Knee Circles — start position
Start
Knee Circles — end position
End

Legs / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Knee Circles

A standing mobility drill circling the bent knees to warm up the ankles and knees.

At a glance

Primary
Calves, Shins (tibialis)
Secondary
Quads
Equipment
Bodyweight
Movement pattern
Ankle dorsiflexion
Level
Beginner
Type
Legs, Isolation (single joint), Mobility drill

How to do it

  1. Stand with feet together or slightly apart and hands on your hips.
  2. Bend your knees slightly.
  3. Move your knees in slow circles, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
  4. Repeat in the opposite direction.

Tips

  • Keep heels down so the movement comes from the ankles and knees.
  • Skip if you have unstable ankles.

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Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads — secondary (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) — primary (Front)Calves — primary (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves — primary (Back)
FrontBack
  • Primary: Calves, Shins (tibialis)
  • Secondary: Quads

Best for

How specific this exercise is to each movement.

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Illustration: Everkinetic (everkinetic.com), CC BY-SA 4.0.