- According to fitness experts, it’s a myth that letting your knees go over your toes in a squat is dangerous.
- A deep squat can help improve mobility and reduce injury risk for better fitness, trainers say.
- To achieve a greater range of motion in the squats, start with a light weight and high heels.
If you only squat to 90 degrees, you’re missing out on some benefits, and a decades-old fitness myth may be to blame.
Deep squats that allow your knees to go over your toes are not only safe, but also help improve form, mobility, and joint health, according to personal trainer Ben Patrick.
“Avoiding knees on your toes is the way to get knee problems,” he told Insider.
Patrick, known online as “Knees Over Toes Guy,” was sidelined for years with debilitating injuries and knee pain that multiple surgeries couldn’t resolve. He said mobility training solved his pain problems and improved his performance so much that he earned a college basketball scholarship.
“Knees on toes literally saved my knees,” Patrick said.
Now, he has built a career fighting misinformation about mobility. The myth dates back to 1978, when a Duke University study suggested that a deeper squat created more pressure on the knees. Initially interpreted as a potential risk of injury, more recent research has found the opposite: deep squats are safe and possibly joint-protective.
Incorporating exercises with a greater range of motion can help reduce your risk of injury and improve your fitness, according to Patrick and other experts.
Good mobility and healthy joints can help you build muscle and avoid injury.
Squatting below 90 degrees can help your body build mobility, or strength and stability through a greater range of motion.
According to Ben Foster, head coach and founder of the People’s Athletic Club.
“The consensus is that you should expose yourself to that range of motion,” he said. he previously told Insider. “It happens in life, and if you never expose yourself in training, you don’t have the experience in a controlled environment.”
Better mobility has benefits not only for performance and healthy joints, but also for aesthetic goals.
“If you’re naturally trying to build your body and you’re sidelined by injury or pain, you can’t have the same physique,” Patrick said.
Squats with heels elevated are a good starting exercise for mobility
However, you may not want to jump right into deep squats. Maintaining excellent form is a priority, with the chest up and the core engaged, requiring mobility in the knees, hips, and ankles first.
If you can’t squat very low, raising your heels can help you practice a deeper range of motion while working on your mobility, and adjusting exercises to your needs and experience level helps you progress at your own pace to correct imbalances. , said.
It may help to start with a lighter weight at first, or even your own body weight, to keep your form flawless.
Get more out of your workout by incorporating mobility as part of your workout
One of the reasons people often struggle with mobility is that it’s underrated compared to the more stereotypical muscle-building exercises.
Most gym buddies can tell you how much they flex or bench, but few people pay attention to mobility exercises, which creates imbalances and risks injury, according to Patrick.
But you don’t have to choose between building muscle and mobility. Exercises like deep split squats incorporate both, without a huge time commitment, she said.
“A lot of people are training knees on toes without thinking about it,” he said. “It takes very little time when you have the right methods.”
