Jun 204 min read

How The ATG Split-Squat Ended My Injury Struggles

Updated: Oct 30

I signed up for the ATG Program due to my never-ending struggle with running injuries. After spending £100s on physios, which got me nowhere, I came across one of the 'KneesOverToesGuy's on YouTube. It was about the benefits of the ATG split-squat and watching the demonstration, I was amazed at his mobility and I thought "I bet he never has Achilles problems".

Read: How I Solved My Achilles Problems.

I realised from these videos that I had poor mobility in my right ankle which was leading to a lot of my injuries because when my foot landed it could not cushion my landing properly, this was leading to lower back problems, glute problems, and Achilles problems.

The main solution suggested by Ben Patrick in the ATG program was for me to start doing the ATG split squat to improve my ankle mobility. Ankle mobility is associated with poor performance and increased injury risk due to the fact you cannot cushion your landing as well.

Benefits of the ATG split-squat

This exercise works really well because it puts you in a position where you are under tension and your knees are over your toes. Having your knees over your toes is famously known as the position that puts you at the largest risk of injury, for this reason, the ‘knees over toes’ position is very much avoided. However, what happens when you train in this position is that you start to train all the muscles around your knee to deal with stress.

The ATG split squat uses one of the principles from the ATG program called ‘strength through length’. What this means is that you strengthen a muscle through the full range of motion possible at the joint. This means that you strengthen through the full range of motion of the knee joint, this is what Ben calls bullet-proofing your knees.

Overview of the benefits of the ATG split-squat:

Increasing your hip flexor flexibility/mobility
Increasing your glute strength
Promotes strength through length
Improves your ankle mobility
Strengthens your tibialis anterior
Strengthens the ligaments around your knee

What happened when I started doing the ATG split squat?

When I first started with the ATG split squat, I had my foot elevated high, no weights in my hands and my knee could barely make it over my toes. I repeated this exercise 8 times for 4 sets (as per the recommendation by Ben Patrick) and repeated this exercise twice per week alongside many others he had me perform to increase my performance and reduce injuries.

I noticed over the first month that I was able to get my knee further and further over my toes (showing that my ankle mobility was increasing). It took a little longer till I was able to use a less high box to put my foot on but slowly the box size decreased (showing that my hip flexors were getting more flexible which allows for better glute activation and more power)

Now, I can do an ATG split squat with my foot on the floor, my heel slightly elevated, and my hamstring covering all of my calf. Being able to strengthen my body in this position has made me so much more resilient to injury and I run faster with more power.

The next step was for Ben to introduce me to the Nordic Curl, this was to increase my power and help me to sprint faster.

Injuries I used to struggle with before the ATG Program

I very rarely managed to put more than 8 weeks of solid training together. When I started the ATG Ben helped me to improve my mobility in my ankle and my knee, improving the mobility around your knee helps to keep everything in line to prevent injuries.

Achilles tendonitis
Stress fractures
Glute problems
Lower back problems
Calf strains
Pain behind my knee

The list goes on and go, whenever I used to think I had one injury sorted, another would pop up. Whenever I had a stretch that made a certain pain manageable to run, something else would flare up.

This is a real problem for runners because you need to be able to train consistently to improve. Once I managed to fix my injuries, my mental health improved, my running times improved and I was hitting PBs.

I should also mention that the ATG program helped me to improve my strength, speed, and power which was also another reason I started improving.

If you are someone who is struggling with injuries then I would highly recommend that you at least take a look at his videos on YouTube or sign up for his program using the button below:

Join The ATG Program And Get 50% Off your first month!

How to do the ATG split squat + Regressions

When you see an expert perform the ATG split squat, it may seem unattainable. However, there are regressions for the ATG split squat that help you to achieve the end product.

How do you do the ATG split squat? The ATG split squat can be performed by having one foot ahead of the other in a short lunge position and then squatting down. The goal is to have the hamstring covering the back of the

calf with your knees properly over your toes.

Regressions:

Elevate your heel- this allows you to get your knees properly over your toes. Once you get better ankle mobility you take away the heel lift.
Have something to hold on to to balance yourself down and reduce the weight of your body going down. Once you get stronger you can add some dumbbells to hold on to.
Increase the height of the step your foot is on, this will make the exercise easier on your hip flexors. Once your hip flexors have more flexibility you can reduce the height of the step.