04/16/2026
Knee pain can be tricky. Ia knee pain something you deal with?
A common belief is that knees should never be moved over the toes with exercise.
But we cannot always train only knees behind the toes. Why? Because in functional life our knees move forward frequently. Going down stairs is one example.
If knee pain occurs when going down the stairs, should we then completely avoid trying the exact ranges of motion that are problematic?
What we know from the research on patella tendon pain is the tendons and joint needs to be progressively loaded, aka, challenged and strengthened in the exact motions that are painful. That needs to done in a very structured way to avoid making the problem worse. An individualized prescription is important.
The video shows an exercise called toe squats. I am purposely lifting my heels and pushing my knees forward. In bodybuilding there is an exercise called sissy squats. This is a less extreme example because one of my knees does not bend as much as the other.
What I am doing is challenging that last bit of knee bend that I do possess. That way, my knee has capacity and resilience IN the bent knee position moving over my toes. 👍
So there is a purpose. Not for everyone but it is working for me. Make sure you get professional advice if you are unsure if this is right for you.
These work the quads hard in addition to balance and foot strength. Are they "steessful" on the knees? Yes. But it is a controlled stressor that i have slowly worked on. And now I have no problem going down the stairs. 👌
Your solution might be different but this example is instructive in that it challenges long held beliefs of never moving the knees over toes.
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