You have probably heard the recommendation from the fitness or health world that you should not let your knees go over your toes when you squat. This was a very popular recommendation taught by physical therapists, personal trainers, strength coaches, etc. for a long time. In fact, I still work with many patients who tell me that they were told to not let their knees go over their toes. Today we are going to talk about whether this is a fact or a myth…
Is it even possible to squat deep without your knees going over your toes?
If you try to squat avoiding knees over toes and you have even slightly longer femurs (thigh bones), then you will probably feel like you’re going to fall backwards every time you squat. Even if you feel relatively balanced, you’re not going to be able to squat very deep. Here are two examples of what you might look like if you try to squat without your knees going over your toes.
I'm using this picture from the above article to demonstrate poor squat form. Interestingly enough, the article is from 2015 and recommends no knees over toes...
The image to the right from an Instagram post shows how you will fall backwards if your knees aren't able to get over your toes.
If you couldn't tell by now, the answer is no, it is typically impossible to squat with good form and to a good depth without some amount of knees over toes.
Is it dangerous to let your knees go over your toes?
Simply put, NO. Think about two movements you probably do every day. Walking down stairs or walking down a hill. Your knee has to go over your toes. Your knees also go over your toes when you run.
Actually, we are born with incredible hip and ankle mobility from positions demanded in the womb. So next time you're around toddlers, check out their squats. Spoiler, their knees do come over their toes. They are actually some of the best squatters!
What is an optimal squat?
Everyone’s squat will look different based on your proportions. But let’s go ahead and classify a squat as a knee dominant movement. This means that the knees do the majority of the movement, and the hips do less. Here are three good examples of a deep squat. On all you will see that the knees must come forward over the toes or even past the toes depending on the person, their mobility, and how they are loading the squat.
In summary, it is a myth that you should not let your knees go over your toes. It is safe to allow your knees to go over or even past your toes. Allowing this movement to happen is the best way to strengthen your quadriceps (front of thigh) muscle. I might not start someone out with a movement that forces knees past toes if they are dealing with active anterior (front) of knee pain. But the goal would be to resolve pain and improve their tolerance to movements like this. There are no "bad" movements, there are just movements your body was not prepared for.
I recommend reaching out to me or a performance physical therapist near you to help guide you in this process if you are experiencing knee pain or simply want to improve your squats. If you're in the Asheville or surrounding areas, then schedule a free phone consult with me below so I can learn about you and help guide you to an active and pain-free life.
Hope this was helpful and happy squatting!
Sincerely,
Dr. Sieara
828-808-3704
Book your FREE consult call here!
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