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Knees Over Toes: Debunking a Gym Myth Once and For All

You've probably heard it countless times in the gym: "Don't let your knees go over your toes!" This seemingly universal rule has overtaken fitness and even medical circles, but where did it come from, and more importantly, is it actually true? Today, we're diving deep to debunk this myth once and for all.


The core belief behind this warning is that allowing your knees to extend past your toes during exercises, particularly squats, places excessive stress on the knee joint. And, to some extent, there's an ounce of truth there. If you initiate a squat movement by pushing your ankles forward, disrupting the proper tibia-torso relationship, you'll indeed shift a disproportionate amount of weight onto your knees. However, the solution isn't to restrict knee movement; it's to cue the athlete to initiate the squat with their hips first.


Think about it: your knees naturally go over your toes multiple times throughout the day. Descending stairs, kneeling, or even rising from a chair all involve your knees extending past your toes. And what about Olympic weightlifters? These athletes consistently push their knees far beyond their toes during lifts. Are they risking injury every time they touch a barbell? Not at all.



The Squat: A Fundamental Movement


Let's take the squat as an example. It's not just an exercise; it's a fundamental movement pattern. To execute it optimally, you need to maintain your center of mass over the middle of your foot. This requires an even distribution of weight across the tripod of your foot: the base of your big toe, the base of your little toe, and your heel. Every movement originates from the ground up, and to achieve adequate depth in a squat, your knees must translate over your toes to keep the barbell's weight centered. Attempting to restrict this movement to reach depth will inevitably cause you to dump your chest forward, placing immense stress on your lower back.



Via Rippetone and Kilgore
Via Rippetone and Kilgore


Now, there are exceptions. Powerlifting, for instance, often employs a low-bar back squat technique. This minimizes knee shift, emphasizing hip dominance, because our hips are incredibly powerful. However, this technique also limits your range of motion. If a powerlifter tried to achieve "ass-to-grass" depth with this method, they'd become unstable and lose balance.


Takeaway:


The takeaway? Science has demonstrated that the knees of healthy athletes are relatively safe at the bottom of a deep squat, provided excessive loading is avoided and proper technique is employed. In fact, to achieve the necessary depth, the knees can and must move past the toes.


So, the next time someone tells you to avoid letting your knees go over your toes, you can confidently explain the science behind why that's a myth. Focus on proper form, hip initiation, and controlled movement, and your knees will thank you.



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