If you ended up here wondering how to strengthen your knees, you’re in luck. A year and a half ago, I suffered a knee injury requiring surgery. I went from the operating table back to full duties at the Firehouse in 6 months.
As a Certified Personal Trainer, with the advice of therapists, I’ve narrowed down the 9 best exercises to strengthen your knees that I used to build back my pre-surgery strength and confidence.
Perform these exercises 2-3 times a week with an appropriate warm-up before, and stretching afterward. These workouts can be completed at home, with resistance bands being the only equipment required. As you advance through each exercise, additional weights may be necessary to continue progression.
Let’s get those knees working!
#1 – Walk Backwards
#2 – Straight Leg Raise
#3 – Hamstring Curl
#4 – FHL Calf Raise
#5 – Bent Knee Calf Raise
#6 – Tibialis Raise
#7 – Banded Hip Flexion
#8 – Slant Board Squat
#9 – ATG Split Squat
Check with your doctor before performing any new exercises, especially after an injury.
Keep reading for more detail on these exercises to strengthen your knees.
#1 – Walk Backwards to Strengthen Your Knees
What is it and Why Should I do it?
Backward walking is as simple as it sounds. Not only does it act as a great warm-up for any lower body workout, but it also engages the anterior tibialis (shin) muscles. These same muscles are used when walking down stairs or landing a jump: muscles not engaged when walking forwards.
Walking backward isn’t new, it’s been practiced in China for generations as a method of preventing knee degeneration. It engages muscles and tendons that are often overlooked and under-trained. These muscles provide support and protection for the knee. Studies show walking backward will also improve gait and balance, with a greater reduction in pain and functional disability compared to walking forward.
How do I do it?
Like most exercises, this can be scaled to your fitness and pain level and should be done 3 times a week for 10 mins. Start by walking backward on a smooth flat surface.
The next progression would be walking backward on a treadmill with the power OFF. Stand on the belt facing the rear of the treadmill, support your back against the front rail and hold the side rails as needed for balance. The resistance of manually moving the belt and motor will add some difficulty.
The most challenging progression of this exercise is walking backward on a flat surface while pulling a weighted sled, or tire. The sled can be attached to a dip belt or pulled with straps that you hold on to.
#2 – Straight Leg Raise
What is it and Why Should I do it?
Straight leg raises, often thought of as only an ab exercise, target the quadriceps (thighs), hip flexors, and lower back without putting any pressure on the knee. Strengthening this group of muscles will help with stability, alignment, and injury prevention.
How do I do it?
The easiest progression of the leg raise is to lay flat on the ground and bend one leg to 90 degrees with the foot flat on the floor. Raise the other leg approx 18 inches in the air, hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower back to the floor. Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 raises per leg.
The next progression is to lay on an incline bench with your head at the raised end of the bench. Hang on to the bench for support, keep your legs straight, and raise your feet until your legs are perpendicular to your body.
The hardest progression is hanging leg raises. Grab onto a pull-up bar so you hang with your feet off the ground. With your core engaged and legs straight, hinge at your hips and raise your feet in front of you until your legs are parallel to the ground.
#3 – Hamstring Curl
What is it and Why Should I do it?
A hamstring curl is an isolation exercise that strengthens the back of your thighs. Strong hamstrings assist in balance, stamina, and injury prevention.
How do I do it?
There are a couple of variations of hamstring curls that can be done at home with nothing more than a resistance band. These exercises can all be scaled depending on the amount of resistance used. Find the resistance that allows you to do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
The first type is the standing leg curl. Wrap one end of the resistance band around your right ankle, and step on the other end of the band with your left foot. The amount of slack you leave and the length of the band will change the resistance. Stand straight up and hold on to a chair for support. Keeping your knees together, raise your right foot until your shin is perpendicular to your body, and lower in a slow, controlled manner. Repeat with the opposite leg for 3 sets.
The second type of hamstring curl involves lying prone (on your belly) on the floor. Attach one end of the resistance band to a secure spot close to the ground, like a bed post or railing. Wrap the other end around both ankles. Keep your knees on the floor and raise your feet until your shins are perpendicular to your body then lower them in a slow, controlled manner.
#4 – FHL Calf Raise
What is it and Why Should I do it?
The flexor hallucis longus (FHL) is a muscle running from your mid-calf to the big toe. It helps stabilize and support the ankle, assisting in deceleration (slowing down) when landing from a jump. Compared to a regular calf raise, the FHL calf raise ensures the pressure on the feet goes through the big toe, and more ankle stretch is achieved.
How do I do it?
Start by facing and putting your hands against a wall. Back up until your ankles are stretched to the point your heel just begins to lift off the ground. Keep your knees and hips straight, and raise until your body weight is on your big toes. Slowly lower back down and repeat. Aim for 2 sets of 25 reps. The difficulty of the FHL calf raise can be scaled by how far away from the wall you stand. The closer to the wall, the easier the movement will be. Move closer to the wall if you can’t get to 25 reps and use only one leg at a time if 25 reps are too easy.
#5 – Bent Knee Calf Raise
What is it and Why Should I do it?
Bent knee Calf raises are a way to work the soleus muscle at home without needing a seated calf machine. The soleus is the smaller, deeper of the two calf muscles but is more directly related to Achilles tendon health. Strength from bent knee calf raises directly translates to strength when putting all your weight on your leg when taking off in a sprint. The same can be said for jump take-off and landing.
How do I do it?
Start by facing the wall, about an arm’s length away. Plant your feet and bend your knees over your toes to a comfortable level, ideally until your heel lifts slightly off the ground. Use the wall for support, keep your upper body in a straight line from your head to your knees, and raise your heels. Pause at the top of the movement and slowly lower back down. Repeat for 2 sets of 25 reps. This exercise can be made less demanding by moving closer to the wall which will mean less bend in your knee, or scaled harder by using only one leg.
#6 – Tibialis Raise
What is it and Why Should I do it?
The tibialis raise strengthens the muscle in your shin. This muscle works to decelerate your foot after sprinting or jumping and whatever force is not handled by it goes directly up to your knee.
How do I do it?
Start by leaning your butt against the wall and placing your feet out a comfortable distance. Keep your legs completely straight, heels planted, and lift your toes as high as you can. Hold this position for 2 seconds and lower back down. Aim for 2 sets of 25 reps. The farther away from the wall your feet are, the harder the exercise will be so scale appropriately.
#7 – Banded Hip Flexion
What is it and Why Should I do it?
Hip flexion exercises are another tool in your arsenal to strengthen your hip flexors. Weak and/or tight hip flexors can impact your lower back, pelvis, hip, and knee function.
How do I do it?
Banded hip flexion requires a resistance band to complete. Attach one end of the band to a secure point near the ground, like a bed post or the leg of the couch. Loop the other end of the band around one of your ankles and face so that when you move your foot forward the band gets tighter. Drive your knee up while keeping your back straight, so your thigh is perpendicular to your body. Hold on to a chair for support if needed, with enough resistance to get to 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. Ultimately, work towards not needing to hold on for balance.
#8 – Slant Board Squat
What is it and Why Should I do it?
The slant board squat is simply a squat done while standing on a slanted board with your toes lower than your heels. Doing squats on a slant board activates the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) muscle considerably higher than flat squats according to this study. A strong VMO will ensure proper knee alignment and tracking while your leg is extending.
How do I do it?
To start you’ll need to buy, or MacGyver, a slant board at around 25-30 degrees. Making one can be as simple as resting a board up against the stairs, or standing with your heels elevated on something a few inches high. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just sturdy.
Stand on the board, with your heels elevated and your feet about shoulder distance apart, and your toes pointing slightly outward. Put your arms straight out in front of you parallel to the floor. Engage your core, bend at the hips and start to push your butt back as you begin to bend your knees. Focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet as you descend. Squat down until your hips are LOWER than your knees. Keep your body tight and breathe out as you drive through your heels and rise back up focussing on keeping your knees from collapsing inwards. Repeat for 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Start to add weight if bodyweight squats are too easy. You can hold dumbbells at your sides, a dumbbell or kettlebell directly in front of you, or a barbell on your upper back or the front side of your shoulders.
#9 – ATG Split Squat
What is it and Why Should I do it?
The ATG split squat comes from Ben Patrick, known as kneesovertoesguy on Instagram. Ben is a trailblazer in his approach to training and I can’t recommend his program enough. The ATG split squat is a variation that works your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike a traditional squat, which has your feet hip-width apart, in a split squat you position one foot forward and one foot back. This stance challenges your balance and coordination, and forces your muscles to work harder to stabilize your body. The difference between a traditional split squat and Ben’s ATG split squat is how low you go during the exercise.
How do I do it?
Start in a split stance, with your left foot forward and your right foot back. The correct distance between your feet will mean in the bottom position your front hamstring will fully cover the calf, your torso will be completely upright, your back knee just off the floor, and your back toes pressed without rolling over. Keep your chest up and square, bend your knees and lower your hips until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Fully pause in the bottom position and rise back up. If it proves too difficult on flat ground, raise the front foot to make the squat easier, and use a chair for balance. The higher the front foot, the easier the exercise. Aim for 5 sets of 5 reps per side on flat ground, and increase reps when that becomes easily attainable.
What to do next?
The often neglected part of any workout is stretching. Among the many benefits of stretching after a workout, improved flexibility and blood circulation are at the top. Be sure to include stretching after every workout!
