Knee strength is essential for mobility, athletic performance, and everyday life. Whether you're an athlete, on your feet all day or just want to play with your kids without getting injured, maintaining strong knees helps prevent pain and reduce injury risk. Research from top health institutions indicates that targeted knee-strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of injuries by up to 30%, while also promoting long-term joint health. If you want to know more about common problems and which exercises may help read on.
What are the most common knee problems?
Many people experience knee pain due to various factors. Some of the most common knee issues include:
- Arthritis - This condition is characterized by chronic inflammation affecting the knee joint’s cartilage, synovial membrane, and surrounding ligaments. Patients typically experience persistent pain, swelling, stiffness, and a diminished range of motion—especially during activities that load the joint, resulting in long-term functional limitations.
- Patellar Tendinitis - An overuse injury where the patellar tendon, connecting the kneecap to the shinbone, becomes inflamed. It often causes sharp, localized pain in the front of the knee, accompanied by swelling and tenderness during movements like jumping, running, or squatting.
- Ligament Injuries - Injuries to knee ligaments (such as ACL, MCL, or meniscus tears) result from sudden twists or impacts. These injuries lead to instability, severe pain, swelling, and reduced mobility, frequently impairing the joint's load-bearing capacity and overall function.
- Runner’s Knee - Also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome, this condition manifests as persistent pain around the kneecap due to misalignment or repetitive strain. Symptoms include aching pain, swelling, and a grinding sensation during activities like running or climbing stairs.
- Bursitis - Bursitis involves the inflammation of the bursae—small fluid-filled sacs that cushion the knee joint. This results in localized, sharp pain, pronounced swelling, and sensitivity that worsens with repetitive movements or prolonged pressure.
Integrating the right knee strength exercises into your routine is key to alleviating these issues and preventing future injuries.
Traditional Knee Exercises
These exercises are based on widely accepted clinical guidelines and recommendations from trusted sources like the Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health, and WebMD. They target key muscle groups—such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—to improve joint stability, support functional movement, and reduce the risk of knee pain and injury. By incorporating these traditional, low-impact movements into your routine, you can enhance strength, balance, and mobility in a safe and progressive way.
- Straight Leg Raises - Isolates and strengthens the quadriceps without bending the knee, reducing joint strain while toning the muscle fibers.
- Seated Knee Extensions - Focuses on isolating the quadriceps to rebuild strength around the patella and improve overall knee stability.
- Wall Sits - Excellent for building quadriceps endurance and engaging gluteal muscles, thus supporting overall alignment and knee function.
- Step-Ups - Encourages functional movement by engaging the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, promoting balanced knee support.
- Calf Raises - Strengthens the lower leg muscles, particularly the gastrocnemius and soleus, which contribute to knee stability during movement.
- Glute Bridges - Activates the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) to reduce knee strain and improve joint alignment.
For those recovering from injury or experiencing limited mobility, these exercises provide an effective and safe starting point to rebuild strength and regain joint control. The weekly plan below offers a structured routine to gradually improve knee resilience.
Weekly Plan for Traditional Exercises
| Day 1 | Rest Day | Day 2 |
|---|---|---|
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Mild activity: jogging, cycling, light stretching, walking or foam rolling.
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Note: Always warm up before performing these exercises and consult a professional if you experience discomfort.
However, if you're looking to take your knee strength, flexibility, and performance to the next level, consider integrating more dynamic movements that train the joint through its full range of motion—such as those featured in the ATG method covered in the next section.
The Knee Over Toes (ATG) Method
The ATG (Athletic Truth Group) method, popularized by Ben Patrick, also known as @TheKneesovertoesguy , emphasizes controlled forward knee movement to strengthen the joint throughout its full range of motion. This dynamic approach not only boosts flexibility but also targets deep stabilizing muscles—such
- Backward Walking - Activates the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and hamstrings to provide targeted stability.
- Tibialis Raises - Strengthens the tibialis anterior and calf muscles to aid in shock absorption.
- Calf Raises - Strengthens the lower leg muscles, particularly the gastrocnemius and soleus, which contribute to knee stability during movement.
- Reverse Step-Ups or Patrick Steps - Progressively loads the knee joint while engaging the hamstrings and glutes.
- ATG Split Squats - Engages the quadriceps, glutes, and stabilizers for a comprehensive lower-body workout.
- Seated Good Morning - Targets the posterior chain—including the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes—to improve muscular balance.
- L-Sits - Engages the quadriceps, glutes, and stabilizers for an additional challenge.
Warning: Always consult a physiotherapist before trying advanced knee exercises, especially ATG movements. Deep knee flexion can be risky for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Why Choose the ATG Method?
The ATG method trains the knee through a full range of motion, offering significant benefits. Traditional exercises focus on slow, controlled strengthening while the ATG method emphasizes dynamic, full-range movements that activate deep stabilizers and promote rapid improvements in flexibility and performance. This enhanced comparison clearly distinguishes the two methods, allowing you to select the one that best suits your rehabilitation goals.
- Dynamic Start: Incorporates exercises like Backward Walking, Tibialis Raises, and ATG Split Squats to kick off your workout.
- Full-Range Movements: Engage deep stabilizers through explosive and comprehensive exercises.
- Dynamic Repetition: Reinforce muscle activation to provide lasting joint support.
Beyond performance, the ATG method has proven effective for rehabilitation. Numerous athletes and amateur sport practitioners have reported significant gains in mobility after experiencing setbacks such as ACL reconstructions or meniscus surgeries. By gradually reintroducing full-range motion and targeting underdeveloped stabilizers, this approach has allowed many to recover capabilities they thought permanently lost. Increased joint resilience and enhanced lower-body power often follow—leading to stronger, higher, and more controlled jumps, essential for competitive and recreational sports alike.
Real-World Success Stories
Many individuals have experienced significant improvements in knee health and overall athletic performance through the ATG method. It's not hard to find comments like this:
"It's been a total game changer! My knee pain is basically gone and even my crepitus has almost disappeared. I never thought that would happen."
or this one...
"Similar experience! I hurt my knee 3 years ago from volleyball and rehabbed by just following his instagram and youtube. But...I accidentally made that knee stronger than my other one.."
The popularity of the method might help advocate for its efficacy in strengthening knees. Below is a video from Goal Guys that comically recounts the experience of trying the ATG method.
Note: This is not personalized coaching, so please consult a professional if you experience discomfort.
These testimonials highlight the potential benefits of the ATG method in enhancing knee strength, flexibility, and reducing pain. As with any exercise program, individual results may vary, and it's advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting new workout routines.
Weekly Plan for ATG Exercises
| Day 1 | Rest Day | Day 2 |
|---|---|---|
|
Mild activity: jogging, cycling, light stretching, walking or foam rolling.
|
|
Video Explanation for ATG exercises
Below we list the ATG exercises recommended for beginners. Each exercise is numbered and includes its own video demonstration. Please remember that you shouldn't feel any pain while doing these exercises if you feel any discomfort please find a regression that better suits you level. On the other hand, if you find an exercise too easy for the recommended rep ranges add more wight, change the angle or look for a progression that challenges you more.
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Backward Walking
Backward Walking activates the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) and hamstrings to provide targeted stability. You can walk or run backwards—using a slope or even dragging a sled—to add resistance.
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Tibialis Raises
Strengthens the tibialis anterior and calf muscles to aid in shock absorption.
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KOT Calf Raises
Strengthens the lower leg muscles, particularly the gastrocnemius and soleus, which contribute to knee stability during movement.
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Reverse Step-Ups or Patrick Steps
Progressively loads the knee joint while engaging the hamstrings and glutes.
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ATG Split Squats
Engages the quadriceps, glutes, and stabilizers for a comprehensive lower-body workout.
Who Should Use Which Approach?
For individuals new to knee strengthening or recovering from injuries, traditional exercises provide a controlled, progressive method that safely rebuilds muscle strength and enhances joint stability—ideal for those with limited mobility due to age or previous injury. In contrast, the ATG method offers a more dynamic and challenging regimen, focusing on full-range movements and deep muscle activation, which is best suited for individuals who possess the necessary baseline strength and mobility to handle advanced exercises. This detailed comparison ensures you choose the method that aligns with your capabilities and rehabilitation needs.
- Join Stress: Provide lower impact, suitable for initial rehab after an injury or older people with very little range of motion and low stability during demanding movement on the joing like squating, running or jumping to give some examples.
- Full-Range Movements: Traditional exercises are limited but effective however they do not engage deep stabilizers through explosive and comprehensive exercises like the ATG Method does. ATG works on an increased range of motion in the strengthening exercise making it more suitable for those who want to have a more active live style or want play sports for longer.
- Dynamic Repetition: Both method reinforce muscle activation to provide lasting joint support through repetition, but the inherent ability of the ATG method to progress by adjusting angles or weight. Besides this, the movement are generally involve a lot more coordination and muscles groups through the body that Traditional exercise making more effective for muscle growth and overall strength
References & Further Reading
- Mayo Clinic – Knee Pain
- ATG Method Youtube Channel
- @TheKneesovertoesguy Youtube Channel
- WebMD – Knee Pain
- Harvard Health – Knee Pain
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