You’ve probably heard people say your knees shouldn’t go over your toes when squatting because it causes too much stress on the knees. And this has been repeated ad infinitum on internet forums, comment sections of blogs and social media posts since their inception.
But should you completely avoid letting your knees go past your toes while squatting?
In one word: No.
But there is a bit of nuance you should consider. The knee joint needs to be properly conditioned to squat safely. Just like you wouldn’t attempt a handstand push-up if you’ve never practiced regular push-ups before.
The common thing you’ll often see is people claiming that squatting with your knees over your toes is bad because it causes pain or damage. This technically can be true for people who have overuse injuries, or previous injuries from impact or an accident.
And of course, if there is something else going on like meniscus damage or arthritis, being extra careful with squatting is important to keep in mind.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
There is No Magical Rule For Where The Knee Should Be During A Squat
Contrary to what some armchair experts might claim, there is no perfect squat form, or ideal way to keep your knees from moving over your toes, especially if your anatomy is best suited for it.
Knees Moving Past The Toes In Real Life
If you’ve ever seen a baby squat down to pick something up, they do it with ease. Now, there are a few reasons for this.
- It’s a movement that comes naturally to them, thanks to our anatomical evolution.
- Their bones and joints are very soft, so they have an incredible range of motion.
- They haven’t been sitting in chairs in a stiff position for long periods (yet).
People have been squatting for millennia. Long before there were chairs, cars, and couches, we would squat down to take a break, relax, cook, or relieve themselves. 💩
Ever heard of the so-called Asian squat? Here’s what it looks like:
Pay attention to how his knees jut out over his toes. If this looks hard, you’re probably lacking the mobility necessary to be comfortable in this position. Good thing for you, we can help you increase your flexibility for a deeper squat. It just takes practice.
If you’ve ever traveled abroad, especially to any Asian country, you’ve probably seen people of all ages around you just hanging out in this position for long periods of time.
Another example is the Olympic squat:
Most people who have the belief that your knees should never go over your toes will say this is an accident waiting to happen.
But with the right conditioning, enough mobility, and enough strength, this is not harmful to the knee joints. In fact, it can be strengthening when done right.
Key Takeaways:
- Squatting low is a natural movement, but it may not come naturally if you’re out of practice, or sitting in chairs most of your day.
- You can improve your squat by increasing your flexibility. Check out our Mobility program for a detailed, planned approach.
What Does The Research Say?
A common fear people have is that the deep squat causes damage to the knee joint and increases risk of injury. However we can look at what a few scientific papers say about the matter:
When you’re getting expert instruction, taking precaution, and practicing the squat in a reasonable, progressive manner and not working through pain or forcing a range of motion you don’t have, you’ll likely be alright. One paper states: “contrary to commonly voiced concern, deep squats do not contribute increased risk of injury to passive tissues” [1].
Many people will tell you that squats with your knees over the toes place too much stress on the knees. And this can be true if you’re lacking the mobility to do it well, with your knees naturally going over your toes as much as your anatomy allows.
However, if you don’t have the mobility, let’s say in your feet and ankles, to get into a good squat position, it can add more stress to your hips and lower back when you try to compensate and balance your body [2].
So that alone is important enough to develop the mobility and strength to squat with your knees over your toes. Doing so will help balance out the load, taking unnecessary strain off of any particular joint.
Lastly, conditioning seems to be really important when it comes to long term knee health. Conditioning, in this case, means how able and prepared your body is to do a movement or be in a position for a certain period of time.
For example, if you’re not used to squatting down and relaxing in the squat position, you won’t be able to hold it for very long without experiencing some fatigue and discomfort. But when you practice the movement over time, you’ll be more conditioned to hang out in that position.
And the more you practice, the more conditioned you become.
Key Takeaways:
- Research tells us that your knees going past your toes when squatting is not harmful if you’re not injured, and you have the flexibility to squat properly.
- You can condition and strengthen your knees, and the muscles around them, to move better and squat comfortably.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
We’re All A Little Bit Different
Yes, you’re special!
But we’re not talking about your mom’s opinion of you… we’re referring to anatomy.
Have a look here at these 3 different squat positions:
Note: the above image shows 3 different squat styles from our squat assessment module in Elements. If you want to master your squat form with control, we can show you how with this program.
Some people have longer femurs, with short torsos. Then others have long torsos and short femurs. And then there’s a bunch of people somewhere in the middle.
Also, you may not have enough mobility right this moment to squat without your heels coming off the floor, or without overbalancing by sticking your butt out and stretching your hands out in front of you.
These anatomical nuances will affect how you naturally squat.
So what is a near-perfect squat for you may be completely different for someone else with a slightly different limb length.
This is why we don’t ever get hung up on the picture-perfect squat position for everyone. Instead, we teach you to squat with the form that is perfect for your body and its capabilities.
Key Takeaways:
- Your anatomy will differ from others, so your squat may not look like those pictured throughout this article.
- You should only squat to a point that is comfortable and without pain. If you want to improve your squat depth, you can work on your flexibility and strength to improve the movement.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
Thinking About Knee Position And Alignment
In the past, we’ve used cues such as ‘try to keep the shin vertical’ and that isn’t terrible. But for some people that won’t be possible due to limb length, and they’ll naturally see their knees go over their toes, maybe a bit more than the next person.
The main things you’ll want to consider when squatting is that your heels are flat on the floor, and where your hips are in relation to your upper body. For instance, if you have to stick your hips back and reach your hands way out in front of you to keep from falling over, this is likely a limitation in flexibility and strength.
And certain movements are going to require slightly different positioning in order to maintain balance.
For example, the pistol squat requires a lot of balance, so you’ll naturally sit back more on your heel to stay upright.
But with the shrimp squat, you’ll have more weight on the midfoot because you have to hang onto your free leg behind you.
Check out our article on the shrimp vs. pistol squat.
Nothing is wrong with the knee alignment in either position, but different movements require you to adapt where you are in space to keep from falling over.
Key Takeaways:
- Your knee position is going to vary based on what type of squat you’re performing.
- To maintain balance, it’s natural for your knees to go past your toes, and this is totally fine as long as you don’t have any injuries or flexibility limitations.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
Healthy Movement = Moving In Various Directions With Control
You’ve probably seen videos of us playing around with different movements. What may look odd, or funny, is actually very beneficial.
Look at Eduardo here:
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He’s able to command a ton of control over his body in various ways, and look at how far his knees go over his toes!
This is a result of many years of gymnastics and martial arts, but it’s also because he deliberately works on moving in these various directions regularly.
It’s easy to get caught up in the rigid patterns of squatting a certain way, especially when using weights. But your knee joints will become stronger and more robust when you improve your hip and ankle mobility, as well as getting stronger overall in various positions.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
Now… one thing we want to make clear is this:
Transient Positioning Is NOT The Same As Chronic Misalignment
You’ve probably seen someone on the internet attempting to analyze everything wrong with someone’s movement or position based on a picture.
For instance:
This is a still shot of Ryan transitioning, under control, into another movement. The knee is misaligned, but it’s under control and totally fine.
Here, Ryan and Jarlo break down the why letting your knees go past your toes is not harmful, and why it might take you some time to build the strength and flexibility to squat as deep as you want comfortably.
So while a keyboard cowboy might say “This is all wrong! You’re gonna break your kneecaps doing this,” just understand that this is healthy movement when done under control, under the right loads, and without pain.
It also comes back to this person’s individual anatomy, ability, and training experience.
Key Takeaways:
When transitioning from movement to movement, your knees will often be in a ‘misaligned’ position, but this is part of healthy movement. And if you have the strength, flexibility, and control to move well, you shouldn’t have problems moving in all directions.
Skip to the section you want: 💯 The Truth About ‘Knees Over Toes’ | 🦵 Anatomical Differences | 📐 Knee Position And Alignment | 🤸🏼♀️ Healthy Movement = Moving In Different Directions | ❓ Understanding Misalignment | ⚠️ Got Knee Problems? Be Cautious! | 🏋️♂️ Build Your Squat With Elements
Have Existing Knee Problems? Be Cautious
Alright, if you have an injury, arthritis, tendinitis, or anything that causes a limited range of motion or pain, you have to be careful. If you have knee problems, you probably don’t want to force your way into a deep squat because it will likely exacerbate your issues and delay the time it takes to get into a proper squat comfortably.
By the way, if you have an injury, you’ll want to read what to do right after you’ve been injured and follow that advice. And once you’ve recovered, you’ll want to work back into a reasonable range of motion with lots of care and effort. You don’t want to get hurt again, so it’s best to ease back into your training and take your time.
But I assume that since you’re reading an article about whether or not squatting with your knees over toes being okay, you’re probably alright… and it’s time to start working on a squat that is best for your body.
Most of the time, limitations and even some pain that come from squatting, or doing certain movements comes from a lack of the following:
- Strength
- Control
- Flexibility
And if you don’t address all of those in tandem, you won’t reach your full potential to squat and move progressively and properly. In our program, Elements, we give you the exact progressions and instruction to help you ease into the best squat for you and you’ll gain a lot more than just a great squat.
The main thing to remember is you have to start where you are. After that, you continue working until you’re satisfied, and then you keep on going.
Build a Great Squat With a Foundation in the Basics
With Elements, you’ll build a foundation of strength, flexibility, and control over 8 weeks, setting yourself up for a successful lifetime of staying fit and active.