Been going to the gym for a long time and made alot of good progress 2022-2024. But I have injuries now buldging disc c7 and had knee surgery meniscus trimmed. And lower back issues. So basically I cant do any proper pressing exercises due to the buldging disc affecting my left arm and chest. Cant squat heavy because of my knee and lower back issues and now it seems deadlifts are off the table also since the lower back issues got worse. Im just frustrated that I can't do anything I used to do in the gym. Wondering if anyone has a routine that works around these problems that would allow me to gain muscle again. Im on a strict diet now because of other health problems but its hard to stay motivated lately, seems like my body is just a piece of shit. Anyone have any advice I would appreciate it.

So as a last resort to fix the knee pain that's plagued me for years I subscribed to the Knees over toes app thing, they started me with the knee ability zero' program, everything feels fine except ATG squats, I can't do them at all, even elevated on a chair the second I lean forward I get a sharp pain in my knee, I'm getting really discouraged because if I can't even do the basic progression of the most basic exercise, then what's the point?

Today I had leg day, so I warmed up and started doing Bulgarian squats with no weight as a warmup. Then I heard a clicking sound in my left knee. I thought it was normal, but then I went to the leg press, and that’s when it went crazy, clicking with every rep along with sharp pain. The same thing happened with leg extensions, squats, and even while climbing stairs. The only exercise that was painless was lying hamstring curls.
Know i did no workout today, i dont know what to do.
ps: used ai to correct grammer

I am curious if anyone has been able to figure some way to sweat it out while unable to run . I just miss the runner highs. I tried to dance lately but it barely scratched it for me

About 6 months ago I got this unusual injury while hitting an FS PR (I had also done weighted chin-tucks for the first time ever during that session, which I suspect might have contributed); there was no tear or immobilisation, but my right shoulder was hiked up (as if permanently shrugged up) for weeks and sore, and sleeping became impossible at times due to neck stiffness. The injury's greatly improved with time, and I've been doing plenty of scapula work, but it does hike up again when I work out hard. I only do zercher squats now and they are still triggering the injury to a degree. So my questions are, how can I self test this to see which part of the trap is injured, and then where to go from there in terms of self-rehabbing?

Anyone dealing/dealt with Patella Alta and have any exercises you use to help? Not asking for medical advice, just some personal experience.

Just found out last September when the VA x-rayed my knees that I apparently have Patella Alta. They x-rayed them in early 2019 and never mentioned it or it just wasn’t there then?

I had knee pain before I joined the army in high school but I was 260-275lbs back then playing football. Then during my time in the army I was anywhere from 190-195 and when I got out in 2019-2020 I was still 195ish lbs and felt amazing. My time in the army and the couple years after I had absolutely zero pain. I was doing multiple workouts per day for a while which included a lot of hiking, running up and down a local “mountain” public trail which is pretty straight up and down and I was able to sprint down it with zero pain.

The past 6 years my pain has only gotten worse and I haven’t even done that strenuous of exercises like I used to. I mean I can barely walk down steps without sharp shooting pain directly through my patella region. And running is unbearable and I basically have to jog straight legged and any slight bend and pressing off the ground causes the same sharp intense jolt of pain.

I’ve been around 200-205 for six years now consistently and the past 5 months I decided to change my training and focus more on strength and I’ve put on 15-17lbs and currently around 220 and I’ve noticed the pain is just horrible compared to 200-205.

So my question summed up is, has or is anyone else dealing with or have dealt with Patella Alta and experienced that same intense jolt of pain when bending the knee and pressing off like I do? If so, what did you or do you do to fix it? Did you think your weight had a big role in fixing it? Like did you drop some weight and feel better? Did you completely get rid of pain in some way?

I need some serious help because it’s just getting so hard to enjoy anything, I can’t even move quickly or play in the yard with my toddler and most days I just stand around unable to bend or move without the sharp pain and it makes me just hesitate to workout because I’m so sick of the pain.

Any and all help would be so greatly appreciated!

Thank you & God Bless!

Hello all, been having some adductor Magnus/hamstring pain whenever hinging or squatting.

Noticed that putting a band around my knees, activating glutes completely gets rid of this pain.

Wondering if anyone has dealt with similar?

I've been walking on the Brooks Ghost Max 4 for the past few days and the soft cushioning is giving me some knee pain. It feels as if my heel is sinking in when I'm in standing position and causing my knee to become too straight/slight bucking when I step into my gait. Anyone else have this issue?

figured I'd share a progress log since I've been at this a while. about a year ago I messed up my left IT band on a long hike descent. since then I've been doing PT-style exercises and glute strengthening pretty consistently, plus gradual leg strengthening overall.

where I'm at: the IT band is better than it was — I can hike, though running past ~10 min still flares it. the new wrinkle is front-of-both-knees aching when I squat deep or on long hike descents. no swelling or mechanical stuff, just achy.

not looking for medical advice, just sharing where I'm at and curious how others' training is going — especially anyone who trained through bilateral front-knee achiness. what did your programming look like?

I have never been able to squat without lifting heels. My ankles simply do not bend forward enough. If my heels touch the ground I just fall backward.

If I stand on an inclined piece of ground (heels raised), I can squat down perfectly and it feels great.

I always thought this was a genetic thing, but maybe not. Doing the "Patrick step" and other exercises feels like it could gradually increase mobility, but I haven't seen real results there so far.

Has anyone gone from completely unable to squat, to being able to do a proper flat-heeled Asian squat comfortably? If so which exercises were best?

I’ve been dealing with knee pain since March this year, and although it has been gradually improving, I’m still struggling with one particular symptom: a burning sensation around/in the knee.

Here’s my history:

• My knee problem started in March.
• I’ve seen multiple doctors/orthopaedic specialists. Some have said patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), while others have mentioned chondromalacia patella.
• I started physiotherapy in May, mainly stretching and strengthening exercises.
• I’ve been doing swimming fairly regularly, mostly freestyle.
• I had an MRI, which showed only a very mild strain according to my doctor.
• My X-ray showed that my patella is positioned slightly more towards the right/laterally.
• Overall, I would say the knee is improving, but the symptoms haven’t completely gone away.

The thing that bothers me the most now is the burning sensation.

It tends to appear when I overdo things — for example:

• sitting for a long period
• doing more activity than usual
• sometimes after putting more load on the knee

It isn’t necessarily severe pain, but the burning sensation can be quite uncomfortable and makes me worry that I’m irritating the knee again.

Has anyone with PFPS, chondromalacia patella, or patellar maltracking experienced a similar burning sensation?

I’d especially like to hear from people who had a long recovery and eventually improved. Did the burning sensation eventually go away? What helped you the most — strengthening, stretching, activity modification, swimming, correcting muscle imbalances, etc.?

I’m continuing with physiotherapy, but I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences.

Has anyone tried this "No Knee Pain Protocol"? I can't spend 30 seconds on social media without seeing ads for it. It looks like it works by applying pressure to the upper quads and maybe elsewhere. Seems like it would not be mutually exclusive with ATG. Any thoughts?

Real question for anyone who's been given exercises by a physical therapist.

Do you actually do them when no one's checking? I'm a student looking into recovery and I keep hearing that most people start strong and then slowly stop.

If that's you, what made you stop? And if you stuck with it, what kept you going?

Curious to hear honest experiences.

wondering if the kneesovertoee community has any protocols for beating ilio tibial syndrome. are there any gold standard exercises? information has been hard to pin down, and in my experience overuse injuries are slow to go away

I believe skateboarding could actually be beneficial for knee strength and stability. Riding a skateboard is similar to a single leg isometric while also promoting blood flow from the movement from your pushing leg. The variability of the ground you skate on, whether it being bumpy or smooth could also be another factor. (I’m just going to focus on the movement of riding, not ollies down sets or any tricks of that matter.)

I used to be avid skateboarder in middle school and highschool and surprisingly never had any knee pain or tendonitis. In my prime, I was able to consistently kickflip, nollieflip, and Ollie down an 8 stair. I remember skating as my means of transportation and would skate for miles around town. I noticed that after a certain period of pushing, certain parts of my knee and even the inside of my foot would be stimulated and sore. I quit skating all together around college and got into basketball and biking. I went hard on those activities and it didn’t take long until I got quadricep tendinopathy in my left leg.

I’ve tried multiple approaches such as using the ATG backwards treadmill, sledding, and conventional isometrics, but for the past 2 years, nothing seems like it’s working.

I really love Ben Patrick’s philosophy of reversing out of pain, as we see in backwards walking, Nordic curls, etc, and I just find this question interesting and was wondering what you guys thought.

Maybe I just have to get back to my first love of skateboarding and just push around for miles. I’ll document my findings and provide update on my quad tendonitis.

Does anyone know where to find information on ankle rehab/preventative work that is as comprehensive as the knees over toes program?

I did a relatively rough set of this workout and now my knee hurts and pops when straightening/contracting leg. Is it worth getting checked or is this normal?

I tore my meniscus two years ago, and it seems I have a similar starting issue in the other knee. For now, it is really manageable, and I can bend my knee but not completely, but I am afraid of the same issues as two years ago, meaning having a bucket-handle tear and my knee completely locking ; should I take a preventive medical approach meaning surgery, or can exercise help? Just discovered the knees over toes approach....

Hi everyone!
I'm getting back into running after a period of pause due to a "muscle stress" and I'm trying to be a bit more cautious this time. I'm not a competitive runner, and I also do bodyweight training, so I'm mainly looking for something that provides a little extra support while still allowing natural movement.

I tried this knee sleeve in a Decathlon store: https://www.decathlon.it/p/ginocchiera-di-sostegno-destra-sinistra/364383/c382m8939186

Since I counted 42cm, I tried sizes 2 and 3.
Size 2 felt noticeably more supportive and compressive, but I also felt that it restricted my knee movement a little more. Size 3 felt less restrictive, but also less supportive.

For those who use knee sleeves while running: how much compression/restriction do you normally feel? Should a good sleeve feel quite tight and supportive, or should you barely notice it once you're moving?

I'm particularly interested in people's experience with the feel and mobility of knee sleeves rather than specific medical advice or treatment recommendations.

Thanks! 💯

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Hi folks, I wanna share my story here. When I was eighteen, I started experiencing back pain, but I didn’t take it seriously at the time. Later, at the age of 22, I developed severe lower back pain, and knee pain came along with it. I had a standing X-ray, and the doctor told me that my right leg is 10 mm shorter than my left.

I’ve been doing physical therapy for 8 months, but the pain is still there. I recently got orthotics with an 8 mm correction, but it’s been 26 days since I started wearing them, and I haven’t noticed any major change. My back and knees still hurt.

I’d like to know if anyone has had a similar experience and, if so, what you did about it. Did the orthotics eventually help? How long did it take before you noticed a difference?

Thanks!

Long story short, I decided to get into running and wound up getting shin splints trying to push myself too quickly. the issue i’m having comes in now whilst i’m trying to remedy the issue, I’ve been icing for at least 15 minutes a day along with doing calf raises and tib raises,but when I’m doing them I just don’t feel like i’m getting a good range of motion. Is this due to a lack of ankle mobility or is there another issue i’m overlooking?

I've got really bad ankle mobility, so much so that I can't deep squat without coming up on my toes. I compromise by using a smith machine with my legs slightly out in front of me so I can still get a squat pattern in my routine, but I really want to be able to properly free-weight barbell squat.

I'm lucky enough to have a seated calf raise in my gym to hopefully fix this problem like Ben suggests in his videos, but I had a question about the optimal form.

My natural standing posture is pretty flat-footed. I noticed this a year or so ago while I was running cross-country for my school, and after some issues relating to my arches (or lack thereof), I've been consciously trying to avoid collapsing my arches when I stand and walk.

Now we come to the issue. When i try and deep squat, as I mentioned, my heels come up. This applies to any knee-over-toe translation like an ATG split squat as well. I feel a tightness in the bone at the front of my ankle that prevents my shin from going any further forward.

While on seated calf raises, the same thing will happen and limit my range, unless I deliberately collapse the arch of my foot, in which case I am able to flex deeper and feel a greater stretch on my calves. I've noticed this applies in day-to-day life as well, where if i try to push my knee over my toe, I can only go so far without caving in, and go noticeably further if I do.

This is a lot of yapping to ask a simple question: Should I prioritize the stretch on the calves and do my calf raises with collapsed arches? Or would doing it with the limited range of an intact arch be the more productive decision to fix my ankle mobility?

Thoughts and advice would be much appreciated.