The Knees-Over-Toes Debate: What’s the Right Way to Squat?

You Should Know: Remember being told never to let your knees travel past your toes when jumping or squatting? Some fitness influencers are challenging that advice. The “knees over toes” approach popularized by influencers like Ben Patrick emphasizes training through deeper ranges of motion to build stronger, more resilient knees.

Going Deeper: There’s some science behind the hype, but it’s not quite as simple as: knees over toes = bulletproof knees. Some research has found that 10 weeks of full-depth squatting produced greater strength and functional improvements than partial squats, without increasing pain. A deeper squat isn’t automatically better for everyone, though. Allowing the knees to move farther forward can increase forces at the kneecap joint. That doesn’t make the movement dangerous, but it does mean that load, depth, training history, and individual anatomy preclude blanket recommendations, one way or the other.

Takeaway: As with all things in fitness, there’s no universally “perfect” squat. Anatomical differences and individual history make the “best” squat different for everyone.

Bottom Line: Your knees aren’t made of glass. Gradually training them through ranges of motion you can control builds strength and protects your joints.