Squat Myth - Knees Should Never Go Over Toes

References

[OmarIsuf]

I heard the leg press is better than the squat, can you confirm?

[barbellbrigade]

The real question is: Can your butt go past your heels when you squat?

[Ktuntied]

In 5 minutes I just learned more about squatting than in anything I've ever read/heard/watched. Props to this guy for being informative.

[MattDoesFitness]

Awesome video Jonnie, I'm a massive fan of your stuff, consistently quality information dude!

[ElitAcs]

Candito, Omar, and Sebastian. Most informative fitness channels on Youtube.

[liggmabawls]

Thanks bro. I hate being bothered at the gym by the fucking form police that my knees go past my toes.

[bwing]

He has good points, a large reason people don't use this method is because most people can't do it correctly. So obviously it is great to avoid this, but he has extremely educated points on ankle mobility, bar path, and olympic lifters. Great video to make you think.

[semiintel]

Guy, I was really worried when I saw the thumbnail for this video but you proved me wrong. Absolutely fantastic researched and concise description, demonstration of the problem and solutions.

A++

[Alvsmondares]

I read the same study. The shear force in the back when forced to keep the knees back increased by 8 times. Great talk Jonnie. All the info, none of the boring peer reviews studies.

[metusbatmanv]

Man this guy knows his shit. I have at least one person a month stop me at the gym and comment on my knees going past my toes but never mention the bar path or ankle mobility.

[richardbirks]

Best instructional videos on squatting on youtube. Bar none.

[henrybonette]

I hate when people say that you should have your feet wider or closer or angled out or in. Like he said, everyone squats differently, it's all about what makes you feel the most comfortable while doing it. Also, this was a really good video.

[CP_Shino]

Thank you Mr Candito! Been personally been waiting for this one.

[mayibrad]

Thank you for providing a link to the journal article. As a scientist I like to read supporting literature. It also helps me trust what you have to say more. I hate when all people have is anecdotal stories and mention a poorly done study that conveniently can't be found to verify claims. This is the first video of yours I've watched and I'll be back for more.  

[DonMatesz]

People in non-Westernized cultures squat to eat, eliminate, and rest, and almost always their knees go beyond their toes in the bottom position.  Daily they spend an hour or more sitting/resting in a deep squat.  Cats, dogs, rodents, and many other mammals also squat as a resting position.  The deep squat is a position tested and chosen by natural selection for millions of years in multiple species.  The real problem is that people who grow up in Westernized cultures have lost contact with full range of motion around the hips and knees; it is this restriction of ROM that causes joints to degenerate, not proper full range use of these joints.  Thanks for dispelling this myth, although I am sure it won't completely evaporate any time soon.

[RicardoRoblesJr]

Great video, it's also important to highlight that while restricting forward knee travel reduces knee torque by ~20%, it increases hip torque by over 10x. If i'm not mistaken the highest shear stress on the knee is present while in the ascended portion of the squat NOT the bottom.

[chelsealifts]

I will be sharing the HELL out of you.

[LAMBOMETS]

Candito is the smartest weight lifter on Youtube

[choiceblade]

Excellent isolation of important distinctions.  Many thanks!  I see only one potential "vocabulary" or "language" challenge for the nube listening in.  You refer to knees going both "over" toes and "beyond" toes.  "Beyond" makes it clearer because lots of trainers ask you to allow knees to "track over" the toes which is super important to protect knee/s.  A nube could easliy confused "knees going over toes" with "knees tracking over toes."   Hip alignment being bilaterally symmetrical is hard for a nube to "feel", so "tracking over toes" is a great test for the uninitiated.  I got a lot from this video.  Thanks again.

[RaindropsBleeding]

Thank you SO much for making this video. I have always argued with my P.E. teachers over this myth and have always been flat out told I'm just wrong, that's the way it's supposed to be done, and some people can't do them.. They pull rank and end the conversation without an explanation. If they had thought for two seconds and explained to me about stance width, we could have found an understanding. Instead I was always just told that "some people just can't do squats"