Hi friends,

You may have heard this cue from someone while doing a squat.

The idea that it's harmful to squat with your knees going over your toes dates back to 1961, when a researcher named Dr. Karl Klein published a study claiming that deep squatting stretched out the ligaments in your knee, increasing your risk of injury.

This is outdated advice, as we now know that it is completely normal and even essential to allow your knees to move forward over your toes when squatting.

Yes, allowing your knees to go forward increases the force on them. But when you restrict knee motion, that force doesn't disappear—it just shifts to other joints.

Research has shown that restricting your knees from going forward puts significantly more torque on your hips and lower back, with one study finding nearly a 1,000% increase in hip torque.

Another issue I have with this myth is that force does not equal damage. The human body is remarkably resilient and can adapt to various forces and stresses applied to it, provided it has sufficient time, rest, and resources to fully recover.

There are times when restricting knee motion is appropriate. I may advise one of my patient’s with patellofemoral pain or after a knee surgery to limit the amount their knees go forward during the squat; however, this is a temporary reduction in load to the knee, and it doesn't mean that we will limit their knee motion forever.

You should be training your knees over toes when squatting, lunging, and doing step-ups.

Your knees have a large range of movement, and we want them to be strong throughout that entire range so they're able to handle whatever activity you throw at them.

The question isn't whether your knees can go over your toes—it's whether your tissues are prepared for the load you're putting them through.

Until next week,

Kevin

✍️ Quote I’m reflecting upon

“The greatest truths in life are usually the most unpleasant to hear.”

— Mark Manson