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Exercises

Knees warm up exercises: from no load to full bend in seven minutes

Published October 24, 2026

To warm up your knees, pedal a stationary bike for 4 minutes, do 1 minute of butt kicks, hold a 30-second wall sit, then do 10 single-leg leg extensions per leg with a light weight, 12 band standing hip abductions per leg and 8 low step-ups per leg. Each step bends the knee a little further or under a little more load, so by the end your knees are ready for a full squat, lunge or game. Before lifting, add 2 or 3 lighter sets of your first exercise.

  1. Stationary Bike Quads, Hamstrings
  2. Butt Kicks Hamstrings
  3. Wall Sit Quads
  4. Single-Leg Leg Extension Quads
  5. Band Standing Hip Abduction Abductors
  6. Step-Up Quads, Glutes

Spin the knees with no load

The bike bends and straightens your knees over and over without any impact. Four easy minutes is the gentlest way to get them moving. Butt kicks then take the knee into a full bend.

No-impact knee bends

Stationary Bike

Quads, Hamstrings

The bike gives your knees hundreds of easy bends with no impact and no balance demand.

How to do it

  1. Set the saddle so your knee is nearly straight when the pedal is lowest.
  2. Pedal easily at a light resistance.
  3. Keep a steady cadence for 4 minutes.

Cues

  • Smooth circles
  • Light resistance

Common mistakes

  • A saddle set too low: it makes the knee bend sharply on every stroke.

Swap for: Elliptical, Brisk Walk

Build a session with Stationary Bike

Full knee bend

Butt Kicks

Hamstrings

Bringing the heels to your glutes bends the knee all the way, with no weight on it.

How to do it

  1. Jog lightly in place.
  2. Pull each heel toward your glutes as it leaves the floor.
  3. Keep going for 1 minute at an easy pace.

Cues

  • Heels high
  • Relaxed pace

Common mistakes

  • Pounding the floor: stay light on your feet.

Swap for: High Knees, Bodyweight Lying Leg Curl

Build a session with Butt Kicks

Load the quads lightly

A short wall sit holds the knee at one angle under bodyweight, and single-leg extensions work the quad through the full range with a light weight. Both warm the front of the knee before you squat or lunge.

Static quad load

Wall Sit

Quads

Holding a squat against the wall loads the quads without the knee moving, an easy way to add load before you add range.

How to do it

  1. Rest your upper and lower back on a wall, then walk your feet out.
  2. Slide down until your knees bend to a comfortable angle, somewhere above 90 degrees for the warm-up.
  3. Hold for 30 seconds with your weight in your heels.

Cues

  • Back flat on the wall
  • Knees over the ankles

Common mistakes

  • Going straight to a deep hold: start higher and only go lower if it feels fine.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Single-Leg Leg Extension

Build a session with Wall Sit

Quad through full range

Single-Leg Leg Extension

Quads

One leg at a time with a light weight lets the quad straighten the knee fully, which warms the front of the knee directly.

How to do it

  1. Take a seat on the extension machine with the pad on your lower shin and the weight set light.
  2. Straighten one knee until the leg is level, then pause.
  3. Lower slowly and do 10 per leg.

Cues

  • Pause at the top
  • Slow lower

Common mistakes

  • Using a weight heavy enough to swing: this is warm-up, keep it light.

Swap for: Leg Extension, Sissy Squat

Build a session with Single-Leg Leg Extension

Steady the knee from the hip

When the side glutes work, the knee stays lined up over the foot as you bend it. Band abductions switch those muscles on standing up, the position you will be in.

Side glutes, standing

Band Standing Hip Abduction

Abductors

Pushing the knees out against a band in a shallow squat wakes the muscles that keep your knees from caving inward as you squat or land.

How to do it

  1. Loop a mini band just above your knees and sit into a shallow squat.
  2. Press both knees out against the band, then let them come back in under control.
  3. Keep your feet flat and repeat for the set.

Cues

  • Knees track over the toes
  • Feet stay flat

Common mistakes

  • Letting the knees snap back in: control the return.

Swap for: Lateral Band Walk, Clamshell

Build a session with Band Standing Hip Abduction

Step, then bend deeper

Low step-ups bring everything together on one leg. Kneeling sissy squats go further, bending the knee deeply under bodyweight, for days when the session asks for deep knee bends.

One-leg knee bend

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Stepping onto a bench lets one knee bend and straighten under your bodyweight, the same job it does on stairs and in lunges. Hold light dumbbells once bodyweight is easy.

How to do it

  1. Face a bench or box, with light dumbbells at your sides or none.
  2. Put one whole foot on top and stand up on it, keeping the knee in line with your toes.
  3. Step down slowly and do 8 per leg before switching.

Cues

  • Knee over the toes
  • Slow step down

Common mistakes

  • Pushing off the bottom foot: let the top leg do the lifting.

Swap for: Kettlebell Step-Up, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Build a session with Step-Up

Deep knee bend

Sissy Squat

Quads

Kneeling and leaning back with your hips open bends the knee deeply under bodyweight, good preparation for a deep squat day.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a pad with your toes tucked or your feet anchored.
  2. Keeping your hips straight, lean your body back by bending only at the knees.
  3. Go as far as feels comfortable, then come back up. Do 6.

Cues

  • Straight line, knees to shoulders
  • Small range first

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips: keep them open so the knees take the bend.

Swap for: Leg Extension, Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat

Build a session with Sissy Squat

Lighter sets of your first exercise

Pick up where the warm-up left off: 2 or 3 sets of your first lift, climbing in weight. For a court sport, finish with skater hops at rising speed instead.

First exercise: quads

Leg Extension

Quads

Opening with the leg extension warms the knees with a load you control fully, before free weights.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your knees at the pivot and the pad on your lower shins.
  2. Straighten both knees until your legs are level.
  3. Lower slowly. Build up the weight over 2 lighter sets.

Cues

  • Squeeze at the top
  • Control the drop

Common mistakes

  • Letting the stack slam between reps: keep tension on.

Swap for: Single-Leg Leg Extension, Sissy Squat

Build a session with Leg Extension

First exercise: press

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

The leg press lets you pick the depth and load with no balance demand, so the lighter sets can creep deeper.

How to do it

  1. Sit back against the pad and set your feet hip to shoulder distance on the platform.
  2. Lower the sled as far as you can without your lower back lifting.
  3. Press back up without locking out, going a little deeper on each lighter set.

Cues

  • Knees follow the toes
  • Back stays on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Feet set low on the platform: higher feet move some of the work to the hips.

Swap for: Hack Squat, 45-Degree Leg Press

Build a session with Leg Press

First exercise: lunge

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping backward keeps the front shin more upright than a forward lunge, a more comfortable choice for the front knee.

How to do it

  1. Hold two light dumbbells by your hips.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until the back knee is close to the floor.
  3. Drive through the front heel to come back up.

Cues

  • Long step back
  • Front heel down

Common mistakes

  • A short step that pushes the front knee far forward: step further back.

Swap for: Band Reverse Lunge, Step-Up

Build a session with Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Court primer

Skater Hop

Glutes, Quads, Abductors

Side-to-side hops load the knees in the direction court sports move, starting easy and getting quicker.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one leg with the knee softly bent.
  2. Hop sideways to land on the other foot, swinging the free leg behind you.
  3. Hop back and forth, starting small and slow, for 20 to 30 seconds.

Cues

  • Soft knees on landing
  • Bigger hops as you warm up

Common mistakes

  • Landing on a straight knee: bend it as you land.

Swap for: Lateral Box Jump, Fast Feet

Build a session with Skater Hop

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Before a machine leg day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike, Leg Extension, Resistance Bands, Leg Press

You start leg day on the leg extension and leg press.

The bike, wall sit and single-leg extensions warm the knee step by step, then the leg extension and press each get lighter sets. The work sets stop 1 to 2 reps short of failure so you can recover for the next leg day.

Machine legs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Stationary BikeSeconds. 4 × 60 4 0 s
Wall SitSeconds. 1 × 30 4 15 s
Single-Leg Leg ExtensionPer leg. Light. 1 × 10 4 15 s
Band Standing Hip AbductionPer leg. 1 × 12 4 15 s
Leg Extension2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Leg Press2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10–12 2 2 min
How to run it
Do the blocks in order, then go to the leg extension and then the press.
How to progress
Go a little deeper on the leg press warm-up sets each week if it feels fine.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Before lunges and step-ups

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets10 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike, Resistance Bands, Dumbbells, Flat Bench

Your session is mostly single-leg work and your knees feel stiff on the first few reps.

More single-leg prep: step-ups and sissy squats bend one knee at a time under bodyweight, and the reverse lunge gets two lighter sets. Work sets at 2 reps in reserve keep balance and knee position steady.

Lunge day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Stationary BikeSeconds. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Butt KicksSeconds. 1 × 60 4 0 s
Band Standing Hip AbductionPer leg. 1 × 12 4 0 s
Step-UpPer leg. Low box. 1 × 8 4 15 s
Sissy Squat 1 × 6 4 15 s
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge2 warm-up sets firstPer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
How to run it
Do the bike and butt kicks, then the hip abduction, step-ups and sissy squats, then lunge.
How to progress
Add load to the lunge only when every rep looks the same.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Before tennis, pickleball or basketball

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells, Flat Bench

You are about to play and your knees take a while to feel loose.

No lifting: the warm-up ends with skater hops that start small and get faster, so your knees go from easy bends to the side-to-side loading of the game.

Before the game
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Butt KicksSeconds. 2 × 60 4 0 s
Wall SitSeconds. 1 × 30 4 0 s
Band Standing Hip AbductionPer leg. 1 × 12 4 0 s
Step-UpPer leg. 1 × 8 4 0 s
Skater HopSeconds. Start small, finish quick. 3 × 20–30 3 30 s
How to run it
Do the warm-up on court if you can, then play your first few points at an easy pace.
How to progress
Make the skater hops bigger and quicker as the routine gets familiar.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do you warm up your knees?

Start with easy cycling, then butt kicks, a short wall sit, light single-leg extensions, band hip abductions and low step-ups. Each one bends the knee a little more or loads it a little more.

How long should a knee warm-up take?

About 7 minutes, plus lighter sets of your first lift if you are training legs.

Is the bike a good warm-up for knees?

Yes. It moves the knee through a big range many times with no impact, which makes it the easiest start.

Should I stretch my knees before exercise?

The knee itself does not need stretching. Move it through its range with bike pedaling, butt kicks and step-ups.

What warm-up exercises work for knees before a sport?

Butt kicks, a wall sit, band hip abductions, step-ups and skater hops that get faster, about 6 minutes in total.