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Stretch · Lots of talk

Knees over toes

Also called ATG · kneesovertoesguy · Patrick training · tibialis raises · ATG split squat

Community talk. May contain inaccuracies. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.

Knees-over-toes training explores strength with the knee traveling forward over the foot. It is closely associated with Ben Patrick's Athletic Truth Group (ATG), especially its deep split squat. People look it up to build movement confidence and mobility; the brand's pain-free performance claims are not guarantees.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

01

What the movements involve

Knees passing the toes changes where the work goes. It is not automatically a form error. In a small barbell-squat experiment, preventing forward knee travel reduced knee loading but greatly increased hip loading. That finding does not establish a safe depth for an injured knee or test the ATG program.

Fry and colleagues · 2003

The split squat uses a deep staggered stance. One foot is forward and the other back as the front knee travels forward and the body lowers. ATG's young-athlete demonstration permits the front heel to lift; it is not a universal heel-down squat cue.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

A higher front-foot platform makes the range easier. Raising the whole front foot eases flexibility demands; hand support eases strength demands. ATG progresses toward lower platforms, less assistance and added weight. Range and load are separate adjustments.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

Tibialis raises work the front of the shin. The wall version keeps the heels planted while the forefoot lifts toward the shin. Moving closer to the wall makes it easier; standing farther away makes it harder.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

Backward work has equipment-free and sled versions. The beginner lifting article lists 200 yards unresisted, 100 yards with a sled, or two minutes on a resisted treadmill. It also allows this step to be omitted.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

Knee Ability Zero starts without weights. That book's starting format differs from ATG's loaded lifting programs. A free drill demonstration, the book and paid app programming are not interchangeable routines.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

One beginner lifting routine uses two weekly sessions. Each session appears at least once weekly. Its second session includes two tibialis sets up to 20 reps with a bar and four split-squat sets up to 12 per side, starting unloaded.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

02

Why people use it

The goal is strength through more available movement. Patrick presents the split squat as a way to practice squat mobility and strength one side at a time. This is his coaching rationale; a couch stretch alone trains a different task from moving against resistance.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

Strength training can also improve flexibility. A small trial found full-range hip/back lifting improved forward-reaching flexibility similarly to stretching, with greater strength gains. It studied 18 healthy young adults, not ATG split squats or knee rehabilitation. It supports the general idea, not promises of repaired knees or higher jumps.

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation · 2024

03

Good to know

Deepest is not the same as best. ATG includes assisted and elevated versions. Advanced social-media depth is not a starting requirement, and creator anecdotes do not justify forcing painful positions.

Athletic Truth Group · undated

Locking, giving way or major swelling needs assessment. Severe pain, inability to bear weight, a badly swollen knee, or a hot/red knee with fever warrants urgent medical advice. Swelling after a session does not identify its cause. These drills cannot diagnose an injury or determine whether surgery is needed.

NHS · 2023

04

From community discussion

Short add-ons use two or three drills. Reports describe shin raises, split squats and sometimes step-downs in 10–20 minutes, two or three days weekly, before lifting or after easy cardio. These are people's adaptations, not the full ATG schedule.

Community

Reported rep ranges vary from the published routine. Examples include 15–25 slow shin raises and 8–15 split squats per side, bodyweight first. People describe changing range before weight, avoiding bouncing, and unfamiliar next-day shin soreness. Soreness alone does not show benefit.

Community

Easier stairs are one reason people keep a small routine. Some accounts describe less apprehension on stairs after about a month. Four-to-eight-week introductions sometimes become a ten-minute habit or stop altogether. Walking, a short written drill list, shoes that feel stable, and returning at shorter range after a layoff feature in these accounts.

Community

A full routine can take much longer than an add-on. An app subscriber struggled to fit ATG around 5/3/1 lifting and existing gym costs. Replies reported 20–25 minutes versus 45–60 minutes for book-based sessions. Those differences reflect users' versions and pace; adding another whole program also adds work and recovery demands.

Community · Reddit r/Kneesovertoes · 2024

One improvement story needed no sled. A lifter reported rebuilding squat/deadlift tolerance over three months, using partial Zero sessions three days weekly and ten-minute backward walks five days weekly. They noticed improvement after adding the walks but acknowledged coincidence was possible. Ordinary house/street walking avoided equipment hassle.

Community · Reddit r/Kneesovertoes · 2023

A first elevated hold still felt unstable. A beginner described shaking during a 30-second split-squat hold and next-day irritation. Replies emphasized more front-foot elevation and chair/rack support. Their guesses about spasms and sciatica were not diagnoses; an elevated setup alone had not made the attempt manageable.

Community · Reddit r/Kneesovertoes · 2025

Some keep other drills and drop the split squat. One poster continued twice-weekly KOT work but abandoned painful split squats. A commenter with prior meniscus/ACL surgery also described pressure and pain at depth. The discussion included other strengthening options: enjoying parts of ATG does not mean every movement helps every knee.

Community · Reddit r/Kneesovertoes · 2025

References for this topic

Sources and context

  1. ATG Split Squat: better to progress by slowly lowering elevated heel, or add weight? ↗

    id
    fit-wave-atg-questions — ATG Split Squat: better to progress by slowly lowering elevated heel, or add weight?
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Post and selected visible replies returned by web search.
    scope
    Discussion mixes raising the front-foot platform, heel elevation, range and added load; those are distinct variables.
    limitations
    Selected public, self-selected reports and opinions; identities, outcomes and explanations are unverified. Not a representative sample, consensus, prevalence estimate, treatment recommendation or training prescription.

  2. The Beginner’s ATG Lifting Program ↗

    id
    fit-wave-atg-regression — The Beginner’s ATG Lifting Program
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    ATG split squat explanation of front-foot elevation and assistance.
    scope
    Elevating the front foot makes the split-squat range demand easier; assistance and loading change different demands.
    limitations
    Commercial method-owner explanation, used for movement nomenclature only. Promotional outcome claims are not adopted.

  3. History of The ATG Split Squat ↗

    id
    fit-guide-knees-over-toes-atg-history — History of The ATG Split Squat
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Definition of ATG and the program paragraph
    scope
    Patrick's definition of ATG, the split squat as a scalable strength movement, and his pain-free claim.
    limitations
    The page is the creator's essay. It does not measure outcomes or give the set counts.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  4. The Beginner's ATG Lifting Program ↗

    id
    fit-guide-knees-over-toes-atg-beginner — The Beginner's ATG Lifting Program
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Workout 2 list and the front-foot paragraph
    scope
    Higher front foot as the easier flexibility step, bodyweight first set, tibialis-raise and split-squat counts, and backward-walking options.
    limitations
    These counts belong to one beginner article, not to every ATG product, and the page does not show a front-heel cue.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  5. Squats: How To Do Them and Why They Rock ↗

    id
    fit-guide-knees-over-toes-cleveland-squat — Squats: How To Do Them and Why They Rock
    platform
    Cleveland Clinic
    role
    Professional context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Proper squat form and Squat form tips, January 16, 2026
    scope
    Knees in line with the toes, weight on the heels, no bouncing, deeper range only without pain, and the sharp-pain stop.
    limitations
    This is basic squat instruction, not an endorsement of ATG, and the page's benefit claims are not used here.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  6. The Overhead Deep Squat Test ↗

    id
    fit-guide-golf-fitness-tpi-squat-screen — The Overhead Deep Squat Test
    platform
    Titleist Performance Institute
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    How to Perform the Overhead Deep Squat Test and calf-limitation outcomes
    scope
    Stop rules for the screen, and the half-kneeling check that treats the knee moving past the toes as available ankle motion.
    limitations
    Correlations with swing characteristics are the institute's observations, not a promise that fixing the screen changes a score.
    slugs
    • golf-fitness
    • knees-over-toes

  7. History of The ATG Split Squat ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-knees-over-toes-atg-history — History of The ATG Split Squat
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    locator
    Definition of ATG and the program paragraph
    scope
    Patrick's two meanings of ATG, the split squat as a scalable strength movement, the pain-free claim, and the family anecdote.
    limitations
    The page is the creator's essay. It does not measure outcomes or give set counts.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  8. Effect of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-squat-torques — Effect of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Professional context
    platform
    PubMed / Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
    locator
    Abstract: restricted versus unrestricted parallel barbell squats
    scope
    Restricting forward knee travel redistributed knee and hip torque in seven weight-trained men.
    limitations
    Inspected abstract, not full paper; one laboratory comparison, seven men, load equal to body weight. Not an ATG trial, injury outcome study or individual safety test.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2003-11

  9. Knee Ability for Young Athletes ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-young-athletes — Knee Ability for Young Athletes
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    locator
    Step 4: split-squat illustration, front-foot elevation and permitted front-heel lift
    scope
    Movement setup and the distinction between elevating the whole foot and allowing the heel to rise.
    limitations
    Creator's promotional coaching article for young athletes; not independent evidence of injury prevention. No publication date visible.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  10. Knee Ability Series 3 of 10 ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-knee-ability-series — Knee Ability Series 3 of 10
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    locator
    Split-squat scaling paragraph and Knee Ability Pro update
    scope
    Assisted/unassisted/loaded and higher/lower front-foot progression; emphasis on controlled lower positions.
    limitations
    Promotional creator material. Mentions a goal in 2025 but does not supply a publication date; that is not used as the page's date. Listed advanced program is not imported as beginner guidance.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  11. Chapter 1 of the Knee Ability Zero Picture-Book ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-zero-chapter — Chapter 1 of the Knee Ability Zero Picture-Book
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    locator
    Knee Ability Zero introduction and Step 1 HOW
    scope
    Zero's no-weight starting format, wall tibialis raise and distance-from-wall adjustments.
    limitations
    Creator's commercial book excerpt, undated. Claims about all force not handled by the tibialis passing to the knee and universal injury defense are not adopted.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  12. The Beginner's ATG Lifting Program ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-knees-over-toes-atg-beginner — The Beginner's ATG Lifting Program
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    locator
    Workout 2 list, front-foot paragraph, and backward options
    scope
    Two weekly sessions, higher front foot as the easier flexibility step, bodyweight first set, tibialis and split-squat caps, and backward distances.
    limitations
    These counts belong to one beginner article, not every ATG product. The page does not show a front-heel cue, and the therapy line is Patrick's impression.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  13. Structural Balance #1 ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-structural-balance — Structural Balance #1
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Athletic Truth Group
    locator
    Opening numbered recap, item 1
    scope
    Creator's rationale for one-side-at-a-time squat strength and mobility practice.
    limitations
    Coaching rationale and reported client outcomes, not controlled efficacy evidence. The barbell ratios and pain-free claims are not imported. No publication date visible.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  14. Comparison of resistance training vs static stretching on flexibility and maximal strength in healthy physically active adults, a randomized controlled trial ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-mobility-trial — Comparison of resistance training vs static stretching on flexibility and maximal strength in healthy physically active adults, a randomized controlled trial
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Professional context
    platform
    BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation / Springer Nature
    locator
    Abstract; Subjects; eight-week intervention and results
    scope
    Hip/lower-back resistance training and stretching both improved sit-and-reach, with greater strength improvement in the resistance-training group.
    limitations
    Eighteen healthy young adults, six per group, retrospectively registered, hip/back training. Not ATG, not knee mobility or rehabilitation; no clinical or injury-prevention inference.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2024-06-28

  15. Knee pain ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-nhs-knee-pain — Knee pain
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Professional context
    platform
    NHS
    locator
    Urgent advice and warning against self-diagnosis
    scope
    Urgent assessment for severe pain, inability to bear weight, major swelling, locking/giving way and hot/red knee with fever.
    limitations
    UK service pathway; article uses general medical-assessment wording for an international reader, not the NHS phone number or a diagnosis.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2023-12-21

  16. Completely overwhelmed ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-reddit-overwhelmed — Completely overwhelmed
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit r/Kneesovertoes
    locator
    Chemical-Ad-4264 opening; KongWick, Rattlesnake_Mullet and RootingKings replies
    scope
    App/book confusion, 5/3/1 integration, gym-subscription constraints, 20–25 versus 45–60 minute user reports and added workload concerns.
    limitations
    Different personal adaptations, not a verified universal ATG schedule. Thread footer identifies April 5, 2024; relative timestamps alone are not used. Physiology and programming advice in replies is not adopted.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2024-04-05

  17. Success post: 3 months of Knee Ability Zero has brought me back to baseline after 2 years of knee pain ↗

    id
    fit46-knees-over-toes-reddit-success — Success post: 3 months of Knee Ability Zero has brought me back to baseline after 2 years of knee pain
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit r/Kneesovertoes
    locator
    Joff_Mengum opening program/results/observations; follow-up on equipment hassle; chivestheconqueror adaptation
    scope
    Three days of partial Zero, five days of ten-minute backward walking, three-month improvement report, uncertainty about causation and no-sled access.
    limitations
    Single self-report alongside continued lifting; diagnosis and causal story not independently verified. Thread footer identifies October 11, 2023.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2023-10-11

  18. Completed my first ATG style training! Have some questions ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-knees-over-toes-reddit-first — Completed my first ATG style training! Have some questions
    platform
    Reddit r/Kneesovertoes
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    locator
    April 2025 post by zoxh1337 and the two replies
    scope
    A wobbly first split-squat session with next-day irritation, plus replies about a higher front foot, a balance aid, and cutting the dose.
    limitations
    One session report and two comments. They do not establish a cause for the poster's sciatica mention.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  19. ATG split squats hurt my right knee ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-knees-over-toes-reddit-pain — ATG split squats hurt my right knee
    platform
    Reddit r/Kneesovertoes
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    locator
    June 2025 post and replies about pain and workarounds
    scope
    A no-benefit report from the split squat, meniscus-area aggravation stories, and the point that other knee-strength options exist.
    limitations
    Commenters are not assessing the original poster. Suggestions about surgery or other coaches are not a treatment plan.
    slugs
    • knees-over-toes

  20. ATG Physical Fitness Program ↗

    id
    fit-wave-atg-foot — ATG Physical Fitness Program
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Post and selected visible replies returned by web search.
    scope
    The explanation permits front-heel lift and separates front-foot elevation from assistance. A blanket heel-down cue cannot define every ATG split squat.
    limitations
    Commercial method-owner context only; no injury-prevention or treatment claim adopted.

Keep this topic in view

Preserved original record

Earlier public profile and reader notes are preserved separately from the current article. They may contain superseded wording and are not newly checked material.

Read the full original profile
slug
knees-over-toes
name
Knees over toes
aliases
  • ATG
  • kneesovertoesguy
  • Patrick training
  • tibialis raises
  • ATG split squat
family
stretch
heat
high
talk
Lots of talk
most Discussed
false
first Line
Knees-over-toes training is a label associated with exercises that allow forward knee travel, including the split squats, backward sled work and lower-leg exercises discussed around the ATG method.
why Line
People compare individual drills, easier and harder variations, equipment needs and how this approach differs from the old cue to keep knees behind toes.
feel Words
  • knees over toes
  • ATG
  • tibialis
  • split squat
  • patrick
common Picture
  • lead
    Front-foot elevation changes split-squat range demand
    why
    Support and added load change separate parts of the exercise. [community]
  • lead
    Extra-work reports: 10–20 minutes, 2–3 days weekly
    why
    Examples use 15–25 shin-raise reps and 8–15 split-squat reps per side. [community]
watch For
Copying a six-day ATG program despite knee pain, bouncing into the end position, or treating the routine as a replacement for a surgical assessment.
what People Say
  • The job: make the knee happy going forward so a squat or a step-down is not a fear. [community]
  • KneesOverToesGuy and ATG (Athletic Truth Group) are names associated with this approach in online training discussions. [community]
  • r/kneesovertoes and r/flexibility vs old “knees never past toes” school-PE. [community]
  • Why people stay: stairs and split squats feel less scary after a month. [community]
  • Physical therapists’ concern: copying a reel can mean forcing a painful end range without an individual assessment. [community]
  • Not a squat program. 5/3/1 still squats. This is extra knee capacity. [community]
  • Not couch stretch. Couch stretch is hip flexor. This is knee travel. [community]
  • “Bulletproof knees” is marketing language, not a guaranteed outcome from a set of drills. [community]
  • Pain during vs after: a little work-sore is common; sharp line-pain is a stop. [community]
  • Beginners do a short-range split squat to a pad, not a deficit ATG day one. [community]
  • It will not un-do a torn meniscus on a video. [community]
how People Run It
  • Common drill lists include 2–3 movements: tibialis raises, which lift the front of the foot to work the shin muscles; split squats; and sometimes step-downs. [community]
  • Slow. They own the bottom. [community]
  • 2–3 days a week as extra, often after easy cardio or before lifts. [community]
  • Front-foot elevation is a regression: the ATG explanation uses a higher front-foot platform to reduce the range demand. Lowering that platform makes the range challenge greater; added weight is a separate change. [community]
  • Heel and platform cues differ: ATG split-squat explanations can allow the front heel to rise. That is different from elevating the entire front foot on a platform. [community]
  • They stop a set when the knee line gets angry, not when the reel hits 10. [community]
  • Sled backwards if they have one and the knee likes it. [community]
amounts People Use
  • Tib raises: often 15–25 slow reps. [community]
  • Split squats: 8–15/side, bodyweight first. [community]
  • Frequency: 2–3 days / week. [community]
  • Session time: 10–20 minutes extra, not a 90-minute ATG religion. [community]
  • Progress: more range, then a little load — not both at once. [community]
how People Keep It
  • A short list on a note so it is not a 40-exercise app. [community]
  • They pair it with walking. [community]
  • They skip deficit work when the knee is already loud. [community]
  • Shoes they can feel the floor in. [community]
  • A PT or a coach if the knee already has a name (surgery, swelling). [community]
how It Feels
  • First tib workout: shins sore in a new way. Walks funny the next day. [community]
  • Split squat bottom: stretch and respect, or a pinch they should not push. [community]
  • After a few weeks: stairs feel less like a negotiation. [community]
  • Ego deficit: they limp and blame the method. [community]
  • Good day: knee tracks, heel stays, they forget the cue. [community]
  • Swelling after: they did too much range too fast. [community]
how Long People Run It
  • A 4–8 week introduction is how most logs start. [community]
  • Then it becomes a 10-minute extra or it dies. [community]
  • Not a 12-month paid program unless they want that. [community]
  • They return after a layoff at the short range. [community]
deep Dive
  • Couch stretch / 90/90 is hips. This is knees traveling. [community]
  • Ten-minute mobility can host tib raises without an ATG identity. [community]
  • First gym week should learn a squat that feels safe, not a deficit ATG. [community]
  • An exercise approach and a drug treatment are separate questions. The drill name does not supply a medicine plan. [community]
  • Sports-medicine nuance: some people report knee pain near the end of a movement's range. General discussion cannot diagnose an individual's knee pain. [community]
watch For Long
  • Sharp pain, locking, giving-way: a clinician, not a deeper split squat. [community]
  • Copying the full ATG program the first week. [community]
  • Bouncing out of the bottom. [community]
  • Treating it as surgery replacement. [community]
  • Loading a stretch they cannot control. [community]
related
  • couch-stretch
  • ten-minute-mobility
  • first-gym-week
  • starting-strength
  • pull-up-progress
research Pointer
    house Pointers
      play Pointer
      —
      sources
      • ATG / KneesOverToesGuy 2020s method talk
      • r/kneesovertoes
      • r/flexibility knee-travel threads
      disclaimer
      Community talk may be wrong. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.
      quick Answer History
      • field
        commonPicture
        rows
        • lead
          ATG split squat
          why
          The named pattern. [community]
        • lead
          Tibialis raise
          why
          The shin muscle Instagram discovered. [community]
      • field
        howPeopleRunIt
        rows
        • Pick 2–3 drills: tib raise, split squat to a comfortable depth, maybe a step-down. [community]
        • They raise height of the front foot later, not week one. [community]
        • They keep the heel down when the cue says so. [community]
      • field
        firstLine
        rows
        • Knees-over-toes is the ATG / Patrick-style work: let the knee travel, train the tibialis, split-squat deep.
      • field
        whyLine
        rows
        • Knees-over-toes is the ATG / Patrick-style work: let the knee travel, train the tibialis, split-squat deep.
      • field
        commonPicture
        rows
        • lead
          Knee is allowed forward
          why
          The whole argument with 1990s PT posters. [community]
        • lead
          ATG split squat: deep split-stance squat
          why
          An easier setup or smaller range is one version in the discussion. [community]
        • lead
          Tibialis raise: lift the front of the foot
          why
          This targets the shin-side muscles referred to by the shorter exercise name. [community]
        • lead
          Slow and high-rep first
          why
          Not a one-rep-max in a deficit. [community]
        • lead
          Sled backwards optional
          why
          Gyms that have a sled. [community]
        • lead
          Reported extras: 10–20 minutes, 2–3 days a week
          why
          The notes give 15–25 shin-raise reps and 8–15 split-squat reps per side. [community]
      • field
        whatPeopleSay
        rows
        • KneesOverToesGuy / ATG is the 2020s brand. 2026 rooms still search the phrase. [community]
        • Why PTs roll their eyes: some clients smash into painful end range because a reel said so. [community]
        • Bulletproof knees marketing is a promise. This map does not promise. [community]
      • field
        deepDive
        rows
        • Research compounds do not live here. [community]
        • Sports-med nuance: some knees hate end-range. The map is talk, not a diagnosis. [community]
      Read the preserved reader notes
      definition
      Knees-over-toes training is a label associated with exercises that allow forward knee travel, including the split squats, backward sled work and lower-leg exercises discussed around the ATG method.
      community Picture
      People compare individual drills, easier and harder variations, equipment needs and how this approach differs from the old cue to keep knees behind toes.
      additions
      guide
      what
      • The moving part is the knee traveling forward over the foot, in a range that stays controlled. Ben Patrick's Athletic Truth Group uses ATG for ass to grass, hips low enough to touch grass, and for the company name. Each piece is supposed to scale from easier to harder.
      • This is not the cue that knees stay behind the toes. Cleveland Clinic's January 16, 2026 article says keep the knees in line with the toes and the weight on the heels, and that deeper is reasonable without pain. TPI's ankle check treats the knee past the toes as available calf motion. Those pages are not ATG.
      • Patrick's beginner article uses backward walking or a sled, tibialis raises for the front of the shin, and the ATG split squat. His history page claims pain-free performance. That is his claim, not a result stated here, and the drills are not a surgery plan.
      how
      • Change one thing at a time. On the beginner lifting article, flexibility and load are separate on the split squat. A higher front foot makes the flexibility demand easier. The first set is bodyweight. Later sets may add a little load only when that first set is controlled, and the article says the first set stays bodyweight.
      • A concrete order from workout 2 on that page starts with backward work: 2 minutes on a resisted treadmill, 100 yards of sled, or 200 yards unresisted, when one of those is available and the knee tolerates it. Then tibialis raises, listed as 2 sets of up to 20 reps with a bar, or at least 20 reps at a wall. The wall version is heels away from the wall, back against it, toes lifting toward the shins.
      • The split squat on that list is 4 sets of up to 12 reps per side. Step into a long stance, lower under control, and stand without bouncing. If the bottom pinches, raise the front foot or take the load off. Do not buy depth and weight on the same step. Cleveland Clinic's basic-squat notes say the same thing about the bottom: do not bounce out of it.
      • The beginner article builds two different sessions and says each is meant to be done at least once a week. The knee-travel pieces can be the extra work inside a shorter practice. They do not have to become a six-day identity. Stop the set when the knee is angry, not when a rep target on a screen is still counting.
      understand
      • The ladder exists because stairs, kneeling, and a deep squat already ask the knee to go forward. The training version is a smaller dose of that position, then a little more. Patrick's pages also sell protected, pain-free knees. Read that as the claim on his site. The standard for a set is control, not a promise that the joint will feel a certain way.
      • Cleveland Clinic sports-medicine physician Matthew Kampert, DO, in the January 16, 2026 article, says deeper squatting can be reasonable as strength and mobility improve if there is no pain, and that sharp or sudden pain is the point to consult a clinician, a physical therapist, or an athletic trainer. Fainting or chest pain is the same stop. His basic squat still keeps the weight on the heels. ATG's split-squat regression uses a higher front foot instead. Those are different setups.
      • The common miss is copying a full ATG week onto an irritable knee, or adding range and load together. The beginner article itself asks for more patience once weight is involved. This is the wrong tool as a substitute for an assessment after an acute injury, and it is not the squat program on a barbell day. Reports of stairs or split squats feeling different stay in the community notes.
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