MOBO
Knee Exercises
Your knees job is to dampen shock, build spring in your step, and boost your vertical.
Squat exercises build stronger muscles around the knee—and we'll do those—but there's a critical detail we can't overlook.
Knees are like the middle child. They only flex front to back, but knee health depends on how your hips and feet guide them to track straight. When hips and feet make poor decisions, your knees dive inward and stress your meniscus, ligaments, and joint surfaces.
Your MOBO cues your hips and feet to steer your leg straight as you load the knees. And we WANT to load them, since your body responds to progressive load. By combining proper steering with progressive loading, you'll build strength in the right direction.
Focus on these details:
Pay attention to squat depth in each exercise.
Pay attention to how your knee tracks. If you kneecap is a flashlight, it should always shine straight ahead, rather then shine to the inside or outside.
Most of these moves emphasize stability and control around your knee joint to build strong, stable, sturdy knees.
MOBO Step Down
This mini-squat is a great way to build strong control around your knees while helping to steer your leg properly. A start for healthy joints! Place your fins in the BACK slots (2+3) and step up onto your MOBO. Keep hands on hips cue a nice level pelvis, and extend your free leg out in front. We are aiming for shallow squat only until the rearfoot barely touches the ground, and then back up. Aim for 50 reps on each side
Bar Band Twist
Lots going on here to challenge rotational control through the foot, hips, and trunk….all layered onto a squat pattern. Anchor your resistance band behind you and wrap the opposite end around a ski pole or broom. The band should be coming from your left side. Now step up onto your MOBO with your right leg and your left leg elevated behind you. Next, drop down into a lunge keeping your knee and foot pointing straight ahead, and twist your trunk to the right, and then back to center and up. This is one full rep. Do 2 sets of 15 each foot.
Front Squat
Do your knees and hips and ankle feel wobbly when you squat? Do your friends and coaches tell you to push your knees out but you just can’t figure it out? This is a great drill to feel the idea of pushing your hips into perfect squat position while still maintaining proper full contact through your feet. Set up a MOBO for each foot. The right MOBO will be the R side up, and the left side MOBO will be in the L side up, with fins for both sides set at the EVEN slots. Grab a kettle bell, dumbbell, sandbag (any kind of weight) and hold it tight to your chest with shoulder blades spread wide and locked down on the back. Feet should be just wider than shoulder width, and your MOBOs should be rotated about 5-10 degrees outward. Now staying centered over your feet, sink the hips back and down until your elbows touch your thigh (as if you are hovering over a porta-potty) Now, drive back up. Aim for 4 sets of 10 reps.
Star Squats
Steer your squats straight! Step your right foot up on the board, with hands on hips to cue level hips throughout your squats. Now do a mini-squat extending the left leg forward, come back up, do a mini-squat reaching the left leg out to the side, back up, and then another mini-squat extending the leg behind you. These three will be referred to as 1 rep – do 5 reps total (which is 15 individual squats in each set). Your squat depth is only a quarter squat -no need to go deep with these. You’ll do 3 sets total on each leg, taking a break between each set.
Landmine Squat Cue
The landmine squat is a great drill to get you into a more hip dominant squat, while still training proper rotation through the legs. Set up a MOBO for each foot. The right MOBO will be the R side up, and the left side MOBO will be in the L side up, with fins for both sides set at the EVEN slots. Place one end of a 45 lb Olympic bar against a wall or corner. Walk over to the free end of the bar place your MOBOs on either side of the end of the bar. Step up onto your MOBOs and grab the end of the bar in both hands at your chest. Now drop down into a squat as you remain balanced over your feet, and drive back up. Perform 15 reps prior to your standard squats to feel proper vertical motion while cueing correct stability and alignment through the legs.
Skier Squats
Stand on your MOBO so that the fins allow the board to rock side to side. Feet are on the edges of the board. Sink down into a ¼ squat. Keep your upper body quiet as you drive one knee down and the opposite side up, as if you are making open carves down the slope on your skis. Ensure knees piston UP/DOWN and don’t dive inward! Do 3 sets of 30 seconds.
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