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More from @kneeovertoesguy

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

Jun 8

The KneesOverToesGuy System

(Below is a demo, not something you have to do!)

I have no secrets and in this thread I will show you the progressions I used to now go 10+ years of no knee problems despite the following 10 conditions prior:

Patellafemoral Pain Syndrome
Patellar Tendinitis
Chondromalacia Patella
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Tibiofibular Dislocation Disease
Meniscus Tear
Quad Tendon Tear
Kneecap Fracture
ACL Tear
Bursitis

This is the first exercise I feel was really crucial for me.

Less angle, smaller step, and assistance make it easier, just as going downhill with less slope, smaller steps, and a walking stick, would make it easier.

Progression demo: (You can even add load for extreme goals.)

I don’t think backward walking was critical for me BUT it helped me warm up for the backward step ups I just showed you.

Progression is from smaller to bigger steps, and dragging load.

Read 7 tweets

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

Jun 1

There’s a specific Big 3 for mobility relating to lower back pain and injury, and you can test and observe them for yourself.

In this thread, I’ll show you these 3 mobilities and the progression I use for each one…

The first mobility in the knee over ankle.

Notice how that allows me to sink down with less stress on my lower back.

None of these 3 are my opinions. They just are.

You can test and observe each for yourself.

My favorite progression for knee over ankle mobility is a full split squat, going from higher to lower front foot, and from assisted to unassisted (to, optionally: loaded, depending on the forces you want to handle in life).

Read 11 tweets

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

May 31

🧵 2025 Knees Over Toes Update: 4 Main Progressions

I’ve been working on this subject for 15 years.

Despite a gnarly list beforehand, I’ve now been well over 10 years without a knee problem, while helping 1000s to their own wins.

The good news? These 4 are simpler than ever!…

Think of this thread as natural knee abilities in reverse, starting from:

In youth we can deep squat pain-free.

The more we lose that, the more benefits I’ve seen from counterbalance and heel elevation, progressing at your pain-free level from:

Bodyweight
to plate, full reach
to plate, reach only in front of knees
to dumbbell, above knees
to optional barbell loading.

The more wrecked the deep squat mobility, the more benefits I’ve seen from the deep split squat.

One of my knees has partially artificial kneecap, reattached quad tendon, and meniscus transplant.

The other then had diagnosed tears I didn’t operate on.

Progression from higher to lower front foot, and from assistance to bodyweight to weight, is perhaps the single greatest long-term investment I’ve made in my body.

10+ years of this has transformed my mobility and helped deep squats feel good!

Bonus: I think the increased hip flexor length is a major component of how I also ended my lower back problems - no problems there in 10+ years either!

Read 7 tweets

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

May 28

🧵 My Top 8 Exercises For School or Home

For 15 years I’ve been obsessing on how to make outlier athletic and resilience results accessible.

This thread teaches you my best skills to date…

1/8. I coach the slant step up as a progression of SLOPE and REACH.

My baseline Standard is being pain-free on EACH knee for 25 reps, after which I allow loading for extreme goals.

(I filmed live progression demos today for this and all exercises in this thread. ⬇️)

2/8. I coach the full split squat as a progression from higher to lower front foot, and from assisted to unassisted.

The baseline Standard I coach is simply being PAIN-FREE on flat ground on each side.

I also allow loading for more extreme goals.

All shown here:

Read 9 tweets

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

May 26

I believe this is the #1 reason I haven’t had a knee or back injury in over 10 years, despite being in a cycle of injury > drugs > surgery prior.

🧵 In this thread I’ll show you the Standard I coach my students to, why, and how I scale this to age 85 in my faculty class…

Higher front foot and assistance allow me to scale this to any trainee.

I personally started elevated and assisted.

I’ve been working on this over 10 years.

I never had to work through pain.

Gradually going lower = more strength and flexibility demand:

I believe in a simple Standard of a deep split squat on flat ground being PAIN-FREE.

Loading is then a personal thing.

This is 1 of about 15 baselines I believe in for the average human body, from which I further customize by goal.

Read 5 tweets

KneeOverToesGuy

@kneeovertoesguy

May 21

Deadlift Progression For Less Lower Back Pain

In coaching people to hundreds of lower back pain transformations over the past 15 years, it’s really clear to me that it’s not strength “or” flexibility.

Today I wanted to really dig into the progression and thought process here…

I’ve observed too many STRONG - but stiff - or FLEXIBLE - but weak clients who couldn’t figure out their back problems. Drugs, surgeries, FEAR.

Where do I start them?

SEATED. NO WEIGHT.

Inner thigh flexibility PLUS strength.

Gradually progress…

That seated dumbbell deadlift is the key to bridging the gap of lost mobility from a chair-sitting society. And even in places where they squat deep, the seated DB deadlift supplies low back STRENGTH.

I truly believe this is the foundation.

Everything from there gets easier!