Mountain Ready Knees (12 Week Program)
A progressive training program designed to strengthen the muscles that support your knees, improving stability, control, and confidence for hiking.
Build Stronger, Reliable Knees for Hiking
Have your knees have ever held you back on a hike? Whether it’s discomfort on descents, stiffness or pain after long days, or a lack of confidence on uneven terrain, you’re not alone and more importantly, you are now in the right place.
This program is designed to build the support your knees need, from the ground up.
Rather than jumping straight into heavy strength work, you’ll follow a structured, progressive approach based on proven training principles. We start by improving how your body moves, restoring control, stability, and joint alignment, before gradually introducing strength, single-leg work, and eventually more demanding movements that reflect real hiking conditions.
Each phase builds on the last, helping you develop:
Better knee stability and control
Stronger supporting muscles around the hips and core
Increased tolerance to load, impact, and uneven terrain
Confidence in your movement - both in the gym and in the mountains
All exercises are simple, practical, and can be done at home or in a basic gym setup.
Whether you’re returning from knee pain, preparing for bigger hikes, or just want to feel stronger and more capable outdoors, this program gives you a clear path forward, without guesswork or unnecessary complexity.
Move better. Get stronger. Hike further with less risk of injury.
What’s Included?
Lifetime access to the full program
Step-by-step structured training plan (12 weeks)
Exercise demo videos for every movement
Progressive phases to guide you from foundation to strength
Simple home or gym-friendly workouts
Clear weekly structure so you always know what to do
Built-in progression to help you improve safely over time
Focus on real-world strength for hiking performance
Designed to support consistency without overwhelm
About the Author
This program was created by Laurie Crayston, founder of The Hiking Coach.
Laurie has been hiking since childhood and strength training for nearly two decades, developing a deep understanding of how the two disciplines complement each other. His experience isn’t just theoretical; he’s pushed his own limits in the mountains, setting the unsupported Wainwrights record (2021), becoming the first person to climb every English mountain in a single winter (2021–22), and later becoming the fastest person to summit them all (2023).
Through The Hiking Coach, Laurie brings together practical mountain experience and structured training principles to help everyday people and passionate hikers build strength, confidence, and capability. His approach focuses on simple, progressive training that translates directly to real-world hiking, helping you move better, build resilience, and take on bigger days in the hills.
This program reflects that philosophy: no unnecessary complexity, no guesswork. Instead you’ll get clear, effective training designed to support your progress on and off the trail.
Laurie also co-hosts The Hiking Podcast, where he continues to share insights on training, mindset, and performance in the mountains.
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A progressive training program designed to strengthen the muscles that support your knees, improving stability, control, and confidence for hiking.