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Ben Patrick used to be the guy with the “old man” knees. At 14, he was already falling apart. He was that kid on the high school basketball court who spent 45 minutes just trying to warm up while everyone else was already dunking. It’s a brutal way to live when your whole identity is tied to being an athlete. By the time he was 18, he’d already gone through three major knee surgeries. We’re talking a full meniscus transplant and a quad tendon repair. Doctors basically told him his knees were a lost cause and that he should probably find a new hobby.
Fast forward to 2026. Ben Patrick is now the Knees Over Toes Guy, a viral sensation who turned his "broken" body into a laboratory. He didn't just get back to playing; he ended up with a documented 42-inch vertical jump.
But there is a lot of noise out there. People hear "knees over toes" and think it’s some kind of dangerous circus trick. It isn't. It's actually a very specific, regressive system called ATG (Athletic Truth Group).
The Myth That Ruined a Generation of Knees
For decades, we’ve been told: “Don’t let your knees go past your toes when you squat.” You’ve probably heard it from a PE teacher or a well-meaning trainer. The logic was that it puts too much pressure on the joint.
Well, sure. It does increase pressure. But here’s the kicker: your knees go over your toes every single time you walk down a flight of stairs.
If you never train that position, you never get strong in that position. Ben’s whole philosophy is based on the work of the late Charles Poliquin, a legendary strength coach who realized that "strength is gained in the range it is trained." If you only ever squat to 90 degrees, you’re only strong to 90 degrees. When life (or a sport) forces you deeper, that’s when things pop.
Patrick’s realization was simple but kind of revolutionary: the "dangerous" position is actually the one we need to bulletproof.
Why the Tibialis Is the Secret Sauce
Most people train their calves. Almost nobody trains the muscle on the front of the shin—the tibialis anterior.
It’s your first line of defense. When your foot hits the ground, the tibialis is what absorbs the shock. If that muscle is weak, all that force travels straight up into your knee. Ben basically popularized the "tib bar" and the "tibialis raise" (leaning against a wall and lifting your toes).
Honestly, it’s one of the weirdest-looking exercises you’ll see in a gym. But if you’ve ever dealt with shin splints or patellar tendonitis, it feels like magic.
The ATG Split Squat: The King of Movements
If there’s one exercise that defines the Knees Over Toes Guy, it’s the ATG Split Squat.
This isn’t your standard lunge. You’re pushing your knee as far forward as possible until your calf covers your hamstring. Your back leg is straight, stretching the hip flexor.
- The Goal: Full knee flexion and a massive hip stretch simultaneously.
- The Catch: Most people can't do this on flat ground without pain.
- The Fix: You "regress" it. You put your front foot on a high box. As you get stronger, you lower the box.
This "strength through length" approach is what rebuilt Ben's knees after they were literally cut open three times. He argues that by loading the joint at its most vulnerable point, you’re forcing the connective tissue to adapt.
It’s Not Just About the Knees
While the name is catchy, Ben's system has evolved into a full-body overhaul. He’s obsessed with "unbeatable" ankles and "bulletproof" lower backs.
He talks a lot about the backward sled pull. It’s exactly what it sounds like. You grab a sled and you walk backward. It’s a "concentric-only" movement, meaning there’s no eccentric (lowering) phase to tear down muscle fibers. It pumps a massive amount of blood into the knees without the soreness that usually comes with a leg day.
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He calls it "motion is lotion."
There's also the focus on the L-Sit and the Flote. He wants people to have hip flexors that can actually pull their knees to their chest. Most of us have "tight" hips that are actually just incredibly weak and overstretched from sitting in office chairs all day.
What the Critics Say (and Why They Might Be Right)
Look, not everyone in the medical community is ready to hand Ben a trophy. Some physical therapists worry that people will see his videos and immediately try a sissy squat with 135 pounds on their back.
That's a recipe for a hospital visit.
The criticism usually boils down to a few points:
- Over-simplification: Human pain is complex. Not every knee issue is caused by a weak tibialis.
- The "Bulletproof" Label: Some experts hate the term "bulletproof" because it implies you'll never get injured. In reality, every joint has a breaking point.
- Anecdote vs. Data: While there are thousands of success stories, large-scale clinical trials specifically on the "ATG system" are still thin on the ground.
Ben’s response is usually pretty consistent: "Regress to pain-free." He’s very clear that you should never work through sharp pain. If it hurts, you're doing too much. You have to park your ego at the door, which is surprisingly hard for most gym-goers.
How to Actually Start (Without Breaking Yourself)
If you're sitting there with achy knees thinking about trying this, don't go buy a sled yet. You can start with literally zero equipment. Ben’s book, Knee Ability Zero, is built on this idea.
Step 1: The Tibialis Raise. Stand against a wall, heels about a foot away. Lift your toes toward your shins. Do 25 reps. Your shins will burn like they've never burned before.
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Step 2: Backward Walking. Find a flat stretch of grass or a treadmill (leave the power off and just push the belt). Walk backward for 5 to 10 minutes. It sounds stupidly simple, but it changes the way your knees feel.
Step 3: The Patrick Step. This is a tiny, controlled movement. Stand on one leg on a small elevation (like a book). Slowly lower your other heel to the floor by bending your standing knee forward. If it hurts, use a smaller book.
Step 4: Regressed Split Squats. Use your kitchen counter for balance. Put your foot up on a chair. Just get used to the feeling of your knee going over your toe in a controlled, weighted-assisted environment.
The 2026 Perspective on Longevity
We’re living in an era where everyone wants to stay "young" forever. Ben Patrick hit a nerve because he’s a guy who was told he was "old" at 14 and proved the experts wrong.
His story isn't just about dunking a basketball. It’s about the 70-year-old grandmother who can now walk down her porch steps without clutching the railing. It’s about the desk worker who doesn't have a dull ache in their lower back every time they stand up.
The ATG system isn't a magic pill. It’s actually kind of boring. It involves doing things like "calf raises" and "walking backward" and "stretching your toes" consistently for months and years.
But for someone who has spent years avoiding certain movements because they're "bad for the knees," that shift in mindset is massive. You stop seeing your body as a fragile machine that’s destined to break and start seeing it as an adaptable organism that gets stronger when you give it the right stimulus.
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If you’re ready to stop babying your injuries and start rebuilding, the next step is simple. Stop avoiding the "knees over toes" position in your daily life. Start walking backward. Strengthen your shins. Build your foundation from the floor up, and give your joints a reason to get stronger rather than a reason to rust.
Your Action Plan:
- Start "Zero": Begin with bodyweight-only movements. If you can't do a full-range split squat on flat ground without pain, elevate your front foot until you can.
- Prioritize the "Tibs": Train your tibialis anterior at least twice a week. It’s the missing link for most people with knee pain.
- Find Your Regression: Never push through "bad" pain. If a movement hurts, make it easier (less range, less weight, or more elevation) until it doesn't.
- Consistency Over Intensity: This is about long-term joint health, not a one-rep max. Focus on high-quality reps and blood flow.