall sit is the one exercise worth doing every single day, even if nothing else gets done.
Progress wall sit duration by 5 sec/week — target is 45 sec per set.
Progress to 3 circuits when 2 feel consistently manageable across all exercises.
Skip all loaded squats & lunges until knee soreness fully resolves.
After 4–6 weeks of consistent routine, consider adding a dumbbell floor press for push/pull balance.
If knee soreness is sharp or persists beyond a few weeks, see a sports physio to rule out meniscus involvement.
Stretches & Release
Exercise Sets / Time Focus
Chin tucks 10 slow reps, 3 sec hold Decompresses upper cervical spine; counters forward-head posture Upper trap stretch 45 sec / side Ear toward shoulder — gravity only, no pulling; releases neck/shoulder tension SCM stretch 30 sec / side Turn head 45°, tilt chin up slightly; stretches front of neck (sternocleidomastoid) Suboccipital release 60 sec Lie on back, hands cradling base of skull — let head weight sink in; releases jaw-to-neck connection Jaw release (masseter massage) 60 sec Fingertip circles on cheek muscle just in front of ear; directly addresses TMJ tension Levator scapulae stretch 30 sec / side Turn head 45° toward armpit, tuck chin; stretches from behind ear down into shoulder blade
Chin tucks and suboccipital release are the two most worth keeping long-term — both feed directly into the same forward-head posture pattern addressed throughout the rest of the routine. Do gently — no forcing on any of these.