Knee over toe, hip long

ATG split squat

A deep split squat where the front knee travels well past the toe while the rear hip stretches long. The signature move of Ben Patrick's knees-over-toes method: strength at the exact range most training avoids. Go only as deep as stays comfortable, and elevate the front foot to ease it.

How to do it

1. 01Take a long split stance, front foot flat, rear heel free.
2. 02Lower slowly, letting the front knee travel forward past the toes as far as stays comfortable.
3. 03At the bottom, the front calf and hamstring touch and the rear hip stretches long.
4. 04Drive back up through the whole front foot; five slow reps, then switch.

Mistakes that waste your reps

• ×Letting the front heel lift; the heel stays glued down or the range is not yours yet.
• ×Dropping fast into the bottom instead of lowering with control.
• ×Forcing depth that pinches; comfortable end-range today builds tomorrow's depth.

Where this comes from

Discomfort that eases as you move is normal; pain that sharpens is a stop sign. If this area is injured or persistently painful, a clinician outranks this page.

Written by Kyle Jenkin · updated August 31, 2026 · how we grade evidence

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