KneesOverToesGuy Profile picture
Jan 10, 2024 18 tweets 6 min read Read on X
🧵 How to Be Athletic For Your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, with Example of Each Age…
(X usually fails to upload my threads, so I wrote this all out beforehand, and I’m posting it one by one. My apologies. Thank you for your patience…)
30s

Me

Reached my 20s having never grabbed the rim.

Long list of knee problems.

Had always followed the exercise advice I was given:

“No knee over toes, and no full range of motion.”
Thanks to Charles Poliquin, who helped athletes win 26 Olympic gold medals across a variety of sports, I became OBSESSED with knee over toes and full range of motion.

Now they’re my greatest strengths, and I’ve been living my 30s as a great athlete.
Also 30s

My wife had to give up figure skating in her teens due to ankle problems.

I had shin and ankle problems of my own. When I saw my knees could be solved, I became obsessed with ankles, too.

It’s priceless to now be able to help her.
She’s 35 and has more knee and ankle ability than when she was a teenager!
40s

Stefan Holm

Olympic gold high jumper

What’s of particular note is that he was able to compete more often without injury than any high jumper ever.

And he was “unusual” in that he trained full range of motion.

And he still does.

And he’s still crazy bouncy in his 40s! Image
Also 40s

@Mr1nf1n1ty1

He’s been my training partner for the better part of my 13+ year journey with these subjects.

He’s 45, and sets the example I want for my 40s.
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 50s

There’s only one man under 6 foot tall and DUNKING…

Kadour Ziani!
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 Kadour told me he never believed the advice of no knee over toes and no full range of motion.

Instead, he embraces ability for his entire body, rather than limiting it.

@Kadour_ziani Image
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani 60s

I started training my mom in 2018 when she was 64.

Her hips were becoming a major problem.

I used the exact same system, but at her level.
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani Now she’s flying!

Her mobility with my kids is incredible.

She’s a SuperGrandma.

It’s painful to watch how the bodies of other grandparents are deteriorating.

It doesn’t have to be that way. At least, not as broadly as it is when we limit the body.
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani 70s

George Hackenschmidt was 74 when this picture was taken.

He reportedly could jump over chairs all the way to his mid-80s when he moved on. Image
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani George is one of the all-time great knee over toes and full range of motion pioneers.

His favorite exercise was holding weights behind his back and squatting all the way down while balancing on his toes! Image
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani Conclusion:

Full range of motion has been suppressed for millions of people.

It felt like a duty to share what I learned, so I dedicated my career to this.

But I do NOT put down any form of exercise.

I support the WHOLE range, and ANY exercise you enjoy.
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani If you’d like to see broad medical data supporting this, check out:

But what’s been missing the whole time is:

REGRESSION

Rather than avoiding ability, I seek to figure out how to exercise it at a level that feels good for you. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23821469/
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani Life ain’t supposed to be magic and rainbows.

But it ain’t supposed to be an epidemic of joint replacements and painkillers either.

You CAN be athletic for your age, as you age.

And that can feel pretty magical.
@Mr1nf1n1ty1 @Kadour_ziani Maybe your greatest limitation now, is where you have the most potential.

Yours in Solutions,
Ben

Coaching:
Equipment:
Foot-Shaped Shoes: ATGonlinecoaching.com
ATGequipment.com
UncivilizedSneaker.com

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More from @kneesovertoesg

Jan 30
Knee Ability Series 5 of 10

I’ll try to make this thread as simple as I can:

10 years ago, I could barely slow myself down.

Now, my hamstrings can more easily handle my body’s weight.

There are a variety of ways to accomplish this purpose…
Gyms usually have hamstring curl machines.
CrossFit gyms usually have a glute-ham raise.
Read 7 tweets
Jan 15
🧵 DEEP SQUAT EDUCATION

Up-to-date research, gradient scales, and context were all missing from this subject when I was taking health classes in college.

5 reasons the deep squat is one of the basics in my physical education system…
Reason 1 of 5: The deep squat is a good exercise for lower body strength and injury prevention.



🚨 BUT… pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23821469/
Reason 2 of 5: It’s also a great lesson on authoritative learning, because I remember being in college and having to say it’s bad to let your knee over your toes or to let it bend below 90 degrees, even though up to date research said the OPPOSITE.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23821469/Image
Read 8 tweets
Jan 3
Knee Ability Series 3 of 10

I had never seen someone intentionally slowing down and working in the BOTTOM half of a squat, yet over the last 10+ years of changing my knees and jumping, this may be the single most important thing I did.

🧵 Progressions…
Both the ATG split squat and ATG squat are gradient scales from assisted to bodyweight to loaded, with the ATG split squat additionally scaling from higher to lower front foot.

My theory on why it works so well is that this is usually the most missing tension in modern exercise.
It’s easy to understand why this was missed:

The 1970s mistake of “no knees over toes” led to textbooks mandating restriction.

Modern research now encourages a system of progression since deep squats have been found to PROTECT and PRESERVE the knees.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23821469/Image
Read 6 tweets
Dec 28, 2024
I once coached a high school basketball team.

I did something unusual which I’ve never seen done before or since.

It led to numerous players going from completely unrecruited to D1 full-rides.

Here’s the full context… 🧵
To put it quickly:

We were only on the court 3 days per week.

Not 5 like everyone else.

The days in between, we did ATG strength training.

Now let’s fully break down why this transformed players unlike any other system I’ve seen…
Let’s start with MJ.

He didn’t specialize in basketball till age 16.

I had chronic knee pain by 12, from specializing starting at 9, thinking I had to in order to have a chance… Image
Read 12 tweets
Dec 24, 2024
I believe 80+% of low back surgeries and drugs are not needed for someone who truly understands how to exercise it.

But there’s a MASSIVE misunderstanding:

The ability to resist rounding AND the abilities to round and unround are ALL valuable!

🧵 ATG Mobility Series 3 of 10
The seated goodmorning allows you to improve your inner thigh flexibility while strengthening your lower back’s ability to RESIST rounding.

It scales from assisted to bodyweight to loaded.
And the seated back extension allows you to train your flexibility to round, and your strength to come out of a rounded position.

It also scales from assisted to bodyweight to loaded.
Read 6 tweets
Dec 18, 2024
🧵 4-Way Flexibility Routine

I’ll show/explain progression for each one, then explain context.

1/4. Outside: 1-3 sets of 20 pulses

Progression:
-from back leg bent to straight
-from more to less assistance from hands

(Wife showing progressed, me showing regressed)
2/4. Inside: 1-3 sets of 20 pulses

Progression:
-from higher to lower
-from more to less assistance from hands

(Me showing progressed, wife showing regressed)
3/4. Frontside: 1-3 sets of 20 pulses

Most folks will first have to establish comfortable position.

Then…

Progression:
-more upright torso
-more range of motion
-more application of your strength against the wall

(Me showing regressed, wife showing progressed)
Read 7 tweets

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