Before you ditch the squats altogether because your knees hurt, try these 6 tweaks and see if you can keep building those strong quads that will get you up stairs or off the toilet when you’re 80, without making your knees cranky:
1️⃣ Reduce the load
Even if it’s just for a while to make the knees less angry and give you a chance to focus on form
2️⃣ Elevate heels
Use a rolled mat, book or plate to elevate heels, which can be great if tight ankles or hips are getting in the way of your pain free squats
3️⃣ Split Squat
Yes it’s technically a progression but it gibes you a chance to work on each side individually, and if you add a little extra hip hinge your glutes can help you out more
4️⃣ Resistance band around knees
This can help to bring your abductors (like glute med) to the party and improve your knee position
5️⃣ Box squats
Focusing on keeping shins vertical can still give your quads a good workout, but reduce forces around the knee joint
6️⃣ Ball Between knees
This helps to bring more adductors to the party, and sometimes more inner quad (VMO), which can really work for some people
Which tweak works best for you?