“It Will Hurt Your Knees if They Go Past Your Toes”—Debunking the Myth
Recently, while working out at the gym, I overheard two young men discussing their barbell squats. One of them mentioned that he had just finished physical therapy, and I hope the following advice didn’t come from his therapist…
After completing a set, one of the lifters (let’s call him Lifter 1) was chatting with his friend (Lifter 2). Lifter 2 advised him not to let his knees go past his toes during squats, claiming it would be bad for them.
This belief is widespread in fitness circles, the personal training industry, and was even common in physical therapy. However, it’s simply not true.
Your knees naturally go over your toes when you walk or run. In fact, proper squat technique requires your knees to move well past your toes.
Attempting to prevent this by pushing your hips back and arching your lower back only shifts more stress onto your lower back, increasing the risk of back pain.
But you might wonder: does allowing your knees to move past your toes increase stress on them?
The answer is no! In fact, research shows that training your knees to comfortably move past your toes helps build healthier knees and reduces the strain on your back.
Check out the squat tutorial below to retrain your squat technique and get your knees accustomed to moving over your toes as they naturally should!
Remember, there’s no such thing as a “bad” or “good” exercise. The suitability of an exercise depends on various factors, including your fitness goals, injury history (consult your physical therapist), unique body traits, and movement capabilities. Keep this in mind whenever you hear generalized or “one size fits all” advice about exercise.
